I was so happy to find out that I got into notre dame a couple of days ago. My older sister goes there and loves it but I was wondering if anyone who goes there or knows a lot about the school thinks it would be a good fit for me.
I didn’t really have a ton of guy friends throughout high school mainly because I went to a very wealthy private school where the guys were incredibly stuck up and into themselves. My sister told me that a lot of your friends end up being the people in your dorm, and it honestly would be nice to meet some nice guys for a change. So are the guys at ND chill people?
Also if you’ve been there do you find that the community is warm and welcoming? I know that ND isn’t exactly the most diverse college but are people into different things? I’m not exactly into sports (kinda more into arts) but the football games and the tailgates sound insanely fun and honestly I’ve lived in the north east all my life so going to college in the Midwest actually seems like something I’d be into. I’d really appreciate any feedback you guys have
Not a student yet, but it depends on your definition of “chill.” Like any school, there will be a full spectrum of intro/extroversion and hobbies to find that people belong to. Notre Dame is most definitely welcoming, though. The world/campus is your oyster, and with 8000 undergrad students, any stereotype is bound to not apply to a significant amount of people. Dorms do contribute to friendships but this can be a catalyst for finding friends elsewhere, just as any event or setting with a social element can lead to friendships. You may be rusty when it comes to guys, but college is dictated by you; if something’s lacking, go out and find it.
Basically, although this advice can apply to many schools, unless you are looking for a specific majority (or lack thereof) demographic in the student body, the warmth of the students and admin, campus and geographic location, and strength of your major should be the important factors.
Current freshman guy at ND here. I would say a lot of my friends are pretty chill. You will meet a few stuck up people where ever you go, along with those kids that try way too hard. But there are tons of chill dudes with a variety of interests, speaking from my personal experience.
The community is incredibly welcoming. You can literally start a conversation with anyone and they will usually talk to you and be friendly. The ND community the very close and very welcoming. The people are some of the awesomest people you will ever meet.
There are a wide variety of activities to suit your interests. Home games are pretty much like holidays on campus. There are plenty of opportunities to get into the arts (and really anything that interests you).
You sound similar to one of my best friends. She had a lot of guy friends, was into the arts (dance) and also was looking for the welcoming community feel. She loves it here. She does dance performances, loves the football games, and found a fantastic group of chill friends.
I think you would love ND.
@picklechicken37 @arpeggios thanks a lot for the input. still have some thinking to do in considering some other schools that I really liked but this definitely helped me to get a better feel of whether ND would be a good fit for me
You would enjoy ND. There are all kinds of people at most schools. And at any of the schools, you will have the opportunity to make friends. As for “stuck up”, however you define it, let it slide. Rather than label the person, just regard him / her as someone you did not connect with, yet. You never know if or how the connection may happen in different circumstances.
What does your sister think about whether or not you’d like ND? Certainly she knows you better than we do. I did not go there; my wife did. We visit often. My son is interested. I know well dozens of guys who went there. I love the school and the football weekends are fun. Your enthusiasm for those means you have a chance of liking it there! Still, the school seems, in a very general way, like a rich, private school. It is, of course, way more than that, but that remains the strongest vibe I get. Most of the people there are hyper confident, hale-fellow-well-met types. You have an awesome array of choices for college. Arts, midwest and less stuck up? Northwestern gets my vote for you. I’m sure you’ll do great wherever you go. Congratulations and good luck!
What are your other top schools? Do you have a particular passion for attending a particular school? Is your sister’s attendance at ND somehow affecting your decision? Have you visited all of your options? Many students report just knowing they have found their college home once they have visited. Best of luck during the decision process!
The dorms are great, I’m friends with lots of people in mine (although you can avoid the guys you don’t like). No need to be super sporty; I’m not, and I have lots of opportunities to pursue other interests.
@doubtful In my opinion, Northwestern is just as much a rich kid school, just with less preppy-ness (clean cut) and religion. ND’s community is much warmer and inviting. I used to live in Evanston, and it’s a great school, but I’d only go for it if a certain major is more respected there.
thanks so much for your kind comments everyone! I actually got the opportunity to meet some people from ND and they were super warm and welcoming! Pretty sure it’s where I’ll be going to school next fall!