University of Notre Dame Top Questions

I like the size, people either A dont know where it is, B ask why instead of going to say a UW wisconsin school, or they just ooooo at me. i spend a lot of my time in debartolo and PE unfortunately. though there are many colleges here, not really a college town. that administration seems pretty with-it and genuine, i have had some really good teacher experience. I'd say the vagina monologues were unfortunately the biggest controversy, and other 'liberal' issues. There's TONS of school pride. Its unusual how homogeneous the population is, i think that it can make people feel VERY different when they're really not. Parietals are a common complaint because they're so controlling, and make it hard to ever have visitors from other schools.

Notre Dame is the best. The spirit and tradition is like no other. It's not perfect, some students complain about how conservative the rules and other things, but I can think of no better university in the world.

tons of tradition, lots of emphasis on religion and family, a fair amount of controversy with sexuality/homosexuality, not very well connected to the surrounding South Bend areas

Being from a small town, most people are excited for me when they find out that I go to Notre Dame. This school is very academically rigorous, and it has very interesting student dynamics. At Notre Dame there is an interesting interaction between Catholicism and alcohol. Some students here are ridiculously devout and do not party or drink alcohol, but they also take other aspects to the extreme. For instance, last week a large group of these students staged a very immature and disrespectful protest of the Vagina Monologues. On the other end of the spectrum, there are the people who may be Catholic and go to mass, but they party at least one or two days a week and engage in very un-Catholic behavior. Most of the campus is divided into these two extremes, and it can be very hard to find a middle ground for people who do not fit into those two categories.

EVERYTHING about Notre Dame is absolutely wonderful! We don't have a college town, but it doesn't bother anyone - our campus have everything that we need, and if you're itching to get off campus there is a good mall and plenty of restaurants in the surrounding area. there is so much school pride here....I don't know anyone here who doesn't love it and want to be here very badly. Everyone else should stop making fun of our football team - they're just jealous that they don't go here. I'll never forget frosh-o, which is the amazing first weekend for freshman and orientation filled with awkward meeting of the opposite sex dorms, etc. Frequent student complaints - reslife, single sex dorms, gender relations. We all complain about it but we know that we love ND nonetheless. I think it's funny how much we complain about poor or awkward gender relations being caused by single sex dormlife, but we take all the benefits of single sex dorms for granted. For example, there is so much spirit in each dorm and they all have unique character, and ALL of them are friendly, welcoming, fraternity/sorority family type settings ---- so I think in the long run we wouldn't give up our unique dorm life for anything - except maybe no parietals? I can't imagine going to any other school - seriously. I get offended when other people don't like ND because it's so much a part of who I am and it's perfect in every way.

The family and netoworking you get from the Notre Dame experience is unbeatable.

The best thing about Notre Dame is the environment. Everyone here is very friendly, I always see people that I know out on the quad and they say hi to me. Everyone is really passionate about being here, we have a lot of school spirit. Also, the kids are generally pretty smart, but it's not a super-nerdy atmosphere. I think that Notre Dame attracts well-rounded people.

Notre Dame has enough students that you meet new people all the time but it's also not too big. After you get to know people, you start to see people you know whenever you walk around. And every student is guaranteed football tickets. Notre Dame students work hard, play hard. During the week, most students crack down, but on the weekend students like to let loose and have fun. Most of the time we stay on campus because there's so much to do. There's not much off-campus, but there's always plenty going on around campus.

The best thing about Notre Dame is the student body. For the most part we are hard workers, but you can't find many people who are completely obsessed with academics. On the other side, we like to have fun, but we're not out of control either. It's a really good balance. One thing I'd change about Notre Dame is the amount of diversity in the student body. The good thing about this problem is that most of the people I talk to feel the same way, and the University seems to be making an effort to increase diversity, so hopefully diversity will be on the upswing in coming years. Let's see, what else.... there is a lot of school pride, obviously - it's kind of what we do I guess. It's great, and it seems crazy, but when everybody gets into it - which is all of the time - it is a really awesome time. Students complain about a few things, but overall there is a lot of love for this school. Complaints range from single sex dorms to cost of tuition, and a few things in between, but for the most part these complaints are not major. If anybody has any major complaints there is usually someone you can talk to to help sort it out.

The best thing about Notre Dame is that it really works to educate the entire person and not just the academic aspect. I think 8000 students is a wonderful size. People are often excited when I tell them I go to Notre Dame because they think it is such a cool school. I spend most of my time on campus the dorms or hanging out with friends in the student center. The biggest controversies are popular opinions that the Catholic Church does not agree with, for example The Vagina Monologues. There is tons of school pride. That is probably the biggest aspect of our community. We thrive on tradition and pride. The biggest student complaint are probably the single sex dorms and the hours in which the opposite sex can visit.

I love the community of Notre Dame. One odd thing is sometimes the intergender relations are werid, likely a result of the single-sex dorms.

The biggest part of Notre Dame is the community life and the unity that surrounds the entire school. I love the fact that most people remain in the same dorm all four years of college and that each dorm becomes basically like a sorority or fraternity at a bigger school. You are given the comraderie of Greek life without having to rush or go through anything. You are immediately accepted into your new home the moment you step onto campus and that is what I love about it. At times I feel like Notre Dame is too large, because I really don't know that many people around campus, but it is extremely small compared to a number of other schools and I am just weird when it comes to size. Along with the unity, there is so much Notre Dame pride it is unbelievable. Everyone goes to football games and pep rallies and it never gets old. We are here to support our teams through winning and losing seasons and that will never change. The most frequent complaints are probably related to Parietals, meaning, after certain hours, no person of the opposite sex is allowed to be in the dorm. However, I like the idea of parietals because it takes the pressure off of awkward situations with roommates and there is no misunderstandings about boundaries or anything. The rules are the same for everyone on campus and it works very well in my opinion.

