Notre Dame REA & Vanderbilt ED2 chances (rising senior, WI)

Chance Me / Match Me
, ,
1

Demographics

  • US citizen

  • Wisconsin

  • Public High School

Cost Constraints / Budget
(High school students: please get a budget from your parents and use the Net Price Calculators on the web sites of colleges of interest.)

Intended Major(s): Neuroscience, Biochemistry.

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Unweighted HS GPA: 3.992

  • Weighted HS GPA: No weighted system, I don’t know

  • Class Rank: Top 10%
    ACT/SAT Scores: 32 with 34 Science (enhanced ACT, science not counted)

List your HS coursework

Freshmen: English, Biology, German, US history, Earth Science, Band, Math (Alg. 1)
Sophomore: AP Bio, AP Euro, English, two Math (geometry and Alg. 2), German
Junior: AP Stats, AP Macro, AP Lang, AP US Gov, AP Chem, AP Psych, Precalc
planned Senior: AP Calc AB, AP Physics C Mech, APUSH, AP Lit

All 4’s on AP exams except 5’s in Euro and Lang

Awards:
AP Honors w/ Distinction
Two other schoolwide honors

Extracurriculars
-Founder and President of our schools UNICEF Chapter, $2k raised
-Clinical Volunteering (50 Hours) transporting biohazards, patients, medicine etc
-Publication of a short story by our city’s local journal
-Nursing Home activities director (around 100 hrs) engaging memory care residents with social activities
-Community food assistance volunteer (70+ hrs) serving/cooking meals to people with housing insecurities
-Honorary Science Olympiad division B members, (reg. gold and silver; state two 5th’s place)
-Key Club president
-Nat’l Honors Society
-StuCo
-DECA (one year, out of interest, earned 4th reg.)

Essays/LORs/Other
Assume good essays
Assume good LOR’s by teachers
Assume generic counselor letter

Schools

  • Extremely Likely: UMN EA, UW Madison, Iowa State

  • Likely: Purdue

  • Toss-up: Emory?

  • Lower Probability: University of Notre Dame REA

  • Low Probability: Vanderbilt ED2

2

Congrats on a fine record.

You didn’t note your budget - as these schools are $90K plus.

You have a great background with lots of service which will help at Notre Dame.

Truth is, you can get into any school but obviously Emory, UND and Vandy are at the higher difficult level.

I would move Purdue to extremely likely - so those are four for sure. Have you visited? Given your majors, Pitt might be another fine school for you.

But you will have at least 5 admits with this list - and very good schools in the sciences, especially Wisc and Minnesota.

Best of luck.

1 Like
3

I would recommend applying test-optional to both University of Notre Dame & Vanderbilt University, if that option is still available. Notre Dame’s advertised mid-50% ACT composite range is 33-35, only covering enrolled students that submitted scores. One would expect that a composite score of 36 could provide a slight advantage but that a score of 32 could provide a slight disadvantage. Remember, applicants with ACT scores of 36 get rejected & ones with scores of 32 get admitted, but at a much higher percentage vice-versa. ACT scores of 33-35 should be viewed as neutral for ND & Vandy, scores that won’t help but also won’t potentially hurt. I’m assuming that you have no plans to retake the ACT. Submit all AP scores or reveal unofficial reported scores, if any colleges request them.

1 Like
4

You think Emory is a toss up with a 32, when you’re applying RD and has higher stats than Notre Dame?

5

This is a good list if all the schools are affordable and you like them all (even – especially – your safeties).

Just a couple things:

  • Only ED2 to Vandy if it is your clear #1 choice at that point in the admissions process
  • I would call Emory a reach and Purdue OOS a low match or even an admissions safety. So as TSBNA said, I think you have four very likely admits.
1 Like
6

Did you stop German after sophomore year? Was more available at your HS, in-house or through regular DE channels?

I’m asking because Notre Dame says that while only 2 years of a single language are required, they prefer 3-4 years, but Vanderbilt seems more open to just doing 2 if you are doing a lot of other advanced stuff.

1 Like
7

It’s just staggering to me how a 3.992 GPA is only top 10%. Notre Dame loves high test scores. It’s a stretch. But it’s a stretch for any non All American fb player. I wish you luck. It’s a special place

8

Notre Dame has a good neuroscience program. My kid was admitted there. We toured it, but he decided on engineering, fell in love with a different school’s engineering program and environment. If he would have gone premed/neuroscience, Notre Dame would have been in the Top 2. Your stats are competitive. Good luck.

