aurorad12345

My D has:
2170 SAT (800 CR, 670 writing)
215 PSAT (75 writing, 72 CR, will be a Natl Merit Finalist in our state)
30 ACT (32 reading, 32 English)
3.6 GPA and taking the hardest courses at her 'top 25 elite public high schools in US' school

She worries that she's not a good enough writer, but wants to try to be a writer anyhow.

Has few ECs--band, one yr as student ambassador. Spent lots and LOTS of time over the past year on Unleash Your Imagination - FanFiction.Net writing endings to her favorite stories and also critiquing others' story endings--she will have to use this as volunteer activity!!

Does this girl have any chance? She's entering her senior year this fall.

Davie223

Next year will be the first year that Notre Dame will accept the Common Application from applicants, which I think will turn out to be that the competition to get in may become a whole lot more intense than now, and, in my opinion, it's already uber-competitive...your daughter's stats are better than mine, yet I got in through RD. She might want to consider going for EA. Anyway, best of luck to her and her senior year!

atsen

Don't take this as a definite answer (probably no one can better answer that than the admissions themselves), but I think your daughter has a good chance of getting in. My stats are as follows:
2100 SAT (740 Math, 640 Reading, 720 Writing)
29 ACT (although I cannot remember if I sent in my ACT scores to them or not)
Valedictorian
MANY ECs
I've heard that (from reading all these forums and such) your chances are much slimmer if you're caucasian and male. I personally am asian, female, oos from Texas, legacy, and coming from a private christian academy. If you look at the stats of other accepted students from this year, you can get a good sense of what ND admissions is looking for. Does your daughter have any other ECs?

letsgoirish

With admissions, it's always worth a shot! It's also not a bad idea to get to know your admissions officer. They're listed on the website and I found mine to be an invaluable resource throughout the admissions process. They will gladly help you decide whether EA/RD is right for you, and assist you with your application, and are happy to meet with you whenever you're on campus.

As for ECs, If your daughter loves writing, maybe she would consider starting a creative writing club at her school. It's a way for her to pursue her passion, and show that she's willing to take initiative. Also, community service is big at ND, and I'm sure there are tutoring programs in your area--maybe she could help kids with their writing and schoolwork, and get involved in her community that way.

Just for comparison's sake:
non-legacy
Accepted EA
34 ACT
top 5/400 (3.85uw/4.9w gpa when i applied--on a 4.0 scale)(13 APs by grad)
Many ECs, leadership in numerous activities from scouts to sports, volunteering 30+ hrs/semester for 4+ yrs., ND pre-college programs & selection as an ambassador, etc.

I don't know if this helps or not, but good luck to your daughter!

nweido

I would apply EA. It's not binding and it opens up a whole new aspect of the applicaton. I myself was deferred as a EA applicant. Some people would take it personally and blow off ND or worse write a scathing email. I however took it as an opportunity to further deomonstrate my interest in the university. I kept them updated with my life/accomplishments/work/summer plans etc. I sent a total of THREE emails to update and pad my application. I was later accepted RD.

During my visit to campus in April I talked with the guy who let me in, and this is straight from the horses mouth, "you handled it perfectly, you were right on the cusp, but your updates is what pushed you over. Not to many to be annoying, but just enough to keep you in our minds." He had my application folder in his hand!

So, I feel that your daughter would be strong enough to compete EA and not get rejected flat out. She may be deferred, but in my opinion that is almost better, because you can then add new things to your app.

I also went to anything ND that my admissions guy was at. When he came to my school, I was there and go to ask him questions and express my interest in the school, closest thing I got to an interview.

Hope this helped