People her always complain about parietals but even though they are annoying more often than not, it can be nice to have some time when its guaranteed to be just girl time, you know when you come in from a night out and you and your girlfriends all sit around and gossip about what happened that night. That's part of what college is all about, forming those bonds with your friends, and in a sense parietals allow that.

Fantastic. Every time you walk by the Golden Dome or Touchdown Jesus or the Grotto or the lakes or Notre Dame Stadium (see how far down the list football is?), you can't help but think- 'Wow, I am at Notre Dame.' I've gone to other schools both in the Midwest and back home in the Northeast. Sure they have their good characteristics but whenever I say I go to ND, people really give respect for that. Truly a remarkable school.

The best thing is the sense of tradition and school spirit. I'd change the location; I've lived in South Bend my whole life and it's not too great. It's just the right size. People generally are very impressed when I tell them I go to Notre Dame - it's got a great reputation. I spend most of my time on campus in my dorm or my friends's dorms of in LaFun (LaFortune Student Center). There is no college town here.

The best thing about Note Dame would have to be the atmosphere. It's just the feeling you get once you get on the campus. It is probably one of the defining factors that made me choose to come here. It made me feel at home when I came to visit and not it truely is my home. The one thing that I would change would be the number of African-Americans that attend the school. The black presence at Notre Dame is almost non-existent and I feel more needs to be done to cater to the needs of minorities on the campus. One of the most annoying things people ask me once they find out that I attend Notre Dame is if I play a sport. As an African-American student, it always seems that in order for blacks to attend college, they must do a sport. I take pride in the fact that I am a student first. I, as well as the there students and the student/athletes are intelligent.

Best thing: community, great networking, beautfil campus One thing I'd change: its location; there's NO college town Size: just right Reaction: They're usually impressed and say something, often snide, about our football team. Where on campus: in the dorms No college town Administration: too Catholic Recent controversy: whether or not to have the Vagina Monologues on campus; whether the administration should try to keep its faculty mostly Catholic; whether the administration should recognize a Gay-Straight Alliance student club School pride: Yes Unusual: All dorms are single sex. The opposite sex cannot be in a dorm after midnight on weekdays and after 2 am on weekends. Strictly enforced in girls' dorms but not in guys' dorms. Experience: studying abroad in France for a year Frequent student complaints: single sex dorms and visiting hours; the weather

Best Thing About Notre Dame: Everyone here is amazingly brilliant, kind, hard-working, active, and excels at something. One Thing I'd Change: Location, location, location (we have two Winter Semesters) School Size Is: Just Right (8,000 Undergrads) People React to Notre Dame: With, "Wow, congrats! I wanted to go there..." I Spend My Time: Outside my dorm room; there's tons to do on campus! College Town: "What College Town?" South Bend has some great eating places, the College Football Hall of Fame, and that's about it. Chicago's 90 minutes away. Notre Dame's Administration: Could care less about the students, but for the most part stays out of the way. Biggest Recent Controversy on Campus: "The Vagina Monologues" being performed on a Catholic campus. Lot of School Pride?: Let's just say people wear their class rings to class as early as the start of their junior year. People here LOVE almost everything Notre Dame. Anything Unusual?: Our housing situation; everyone lives on campus in single-sex dorms, which are more like sponsored frats and sororities. Interhall sports here are crazy. You get to know people really well; it's a new home. One Experience I'll Always Remember: Too many awesome ones, but definitely singing on stage in front of 4,000 people during my dorm's Keenan Revue. Most Frequent Student Complaints: Parietals! Latin for visiting hours, it means men & women can't be in the same dorm room from midnight (2am on weekends) to 9am. There's no campus curfew or anything, but you can't watch a movie with your girlfriend at 12:10am on a Tuesday.

The people and traditions are the best things about Notre Dame. If I could change one thing it would be ResLife, the strict discipline system. The school's size is exactly right. You get to know a lot of people, but not everybody knows what you did last weekend. I spend most of my time in COMO, a student resource center, or in my dorm. "WHAT COLLEGE TOWN" applies to here, I would never venture into South Bend for fun. They are building a stip around campus that will be like a mini college town. I love the professors at Notre Dame, most are either really funny and witty, so nerdy that they are cute/funny, or really understanding/helpful. TON of school pride...Notre Dame is life. I will always remember the home/away football games, and dining hall experiences.

Notre Dame is unlike any other university in the country. I realize I'm slightly biased as a student, but for me this school is my home. If you let Notre Dame change you and help you grow, if you let it into your heart, it will transform you. I am my best self while I am here, b/c the atmosphere and most of all the people will do that to you. Even though there's over 8000 undergrads, you are never left behind, and it becomes a family immediately. There is a lot of school pride: people have commented how ND students wear hoodies and hats and shirts that say Notre Dame around campus, and how you don't find that at a lot of schools. Parietals and the single-sex dorms can sometimes be a source of misgivings, but it helps make the school what it is and I wouldn't have it any other way.