<p>I can't decide which school is a better fit for me, Notre Dame or Georgetown. I like the community at Notre Dame, however, I am afraid that it might be too much. But then again there might not be enough community feeling at Georgetown. Football isn't necessarily my favorite thing and i get the feeling that at ND I would be surrounded by these kind of sports obsessed people. I am also afraid that the way the dorms are organized people never get out of their dorms and meet other people. And do Notre Dame students have much interaction with girls because when I visited there were no girls anywhere in the guys dorm? Please help anyone who can give me some insight to help me make my decision. Thanks.</p>
<p>I don't know much about social life at Georgetown. I can tell you social life is alive and well at Notre Dame.</p>
<p>Have you seen the video entitled, "Nowhere Else but Notre Dame?" It shows several different types of personalities that go to ND. Here is a link:</p>
<p>Whether kids are "into" football as a sport, most ND kids are into it as a social and bonding experience. There are a lot of kids in their green shirts in the stands who never went to a game before attending ND. They don't know what's going on, or how to score, or anything, but they do the cheers, dance, body surf, etc., just like everyone else in the student section. I don't know if ND is sports obsessed, but it is ND obsessed. They want to win at everything. </p>
<p>Interestingly, they are not that competitive with each other on academics. They are helpful and supportive of each other in a huge way. My son can always find willing assistance if he needs it in his own dorm, and the profs are amazingly available during office hours. They WANT you there during office hours, and go quite out of their way to meet with students. </p>
<p>I was just in my son's dorm over the weekend - Sunday morning at 11:00 a.m., and saw four girls separately at different times. My son has a girlfriend as do many of his friends. They have <em>tons</em> of dorm parties and dances, and there are parties on or off campus every weekend, just like the large state school I attended myself.</p>
<p>I think your worries about ND are unfounded. Georgetown is also a very good school, but very different from ND. The area surrounding Georgetown is much more interesting than South Bend, obviously, and I think the atmosphere is probably much more sophisticated in a DC kind of way. ND does have an extremely high student satisfaction rating, with something like 96% of freshmen returning for their sophomore year.</p>
<p>Hi inotion! I had to kind of smile when I read your post. It seems as if ND has an unfounded reputation for the things that concern you. </p>
<p>docmom is so right. Watch that video! :)</p>
<p>I have a daughter at ND so I can give you a girl's perspective (even though I think you are male). I'm surprised you did not see girls in a guys dorm. It may have been the timing. I can tell you from my daughter's experience, she has many guy friends and always feels welcome at any male dorm - whether it is for studying, talking, goofing around, dances, etc. All the dorms have events that are unique to that dorm and these events are most definitely coed. She prefers many of the chapels at the male dorms and often attends mass at these dorms. Several of the dorms have what I would call "socials" (and that's my old fashioned word) after mass and is a great way to meet people. </p>
<p>The dorms are not designed to be self containing environments. As I said above, my daughter has friends from all different dorms, male and female. Students are fiercely loyal to the dorm they live in and competition is healthy in different activities but where you live does not determine your circle of friends. She has attended dances and parties at several different dorms and has kissed the moose at Zahm. I'm not sure how you heard that people stick to their dorms but I can assure you, this is definitely not true.</p>
<p>The students are not all sports obsessed. ND has a wonderful intramural sports programs for many sports. Some of the dorms have C and D teams, where they play just for the fun of it and the games are pretty funny. My d did not play sports in high school but she has loved the intramural sports because it's fun. There are so many activities that are called sports but they really are just plain fun. However, you certainly don't have to be involved in the intramural program to feel you belong at ND. There are so many different groups, covering almost any interest you would have, that would give you the opportunity to meet students from all over campus. There are many, many opportunities to meet the opposite sex.</p>
<p>As far as football, you don't have to love football to enjoy the football games. docmom explained it perfectly. The first time you are "pushed up" after a score, you will find it exhilarating. It's just plain fun for the students. Some take it more seriously than others of course but I definitely wouldn't call it obsessed. Now some of the alumni could be considered obsessed. ;)</p>
<p>The community feeling at ND is quite strong but not in the way you may be thinking. The students are very supportive of each other. It is a feeling that lasts a lifetime. Ask any alumuni. It is not a suffocating type of feeling, rather a supportive, caring, "We are ND" type of spirit.</p>