<p>i see it like this domer. so happens i know of a very similar background student. this student, however kept at that ACT score till was better than yours. and took the SAT ( couple times ), and submitted them both. your 34 is quite good, but so is everybody else’s. same thing with you AP course-work. your school cancelled or did not offer some courses, but you did not then go out and take them on-line. this student did. </p>
<p>do you see a pattern ?? coming from a lessor background can actually be a very nice strength, if you can show that not only did you max out everything available to you, but you went BEYOND. at schools like duke and ND there are applicants who are not only good, but who also went beyond. did you ?? this kid was a natl merit scholar, and awarded as a top state scholar etc etc - his/her school did not hand out awards either, but those bodies did and the kid went after them.</p>
<p>you mentioned your EC’s. kinda average, and you said as much. looking to the sort of applications likely to be on the pile, do they stand out ?? the student i referenced earlier also had a pretty average community oriented EC list, because he/she spent a lot of time having fun at his/her hobby, which is an obscure olympic sport. but, the kid was the junior ( under 19 y/o ) national champion at it with the olympic sanctioning body. stand out ?? suddenly, weak EC’s and a fun hobby turned into a major theme of chasing one’s dream of excellence, blah blah on the essay. see what i mean ??</p>
<p>please do not get me wrong. i think you have a decent chance at ND. but i also kinda feel as if you are banking on that 34 ACT score. it might do the trick, indeed. but, compared to the kid from the very similar background as you who i described . . . . . . .
i dunno, you tell me - do ya really want your application sitting next to his/hers EA ?? FWIW, this kid did not go EA, but regular. tell me, what is the rush ?? top, the very top ND has to offer, positions in the merit/honours/scholar/scholarship considerations/etc programs are handed out to regular admits, believe me. FWIW, this student applied EA to MIT, got accepted, but went there and did not like it. he/she applied regular to ND as a kinda fun back-up idea, but ended up having it become a dream come true - all the moreso because of the fab offer ND made him/her after the regular admission. so again, what is the rush ??</p>
<p>i wish you the best. start working on a few things to show you made the most of what you had. never never make an excuse for your smaller-time background, ONLY think in terms of what you DID do. think about standing out. work on a really sweet essay. be sure your letters of recommendation are from the best people possible. </p>
<p>again, i say this only to motivate you to be sure you put your best foot forward. you have time. use it wisely. good luck.</p>