<p>mamo,</p>
<p>for goodness sake do not let that " i would have taken more, BUT . . . . . " theme creep into your application or essay. that would be an instant deal-killer. instead, talk about what you DID do. i will disagree with the others about a small school, or prominent school being an advantage - ND is full of kids from small schools ( marketing efforts of private HS’s notwithstanding ). it is a matter of how you frame things - as a challenge you overcame, or as a limiter. if you can, by all means seek out some admits to ND or other elite schools from your area, or a similar one, and ask about their approach - it actually can be an advantage in elite school applications/acceptances, if played correctly - use it to make you stand out.</p>
<p>similarly, as another poster noted, while very very good, your numbers could be better. ND is a school awash in applications from valedictorians with 4.0’s, sports/EC’s such as yours and 32 ACT’s - your chances are OK, but again, what makes you stand out ?? that is your goal. now, if you were sitting on a 34 ACT . . . . . . . . . </p>
<p>i believe you are well positioned, but need fine tuning. retest, think about standing out, use your background strategically, and contact some other peers from a similar background who have acheived what you wish to, to see if you can tweek your attitude/theme/confidence/etc by picking up on how they presented themselves and went about it. even better, see if you can wrangle a visitation weekend with one of them at ND to soak in those ideas in the setting before application time. people at ND wish to help, perhaps more than anywhere - let them. best of luck to you !!</p>