<p>Hi im going to be a senior at a relatively small public school in Wisconsin and Notre Dame is the #1 college on my list. I was just curious as to where i stand among all the others interested in applying and if i even have a shot? </p>
<p>-I have a 4.0 GPA out of 4.0 Unweighted
-I'm ranked #1 in my class
-32 on the ACT , Taking SAT in October
-I've taken the hardest available courses including 2 APs, 4 honors, 4 Advanced, and 5 College credit courses ( I would have taken 2 more APs and two more college credits but they didn't run because not enough people signed up) </p>
<p>-Extracurriculars
-Link Crew Leader (Help freshmen out throughout the year)
-Student Assistant (Tutor kids during my free period)
-NHS
-Spanish Honor Society
-American Math Competition
-4 year varsity letter winner in track (Captain this year and next year)
-3 year varsity letter winner in basketball (Possible Captain next year)
-2 years on cross country
-Sting Cancer Club
-Volunteer at American Cancer Society (Over 100 hours) My moms a 3 time breast cancer survivor so cancer is a big part of my life
-Volunteer at St. Vincents Hospital
- Little Kid Basketball Coach
- I have had a job as a banquet server since i was in 8th grade (10 hrs/wk) </p>
<p>Any comments or advice to help my chances would be greatly appreciated !!</p>
<p>You look to be in very good shape with a great application. You have the academics (there is nothing else you could possibly do and make sure the admissions counselor knows that) and you have the scores (I would aim for a 2100 in the SAT). You have the sports and also the extracurricular activities. </p>
<p>The two major things you need to remember is the essay and teacher recommendations. It is also critical to develop a major passion - something you love and you do everything you can do - it is important to have volume, but it is also key to have a clear frontrunner - if you don’t understand what i mean let me know … from looking at your application here, I would go with one of two possible essays a) something about your involvement with your mother and cancer - a great introduction could be when you first found out and how you and your family had the ups and downs (I am soo sorry if I brought up a tough subject here) … or b) about how you like to give back to your community through the freshmen help and tutoring. I would write both and pick the one you like. </p>
<p>also i don’t know if this is legal but i am pretty sure it is - if anyone wants to pm me an essay I will do my best to look it over and send back some comments - i will not guarantee anything as my schedule will probably get busy once school starts, but I will do my best.</p>
<p>A pretty solid profile, I think the one thing that might hold you back is your ACT. If you could get it up a point or two, you’d be in excellent shape. As is, you’re at the bottom edge of ND’s median range (32-34) so you’re “in the conversation” but not an auto-admit. </p>
<p>Where are you from in Wisconsin? I’ve got some family up North.</p>
<p>Definitely retake. A point or two could make a big difference. Kind of silly that that’s what drives a lot of this, but a lot easier to report a higher ACT range to US News than what awesome “softs” your students have.</p>
<p>My family’s over on the other side, Eau Claire and thereabouts, although pretty distant relations I think.</p>
<p>I agree with all of the comments above. Your GPA and course-load are great; your test scores are also good, but I would definitely advise trying out the SAT and retaking the ACT once. Every point counts, and most people’s scores go up the second time around. </p>
<p>A word about essays: make sure that whatever you write reflects who YOU are, beyond your stats. In a sea of thousands of kids with 4.0UWs and 32s, a well thought-out and written essay can set you apart. </p>
<p>It sounds like your mom is a very important part of your life, and that her struggle with cancer has touched your life in a big way. That is definitely something that you could write about…BUT make sure that, in the end, the essay is about you, your character, and your personal experience. Make sure that you are the main character in your essay, if that makes sense.</p>
<p>Also-remember that for ND, you have to write a CommonApp essay (which can basically be about anything) and an ND-specific one. </p>
<p>Hey I’m from the GB area too!!
hmmm, I agree with the other posts - excellent shot.
BUT it would really help if you sign up for courses at a local private college to make up for the school’s lack of course rigor:]
Oh and I doubt you would need the SAT.</p>
<p>I think with those test scores, GPA, and class rank, you’re DEFINITELY well on your way. The only thing I can possibly think of that could hold you back would be rigor of curriculum, which ND seriously considers in the selection process. Also, your high school’s profile is very important. Overall, I think you have a great shot!</p>
<p>@mamo240
I think its awesome how much our GPA/class rank are supposedly going to help. If only people knew our school…haha
Oh and you forgot to mention how we’re tied for first in our class with…what is it…like 15 or 16 other people. </p>
<p>Are you considering EA?
And where else did you say you were gonna apply (besides Creighton)?</p>
<p>for goodness sake do not let that " i would have taken more, BUT . . . . . " theme creep into your application or essay. that would be an instant deal-killer. instead, talk about what you DID do. i will disagree with the others about a small school, or prominent school being an advantage - ND is full of kids from small schools ( marketing efforts of private HS’s notwithstanding ). it is a matter of how you frame things - as a challenge you overcame, or as a limiter. if you can, by all means seek out some admits to ND or other elite schools from your area, or a similar one, and ask about their approach - it actually can be an advantage in elite school applications/acceptances, if played correctly - use it to make you stand out.</p>
<p>similarly, as another poster noted, while very very good, your numbers could be better. ND is a school awash in applications from valedictorians with 4.0’s, sports/EC’s such as yours and 32 ACT’s - your chances are OK, but again, what makes you stand out ?? that is your goal. now, if you were sitting on a 34 ACT . . . . . . . . . </p>
<p>i believe you are well positioned, but need fine tuning. retest, think about standing out, use your background strategically, and contact some other peers from a similar background who have acheived what you wish to, to see if you can tweek your attitude/theme/confidence/etc by picking up on how they presented themselves and went about it. even better, see if you can wrangle a visitation weekend with one of them at ND to soak in those ideas in the setting before application time. people at ND wish to help, perhaps more than anywhere - let them. best of luck to you !!</p>
<p>i do the 400 and my best is around a 52 which i ran sophomore year… last year was a bad year for me haha but my goal is to try and get it round a 49 flat by track season</p>
<p>That’s quite an improvement. That’s going to be very difficult, but good luck with that! If you can do that, you might be able to walk-on. You also might want to try the 800.</p>
<p>yeah i know it is but surprisingly a lot of people that ive run with/trained with have been able to do it which gave me some motivation but thanks for the encouragement. I’m not sure if i would want to run for a D1 program though… don’t they like control your lives??</p>
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