<p>Needed a break from all of my homework and Essays… so I just wanted to say it… LOL</p>
<p>Reasons</p>
<li>Brings my family together… a common liking… and trust me… thats a rarity</li>
<li>Academics</li>
<li>Athletics</li>
<li>****… Its notre dame … it doesnt need any reasons… its notre dame</li>
</ol>
<p>anyone else</p>
<p>It is the most beautiful campus on the face of the earth. Most campuses have one or two really cool older buildings--ND is stacked with them. They even build new buildings in comparable architectural style. And those lakes... It's like a gigantic retreat center!</p>
<p>There is nothing like walking across the campus in the moonlight, with snow on the ground and the Golden Dome shining brightly in the distance...</p>
<p>No wonder you're a Domer lady, ddjones007.</p>
<p>You sound like a romanticist :D.</p>
<p>I think the harder question is....what is there NOT to like about Notre Dame??</p>
<p>I love Notre Dame. There's just no place like it. I just love how they combine top academics and top athletics, while still adhering to their Catholic mission. Who else can say they held to their religious roots in the upper crust schools? Not to mention the campus. Wow. I think my favorite thing about Notre Dame are the people who are a part of it. The Notre Dame family. There's just such a large network people who truly and honestly care for you within in it.</p>
<p>The weather is kind of crappy :)</p>
<p>And if I could get the kind of prices on toiletries the bookstore gets for a captive audience, I'd be a rich lady indeed...</p>
<p>Ah, but the people. Great points, KSAzN!</p>
<p>What will you do for fun on the weekends after winter?
And it is a bit inconvenient to get to for students and parents.
But agreed, overall wonderful.</p>
<p>When the winter gets really bleak, you take a $2 cab to the South Shore Station about 8 or so on a Saturday morning, arriving in Chicago at 9 or so, then make a day of it, getting home about 9--in plenty of time for a good night out. Round trip cost when I was there was $6--I think it might be $10 or $12 now. Nothing like cruising Michigan Avenue, doing Water Tower Place grabbing a pizza at Uno's, to break the winter monotony! I did it several times as a student. My son never has, although he has road tripped to games more than I did. If my daughter gets in, I have no doubt she'll take advantage of the nearby playground that is Chicago!</p>
<p>what a polarizing place!!!</p>
<p>My girlfriend graduated from ND and hated it. not because it's inherently a bad place. it was just a bad fit for her. She probably would have been better off at Georgetown.</p>
<p>which brings me to my theory:
I think notre dame is a place which grows on one with age. older alums love it. but many current students have mixed feelings on the school. it's kind of isolated and homogenious. a bit unexciting. but when they graduate and age, they begin to look back at their experience with more fondness.</p>
<p>wonderful place, i would just do away with some of the uglier buildings (stepan center, mod quad, riley arts building, etc.) at least they're learning their lesson and building the new dorms in throwback gothic style (jordan).</p>
<p>Mod quad isn't as nice as other parts of the campus. Stepan Center is a train wreck. Thing is, I guess it must be hard to tell the Stepan family the geodesic dome they donated (doesn't every school have one?) is thoroughly worthless. (My apologies in advance to the Stepans, if they are logged in here :))</p>
<p>My son lives in Fisher--speaking of some of the lesser forms of architecture. He is convinced it is the 8th Wonder of the World. Obviously, that distinction goes to Lyons Hall--which is, beyond a doubt, the most incredible architecture of any dorm on campus :).</p>
<p>As per the place growing on you as you get older, younghov, you are right on the money. I had plenty of ambivalent moments along the way--those who don't have any reservations, ever...well, I find that hard to believe. Any place is what you make of it.</p>
<p>I remember a number of students, particularly freshman year, who really were not happy at ND. Most came in without a real idea of what the place was like. A number of them had this idea the place was utopia--which no place is. Others were legacies whose parents had glorified ND so much, and these kids had never considered any place else--expectations so unrealistically high, they were bound to be defeated.</p>
<p>Quite franky, I never thought my kids would end up at ND. For one thing, it is way too expensive, and I wasn't keen on that. (I represent the demographic of Domer grads that pulls down the household income stats for everyone else :)). For another, it is very far away. Biggest reason, though, is I saw way too many legacies (I was not one, by the way) who never had a choice from birth. Up until my son got a ROTC scholarship, I was kind of discouraging the prospect. He's been genuinely happy there, though--a mother knows. My daughter truly wants it, too, and I think it would be a good fit.</p>
<p>Bottom line is that my kids have heard about every single wart I know of about Notre Dame life. Not that I don't love it--I do!--but I want to make sure they realize that there are plusses and minusses to everything, and Notre Dame is no different. </p>
<p>So much mystique surrounds the place, though, that I think there are a lot of people who get in and have no idea what they are getting into. </p>
<p>I know I'm like a PR ambassador for ND on this board, but trust that I know of the school's weaker aspects. Then again, I know of my husband's as well, and I don't think I could have married any better than I did! :)</p>
<p>ND is not a good fit for all, particularly those seeking a somewhat Bohemian lifestyle (although, if they are discreet enough, they can still live it...)</p>
<p>Yeah, I think its most parents' dream that their kids attend ND.</p>
<p>And for good reasons. great academics, great networking opps, and, being kind of isolated, less oportunities of getting into trouble (to be a little crude, they make it nearly impossible for UG's to have sex, which must provide some comfort for parents).</p>
<p>My favorite part about notre dame while visiting: has to be the campus at night. very serene. and I loved all the old trees.</p>
<p>hey make it nearly impossible for UG's to have sex, which must provide some comfort for parents).</p>
<ul>
<li>is this true current domers....????</li>
</ul>
<p>they just have strict policies on opposite sex visitation hours at the dorms. </p>
<p>its different from most schools. </p>
<p>most schools don't really care if the opposite sex spends the night in your room, but are strict about alcohol.</p>
<p>notre dame is pretty leniant about alcohol (I have been told that their admisitration is intentionally leniant to encourage students not to drink off campus).</p>