<p>Is being catholic an advantage when applying to Notre Dame?</p>
<p>Nope, won't help nor hurt.</p>
<p>THere was a recent thread on this
Here ya go</p>
<p>I still believe that being Catholic is an advantage, regardless of the official party line. The university's identity and mission are inherently tied to its Catholicism. There are lots of things that admissions says in its official capacity that are considerably different than what people on the inside say is the case. I don't think it hurts to not be Catholic, but I think it helps to be Catholic.</p>
<p>If it helped to be Catholic, wouldn't it also have to hurt to not be Catholic? I know it is hard to get a school that is 80% Catholic by chance, but I also think that is just how our applicant pool is. I could be wrong but I bet the applicant pool actually has a higher percentage of Catholics than 80%.</p>
<p>The only advantage I can see with being Catholic is it may have helped you get into a lot of activities and ministries that could be impressive, but then again other religions do the same. I just don't think it makes a difference, and it can't if they follow the mission statement of the University I believe. I don't know for sure though.</p>
<p>BTW, how much would I love getting offered a job in admissions right now instead of going off to graduate school? I would love to know the definitive answers to these questions.</p>
<p>I guess what I'm saying is I think it does make a difference. I know it does. Just as the official line is preference is shown only to children of alumni, not siblings of students. Yet it does.</p>
<p>There's an old expression "preaching to the choir."</p>
<p>Schools like ND not only have a mission to educate the faithful, they have a mission to spread the gospel. The Catholic version of evangelism doesn't look or smell anything like Americans think of as evangelizing. The Catholic view of the Gospel is more in line with the definition of Gospel as Truth, so providing an excellent education in a setting where many people live the teachings of Jesus would qualify.</p>
<p>I'm shooting from the hip, but Catholics see spreading the faith as helping people achieve their potential in the world and modeling Christ's teachings. If some of the students convert, that's a plus, but it isn't the objective. Catholics also believe that those who come from other traditions and experiences have much to teach, so there is a geniuine interest in a diversity of beliefs.</p>
<p>"If some of the students convert, that's a plus, but it isn't the objective"</p>
<p>I totally 100 % agree with that statement Mombot</p>
<p>I agree that the objective isn't really to convert anyone. Evangelization for Catholics isn't anything like other faiths; much more akin to herding cats!</p>
<p>There's a difference between a stated goal--like wanting 25% of the incoming class to be legacy--and something that could tilt the balance in an applicant's favor on a case-to-case basis. </p>
<p>Admissions can say what they want to say, but I still believe the Catholic element plays a part in the admissions decision, even if it is an intangible one.</p>
<p>It's kind of chicken or egg, in my book. Is Notre Dame 85% Catholic because it's Catholic identity lures Catholic applicants--or does Notre Dame retain its Catholic identity because of the large number of Catholics it accepts?</p>
<p>Non-Catholics can do quite well there, without a doubt. It isn't an in-your-face kind of thing. But it's a very Catholic place, which I can say from the perspective both of an alumna and a current ND parent...</p>
<p>Okay, here's a question: How does the university recruit admissions officers who fall in line with their views on recruiting Catholic kids? What I am wondering, is there a way to determine how prospective admission officers believe in terms of their own Catholic faith, to ensure that they are reviewing applications from a true Notre Dame/Catholic viewpoint? I don't mean for this to sound discriminatory in any way. I am just curious as to how ND "knows" each admissions officer will view each applicant.</p>
<p>I honestly am not sure why this thread has blown up as much as it has but all I can tell you is I have watched Notre Dame admissions for many years and I have never seen anything that would make me think that religion would help or hurt an applicant.</p>
<p>I don't think it has anything to do with how they recruit their admissions officiers or anything like that, I think it is just a category they are blind to much like they are blind to if you are applying for financial aid. That is just my opinion but it just doesn't seem like it would have to be as difficult as some are making it. Maybe I am wrong, I just haven't seen it and I would trust them when they say they don't look at it. They have enough to look at and worry about as it is!</p>
<p>dd, we usually agree but I am not sure that we will agree on this one. Have you seen anything to make you believe otherwise? I really just have a hard time believing otherwise but it doesn't mean that evidence couldn't change my mind.</p>
<p>it could be as someone mentioned earlier...simply that an extraordinary number of Catholic kids apply to Notre Dame, and that is why it the numbers of Catholic kids admitted are very high there. However, I agree about preserving the Catholic "feel" of the school, so to speak. A Catholic institution is supposed to do that.</p>
<p>I don't have any idea of how the university recruits admissions officers. I'd imagine there must be some specific criteria they train them to look for in an applicant.</p>
<p>What I'm trying to convey, and don't appear to be doing that good of a job of it, is that the university's mission is deeply steeped in Catholicism--it is such an integral part of so many key facets of it. It is beyond just an undercurrent, but is the university's identity. </p>
