Should I apply REA or RD?? Please Help

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Notre Dame
1

Hello Everyone will you chance me for Notre Dame? I have been on the Notre Dame campus and talked with my rep. He did say to apply EA, but now I’m worried reading CC.

Major Choice: Psychology/ Thinking PreMed Track
GPA unweighted 4.0
Weighted: 4.154 s/b 4.5 after the first semester. All A"s in all my classes currently
Class Rank 1/120
ACT 33 Composite 34 Super scored
Small Public school in Iowa

Not sure about weighted because I have taken 4 AP classes so far. Senior course load is five additional AP: AP Lit and Comp, AP Chemistry, AP Microeconomics, AP Macroeconomics, and AP Calculus ( My school only lets you take 1 AP class sophomore year, and I had to advocate Junior year to take additional classes because they’re not many are offered at my school)

Honors and Awards:

National Council on Youth Leadership - 12, 11
Approximately 250 students from 24 area high schools have been selected to attend for their leadership qualities and scholastic record.
AP Scholar Honors - 11
Honor roll - 11, 10, 9
State Speech
Qualified for State Speech with readers theater group - 9
Qualified for State Speech with Improv Group - 11
Borlaug Scholar - World Food Prize Youth Institute - 10
State Academic Decathlon - 11, 10
Qualified for State received 1st place in Math

Leadership:

National Honor Society Member - 12, 11, 10
President of National Honor Society - 12
Coordinate Blood Drive
Student Council Representative - 12, 11, 10, 9
Historian of Student Council - 10
Secretary of Student Council - 11
Vice President of Student Council-12
Selected by High School for three consecutive summers for Student Council Leadership Training Camp - 11, 10, 9

Clubs:
Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) - 12, 11, 10, 9

Technology Students Association (TSA) - 12, 1

Volunteer Club Co-President - 12, 11, 10: Find opportunities to volunteer and send them out via email, poster, or Remind app

Yoga Club - 12, 11

Umbrella Club - 12, 11, 10: Raise awareness for mental health issues

Book Club - 12, 11, 10, 9: Meet once a month to discuss a book of choice

Volunteer (Approximately 200 + Hours Worked):

Big Brother Big Sister: Work and mentor children and provide them with a role model
Work with middle school students and help tutor them in 8th Grade Math, Physical Science, and US History. This is once a week

Creator of the “Hat and Mitten Drive” at church

Pet Rescue & Rescue
Cleaning kennels, and caring for animals

Food Pantry: Shop with customers and carry groceries to their cars

Meals From the Heartland Package meals to be sent around the country and the world

Hospital Volunteer- 3 hours a week every Saturday.

Church Service:
Organize and volunteer for children’s group and vacation bible school, Assisting Minister 11, 10, 9
Problem Solving (Given a problem, materials, and a time limit. Must solve the problem in the given time limit)
I’m Lutheran so not sure how this will hurt me

Summer Camps:
Notre Dame Vision Saints & Scholars Program (Summer 2017)
Boston College Summer Challenge (Summer 2017)
National Student Leadership Conference at Harvard University (Summer 2016)
Precollegiate Programs for Talented and Gifted at Iowa State University (Summer 2015)
Leadership Training Camp at Selected from school (Summer 2015, 2016, 2017)

Sports:
Cross Country - 12, 11, 10, 9 Varsity Letter
Varsity Letter - 12, 10, 9
Baseball - 10, 9
Suited Varsity - 10
Soccer - 12, 11, 10

Work Experience: Summer job at local pool and working at my parent’s company

Will have good recommendations from my teacher, but my counselor left last year, so the new one doesn’t know me very well.

Already completed my common app essay. I think it is very good.

2

@Momx2boys Would you chance me? Nobody is giving me input so I’m hoping for some feedback. Thanks

3

Your academics and activities look really good, aleg, no red flags, so REA is a realistic option for you. With the combination of academics, athletics, and community volunteering, you are right down the middle of where they like their students to be.

Just know that they still reject 2/3 of the applicants with stats like yours. There were some surprising rejections last year.

4

Just FYI, I don’t think Notre Dame superscores the ACT. I think they just take the highest composite score from a single testing date. So the number they would be looking at is your 33 composite score (not the 34). I believe for last year’s admitted class, that falls at the 25th percentile of scores (the mid-50% is 33-35, meaning 33 is 25th percentile and 35 is 75th percentile). If your ND admissions rep said to apply EA then that’s certainly a good thing

5

3. Good catch. ND does not super score the ACT, just the SAT.

OP should make sure that the ND rep was saying go REA with a real composite ACT 33 score.

Did the ND rep know that the ACT was really 33 and not 34?

Subject to what the rep tells you, you might want to apply RD and take the ACT one more time.

6

@northwesty Yes, he did know it was a 33. His comments once you get to 33 it is now on other factors, and the score isn’t everything at that point. Admissions are Holistic. I had my resume, transcripts, and ACT score. He reviewed everything and suggest EA. College Confidential is what is now making me nervous. Thanks for input

What ACT score would help in your opinion?

7

listen to the rep, not CC :slight_smile:

8

If the rep clearly said go REA with a 33 and all your other info then that’s fine. Listen to him and not the internet.

All us folks can tell you is that the 25/75 range for this year’s class was 33-35. So a 33 is a below average score and ND generally says it wants to see above average applicants REA. But the score is only one data point.

Good luck!

9

@turtle17 thank you. It’s all very overwhelming.

10

It is overwhelming, but just know that every applicant feels that way. You’ll get through it. CC is useful for information in it’s own way, but the above posters are correct. When in doubt, defer to what the ND admissions rep is advising you

11

Just a quick word of advice. Your overall profile looks quite good, and your regional admissions counselor did not seem overly concerned about the 33 ACT Composite. Basically, you’ve done your part to assemble a credible applicant profile, but always remember what a complete crapshoot it has become at the “high-end” schools.

I agree with what others said. Listen to your ND admissions counselor and don’t worry so much about the stuff you see on CC/internet. Every year, we all see the stories about “so-and-so got rejected by XYZ College despite having a 35 ACT and a 4.5 GPA and great activities.” But the thing is, none of us know what a “great essay” might mean for a particular school or a particular reader, nor do we know if the rejected superstar applicant with the great “stats” may have somehow come off as less than ideal on paper.

So focus on yourself, work on the stuff you can control, and pray (if you’re the praying sort) that where you end up is the best fit place for you to continue your education. I hope your college dreams come through, be it at ND or wherever.

12

@GeronimoAlpaca Thank you so much for the comment. I’m going to keep praying :slight_smile:

13

Hi Aleg,
I think your stats look great. If it gives you any hope, there were very few kids from Iowa in the ND class of 2021. :wink: So you may just beat out one of the many Chicagoland kids who apply.

In all seriousness, I agree with Geronimo - and don’t stress out with stuff you read here. Our son was not going to apply EA, and his HS college counselor pushed for it. You’ve done everything you could do. Got the scores - put in the work and now it’s time to just let it go. It will all work out. And I have a good feeling for you!

14

@Momx2boys Thank you for the message. I appreciate you taking the time to write a nice message. I hope your son is enjoying Notre Dame. :slight_smile: