<p>Hi I was wondering if anyone else experienced the feelings I got at my visit to ND (which prior to visit was my dream school)...note, I spent HOURS walking around and watching people (LaFun, Dining Hall, etc)</p>
<p>-People were not engaged in the class (I went to 3 classes)...as in, no one raised their hand or spoke up. Generally the teacher had to call out students to get an answer out of them
-people keep to themselves, like being more individual, or quiet. not very outgoing or smiley
-students go to class in their pajamas all day
-there is a huge divide between the "athletes" and the rest of the students
-students were uninterested or unexcited about their dorm and ativites (got this feeling after a dorm meeting)</p>
<p>...anyways, I'm not trying to put down ND, just that I was incredibly sad and disappointed after my visit. The students seemed to lack passion and excitement.</p>
<p>is ND more for someone who is quiet and into their books?</p>
<p>An honest assessment would be that you hit a string of bad luck. Some dorms are better than others, and while events are usually fun, planning them rarely is, and I know from experience that sometimes those meetings can drag on. Also, some classes are simply more interesting than others. Particularly when it’s nice out and students have done homework because either they’re very busy or because they’ve been playing frisbee for hours on the quad. </p>
<p>I can’t speak to the nature of the students you saw who kept to themselves - that has never been my perception of other students, nor how I operate. </p>
<p>Well, yea, I can’t argue with the fact that students go to class in pajamas, especially in the morning. The typical day for an ND student stretches from 8:30 or so to about 1:00 or 2:00 am, and sometimes holding off that shower until after a class or two makes more sense. Note that I am posting this at 3:43 am. </p>
<p>I am sorry to hear that your experience wasn’t what you expected, mostly because on a normal day you would have gotten what you expected, based on my four years spent here. But all things aside, if you think we don’t have pep and excitement, I assure you that football season is decidedly different, no matter how bad we are.</p>
<p>Consider the timing of your visit! There are about 10 days or so left of regular class time before Reading Days and then finals. Could it be that students are digging into that last paper, project or exam of the semester not to mention that many are tired? I suspect it may be this way on many college campuses right about now. Not trying to make excuses for ND but just happen to think the timing of a visit might be off right now esp based on our own student’s schedule now and kevdude’s post (3:43 am)!</p>
<p>Well I got my feelings just from my experience there. I was there for 2 days in November and another 2 days last week. (Obviously the first time I thought it was a fluke, but now i am afraid i see a pattern)</p>
<p>the weather was nice out…and i visited Hillsdale College the next day, and found students in the same weather, region, mindset etc who were really outgoing and friendly</p>
<p>i guess my problem was that the student body at large did not seem happy</p>
<p>My D is on a visit now. Notre Dame is her dream school but early on the visit wasn’t the best. She met her host and had dinner in the dining hall. Her host gave her a very brief tour, then they went back to the dorm, where the host turned the TV on for my D and basically ignored her the rest of the night. She wasn’t doing homework, just going online, etc. My D tried to ask questions, and didn’t get much of a response. D didn’t get to meet anyone else in the dorm. She texted me today and said things are better now that she is going to class, seeing other people on campus, etc. It is crazy how one person can affect your perception of the school. It will be interesting to hear how my she feels after returning home.</p>
<p>It sounds like you really did not like Notre Dame. It is a shame that you didnt visit during football season. The campus has a totally different feel that time of year! I do agree that this time of year is probably not the best to visit, as current students are tired and ready for the semester to end. I hope that you have found your “dream” school. Probably a good thing that you visited ND twice and realized that South Bend isnt it.</p>
<p>Well from my own experience, this week includes two huge tests, completing an engineering project, and writing a 12 page paper - so yes we are heading into the end of a semester and therefore a lot of people are tired which causes indifference. In general, what you experienced is not what is expected from the student body.</p>
<p>Academy Girl, I am dismayed at your experience. I spent five years going to South Bend with my two daughters at Saint Mary’s, but honestly - what you are describing does not fit the norm at ND. It seems you had two not so great hosts - again - astonishing to me! Our experiences with ND have been very much opposite of what you described. We had a terrific tour guide and one daughter had an overnight which resulted in a wonderful time. (FYI: she was waitlisted at ND and enrolled at SMC)</p>
<p>I agree that a bad host on a visit can absolutely destroy positive perception of a school. It’s a shame, but true. I can’t discount the timing of the end of year and exhaustion, but my daughters ( and I!) made many friends at ND and our experience during that time was quite different from your two visits. ND is a passionate and vibrant community!</p>