<p>There are lots of universities out there that are Catholic, but it does not permeate every facet of their existence. Some, like Georgetown, are only nominally Catholic. It is the absolute goal of the University of Notre Dame--indeed, the very mission of the University of Notre Dame, to never lose that Catholic identity. In fact, ND has made a lot of sacrifices to remain what it is, in terms of its stature within the academic community in general. Regardless of the talent of its students, ND will always be derided by some academic elites as intellectually inferior because of the supposed lack of intellectual diversity. For that reason, ND will never be an Ivy. To the university's credit, it has not succumbed to contemporary cultural elitism of modern academia that views religious faith as antithetical to intellectual freedom. Fr. Jenkins has a tough job and does it well, in retaining the academic freedom necessary to be a top notch university, while never giving an inch on the issue of Catholic identity.</p>
<p>Any university seeks those who appreciate those things which define it, who understand and share its mission. For Notre Dame, that is Catholicism, as well as a number of other elements. I find it hard to believe, though, when someone in synch with the university's identity and mission sitting on an admissions committee, reads the application of someone who clearly relates to that identity, it is not a positive for that applicant.</p>
<p>God love you, Irish, I know you've done a lot of research on admissions and have been hanging out on these boards a lot longer than I do. And I've read the Saracino citation you've mentioned. Nonetheless, I think it does matter, regardless of whether or not there is a stated goal. </p>
<p>The most amazing thing about Notre Dame is that it is more than an alma mater to people who reunite and talk about things past. It is a place with a mission that lasts a lifetime. I haven't talked to a fellow graduate yet who has not felt the same thing; that their understanding and appreciation of the place only grows with time. In a Catholic church beseiged by scandals and other woes, Notre Dame is a shining beacon of hope. It is the premier think tank of the world's largest religion, not only in America, but worldwide. If, despite all of this, you still think Catholicism doesn't play an intangible role in admissions, all power to you. </p>
<p>Notre Dame isn't just any Catholic institution. It is in a league of its own. Quite frankly, were it not for my ties to it, I would have left the church a long time ago.</p>
<p>Thank you! Well said. It is for those very reasons that I am praying my daughter gets in. It is sad, but true: My brother, a Catholic priest, told me, "If you want her to keep her Catholic faith, send her to a public college, not Catholic. Unless it's Notre Dame". He is very disillusioned at how so many of the Catholic Universities (particularly Jesuit) have watered down their faith. It seems to be getting harder and harder as parents keep that faith alive in our kids when our society is doing everything possible to kill it. Notre Dame is the closest thing we can come to a true Catholic education.</p>
<p>As someone who has been through 5 years of Jesuit education, I know what effect that can have on an individual's faith. If you are not strong going in, you simply won't survive. I remember my senior year in high school not being called on in a Theology class because the teacher knew what my opinion was and really didn't want to hear it. I still sat there with my arm up though just because I still was getting my message across either way.</p>
<p>ND is a special place. They won't shelter you, for instance some of our Philosophy professors are strong ATHIESTS, but they also provide an environment for your faith to grow. I had Gutting, who is a very well-known athiest and I took his best shots. I think I am a stronger Catholic for it. Yes, I may not be able to definitively prove God to the man, but there are many things that we know but yet can't prove. Take a sense of self for example, we all have one and yet Psychologists and Neurologists have no idea where the "self" is, if it is in the brain. Freaky huh? </p>
<p>Anyways, I see what you are saying about how a Catholic applicant may shine through. However, I would argue that it is more about the values than the faith. I don't think it would matter if the student went on a Catholic or a Lutheran trip to Mexico to build homes for the poor, you know, the important thing is that they are showing the values that ND cherishes. I also don't think that it matters if you spend time volunteering in your Catholic church or your local Synagogue, the important thing is that you spend the time. Even if you are not religious, I don't think that would work against you as long as you are a person of integrity. It is in that vein that I say I don't think religion matters. However, I do believe integrity, ethics, and having a desire to help more than just yourself matter.</p>
<p>Am I on the same base with you now DD? lol, I know I am an old-timer on these boards but I do feel out of touch sometimes so I want to make sure that what I think is in line with what other people experience and I do appreciate your opinion. You have been around here long enough to know quite a bit about this school (and being an alum doesn't hurt either). Speaking of which, I only have one more semester until I am an alum! Yikes!</p>
<p>Excellent point. It is indeed the Catholic "values" that make a difference. I wish there were some way to make kids in high school today realize how much more valuable ECs are that are directed toward helping others, as opposed to those ECs that only make the individual a better skier, singer, test-taker, etc. Other-focused ECs benefit the giver as well as the recipient. Will you encourage your future children to attend ND?</p>