<p>Well guys like I bet all of you are, I'm worried about my chances of getting into notre dame. Right now as of this moment I have 4.0 weighted cumulative gpa and have plenty of impressive ec's and leadership that I'm sure they will like. I took the act and got a 31 so I'm hoping that will help me and the fact that I am latino as well. This year I am taking rigorous courses again to improve my weighted gpa and hopefully if all works out well I will end first semester of senior year with a 4.2 weighted cumulative gpa. I just hope ND looks at trends because sophomore year I didn't do my best work since my dad was unemployed and I had to do extra stuff around the neighborhood to help pay the rent of our apartment. Sophomore year i ended with 3.75, not to bad but not notre dame material in my opinion, but my grades have only gone up since sophomore year and averaged a 4.3 junior year, and with an impressive senior year first semester between my junior and my senior year i will have a 4.45, very close to the average on naviance, a program my school uses that tells us what the average gpa and act from our school is for those accepted to notre dame and other schools. But i'll still have a 4.2 weighted cumulative gpa since it has to include my sophomore year. I guess in other words I just wanted to ask, does notre dame and other colleges look at trends too? I hope they do, especially nd since its my dream school. Any commentary would be great guys and thank you for taking the time to see this post. O one more thing thts kinda important, my gpa is out of 5.0, but technically not true due to the fact that i go to a private catholic high school so we can not take any advanced courses in theology.</p>
<p>Weight systems vary based on your school, so we really can’t translate them. What is your unweighted GPA?</p>
<p>Rather than waste your time worrying, get to know the admissions rep for your area. He or she will be the best source of information for you. S/he will be able to talk specifics for your situation and will be your best advocate when decision time rolls around. Discussion boards are useful, but none of us know what the other applicants in your pool look like, what the school may be looking for this year, etc. The ND reps are wonderful and very responsive.<br>
Just from the info you’ve posted and the stats that are posted by ND, the one thing you could work on right now is your ACT score. Even two more points would put you in a much better position stats-wise. Also, work on your essays. Talking about the challenge of going to school and helping support your family will both explain your grade drop and give the school insight into your life. The majority of ND applicants probably haven’t dealt with that kind of challenge, so showing how you dealt with it in a positive manner (don’t whine or play the “poor me” pity card) is important. Good luck.</p>
<p>@ DolorousEdd
my regular cumulative gpa is 3.65, but again hopefully if all works well and I work hard this semester and I get all a’s, it will go up to possibly a 3.75, I know my rigorous course load will help as well and ND we’ll see that I have challenged myself in the classroom each year.
@Tiger1992
Already ahead of you. This summer I visited ND and already sat down with the rep for my area. We had a nice conversation, and she told me as well to send my resume to her so she can determine whether ea or rd would be better for me, but since I want to make this last push, I highly think rd would be better for me. Anyways, I have kept in contact with her, and right now I’m working on a project I was going to show her, though don’t want to mention it here because it is a competition and anyone can see this post (sorry don’t mean to be a punk or anything). I have already started working on my essays as well, and I think they are actually really good. I have already added the stuff into my essays from sophomore year, and believe me, I am not trying to make anyone feel sorry for me, this is just the truth. I take full responsibility for not doing as well as I should have done sophomore year, no matter what the circumstances were. But the past is the past and there is nothing I can do about sophomore year, all I can do is worry about what I can do in the present and as I said, I would love to get into ND, it is my favorite school, and for me to go there would be a great honor. I just hope my final push in school, me showing my rep for my territory how much I love the school, and with the help of God, will help me get into ND; and as much as I hate to say it because i hate relying on it, my ethnicity being latino.</p>
<p>Dont worry, you’re not the only one w/ a minority status hook</p>
<p>@ crfcaio
I know I’m not the only one that’s why I worry, and please if I can get feedback that is positive or gives advice please comment, do not comment if you are just going to come here and be sarcastic and not be helpful at all. Thank you and God bless.</p>
<p>Most people on this site are helpful, so don’t let anyone discourage you. You have started out the right way by working with your rep. You are wise to keep your project to yourself since admissions is, as you say, a competition. The comment about the pity-card is something I was told by a rep from another highly-competitive school. I was told that schools are looking for people who can handle challenges and grow from them since this shows maturity and strength. There are limited spaces available and they will go to the applicants that the school feels will be most successful (and limit the number who will whine and complain for four years!)<br>
As far as enthicity, being Latino gives you a perspective that adds to your uniqueness as a candidate. That alone will not get you in, but can be part of what sets you apart from other applicants. You still have to have other strong qualifications.
Let your rep help you decide whether to apply EA or RD. My rep advised me to go EA last year and I was accepted.</p>
<p>@Tiger1992
Thank you for the loads of information you have given me and the great help you have been. I really do appreciate it and I know they’re are mostly very helpful people on here. I have been posting for quite a while on the Notre Dame section and others, and most of the feedback I have gotten is positive. I know that colleges do not like whiners as well, I mean pretty much everyone hates whiners, and I am glad you shared that tip with me. As far as me being Latino, I know that that is something very unique, but does not gain me admission into the school, i know that i will still have to work hard, and have to get all those other qualifications as high as I can before I apply. Again thank you for your insight, and hopefully one day we can be fellow irishmen, GO IRISH!!!</p>
<p>I honestly don’t know how my response was sarcastic.</p>
<p>In my opinion, your stats are great and you have a WAY better chance at Notre Dame than I do. I believe you can make it if you write a really good essay and answers to ND’s supplement questions, so they can see the side of you apart from academics.</p>
<p>If you have the stats and the ECs, the only thing missing is what you write down. Make sure you work hard on your essay, and be prepared to several drafts.</p>
<p>Good luck and hopefully both of us are going to get in.</p>