If you recently received a rejection decision from Notre Dame in the round, that is a massive bummer. Notre Dame does not offer a binding admissions option, like Early Decision, but the Restrictive Early Action avenue did put some limits on you. You could not apply to an Early Decision school, but maybe you submitted a few regular EA applications and have some acceptances in your pocket. If so, awesome — and you may be very happy with the options you have. If you don’t have any EA acceptances, or simply want more or better options, that’s what we are here for.
In this post, we’re going to break down the steps that you need to be taking now to turn this REA rejection into a dream school acceptance. First, though, let’s talk some numbers.
For the Class of 2029, the Restrictive Early Action acceptance rate was . The year before, REA was similarly competitive, and half the class was accepted in the REA round. The overall acceptance rate for Notre Dame that same year was 9%.
Now, though, you need to figure out what comes next. You can still get into an outstanding, dream school, but pretending that this Notre Dame rejection didn’t happen won’t get you there. Below are the steps that you need to be taking to pull off a top-tier acceptance RD or ED II.
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Getting into a top school isn’t magic — it’s strategy. We would love to help craft an individualized strategy for you, but there are a few key steps you need to take whether or not we’re working with you.
Step One: Take a Break
First, we need you to slow down. Take a nap. Read something for fun, not homework. Do an activity or hobby that simply brings you joy. Recharging is extremely important before you dive back in for Regular Decision and EDII applications. Catching up on sleep will help you do your best work over the next few weeks, which go by very quickly. So be kind to yourself, take a moment, and get yourself ready to do outstanding work before the next slate of deadlines.
Step Two: Strategize
The first thing you need to do is to reassess your college list. Maybe you had one set in stone, or maybe you really thought you’d be done in the REA round. Either way, whatever you have needs a fresh look with a critical eye. The big thing to check for is whether your college list emphasizes schools that are a strong fit academically. These are your targets, and you should have 3-4 of them. Then you need 3-4 safety schools that you can confidently say you are likely to get in to. Finally, there are the reaches. These are often the ‘exciting’ schools that you are really jazzed about, and it can be tempting to put a large number of them on your application. We advise against that approach, as it isn’t strong strategy. Instead, pick 2-3 reach schools that are still within the realm of possibility quantitatively. Then, when you have your list, look back at what may have gone wrong with Notre Dame.
We can’t tell you why you were rejected, but there are a few potential obvious reasons. The first big reason for why your application may have been rejected is quantitative. If you don’t have the scores or grades for Notre Dame, you don’t get in. Students accepted and enrolled in the Class of 2029 an SAT of 1500+ or an ACT of 34+. They also expect strong grades to match.
Notre Dame does not include GPA in their class profile and Common Data Set reporting, but if you have weak spots on your transcript that could have been a red flag for them. And if your transcript isn’t rock solid and you didn’t submit scores, that’s a big problem. Strong scores can undergird a transcript, lifting up dips and showing college readiness. When you leave scores off, it’s like giving away a tool in your toolbox (if, of course, the standardized test scores are strong).
Small soft spots in your application can be exacerbated, when it comes to Notre Dame, by faith. As a Catholic university, Notre Dame prioritizes applicants who share their faith. In the Class of 2029, of accepted and enrolled students described themselves as Catholic.
This illuminates the other big potential reason that your application was rejected: the qualitative, uncountable, fuzzy stuff. Even if you have the grades and scores for Notre Dame, an application that does not connect with the admissions officials who see it and compel them to act positively (i.e., an acceptance) is like a slice of Swiss cheese. Sure, you have some of the things they want — but it’s an application full of holes.
Being Catholic is one of those soft things that you cannot change about who you are. You are either Catholic or you aren’t. If you aren’t, it’s harder to get into Notre Dame. That’s simply a fact.
You also can’t change what you’ve spent your time doing. There isn’t time to add a meaningful activity, get a new leadership role, or tackle an independent research project. What you have on your activities list is what you have to work with.
As there is nothing you could or should do about your faith and activities, we’ll coast past these ones to the things you can control.
The other big bucket of soft things are things you can change. It’s the stories. The way that you tell your story matters in college admissions.
Step Three: Essays
College applications are, ultimately, a storytelling vehicle. Some pieces of the story are nearly always dry and boring (your test scores, for example), and some pieces can be thrilling and exciting for application readers if you write them right. Those pieces are the written sections, including the main college essay where it’s used, supplements, and opportunities for creative expression.
We find that students who are rejected from Notre Dame REA who had the grades and scores all share the same application flaw: the stories flopped. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you didn’t have good things to say, but you didn’t say them well. You can be objectively impressive as an applicant, but also describe those impressive things in really boring ways. Being boring is like throwing massive hurdles in the way of your application. Just when you want the reader engaged and excited, they’ll be yawning and reaching for a takeout menu.
We work with our students to rewrite their applications. Yes, you heard that right. Students who come to us after an early rejection first have to accept that they’ll be starting from a blank slate. This is critical to achieving strong RD and EDII outcomes. It’s more work, but it’s worth it.
Step Four: Ask For Help
If all of this sounds overwhelming, we can help. You should also look to teachers, school counselors, and family friends with true expertise. Not everyone with an opinion gives good college advice, though. So don’t rely on your friends, or even your parents, to give strong application essay feedback. The right help is important to achieving strong outcomes.
If you want the right help, get in touch.
Strong outcomes require strong strategy. Get yours.