nickburley63

I know ND is a reach for me but its my #1 choice

please tell me what you think about my chances of getting in RD next year

im a junior at a small catholic high school with about 120 kids total and 40 in my class

Class Rank:top 20% (School doesn't weight grades)
SAT:first time 1280, taking it again in the fall
ACT:took it as a soph and got a 27, taking it again in June
GPA:3.9
Courses:
Freshman

Civics/geography
Phys Ed
Alg 1
Bio 1
Religion 1(required)
Spanish 1
MS Works(required)
Health(required)
English 1

Soph:

Religion 2
Spanish 2
Bio 2+Lab
Alg 2
Geometry
English 2
Am History

Junior:
Religion 3
Spanish 3
Pre-Calc
Art(required)
AP Chemistry+ Lab
English 3
World History

Senior:
Spanish 4
AP English
AP Calc
Physics
Anatomy
Religion 4
Govt/ Econ
Physics/Anatomy Lab

Taking toughest course load possible at school, only 3 APs offered

Extracurriculars:
Eagle Scout
Columbian Squire
Football(4 years, 3 yr letterman, Captain)
Wrestling(4 years, 4 yr letterman, Captain)
Track( 4 years, 4 year letterman, Captain)
Part-Time Job
Hospital Volunteer
Medical Explorers Group member
Student Council
Spanish Club
Choir
Altar Server
Habitat for Humanity
Relay for Life
Campus Ministry

Other Schools I am going to apply to:Northwestern(another reach),BC,U of Miami,Miami-OH,Maryland College Park

I'm hoping to go into biology or anthropology then possibly into med school
to be a family practitioner or something like that

I have loved ND since I was little and always wanted to go there
should have pretty good personal statement and recs.


Go Irish!!!

irish68178

This last admissions cycle has made me a lot more cautious on ND admissions, this year was nuts! Therefore, know that I am being extremely cautious. That being said, I think ND is a really big reach as of right now, as much as I hate to say that because I was in your shoes. Keep working, and try to improve your SAT score, because you never know what will happen, but as of right now it just seems like a really big reach. I am sorry!

Tim_ND08

Hey!

Another hopeful of the Class of 12' at Notre dame! Check out the Domers ot 12 thread. ND admissions were so unpredictable last year, so its really hard to say. Of course the higher the sat score the better, but your athletic leadership looks erally good too. Like you, Ive always wanted to go to Notre Dame; so hopefully wel'll both do it. Essays will be extremely important in your case, and hopefully will make up for the lower rank. ( your rank is good, dont get me wrong, but the average is like the the top 4 % i believe? so thats that?

Good luck man!

go irish

ddjones007

I wouldn't fret too much about the test scores--particularly the ACT, if you took it sophomore year. There are ways to prep for it. My daughter managed to bump her score up 5 points over the course of three times (thus enriching the American College Testing Corporation, which, I believe, is part of the master design of the college admissions game.)

These boards tend to overemphasize statistics. Yes, they matter, but I honestly believe, from having been through this whole ND admissions thing twice now, that the character aspects, the spiritual aspects, the kind of person you are and the kind of thinker you are--all of these are super important. These boards can also make you incredibly paranoid, so take them with a grain of salt.

That being said, I'd say its too early to tell. You need to get the test scores up, but that's doable... Hedge your bets, apply lots of places, give it the best you can give it--and whatever happens is because that's what is meant to be.

danbrenn

Sophomore year I got like a 1220 on my SAT, and I managed to get my scores up enough to get in. Don't worry about it too much. Test scores aren't everything, some kid on this forum got rejected with a perfect SAT this year, and few others got in with just marginal scores.

irish68178

That's the problem, people are going to come asking for chances, and honestly I just don't know anymore!

Radionicist

I'm loathe to disagree with ddjones007, but my experience (son #1 is a Freshman at ND, son #2 was rejected RD) with Notre Dame admissions is that non-minority, non-legacy applicants need to have at least a 32 ACT score, 3.9 or above GPA, and class rank in the top 10% in order to be competitive for admission.

Son #1 had a 33 ACT and 4.0 GPA, applied as one of 12800 applicants in 2005, and was admitted RD. Son #2 had a 32 ACT, 3.7 GPA, applied as one of 14500 applicants in 2006, and was rejected RD.

The class of 2011 will have around 1960 members, of which approximately 25% are underrepresented minorities, approximately 23% are legacy admits, and approximately 4% are international. Factoring in the preference granted to these students means that applicants without a hook must surpass the class averages to have a shot at admission, and that is simply getting harder and harder each year.

Good luck!


Tony

ddjones007

I'm with you, Tony, on thinking the scores need to be higher. The point that I was making is that there's plenty of upward potential, particularly on the ACT, for someone committed to prepping for it. Being a curriculum-based standardized test, I think a 27 on a first shot taken during sophomore year of high school is a good indication of a lot of upside for a much higher score taken junior or senior year.

I also think that the concept of "hook" might be a little narrowly defined on these boards. Character, emotional strength and spirituality can be "hooks". I think there are lots of people who put together applications with great stats who have hooks they aren't even aware are hooks. The numbers give one picture--the essay and rec letters provide what resides between the lines.

Again, I'm not discounting the statistical element of the application process. I'm just saying that I think the essay and rec letters are often not used as effectively as they could be in revealing the true person someone is.

PrincessND

Correction Radonist:
25% are minority, not necessarily underrepresented minority. Asians are included in that 25%.

Tigers Rule

You look like a great candidate for ND.Visit the campus and personlly tell the admissions people how much you want to go there and why.Talk to the coaches whose teams you might be able to try out for as a walk on.Talk to the faculty and extracurricular clubs which interest you.Be serious about prepping now to get those SAT and ACT scores up.You can do it.Get the prep books and start today-maybe thirty minutes daily,religiously.As a back up,consider Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia.You epitomize the average student there.Roman Catholics comprise the largest religious denomination on campus.Check out their honors program and contact the coaches.Like ND,HSC is a great place.

jvon2432

i had a 28 on my ACT when i put in my first "chances thread" and i ended with a 33... study those books man!!! they work (i liked princeton review)

you can pay extra to get a copy of ur act back and they will give you answers and explanations--very helpful

wowser147

are Asians considered minority at ND?
normally, we aren't..

Tim_ND08

wow jvon!

Thats an amazing jump

well they are a "minority" since there population is significantly lower than that of the predominant race, Caucasian. However, last time I checked they did not count as URMs. Meaning, I do not believe they receive any preferential treatment, though I may be wrong. I remember a similar question being asked on my tour, but I think I was too buys looking at something else.

jvon2432

yeah well my 28 was the morning after we lost our first fball game of the season so it's not as impressive as it looks lol