<p>So I'm a senior and ND is my #1 choice due to the amazing b-school, but I'm not sure what my chances are for EA because my application has its obvious high and very obvious low. My GPA is as it is because of my sophomore year when I transferred to a different school and everything went wrong, due (mostly) to a knee surgery right at the beginning of the year. There's a bit more to my explanation but that's the simplified version. Here goes:</p>
<p>Stats:[ul]
[<em>]SAT: not sending
[</em>]SAT II: not sure yet, just took 2 this last saturday
[<em>]ACT: 36 (Reading: 36, English: 36, Science: 36, Math: 35)
[</em>]GPA: Weighted: 3.6889 (ouch), unweighted: 3.5778 (OUCH)
[<em>]Rank: 47 of 244 (would probably be 1 or 2 if it was only based on the school I currently go to and that I've gone to for grades 9 and 11)
[</em>]Other Tests (AMC, AP, IB): APs: AP Calc AB: 5, AP English Lit. and Comp.: 4</p>
<p>[/ul]Subjective[ul]
[<em>]Essays: My essays will be superb, I'll make sure to that
[</em>]Teacher Recs: Decent teacher rec
[<em>]Counselor Rec: Probably very good and in depth, as well as explanation for my low gpa
[</em>]Supplementary Material: not sure what goes here....
[li]Hook(recruited athlete, legacy, Nobel Prize): </p>[/li]
<p>[/ul]Personal[ul]
[<em>]Location:Illinois
[</em>]High School Type: Public
[<em>]Ethnicity: White
[</em>]Gender: Male</p>
<p>[/ul]Other[ul]
[<em>]Extracurriculars: Academic Bowl - 1 year, Varsity Soccer - 2 years, Religious ED teacher assistant - 2 years, Student council class rep - 1 year, Newspaper writer 1 year, German Honor Society Prez, Member of FBLA - 1 year, Tutor for underprivileged chlidren - 1 year, Students against Destructive Decisions - 1 year, Indoor soccer - 2 years
[</em>]Awards: AATG National German Exam Gold Medal, AP Scholar, Regional Math Competition 1st Place Individual and Team, FBLA Stock Market Challenge - 1st of 52, National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist
[li]Advice? Commiserations? Feel like bragging?:[/ul]</p>[/li]
<p>One more thing, I also have a sister that went to Notre Dame. Does that improve my chances at all? Thanks!</p>
<p>I will be very honest here. I don’t think your chances look very good EA. The only thing in your app that really stands out is your ACT. Your GPA is very low for ND, and your EC’s are very thin. ND denies far more perfect test score applicants than it accepts. What were your grades sophomore year vs. junior year, and how do they look this year? Also, what does your courseload look like?</p>
<p>Thanks for being honest. Without sophomore year, my gpa would be at least a 4.3-4.4ish weighted. Sophomore year gpa was around 2.8-3 so it really killed me. I’m taking 4 AP classes this year, and took 3 last year. I’m guessing it would be a better choice to wait until regular decision and get my weighted gpa to around a 3.75 or so before applying. Anything else to add knowing this information?</p>
<p>I would absolutely wait and apply RD. Really work on your essays for the ND supplement, as they are one way to show that you “get” what ND is about. To give you some perspective, my daughter applied EA last year. 4.0 UW, 2250 SAT, broad and deep EC’s, excellent essays, excellent recs (Both counselor and teacher knew her very well and both went to ND), tons of service work. She was deferred but ultimately accepted RD and is currently attending ND. So the competition is fierce. I would also advise you, if you haven’t already, to fall in love with a couple other schools. Villanova has a lot of the same qualities as ND, and an excellent undergrad business program.</p>
<p>I love ND and know it is highly selective, but I am skeptical about this statement. I would believe that they reject a significant percentage of perfect score applicants, but it seems farfetched to state that the percentage is well above 50% of the Perfect Scorers who apply are denied admission. Are there any published statements to this effect, or even hinting at it?</p>
<p>^Was told to us by ND Admissions as part of an accepted students reception in April. I’m choosing to take them at their word. I may not recall exactly what was said, but it was something to the effect of 2/3 of perfect test scorers and 2/3 of valedictorians who applied were denied.</p>
