<p>Thought I’d start a string here on the value of intangibles in the admissions process. There is a lot of reliance–I would say an over-reliance–on the importance of stats on the admissions process. This isn’t to say that the standardized test scores, GPA’s, class rank, etc. don’t matter. They obviously do.</p>
<p>I honestly believe, though, that the university is looking for more than that. We all know that there are valedictorians (about 50% of whom ND rejected in its latest applicant pool) with very high test scores whose lives have been consumed in pursuit of these things. There are also people who might test lower in a subject area than the norm–this seems to happen a lot with tremendously insightful kids who are nonetheless merely above average rather than outstanding in mathematics or international students who score below the ND norm in language-related testing yet are nonetheless geniuses in the area of mathematics, etc.</p>
<p>There are stats and there is depth. There are lists of EC’s and there are the intangibles of character. That’s why the essay and recommendation letters are so vitally important–they are what tell the admissions counselors that an applicant is not just a kid who is little more than the sum of stats accomplished at the expense of other aspects of their lives and character development. If the intangibles and the depth are not evident in the essay and rec letters, the ad cons have to speculate about what character traits lie between the lines. </p>
<p>Also, much is made of rec letters from alumni, prominent or otherwise. I think these can help, too. It isn’t, however, a matter of who that alumnus is or who the alumnus knows–it is the content of the letter that alumnus writes and what it adds to the overall portrait of who the student is. I would argue that a truly meaningful letter written by an alumnus who has had extensive and genuine dealings with a student, regardless of how obscure that alumnus may be, carries a lot more weight that a perfunctory “great student, great kid” letter written by a highly prominent one.</p>
<p>Bottom line is character matters. Spirituality matters. Depth matters. The admissions office already sees the numbers. The student should take advantage of every written opportunity–in the essay or recs–to illustrate what person lies beyond the statistics.</p>
<p>I’m just throwing this out there as my own take on the process, to hopefully benefit those of you who dream of attending ND. We’ve been through this twice now, and are blessed to have a 2 for 2 record with our kids. I hope my observations can help those of you looking for admission next year.</p>
<p>These are obviously just my observations. You can add your own!</p>
<p>I think those are very good points. I just further want to stress the essay. I have seen several well-qualified applicants turned down mainly due to their essays. It doesn’t matter if you think you are a slam dunk here or not, the essay is make or break. If you sound like you think it is in the bag, you may get a surprise in the mail. Be genuine and talk about why you fit here and why it is the proper school for you. Even if it isn’t, treat it like your top-choice school and have others proofread it and revise it. It is truly that important.</p>
<p>I offered freshman son advice on the essay when he was going thru the app process: try to write your essay as a story, as if you are telling someone you know something about yourself. Your true self will shine thru in that regard! And, while son initially thought my advice sounded “corny” as this was not the way he was taught to write, I agree with Irish that an essay can make or break an app. And, after reading his essay, I can see why ND accepted him, and maybe why in other essays, other schools accepted, deferred or (yes) rejected him. Notre Dame will look at the entire app carefully-I honestly believe that! And, they want their apps completed just as instructions indicate–NO deviations!!!</p>
<p>I posted this on the stats thread but thought it also fit with the intangibles.</p>
<p>Accepted (Also accepted at Thomas Aquinas College (CA), Franciscan University of Steubenville, OH and Loyola, New Orleans. </p>
<p>Stats:
SAT: n/a
SAT IIs: n/a
ACT: 26 (higher in some areas but that was the combined)
GPA: 3.8 (94%)
Rank: 5/23</p>
<p>Subjective
Essays: Inspirational person, passion
Teacher Recs: Must have been great but I didn’t read it.
Counselor Rec: Ditto
Hook (if any): Athlete(still trying to walk on for soccer), Catholic, NOT legacy
State or Country: New Mexico
School Type: Parochial, less than 100 students in entire HS
Ethnicity: Irish, Native American
Gender: female
major strength/weakness: Rural area, only 1 ap course (english) available
why you think you were accepted/rejected/defered: Grace of God
going to attend? Absolutely</p>
<p>Other Factors:
Small school, involved in everything, many hours of community service (although it wasn’t required or to help get into college). Played 5 yrs. on boy’s varsity soccer because there isn’t a girl’s team. Worked very hard to return to soccer after 2 knee surgeries. Traveled 4 hours 3 times a week to play soccer in the big city. Lots of community support and much prayer!</p>
<p>As you can see, the stats aren’t the norm but the intangibles; essays, community service, not giving up, etc. all important. And I think schools want students who will bring not just the diversity of race but of culture and a little different edge. 19 students were admitted from the state of New Mexico. Aside from missing green chili and menudo, my daughter is ready for a challenge! God bless and Go Irish!</p>