17 ACT Score.......not so sure this is going to work at ND...........you know? I know they relax the rules for Football players but I bet the majority are still in the 20-30 Range. He is talking about just getting up to a 19......???? How about a 24?
There are many ND football players that were admitted with a 17 ACT and graduated on time 4 years later. I doubt there's any school's admissions department that scrutinizes student athletes more closely.
The NCAA requires a combination of GPA and Test Score. It's a sliding scale, a higher GPA allows a lower Test Score for qualification. Likewise the higher the test score, the lower the corresponding Test Score can be.
ND could be requiring a higher score than the NCAA they've done that on occasion but it's probably a case of low GPA with the 17. I read that out of the father's comments that as long as he maintains a B average in his core courses for the rest of the year (that includes the semester after NSD) he'll be all right. That speaks to the NCAA Sliding Scale, raise the core GPA and a higher test score isn't necessary.
Maintaining that B average also show Admissions personnal like ND's Dan Saracino that is a student capable of doing the work when he applies himself. Like many young stud athletes he may have cruised thought his early HS classes through his own lack of interest or teachers that waived him through.
Paddy Mullen has a low score and 2.2 GPA. ND Admissions required him to take courses and get certain grades his Senior year to demonstate his capabilities. He met those goals and was admitted.
ND has one of the finest tutorial programs in the nation. I've had student athlete's parents rave to me over how their son changed for a lackadaisical student to a diligent one. ND's tutorial don't write the papers nor take the tests for the athletes but they do teach them how to study, how to attack problems, how to better understand important concepts. And they track attendance, homework, and test scores. Those parents told me Admissions scrutiny during recruiting and the Tutorial Program are key factors in why marginal HS students can succeed academically at ND.
Keep in mind ND Admissions has refused to admit some high profile athletes of high profile high schools. Walter Payton's kid was not admitted despite going to St Viator. Carson Palmer was told to improve grades/test score as was David Terrell but chose not to and took the easy path to USC and UM. Payton's son prospered as a RB at Miami.
