<p>My son is interested in Notre Dame because of its business school. My husband has strong concerns about lack of diversity. Are there many brothers around who are not recruited athletes?</p>
<p>There are definitely black students at ND who aren’t athletes, I knew many during my time there who- like most ND students- loved their undergraduate experience there. but it is true that the percentage of black students at ND is relatively low compared to other schools of similar academic caliber. Most of the non-white students are Hispanic/Asian, so if pure numbers of black students is a major concern, then ND might not be an ideal place. On the other hand, the Black Student Association and other African American organizations on campus do have a noticeable presence. If your son wants to seek out other black students on campus, those groups would be a good place to do so. And the other cultural organizations on campus ([SAO</a> / Groups / Student Group Categories and Group Descriptions](<a href=“http://sao.nd.edu/groups/categories.html#Cultural]SAO”>http://sao.nd.edu/groups/categories.html#Cultural)) tend to be pretty active and welcoming as well, if exposure to diversity/other cultural activities is something your son was hoping to take advantage of.</p>
<p>Notre Dame in general is a very welcoming place (it sounds cheesy, but the “Notre Dame family” is a real thing), but the Catholic crowd that ND attracts does tend to be more white/Hispanic than you’d find at a lot of other universities and I know that some students may feel more comfortable around a racial mix more similar to what they are accustomed to. I don’t know where you guys are from, so that might not be an issue. But in any case, being a white Catholic Midwesterner, I am probably not the best person to offer you a perspective on being a minority at Notre Dame…</p>
<p>It might be a good idea to try to contact the Black Student Association or some of the other clubs affiliated with it ([Black</a> Student Association](<a href=“http://www.nd.edu/~bsa/abl.html]Black”>http://www.nd.edu/~bsa/abl.html)) and see what their members have to say. If your son is interested in business, Wabruda might be something he would be particularly interested in ([Wabruda</a> Home](<a href=“http://www.nd.edu/~wabruda/wabrudahome.html]Wabruda”>http://www.nd.edu/~wabruda/wabrudahome.html)).</p>
<p>On another note, ND’s business school is fantastic and Notre Dame is an amazing place. Good luck to your son!</p>
<p>My son had a good friend who was a first-generation college student from a single-parent family in the South Bronx. He LOVED Notre Dame (he is also a serious Catholic). I’ll just toss this out for your consideration – when your son is using his accounting or finance degree in the workplace, he won’t necessarily be surrounded by “brothers.” Notre Dame may well give your son a better preparation for his professional life than a college that is more self-consciously “diverse.”</p>
<p>Thanks for responding. Please note that it is my husband who was concerns about the lack of diversity not my son.The school my son now attends isn’t particularly diverse so that is not really a big issue for him. However, know that no person typically wants to be the only anything (unless your being paid handsomely or do not have comparable options). </p>
<p>I will check out the student associations for more info. Thanks again.</p>
<p>@shell - Thanks so much for directing me to Wabruda. While the website was old, it was inspiring to see these group of young men. From surfing the web, I can see the group is still very active.</p>
<p>Yeah! I’m actually an African American female that’s applying to ND this fall and I was wondering about the AA population there…</p>
<p>Earlier this year, I attended an admitted students’ reception and stayed overnight with a very friendly, interesting AA male. He wasn’t an athlete (too short–which I became painfully aware of when I bunked in his bed), but he still found many ways to get involved in the ND community. He was part of the KoC, worked as a tutor, and was a proud member of Fisher Hall. </p>
<p>Whatever his interests, I’m sure your son will find many ways to explore them at ND, and he’ll be doing it with friends of all races. Best of luck!</p>