Holy Cross Gateway Program for Notre Dame

WestCoastCali17
Wed, 16 Dec 2015 14:25:16 +0000

Congratulations on the offer to join the Gateway Program. I have a good friend who applied to ND (regular admission) and was offered the Gateway Program last year. That student had other attractive choices that did not involve an alternative path (ND through HC). This student was disappointed that he was not admitted to ND. My advice to him was
(1) Celebrate that you have the opportunity to go to ND. It is something you wanted and, although not the usual path (direct admission), you have the opportunity to get to ND if that is (still) what you want.
(2) You have not been admitted to ND. You still have work to do. Understand what is required and the experience of those who have gone through the gateway program previously.
(3) When you graduate in 4 years, your diploma with not have an asterisk (* admitted through the Gateway Program) and if it did that should probably be a mark of honor that you did it the hard way.

Added thoughts:
(a) You should visit HC and meet students currently in the Gateway program as well as students who has passed through it.

(b) Get the statistics on the number who move on to ND and who go elsewhere.

© Understand very clearly the standard for admission to ND from the Gateway program ( I thought it was a specific GPA).

(d) If you accept the Gateway opportunity jump into HC with both feet with no regret that you are foregoing other admissions. There are many opportunities for interaction / participation with ND campus events - take them, but be an HC student first and be part of what makes it excellent
(d) Treat all HC students the same (Gateway and non-Gateway) as almost all probably share the hope of moving to ND at the right time.

Congratulations