<p>I can say for one, that ive met many people from states like Indiana and Illinois. They always have to say, I am .... hours from the nearest big city. So you should not think that there arent many applicants from small towns.</p>
<p>I agree with all the people who clarified the Domer issue. Don't use Notre Damean in the essay! :)</p>
<p>I think the notion that ND has some strange thing about valedictorians is silly. Common sense is the key here. In a class of 100, the difference between first and third in class is statistically insignificant. There seems to be some high expectation among some valedictorians that, because they came out ahead in class rank, they will somehow "win" in admissions. Fact is, being a valedictorian does not automatically mean one is a thinker (although it also does not mean one is not.)</p>
<p>If, in pursuit of the number one ranking, a student ends up sacrificing too much of other aspects of high school life, the applicant is not as rounded. I can say, too, from having been a Domer myself (eons ago), and having a son there now, that those who fixate too much on rank and GPA are bound to be disappointed, because everyone is smart. Grades should reflect academic effort and ability, not be an ends within themselves. The admissions office's goal is to select students that will thrive in the campus environment--if they detect that a student is overly obsessive about grades, that's not a good sign for how they will cope on campus. </p>
<p>By the way, I state these things having been a high school valedictorian myself, who was admitted back in 1980 as a Notre Dame scholar. </p>
<p>Bottom line, valedictorian status is pretty much statistically irrelevant to the process... High grades are high grades, be it first or third or fifth in the class.</p>
<p>Can someone tell me what a "Notre Dame Scholar is" and how does one go about becoming one?</p>
<p>Notre Dame scholar is a distinction given to something like the top 15% of the freshman class, I really am not sure. They say it helps get better financial aid, but that is debated. To get it, you just have to be in the top of your admissions class.</p>
<p>It's a nifty certificate that looks good on a resume. Supposedly, you can get aid easier with it, but as the university is committed to meet all demonstrated need, the money aspect is not that big of a deal. I think it is more of a distinction, a lure to get the top students who might be applying to numerous universities, and getting some pretty lucrative offers from some of them. You don't apply for it, they just award it.</p>
<p>I have one of the certificates on my office wall. Didn't bring me a dime then, doesn't bring me one now, but it's cool to have and will always be on my resume, even though I am swiftly approaching the status of "older than dirt."</p>
<p>My son didn't get the distinction, but he did get in EA, meaning the second semester of his senior year could hum along in cruise control... The most important thing in the letter is not whether the scholar status is in there, but rather the single word, "Congratulations!"</p>