1 Like
9

I stopped at 2 years, but I reached up to German level 3.

I had German 1 completed before high school.

2 Likes
10

probably a very uneducated misread by me

11

My school calculates class rank just through raw grades alone. I had an A- one semester, but that also means everyone above me is all technically rank 1 because they all have 4.0s, even if i had more difficult coursework.

12

Recently, Notre Dame has established a testing requirement for the class of 2028. So my cycle is the last cycle of test optional. I took that as a sign that they got burned by test optional admits.

I’m debating whether I should still submit that 32 (that 34 science/34 STEM) that may help College of Science chances, or go test optional.

13

They don’t list a % submitted but they show 1,419 submitted a test (but some could have both) an there are 2,118 enrollees. So roughly 2/3 submitted…take out athletes and I’d imagine it’d be higher.

Your composite is low but your STEM is high and if you don’t submit, are you sending the message that it’s far below? Yes, you’ll be in the bottom 25% - but you’re certainly in range.

That’s what you’ll have to decide.

I’d submit but it’s not an easy call - but it’s why you have more schools on your list. You certainly have admits.

For a private more in line with your profile that would be a reach but reasonable reaches, have you considered Miami and/or Lehigh?

14

My college strategy is to apply to two schools early, EA UMN and REA ND. I honestly have no interest in Madison or my other safeties.

Notre Dame is my top top choice (thats why i made this thread), but I predict that I’ll get rejected. I’ll pivot to Minnesota immediately because it’s a university that i think i will genuinely like and probably will get in.

15

So the most important schools on your list aren’t the one you want, but the one you’ll assuredly get into that you can afford.

Notre Dame is so vastly different than UMN - so what is it about UMN that you love?

I agree you’ll get into UMN. I’ll call it a likely because science/engineering is a bit harder. So if you don’t like Madison or Iowa State, why not find other safeties.

Or if you want an ND, why not find another more like it. What is it about it - is it the size, religious aspect, sports, or more?

But certainly a 1-2 UMN or UND is a great strategy, and you’ll have time to add others later. But given you have UND and Vandy as your REA and ED, it would seem to me that maybe there are better choices for you than UMN.

That’s why I asked about Miami or Lehigh - and you can add a Case Western or Rochester…or for a safety school a U Denver - they’d be more similar in size to UND/Vandy.

16

I actually did consider Case Western, and assuming worst case scenario its a place I’ll pivot too.

What draws me to UMN is its close proximity to Mayo Clinic and my state. Case Western has Cleveland Clinic. I don’t want to go farther out and away from the midwest like florida or the east coast.

Notre Dame caught my eye because its values heavily align with mine, and its midwest. I love the midwest!

17

OK - UMN really isn’t close to the Mayo Clinic - it’s 90 minutes - and just because a hospital is nearby doesn’t mean you get access.

But given this, if money isnt’ the issue, Pitt would be better. You’d get an early admit if you apply soon and there’s a hospital adjacent. It’s a bit more East than Cleveland. And it’s facilities are adjacent.

If you like the values of the Catholic school, you might check out Jesuit Creighton U in Omaha. It’s more urban but it has a wonderful reputation and a hospital adjacent.

But again, it doesn’t mean you can access the hospitals for research or shadowing, etc.

Good luck.

1 Like
18

You should apply EA to all the public schools on your list that offer it. Purdue especially, as merit and honors college is only an option for students applying EA. And they fill the bulk of their class in the EA round.

Also be aware that there has been a shift at Purdue that they are moving back to giving instate applicants a big advantage. The acceptance rate for out of state applicants was substantially lower last cycle.

I also agree with other posters that you need a safety that you will love. If you are drawn to ND because of their values, look at Loyola Chicago. Another Catholic school and near world class hospitals.

If you want more rural, look at U of Dayton.

2 Likes
19

Keep in mind that nationally renowned medical centers may be more difficult for undergrads to access for shadowing and research than the likes of UW Health University Hospital (U Wisconsin) or Fairview (UMN)

1 Like
20

In my opinion, Notre Dame won’t need your ACT scores. Your official AP scores will serve as sufficient “quantitative evidence.” Another applicant with a 33-36 ACT composite score can produce the same AP results. By not submitting, you neither help nor hurt next year’s class profile if this is a concern for ND in this final test-optional cycle.

image
image1264×529 64.7 KB