Hello to all that will be applying to the Notre Dame Leadership Seminar!! Feel free to post stats, concerns, questions, etc., on this post… We shall struggle together! LOL
To start with would anyone want to clarify the admission rate? I am pretty sure it is between 10-13% but I am not sure
Just finished my app for Global Issues! Stats:
ACT: 36
GPA: 4.5/4.5 weighted
From the Deep South.
5x State Champion - Tennis
Captain Quizbowl and Debate teams
Run lecture initiative every semester in tandem with Philosophy Club I help run.
Questions:
Does ND value extracurriculars in this process? How should I frame my stuff? (Main reason I know global issues is my debate experience.)
Do they advantage Catholics? My biggest reservation is the idea that they won’t accept my non-Catholic self on that alone. Does anyone with interview experience know if they ask you anything about doctrine?
Other than that, good luck to everyone applying!
I don’t think they really care whether or not you’re Catholic…
@ACTmastaaa ehhh it’s about that. Definitely around 15%.
But it is a deeply Catholic experience nonetheless
@higheredmom can you explain? Have you had a child that experienced this program?
I have a child who attended ND’s Summer Scholars program. Students attend Mass, pray together, visit the Grotto and live ND’s values-based Catholic setting. It is a proudly Catholic institution in every way; my child – a student of Catholic elementary and high schools – was blown away (positively) by how deeply spiritual and faith-filled the program participants lived their Catholicism.
Reading all the wonderful examples of religious activities at the camp, I was wondering: Would a non-Catholic student feel included at the camp?
Leadership Scholars is more akin to a talent search for ND with much lower acceptance rate than Summer Scholars. Matriculated students are 80% Roman Catholic; not sure about Leadership Scholars, assume it is high as well. ND is welcoming to all – but my daughter felt a non-Catholic student would feel a bit like a fish out of water. And, I would not consider Leadership Scholars a camp.
Thanks, @higheredmom, for your feedback. That is what I thought when we went on their campus tour. I kept thinking, it would be soooo nice for a Catholic student to go to school here! At this time, we are not ruling this school out.
Hey guys, I went through this process last year and got accepted 
ND Leadership seminars is VERY diverse; do not think that there is one type of student that will be accepted. For example, I learned with students from many different countries, religious beliefs (e.g. Catholic, Jewish, atheist, different denominations of Christianity, etc), school types, etc. That being said, you can attend Mass in the Basilica - it is an amazing experience. You will also learn a lot from intelligent professors. Most of the learning, though, will come from your peers and asking questions! My peers were extremely intelligent; many of whom are accepted/have been accepted to Ivy league universities (e.g. Yale, Harvard, Stanford)
I would place emphasis on your essay questions. Everyone who gets in has good stats (e.g. GPA, test scores, involvement) and have shown in some way that they are leaders in the community. Your essays should ideally demonstrate a firm knowledge of the subject and its implications in society. You want to make it known why they’d like to choose you!
That being said, good luck and feel free to PM me with any questions!
@4beardolls - I have attended the program, and I’m non-Catholic. To answer your question, YES the camp felt incredibly inclusive regardless of religion/race/etc. There is mass, but you don’t have to go if you feel uncomfortable. If you do go, as I did, that was a great experience too. I agree with @GrapePocky, it was incredibly diverse and everyone was eager to make friends.
PM me if you have questions regarding the application process or the camp experience. Good luck
I went to the NDLS program this summer and it was 11 of the most amazing days of my life! If y’all have any questions, feel free to ask me! (: Also, regarding acceptance rate, they told us that over 800 applied and there were 96 students from around the world there so the acceptance rate is like from 12-15% I think. I was in the arts seminar and there were 33 students in my seminar!! (also apply to arts lol, we have everything incorporated into our lessons and had the most fun on the Chicago trip lol). Good luck to all of you!! (:
I’m applying! My first choice is the Global Issues seminar. I’m really nervous about the essays. The word limit is really tough, because I’m bad at getting to the point quickly. I also tried to write about something outside of the status quo, but I’m afraid it’s stupid. I’m not expecting to be part of the lucky 10-15%.
i know the program is a huge diversity magnet and locks in on a lot of not necessarily catholic, inner city kids who have shown that they’ve overcome some sort of adversity. I am an immigrant and have only lived in the US for about 12 years. My stats are solid, gpa is a 4.0 unweighted and am very involved in the school community and my local community, however don’t have any leadership positions that make me stand out. I don’t know how much this will hurt my application. I do know that admittance to the leadership program is very close to guaranteed admittance to the institution and an awesome experience. I have multiple friends who attended this past summer.
@blourring @Aikomi I just heard about this program from a friend who attended a few years ago. I know the application is due on the 22nd, but is it too late to begin an application? How long do you guys think you spent on your application?
@stressedout18 I don’t think it is too late to start your application. I haven’t even begun the two essays yet, but they are fairly short (300 words and 250 words). The most important thing for you to do now would be to find a teacher to write you a recommendation, since you don’t want to rush them.
@stressedout18 it’s definitely not too late to begin! Not that I’m condoning extreme procrastination, you’d probably be able to start and finish on the 22nd if you wanted to! haha. It’s a relatively short application. Good luck!
Also, how imperative is it for my teacher recommendation to write about my “commitment to faith?” I’ve chosen a teacher who knows me well personally and in a learning context; however, they have very limited knowledge of my faith, so I would prefer that they don’t answer that question in depth. Will this hurt my application?