Notre Dame Regular Decision Acceptance Rate Insights?

I'm curious about the acceptance rate for Notre Dame's regular decision cycle. Does anyone know what percentage of applicants get in via regular decision, and how competitive it really is compared to early decision?

Notre Dame's acceptance rates can vary year to year, however, the overall acceptance rate in recent years has trended around 15-20%. It's important to note that this is the combined acceptance rate for both Early Action (EA) and Regular Decision (RD) applicants.

As for the difference between EA and RD, Notre Dame does tend to accept a higher percentage of its EA applicants compared to its RD applicants. This trend isn't exclusive to Notre Dame and is fairly common at many selective colleges. Early cycles often have a more self-selected group of applicants, many of whom may be more academically prepared or have a stronger interest in the school.

A significant impact on both cycles would be the "yield", or the number of accepted students who choose to enroll. This is usually higher for EA admittees, as these students are often quite committed to the school. This high yield can make the EA pool appear to be less competitive when, in reality, it's just more concentrated with highly interested students.

In terms of competition, the numbers imply a more competitive RD round, but that doesn't necessarily mean an EA applicant is any less serious or competitive. As always, ND will be looking for students who are a good fit for the university, who have strong academic records, and who demonstrate their unique ‘spike’ or area of specialty that they can bring to the campus community.

Thus, regardless of the round in which you apply, what's most crucial is presenting an application that's strong, well-rounded, and authentically you.