<p>Yes, we attended the Dean’s information session about three weeks ago and it was mind boggling. After listening for two hours, the most surprising part was when he said out of 17K applicants, 6K of them were the top 1% of their class from all across the country. He explained that they go after the top 1% that have taken the most rigorous courses. He also said you may be in the top 10% because your high school is highly competitive and they are aware of those schools so that is the exception. He also said they only have 2K spots available. He said as you can see we have to turn away MANY qualified candidates. </p>
<p>I really believe it is a waste of your time to apply unless you are indeed the the top of your class (1%) and have exceptional SAT/ACT scores (1430/2130+). Even with these scores you still have such a small chance but at least you have a chance vs. no chance. So definitely save your money and apply elsewhere. There are exceptions such as being a top athlete, etc. Just knowing what to expect is key.</p>
<p>It is not surprising that ND turns away more perfect ACT scores than it accepts - remember they are building a diverse student body, not accumulating the highest ACT and SAT scores.</p>
<p>I would say you should definitely apply unless it would prevent you from being able to apply to another school you truly want to attend.<br>
You stated that you had unusual circumstances sophomore year that negatively impacted your gpa. Make sure you clearly express that in your application. Get to know your admissions rep, explain your situation, and get their opinion on your chances.<br>
I am not an expert, but am a grad and have a freshman at ND this year. I also know several applicants, both accepted and rejected. One particular applicant applied with similar gpa and a 35 ACT. He applied EA, was deferred, and ultimately rejected. But I believe that is because he continued to get B’s and C’s senior year. I think the deferral was a chance for him to prove himself and he did not step up. Also, I know students who were accepted who had only a couple consistent ECs. You do not need to have 20 activities, but you do need to show commitment to the things you enjoy, and have consistency across your application. Do your EC, class choices, and activities all support what you are expressing in your application? Do you have a passion and do you put all you have into what you choose to do?<br>
Did you take the SAT? Is your score above or in the upper end of ND’s mid-50 (1360-1500)? If you have a strong SAT, but are not submitting because you feel it is diminished by a perfect ACT, I would rethink that. Showing a strong performance on both tests, even if they are not BOTH perfect, could potentially be a benefit.
Good advice to have several schools on your list. Each year it gets more difficult to be accepted anywhere.</p>
<p>You should not apply EA. ND admissions folks are very clear that only the strongest candidate should apply early, and you are aware that your GPA and extracurriculars are weak. Try to improve your GPA. It is too late to pick up additional meaningful extracurriculars. And apply RD with the knowledge that your application is a long shot. Quite honestly, you may have a much better chance with a transfer application after an outstanding performance at another college. Check out Holy Cross College, which has a new program for promising students that guarantees admission to Notre Dame after one year at Holy Cross.</p>
<p>“ND denies far more perfect test score applicants than it accepts.”</p>
<p>This may be true, but just as well as great candidates are rejected, unlikely people are sometimes as accepted as well. I’ve met people here who applied on a long shot and made it in - including a non-legacy/non-athlete with an ACT of less than 30.</p>
<p>Anyway, it looks like you already have some great advice here. Apply RD, boost your GPA, and look at some other options. The only thing I’d like to add is that if ND is your #1 choice, make sure to show it. If your essays truly turn out to be superb, that will only help! Best of luck!</p>
<p>Thanks for giving me some hope, 1Irish1! My senior year grades are actually really good, with only one B in an AP class, so I’ll make sure to keep my grades up. I’ll also probably end up applying RD so that if they ask for my senior year grades they’ll be able see that I’m doing well deep into the semester. Once again everyone, thanks for the advice!</p>