<p>Wow, you are going to have a busy fall. I only applied to three schools.</p>
<p>KSAzN: too bad so few of those schools use the common app. you're gonna be overloaded with essays...</p>
<p>not necessarily true... I found that writing for many prompts enabled me to find common threads in them...I had three basic essays (in terms of subject matter)that I could take and manipulate to meet a given prompt</p>
<p>well, I have the same problem as KSAzN. I have 12 schools I'm applying to, and only one uses the common app, which takes away the entire point of it. Some prompts are similar, but have totally different length requirements.</p>
<p>Yeah my senior year is going to be just a tad busy, between this, Stuco, a job, Cross Country, being president of 3 clubs....I really do hope that I have the time to fully dedicate myself to these apps. I do believe though people will end up eventually in where they are meant to go, even if that means not ND....of course, I would LOVE it if my life is suppose to go that direction....haha.</p>
<p>Yeah, I was sort of annoyed all the schools I picked don't use the common app, but I feel like that might not be a bad thing. I know the common app is meant to save time and effort, but I think if a school picks a personalized application, the school really gets the chance to see and find out what it really wants to know, instead of just the "regular" stuff that the common app addresses. I understand the supplement, but even just having its own app will allow the school to see only the truly interested applicants, not just the ones that checked it on their common app.</p>
<p>If anyone cares, I used my common app essay for my Notre Dame application. Whichever is your best essay, use. Don't change it, all apps have an "essay of your choice" option - at least that I encountered. Don't force it, use what makes you most comfortable.</p>
<p>Hmm, just to go back on topic, the other schools I'm looking at are:</p>
<p>Georgetown (my personal #1... also the ultimate reach for me, unfortunately.)
Boston College
Northwestern
College of William and Mary
George Washington University
U Mich
NYU
Rutgers - safety</p>
<p>Also Wellesley, but as a male applicant, I don't suppose you'd be interested in that one. =T</p>
<p>VC08, here's a bit of advice.</p>
<p>definitely apply to ND, but don't completely rule out the option of Saint Mary's college, either. I know there is a lot of hype and superiority complexes about the whole ND/SMC distinguishment, but here is what you can do. Apply to both ND and SMC. If ND does not accept you, and SMC does, really look into the option of attending SMC for a year then transferring. I know you said you were not into the whole transferring thing but this would be different...you would still be in the same community, celebrating the same traditions (SMC chicks all attend the football games, parties, events, and are very intertwined with the customs of ND) and still have some friends in the same neighborhood. You really would be getting the best of both worlds...and I am sure you could tackle some great merit scholarships. I know some St. Mary's girls that are transferring to ND next year and they see it as a win-win situation.</p>
<p>Does anyone know how heavily ND looks at SAT? Here's my thing, I feel like I am a strong candidate for ND: I make good grades, am a good writer, I am invloved in school activities as well as in different activities in my community such as volunteering. I am a very passionate person and am ranked in the top ten of my class. All these things I feel great about when it comes to ND, but then I think about my SAT scores, and although they weren't horrible I do feel and know that they aren't as good as many of ND applicants. I am absolutely in love with ND, and I feel as if it is the best place for me. I just don't know... I want to be "good enough", but my SAT scores get me a bit down.</p>
<p>PassionateSenior: I feel the exact same way, and think I'm in pretty much the same situation. I think ND does try to look at each applicant as a whole, not just by scores, but, on the other hand, when the avg. SAT is around a 2100, then obviously they are accepting people who are very good testing-wise too. It comes down to the "there are so many good applicants" thing. You may be a published author, for example, but if the person evaluated ahead of you was an athlete of the year in a large city (again, as an example) and has excellent scores, they will most likely take that person instead. I think you have to figure out how to make yourself unique in your essay. That's really all the advice I can give you. Best of luck!</p>
<p>Thanks, vc08</p>
<p>PassionateSenior,</p>
<p>Its no lie that SAT scores are important. IMHO, I think that ND looks at the standardized tests too much. Honestly, I don't believe them when they say that they look at the entire applicant. Going back and looking at the posts, and using the naviance site, it is close to impossible to find a non minority student who has a sub 1380 who was accepted. I'm not saying its impossible, but I am looking at my highschool's chart right now, and there is a pretty definitive line at 1400. </p>
<p>I think that they will look at you as a "whole" IF you have the SAT score. I know many people will disagree with me... but just go and look at the past threads and you will understand what I'm saying</p>
<p>Also, Im not saying that just because you have the score it will mean that you will get in. Just look at the past threads.</p>
<p>I agree, I think our test scores are a bit inflated because rich kids can afford test prep and ND relies on them so much. I never had test prep but I took the ACT, the SAT twice and I took 4 SAT2s. I think all that time taking tests just made me better without actually studying for them. My score from the ACT probably wouldn't get me into ND, so I didn't report it but my score from the second SAT was above the middle 50% threshold. I think taking a test a second time can only help, even if you can't afford a tutor or a class. And make yourself really unique in your essay. They have plenty of rich kids, they hand pick their poor kids and they hand pick their athletes, so the rest of us have to be different from each other.</p>
<p>Thanks, bpayne. I'll do what I can to better my scores and thus my chances at ND. And, hopefully, I can make myself stand out from the crowd. ;) It just feels like there is no other place...</p>
<p>TimND08: I completely agree. For example, when my brother applied to ND a few years ago, he thought he had a good chance of getting in. His SATs were slightly below the avg., though still w/in the range, but he'd been captain of several teams, was ranked #4 in his class, and had an awesome GPA. He was rejected. Though a little confused about the exact reason, what it came down to was that his SATs just weren't quite high enough. His essays were great as well, so that seemed to be the only reason why. He was admitted to other prestigious schools (BC, UCSD, UCSB-honors, and UC Berkeley, where he is now a junior), so obviously he had what it takes. Since then, the only kids from our school to get admitted were 1 recruited vollyball player, and 1 minority. So I think, in the end, it comes down to whether or not you have what it takes from a somewhat political standpoint.</p>
<p>As most people have said here already, ND is my dream school, but being a white non legacy non athlete, I have the feeling that my chances are pretty slim. I was excited about my 2140 SAT score when i first got it, but I think now it'll stand in the way of me getting into ND (do they even use the Writing subscore?). Anyway, it's just frustrating. I love the place but I don't know if i can measure up. And it'd take a miracle to pay for it if i did get in.</p>
<p>I'm applying to
- ND
- Wake Forest
- Vanderbilt
- Washington and Lee (bro is a current student)
- Franklin and Marshall (keeping with the two-name college tradition)
- U Richmond
- Miami U</p>