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Do I have a realistic chance of making Notre Dame with the following credentials: 4.3 weighted GPA, 1450 SAT score, NHS member, founder of a volunteer program at my high school, varsity cross country runner and wrestler, no trouble in a year and a half?

I have wanted to go to Notre Dame since I was a young boy. I understand that I may not have given enough information, but I want to have a better rough understanding of my chances of getting into Notre Dame. I think that I have about a 1/3 chance of making it. #college #college-admissions #college-admissions #college-selection #college-bound

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Mariana’s Answer

Hello Gordon!! I am a junior at the University of Notre Dame, and my brother will be an incoming freshman in the fall. I am in LOVE with our school, its values, and the people. Here are some suggestions I have for you:

Mariana recommends the following next steps:

If your school has a college and career counselor, or a guidance counselor, go to them and start forging a relationship, if you haven't done so already. Explain your interests, goals, possible field of study, and make sure voice everything you are involved in during your time in high school. Explain to him or her why you are interested in Notre Dame, or why you think Notre Dame would be a good fit for you. Ask him or her the same question you have in here. Just remember, that college admissions is not a science; so while they might tell you have great or not so great chances, it is always worth a shot.
Use this resource to help you find the ND admissions counselor that is in charge of reading the applications for your area: https://admissions.nd.edu/connect/admissions-staff/ . If you are confident with your relationship with your guidance or college and career counselor in school, then ask him or her to reach out to your ND counselor explaining your involvements, grades, etc, why ND is a good fit for you, and ask him/her when the best time for you to apply would be. If your school does not have this resource or you do not have the best relationship with your counselor, do it yourself!! It shows initiative, drive, and motivation.
Keep in touch with the ND counselor. Remember, this is the person that is going to read your application. So if after you apply, you receive an award, worked/completed an awesome project, had a great performance at a competition, had a great internship, or something important happened (keep it related to academic or extra curriculars), make sure you send them and email sharing some exciting updates.
Finally, when it does come time to apply, ask yourself this: do I have a passion and drive to make the world a better place? If so, Notre Dame will be a good fit. Remember, no matter what the application decision is, and if you don't get in right away, you always have the great option of going to another school for a semester, working your butt off by getting stellar grades, and transferring into ND. Best of luck!!!
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Ken’s Answer

One good way to get some very helpful information is to make a phone call to the Director of Alumni Relations at Notre Dame and ask to be introduced to alumni of Notre Dame who are living and working in your area. You do not want to try to do this by email or messaging, as you want to be able to have a dialogue in real time to express your wishes and desires. You can then meet the local alumni and talk in person and share your desires and get their viewpoint on how you can increase your chances of being accepted. Through this process you may be able to have someone put in a good word that will assist you in being admitted. Also, you can arrange to meet other Notre Dame alumni who might share the same career aspirations as you, so you can get an inside track on how Notre Dame can help you prepare for that career. The sooner that you do this, the more chances of having a positive impact on your planning.
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EmilyAnn’s Answer

You can never say for sure and I think you deserve to get in, but I will give you some of my stats when I applied here 3 years ago and did NOT get in.

- 4.6 GPA & 5 AP courses my senior year
- 1480 SAT score
- NHS; involved in sports, leadership role in marching band, founder/leader of STEM club
- Volunteered as a sports coach in my town
- Had a steady part-time job as a lifeguard/swim instructor since I was 16

I think there are so many factors that go into college admissions processes and many people who are qualified are turned down. In my case, I think I probably wasn't unique enough. Also, based on the people I know, they do like to admit people coming from Catholic schools since they are religiously affiliated. Not to say they won't accept public school kids (I was one), but it may be a factor. Overall I think it's really hard to say whether someone will get in anywhere, but don't get down on yourself if you don't. Sometimes it's more bad luck than anything.
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Matthew’s Answer

Gordon, thanks for the question here. It's definitely worth considering as you approach the next season of your life and plan carefully. Based on what you have described regarding your academic success and extra-curricular activities (all of which are excellent), I believe you have a solid chance of undergraduate acceptance at Notre Dame. I wouldn't say you're a guaranteed lock, but you've got an excellent chance. In addition to Ken's wise suggestion of contacting and connecting with ND alumni, I would encourage you to explore the following ideas:

Matthew recommends the following next steps:

Ensure your success - both in and away from the classroom - is driven by consistency toward excellence. No student is perfect, and while striving for perfection is fine, we all have shortcomings. Striving for excellence, however, is always commendable. Be sure you can maintain your commitments and to do your very best in those areas; no one will ask for more.
Along with Notre Dame, explore other highly selective post-secondary institutions for their admissions criteria. You might be pleasantly surprised to discover some of the financial aid packages offered by other schools such as Harvard, Penn, Rice, Stanford, Vanderbilt, etc. And, it's good practice to explore all options and survey the field, as it were.
Stay humble. No doubt you've worked very hard to reach this point. For however long you have until you graduate high school, stay focused on working hard. The praise will come, and it's definitely rewarding. However, the greatest reward will be contentment in knowing you did your absolute best possible!
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Rachel’s Answer

I agree with above. You should definitely apply to Notre Dame. I don't think anyone can guarantee your admission, but you are certainly a competitive applicant with the above credentials.
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