<p>One of the supplemental essay prompts asks "why you are interested in attending ND?". I have wanted to attend ND for as long as I can remember because I grew up a ND football fan. Would it look bad if wrote about this? I would imagine that they get this response in quite a few of their applications and that it is not the most original response. I was thinking of writing about how I first became interested in ND because of the football team and then shifting my response to include how the other elements of the school are the right fit for me. </p>
<p>i think this is a good idea! i chose this topic too and wrote about how i knew i wanted to go to ND through its youtube videos. i am a youtube enthusiast so i wrote about that…if you are a football enthusiast then write about that! i would definitely recommend tying in other elements of the school into your essay as well =)</p>
<p>I actually think that this is a bad idea. To me, it seems like they would get a TON of ND football essays and yours would not be “significant” and I don’t know if it will hurt your application, but it can’t help I don’t think. </p>
<p>All this is coming from THE biggest ND football fan in the country ( haven’t missed a game in 10 years, follow recruiting and new updates religiously and go to a game every year from Florida).</p>
<p>I think you would be better telling why else you like ND and maybe include how your a fan and became interested bc of this, but dont make it your focus.</p>
<p>Then again, what do I know? I haven’t even started my supplements and better start soon !</p>
<p>Good luck and Goooo Irish! Beat Hurricanes!!</p>
<p>Including your first impressions of Notre Dame and the magic of it’s Football traditions as your 1st “passion” to the University are not bad (our freshman son started his essay the same way)…but you must understand that in doing so, you have placed yourself initially in tens of thousands of essays that speak the same kind of tone. If you go on to show why ND is a place meant for you, why you belong there and no other place would be the better choice for you …you will get a response. (a difficult task if you are not totally passionate, into and understanding of the University’s mission in this world) </p>
<p>If you love this place and want to be here show how you can make a contribution to the Notre Dame family and thier goals. Show admissions how you belong to the University.</p>
<p>I second the notion that its bad to write about football, everybody knows that and talks about it here. For me, this essay was probably what got me in here or a large part of it. Look at what Notre Dame stands for in today’s society, what their vision is and write about how that attracts you to this university. What makes Notre Dame different? The answer is a commitment to faith based ethical principles and the common good. Google the ND Forum series where speakers visit campus to discuss solutions to the global problems we face today. Look at the center for social concerns for example, see what they are doing. Write about how for you, you want to come here to be a part of what Notre Dame stands for and the change it is trying to bring about. ND administration (for better or for worse) is really idealistic and believe deeply in changing the world for the better.</p>
<p>My personal advice, write about Notre Dame’s Haiti program, how they help to combat cholera and have been working through the church to combat lymphatic filariasis in haiti. Google “notre dame haiti” - Notre Dame’s website says their mission is “science for humanity” keep this in mind and SELL SELL SELL the admissions people on the fact that you too believe in this mission and want to attend here to make it part of your life. If you do this, I can almost guarantee you will get in because you will be far deeper than the average teenager here at Notre Dame and they will eat it up and love you and admit you. </p>
<p>P.S. You don’t need to believe in this stuff to write about it, just feed them what they want to hear. Youtube search: thomas streit -use the information from the video as well, he is my bio teacher here at ND and he runs the haiti thing, believe me what I just told you is practically insider knowledge and you WILL GET IN with it!!</p>
<p>Thank me if your admit letter comes.</p>
<p>And for the people who are going to say things like you shouldn’t lie- admissions is a business like anything else. I am giving you advice similar to a lawyer to his guilty client, I want to see you win over the establishment, that is all I care about. The ethical questions in regards to lying in a college app are not my concern.</p>
<p>As a parent I must say that Notre Dame is not for everyone and the University is looking for students who believe in the bigger picture of an institution that has the power to change things for the better in this world. If you dont “believe in this stuff” it is no use on a personal level to try and write about what they want to hear in admissions to get you in. You would be very dissapointed once you got there if you did not have the same passion for what the University stands for “God Country Notre Dame”. It is not a belief everyone shares. If you don’t feel a passionate and direct match for ND now you should consider why you would expend the effort to try and convince admissions you want to be part of the family at ND. If you “feed them what they want to hear” you will find out soon enough that this special place may get you where you want to go in your career - but will not be the place where you experience the four best and most life-changing years of your life.</p>
<p>Yes, what WestPA says does have some merit. I especially agree with his point of “god country notre dame” as I find it comical but most people at ND wholeheartedly believe in it. However, I wrote the essays as I recommended above and while it worked as I was accepted EA, I am not overly passionate or in love with ND, it is a university and that is what I take it for.</p>
<p>As to “why you would expend the effort” well, for your career obviously. I am here for just that, and if you want to come to Notre Dame in order to succeed in the future then you should BS the essay and get in because regardless of whether or not you love it here it will help you get the job you are looking for.</p>
<p>SOC I think what you described doing in your final sentence is fine. If you can convince the admissions officers that ND has always been your first choice and you really want to go there, they appreciate that and are more likely to accept you–they want to accept strong students who they feel will choose to go there. I wrote a pretty cliche essay about why I wanted to attend ND and going to the Summer Scholars program etc, and was accepted EA.</p>