University of Notre Dame
Reviews

Controlled but Reasonable

Notre Dame strikes a perfect balance between enforcing regulations and letting students have fun. While there is supposedly zero tolerance for drugs and parietals are strictly enforced, most students (myself included) don't mind. Most of us frown upon drug use anyway and like how parietals quiet down the dorms to allow everyone to sleep. (This is especially important in men's dorms where all of the parties are.) The alcohol policy, however, is quite lenient. The consequences of breaking the rules are fairly minor and are not always enforced. Parties can be held in men's dorms as long as they aren't out of control and no one is in danger of being hurt. In summary, be safe and relatively discreet and you should be fine. One final thing to note is that the RAs are more like friends/mentors than authority figures. While they do what is necessary to keep the students safe, they are considered friends by almost all of the students.

Well It Is a Catholic School

There are plenty of different races, poltiical beliefs, religions, and a suprising amount of diversity in sexual orientation. However, for the most part, the university is made up of rich white kids. There is very little economic diversity. There is, however, an overall attitude of acceptance of differences.

The Weather Outside Is Weather

Not bad until it gets cold. The quads become a wind tunnel and walking to class sucks. The temp is 30 and the wind chill is well below zero. Alcoholism helps.

Go to Eddy St.

Right across the street from the school is Eddy Street Commons which has some restaurants, bars, Chipotle etc.

The Most Unique College Experience

Notre Dame has the most tradition based campus atmosphere in the country. Legends have walked in the same halls you visit every day. A great experience that will give you memories for a lifetime.

Gonna Kill Me to Leave

Lou Holtz put it best when he said "Notre Dame is just special. People ask me to describe it. I say if you've been here, no explanation is necessary. If you haven't been, no explanation will suffice."

Really couldn't have had a better time here. Yes, some things about the school frustrate me and will frustrate others, but that will be the case everywhere you go. I have friends that go everywhere under the sun and I have not found a place that balances everything as well as Notre Dame does. This place really is special, and I couldn't imagine going anywhere else.

Off-Campus Housing at Notre Dame: Available but Not Necessary

Notre Dame truly is a residential community. About 80% of the students live on campus, meaning it is not uncommon for a Domer to live on campus on four years. There are brand new town houses located just off campus that are cheap, and parking is easily available at school. Many students however, prefer to stay on campus, to stay close to their Notre Dame community.

They City of South Bend, Indiana: Not Exactly an Urban Location

Notre Dame is described as being located in an urban area. However, South Bend, Indiana is a city lacking the true benefits of city life. It is mostly strip malls and chain stores. However, Eddy Street Commons which is just off campus is a great place, with restaurants and bars, that is brand new and is an enjoyable place for Notre Dame students to get off campus. It is also definitely an inexpensive area, which is great for the student's budget.

Amazing Tradition and Spirit

Football: Our team has been less than decent for about five years, and yet students have still packed the stands and cheered, screamed, danced, and dressed up at every game. The Notre Dame football program has tradition unlike any other program in the nation.

Snow: Although the weather is one of the favorite topics of complaint on campus, one of my favorite events occurs on campus after the first big snow. The entire campus meets up on south quad and there is a North vs. South quad snowball fight from midnight until whenever everyone leaves.

Single-sex dorms: Yes, we have all-girl and all-guy dorms. Most people seem to actually like this feature of campus, as do I. It's nice to be able to walk down the hall in your towel and not see that guy who lives next door, and the lack of nasty smelling hallways is a definite plus. Another common complaint about campus life is "parietals," which are hours at which you have to leave the opposite sex's dorm (midnight on weekdays and 2am Fridays and Saturdays). This can be annoying at times, but it's also really nice when your roommate has a boyfriend or girlfriend. You just say "parietals in two minutes" and they have no excuse to stay. Granted, if your roommate is nice enough or you have a single, it's easy enough to break parietals and stay over night.

Overall: Notre Dame has some unique features, but I'm a fan of all of these features, and I wouldn't change anything about this amazing university.

Winter Woes

South Bend is notorious for having terrible weather from constant wind and all kinds of storms but honestly you get used to it and the campus is so pretty that I actually like the snow sometimes. There is no sun so when it does come out everyone is out on the quads which is always fun.

Notre Dame Athletics Are World-Class!

If you like sports, ND is the place to be. Everything to do with the athletics is near the top of the NCAA. Besides the recent struggles of the football team, the sports teams are all at least top 25 programs. The best part is the school spirit though.

Worked Out for Me

Notre Dame meets 100% of a family's demonstrated need, which is fantastic. They have a huge endowment, and aren't afraid to spend it on their students, which I applaud since I know that I wouldn't be here without it. The process was built into the application, so there were no other forms to fill out, which was nice and stress free. They also keep me frequently updated on the status of my awards, as well as when to reapply for the next school year so I can easily retain my scholarships.

Academics Are Great

The academics are excellent. I have liked all of my teachers and enjoyed almost every class.

Community.

This is the one thing everyone says about ND, that there is an outrageous sense of community and family. It lasts for a long time even after you graduate. Seeing people in airports or on the bus wearing the ND logo, you feel connected to them. It's really great. And then of course there's the INCREDIBLE academics, phenomenal, caring profs, and amazing football team... ;)

Freshmen 15? Try Freshmen 50...

So much food, so many choices...the best food there is.

Safest University EVER.

I feel comfortable walking around campus at 3 a.m. by myself.

South Bend...

South Bend can be a little "sketch", but it is a cute college town with plenty of good restaurants.

Very Flexible.

You can pretty much do whatever you want behind closed doors in the dorms. The only thing that bothers some is the parietals, but they really arent that bad.

Beautiful

ND's campus looks absolutely beautiful. No other university can compare.

Very Affordable.

ND gives you all the financial aid your family needs.

Special.

Notre dame is just a special place. You really have to experience it yourself. The minute you step on campus, you feel like a part of the ND family.

Awesome!

There are a lot of affordable off campus housing options available.

Great Community

The academics at Notre Dame can certainly be challenging, but in my experience, everyone is there to work toward a common goal. Professors and other students are there to help you succeed and there are plenty of opportunities to do well. Class difficulty seems to vary greatly depending on the program you are in, but every student is required to take seminar classes, which are small and discussion based (and they also require attendance). For the most part, professors are very good at what they do and they genuinely care to help you learn.

No.

The drug scene at Notre Dame is pathetic. People who didn't drink in high school buy 2 cases of beer and consider that throwing a party.

Notre Dame Athletics

If you're not a fan of Irish football before coming to Notre Dame, within a week you'll be indoctrinated into a lifestyle of jigs, fight songs, and the "1812 Overture." Football, although a huge part of life at ND, isn't the only sport where we excel. Irish fans cheer for a wide variety of successful sports, and you're more than likely to find spirit wherever you go.