Decision: Rejected
Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 1820 (590 CR, 600 M, 630 W) - Didn’t submit
ACT (breakdown): 28 (32E, 27M, 28S, 26R) - Just missed a 29 by 1 point
SAT II: 610 Math 1, 600 U.S. History - Didn’t submit
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.93 UW
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/60
AP (place score in parenthesis): AP U.S. History (4), AP Government (3)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calculus AB, Honors Physics, AP European History, British Literature, Chorus, Theology IV, Honors German IV
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Summa Cum Laude (9-12th), AMC Top Placer in School (10th and 11th grade), Northeastern Ohio Science and Engineering Fair (NEOSEF) Silver Medalist (10th grade), Theology Award (9th and 11th grade), Top GPA in Class (9th and 12th grade)
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
1. Altar Server (9-12th grade)
a. I have been serving since the 4th grade
b. I helped train younger servers
2. Men's Chorus (10-12th Grade)
a. Section leader
b. Traveled to Rome, St. Louis, and Nashville
3. Nursing Home Volunteer (12th grade)
a. Nursing home is for retired clergy and religious in my diocese (also lay people)
b. I helped with Bingo and made friendly visits
c. Part of my Senior Theology Service Project
4. Pro-Life Club (9-12th grade)
a. President
b. March for Life/Rally for Life (Keynote speaker 12th grade)
c. Mass/Rosary for Life throughout the year; prayers in front of abortion clinics
5. National Honor Society (11-12th grade)
a. President
b. Tutored one student heavily in geometry
6. Student Council (10-12th grade)
a. Multiple leadership positions
b. Helped organize fundraisers and important events
c. Led school-wide prayer and other spiritual aspects
7. Varsity Track and Field (11-12th grade)
a. Captain
b. Placed in multiple events (sprinter)
8. Parish Volunteer (9-12th grade)
a. Annual parish festival
b. Church dinners
c. Annual Christmas fundraiser
d. Car washes
e. Book collection
9. Youth Group (10-12th grade)
a. Co-President
b. Organized weekly meetings
c. Planned for retreat and other ministries throughout parish
10. High School Volunteer (9-12th grade)
a. Open houses
b. Annual fundraiser
c. High school nights
d. Tutoring (separate from NHS)
11. Kairos Leader (12th grade)
a. Met almost every Sunday for 4 hours at a time
b. Gave witness and led small group discussions
12. Independent Study: Philosophy and the Theology of St. Thomas Aquinas (12th grade)
a. Read various works
b. Composed a paper on my investigation
Course Rigor: All AP’s and Honor’s in my 4 years except for one class
Semester Grades: All A’s except for one B+ (very difficult class)
Job/Work Experience: Landscaper over the summer (no room to list on application)
Volunteer/Community service: Check EC’s (about 200-300 hours depending on how you look at it)
Summer Activities: Some of my EC’s
Essays (rating 1-10, details):
Common App. - I very much enjoyed my Common Application essay. I talked about virtue leading to happiness in my life, and also my discovery of St. Thomas Aquinas which led me to a deeper appreciation of theology and philosophy (considering a joint major). (9)
Why ND? - Very much enjoyed this one because it linked my whole application. Some major points I covered were ND’s second to none Catholic identity (including daily Mass, Campus Ministry, and the Theology/Philosophy program). I also explained how I would use the experiences I received from ND to impact the world. (9)
How are you incomplete? - My theological side came out in this one haha. Basically talked about how all humans have something “missing” because we are not Divine like the Blessed Trinity. But then I talked about how I strive to become “more” complete through the exercitation of my mind and body. (9)
Ideal intellectual field trip - Probably my favorite one. I wrote about my experience at an intellectual camp for Catholic teens. I talked about our trip to the art museum, and the significance of art (referenced GK Chesterton in his famous book, “The Everlasting Man”). (10)
Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):
Teacher Recommendation: Sophomore Honors English teacher, Pro-Life Club moderator, President of school, and ND Alum - Possibly a little bit cookie cutter. He mainly talked about my classroom ability. But then again, maybe this is what the reps want to hear? (8)
Counselor Recommendation - I know him well and met with him often. He really likes me and probably recommended me as one of the highest caliber students in my class. (9)
Teacher Rec #1: 8
Teacher Rec #2: N/A
Counselor Rec: 9
Additional Rec: N/A
Interview: N/A
Other
Applied for Financial Aid?: Yep
Intended Major: Theology/Philosophy Joint
State (if domestic applicant): OH
Country (if international applicant): USA
School Type: Catholic, all-male
Religious Affiliation: Roman Catholic
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: ~ (Middle-Class)
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Not really anything. But my application to Notre Dame was just “me,” so I consider that a hook. Be yourself and let them know who you are, what you like, and how you will contribute to Notre Dame.
Reflection
Strengths: Extra-Curriculars, Leadership Experience, Essays, GPA
Weaknesses: Test Scores, Demographics
Swing Votes: Recommendations, course rigor (could have taken one more AP senior year?)
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Probably ACT score
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected:
Accepted: Xavier, Saint Vincent’s, Dayton, Ave Maria
Deferred: Fordham, Case Western Reserve
General Comments: Notre Dame is still my dream school. I felt like I submitted my best application possible, excluding my ACT score. My essays all revolved around a central theme, and I thought that was my greatest strength. I also have a decent list of EC’s which I am proud of.
I have seen others with >30 ACT’s and >2000 SAT’s get accepted. However, my advice to future applicants is to really focus on your standardized test scores starting junior year. A good year of studying can significantly help you. I wish I would have invested more time focusing on this important aspect of my application.
I am bummed out that I am not headed to ND next year, but it is okay! I will trust that it is a part of the Good Lord’s plan! Transferring to Notre Dame is still an option, so I will just have to see where life takes me!