<p>As the Mom of a first year student your comment about the dorm and the lack of interest in activites is shocking. That is all I every hear about. The floor trips to bowling, snow tubing, weekly dinners, wing decorating contests, trivia games, movie night, the great dorm baking contest and so on. I was worried because she is in Ryan Hall (yes the new one) where there were no traditions but the RAs and hall staff have been amazing building traditions. The one thing that truly put me at ease was the genuine sense of family in the dorms. Good Luck with making your decision.</p>
<p>After a not so great visit, my D still decided she still loved Notre Dame. It was just an apathetic host, other students were wonderful. She made the decision today she wanted to go to Notre Dame this fall. The decision was reinforced by her receiving a Notre Dame Club scholarship this evening. Every little bit helps:)We are making some major sacrifices to send her there, but feel it will be worth it for her to go to her dream school.</p>
<p>I think thats the risk of trying to make a decision based on a single vist. You can get a bad ambassador-student or someone who is just having a bad day or week. These are teenager! We have been taking our D to the ND campus for 4 years. She has attended classes at several different times, enjoyed several football weekends and gained an impression over time. We did the same for several other schools. ND became her first choice and thankfully she was accepted 2 Mondays ago. We are going to the Spring FB game next week to get her psyched for freshman year.</p>
<p>I do have to say I wasn’t this based jut on my host and that is what troubles me. I spent hours walking around the campus and “people watching”. Also, all I can say is this was ND’s “one shot” just like a job interview, its their opportunity to put their best foot forward…and ND didn’t seem to put much forward at all, as admissions doesn’t give any “welcome” or structure to visits.</p>
<p>its not as much a criticism as a surprise, wondering if anyone had the same sentiments. (it is also something admissions might want to work on in the future)</p>
<p>Academy Girl I am sorry that you had that experience.
I would have to agree with the opinion that timing is important. The academic requirements certainly have to take a toll on the student body this late in the year.</p>
<p>Our oldest S has been on campus many times over the years but only in the Fall and Summer months. His times spent there have always been extremely positive. Summer Scholars gave him the opportunity to experience what it is like to attend classes as a student at Notre Dame and live in the dorms with many new people. By the start of the second week I think most people had a pretty good feel for what Notre Dame was like and in my son’s case the experience was a strong confirmation that the ND community was a perfect fit for him. You can tell when something feels totally right. He thrived on the campus for two weeks and more importantly was happier and more comfortable than I have ever seen him in any other environment.</p>
<p>He is waitlisted right now and the anxiety and anticipation that comes with not knowing the outcome can be intense, but he has thrown all of his effort into doing everything possible to get admitted off of the waitlist. I don’t think he could do this unless he knew in his heart that those two weeks he spent at Notre Dame were the best time of his life.</p>
<p>Good Luck and best wishes in whatever you decide is your path.</p>
<p>there are open houses for admitted students starting today and continuing on Thursdays. in addition, there are so many test in these past two weeks (on Tuesdays and Thursdays in particular) that make campus a little more quiet. Trust me though, if you watched on a Friday, there would be a lot more happiness in the air.</p>
<p>Academy_Girl,
So sorry you didn’t experience that “dream school vibe” you had hoped to find. </p>
<p>My son and I visited one Monday last fall, just after all the EA apps were due. The day was gorgeous, cool and brisk, with sunshine filtering through the crimson leaves. Our first introduction was the parking attendant. He was hilarious. By the time we turned around in search of a parking place, my son joked with him that he already “sold him on the school”. </p>
<p>Obviously the school had been seeing tons and tons of prospective students, but on this day, it was relatively quiet. That meant we had a personal tour, and the tour guide couldn’t have been nicer. Then, to top off our trip, we ate lunch (or was it dinner?) in their “top chef” amazing kitchen.</p>
<p>So, even though it was probably football season, that aspect mattered very little to us. But the people and those vibes were the best! From a mom whose son is on the fence about where to go in the fall, Notre Dame is definitely his #1 or #2 choice. And while he knew a lot about the school before his visit, my son was more inclined than ever as a result of that trip.</p>
<p>Academy_Girl:
I’m torn about how to react to your visit. On the one hand, as I recently experienced with grad school visits, it is pretty absurd to base an admissions decision of such a small snapshot. But on the other, you’re right that this was there opportunity to put “their best foot forward”. And I recently read a book (forget the name right now), in which the author discusses how subconscious reactions which we can’t necessarily put into words are often the expressions of innermost desires. Plus, it seems you did your research and made the effort to increase your sample size by observing as many people and different situations as possible. Maybe it just wasn’t the vibe and feeling you were hoping for? Nothing wrong with that; ND is a very unique place and not for everyone. Besides, when you have high expectations for something there’s really nowhere for the actual experience to go but down.
Best,
Veritas24</p>