Admissions as a Reason for Negatively Affecting Recruiting
UHND.com - Morris Goldberg
March 26, 2001

Notre Dame, Ind - Admissions is not a reason but an excuse as to negatively affecting recruiting.  It is a myth.  The Notre Dame Admissions Office has a branch dedicated to athletes being accepted or rejected.  It is up to Coach Davie who bears the responsibility for recruiting to submit to the office a timely list of identified preps they may want to recruit.  Admissions then starts the process of examination to determine if these preps are potentially academically acceptable.  No one can state with absolute assurance that these preps will be accepted for one or more of several reasons.  

While grades may be fine, the recruit must maintain an acceptable average.  The prep must pass the NCAA ACT/SAT test with a minimum score.  They must have an interview with Coach Davie and Admissions. They must have moral character that passes muster.  What this process does is eliminate those who have virtually no prospect for academic success at Notre Dame.  It gives the potential student ample time to take core courses they may be missing.  It gives the coaching staff better use of their recruiting time.  In other words, they can concentrate on those preps who are reasonable risks. Admissions, with the coaches input, will nudge outstanding prep athletes ahead of non athlete students in the process.  All things are not equal in admitting a prep.  An athlete stands at the head of the line. Domers who believe that coaches recruit preps and then find that those preps are being rejected in droves by the admitting process are ignorant of the procedure.  If Coach Davie does not submit the necessary prep list in a timely manner the blame falls on his shoulders, not Admissions.  

Domers who believe that Notre Dame admission requirements, with regard to core courses, are too demanding are simply wrong.  These requirements are standard throughout the educational world everywhere except the United States.  Even third world countries require basically the same core courses as Notre Dame requires.  Those who do not meet the requirements are not allowed to matriculate.  Why then does the NCAA require less than the world standard minimum?  That question should be directed at the various university presidents who allow the lower standards.  The answer nay not be pretty.  Domers should understand that Notre Dame requirements only meet the world standard while the NCAA dumbs down the world standard. 

Does the Admission Office preliminary examination of scholastic records reject more of the highly rated prep stars?  The answer is definitely not.  If one were to examine the preps who potentially qualify for admission it would put the myth to rest.  There are more than enough prep stars that the coaching staff could accept.  So while many may look at Admissions, cold weather, cultural differences, stringent classes, as vital factors in recruiting they are on the wrong road.  Notre Dame graduates a higher percentage of its athletes than do the "dumbed down" schools.  That is an accepted fact. 

While cultural differences may play a role with some potential students, one should understand that Notre Dame also offers a wide variety of students from every place in the United States and from most foreign countries.  It is an opportunity to meet, accept, and learn from various people.  This is not a negative.  It is a positive experience.  As far as cold weather is concerned, it might affect a few preps.  The weather is what it is.  Great recruiting classes have come to South Bend for decades with the same weather.  Do Columbus, Ann Arbor, Madison, etc., etc., have different weather?