My DS was accepted to ND. Now comes the charm campaign. He has received two hand written notes. One from a student in the marching band, an EC interest for my son; and one from an Accounting professor. As a sales professional myself, I always appreciate being schmoozed in a professional manner. These notes have been a nice touch. They are having a positive impact on my DS too. We are hoping for closer to home, but if the fit is right, it may be ND. Go Irish?
@usma87 Thank you for sharing & congratulations to your son!
My oldest graduated from our in-state public but works in business consulting where he is exposed to a lot of Notre Dame grads. He says they are impressive, every one of them. Smart and nice. Those notes are no lie.
Good luck with the decision and let us know.
The personalized attention has been difficult to receive, more for me than my admit son, because we will have to decline ND due to $$. We get no aid so it is full sticker price - tough to swallow that when another, closer to home, school gave him some merit $ plus honors. He is ok with his choice of a nearby, cheaper school, but I still can’t bear to decline this acceptance. I feel like out of all the schools he applied to, there is something weirdly unique about ND that can not be replicated elsewhere. Anyway, I will continue to pine over ND and their charm tactics until midnight 4/30. Good luck and congrats to your son.
@usma87 Congrats to your DS! Maybe we’ll meet at Welcome Weekend? 
@elderwood Congrats to your DS on the acceptance but if we were full pay, I would be in your shoes exactly. (Do you wear a size 6? :))) Sounds like your S has a great acceptance with honors and merit! <:-P
We are in a similar situation…love ND but with no financial aid, no merit, two in college plus paying for grad school etc, probably not going to commit to ND. However, so difficult to say no to a great school!
We are in same situation. It is disappointing that my twins received no merit aid, despite being invited to do the merit application and only a tiny amount of FA. I think ND would have been a serious contender for my DD if it had been similar in price to other schools, and I think she would have loved it and thrived there. DS probably would have gone elsewhere even with $$ from ND though. As an alum, it is kind of sad, but they are both happy with their choice. DD at UChicago with both merit and need-based FA. DS to Ohio State on a full ride. We have another D who will be applying in 7 years … Maybe the 3rd will be the charm!
Wow! ND does a great job of answering “Why ND?” I was very impressed. It didn’t hurt that we had a great weather day. The first day this year to hit 70 degrees. Our FA package is close to EFC. I set up a meeting with a FA adviser to review. She was very nice and understood our situation (twins). She offered to conduct another review to see if they could get a little closer to the EFC number. We will see. It might not matter to my DS. He really wants to go here now.
Interesting stats of the visit - 11% of the class of 2021 would not have been admitted in this year’s group. The caliber of applicants increased that dramatically. 8,000 of the applicants were in the top 1% nationally. 1 out of 3 of those did not get admitted. A total of 400 NMF applied (I think that was the stat. I don’t think 400 were admitted, but could be wrong).
The message of the weekend “Welcome Home” and welcome to the family. That sentiment struck a chord with me. We are not Catholic, but more evangelical christians. We definitely felt welcome.
ND schmoozes admitted students like no other school I’ve seen. There’s got to be a lot of writers’ cramp around campus from the thousands of hand written notes they send out this time of year.
The thing that got me was the customized ND refrigerator magnet with a line pulled from my kid’s essays (along with a hand written note).
It all seems very genuine/personal/effective on the receiving end. But you wonder if it is “coffee is for closers” on the production side.
@northwesty I hear your skepticism. We tested that a bit during the weekend. We talked to many random students. So, not all part of the ambassadors program. Every single one was nice, upbeat and wished us luck with the decision, hoping it would be ND. My son walked over to the band room on his own. Everyone there was extremely welcoming. We did not get the magnet, but the notes were nice.
During lunch, our host said, “Leave your bags here at the table, nobody will touch them.” Such confidence goes with knowing there is no risk of a bag being stolen.
Even if you doubt the complete sincerity of the letters, they do a great job. They mentioned they have the highest (or one of the highest) yield rates among top schools. The notes play a big role I’m sure. We get something every day from ND. The other schools send an email “time to pay your housing deposit”.
@northwesty “Put. That coffee. Down.” :)) My S’s regional AO closed it, and S didn’t even get a magnet! He did say, after his visit, that ND took “wooing” to a new level.
@usma87 S’s interactions with current ND students seemed to seal the deal. It wasn’t all student ambassadors either. He said that quite a few times, as he and other HS seniors were walking around campus, random ND students would stop and ask them if they needed help. He said the students just seemed generally and genuinely nice. From his POV, the welcoming feeling was there, even from random students he happened across.
Man, neither of my kids were really schmoozed. A customized magnet??!! I want!
ND = ABC – always be closing!
The custom refrigerator magnet was from last year. Don’t know if they did that this year or not.
My kid thought that was awesome at first. But a bit less so upon discovery that a couple thousand other kids got the same “special” treatment…
My son got the magnet this year-after he had already committed to attend ND! He is going to spend a campus day with a science student on Thursday and is very excited to get the student perspective from someone currently attending.
My DD got a magnet too. They also sent her a Notre Dame luggage tag prior to her Riley weekend. Little things but goes a long way to feeling special.
Got the magnet too… all I kept thinking was, “Well played, Notre Dame, well played.” It was definitely a ‘wow’ moment. They are incredible at making each potential student feel welcome indeed.
@hafamama I totally agree that the entire experience was genuine. The students are simply kind and want to help if they can. It is no accident that ND has a high yield.
OK, now I need to check with D to see if she got some swag and just didn’t tell me, which would be very typical of her.
We were invited to several events before we decided and found it extremely useful and helpful to talk to current parents, alums and students before we decided. We have tried to pay that forward over the last four years and believe me it is a pleasure to interact with the kids ND admits.
I believe that for the right student ND is the best possible college experience. I also believe fit is the most important thing, so there is no hard sell…no college is right for everyone. My daughter was admitted to numerous other top schools (as most ND kids are) and I know she did not like to be grilled by people about her plans until she had made the choice. So my focus is always to answer questions and provide information and experiences so kids and parents can make the best choice for them.
Frankly, most kids getting into ND also have opportunities to go where they will get big merit awards, and I respect that the families planned for those financial safeties. I also know there are plenty of good schools out there, and that for some kids some other school is a better fit. Often I find my daughter was also admitted to one of their top choices and we can help them contrast and discuss the choice. Believe me, I know college is expensive and that people really want to understand the price but also the value they will get.
We do have some kids that have been tracking toward Notre Dame since birth, but we also have those who have discovered it more recently as they searched. Both are needed and both are welcome. I have listened to Don Bishop do his presentation in person on 3 occasions and I have great empathy for how hard it is to choose and great confidence that he builds a unique class.
The Notre Dame network kicked in for our daughter before she ever set foot on campus and it has been astounding how it has helped her all the way through. We have gotten to know a number of alums in their 70s and 80s and heard their Notre Dame stories and what it has meant to them.
As my daughter prepares to graduate I look back on her 4 great years and also forward to 50 even greater years still involved with Notre Dame. She is leaving with a fantastic education, incredible mentors, with lifelong friends and with her own desire to pay it forward.
Even South Bend turned out to be a surprise. There are some fantastic people in that town, very committed to making it better. Mayor Pete Buttigieg is one of the most dynamic young political leaders in America and it feels to me the town has a lot of upside.
I know a few of you out there are still on the fence but believe me you will not regret choosing Notre Dame even if it means tightening your belt a little.
Now I need to go have some coffee 