The University of Notre Dame

Date: Dec 01 2013
Major: History/Histories (art history/etc.) (This Major's Salary over time)
Before you choose to apply or attend Notre Dame, make sure it is right for you. I applied to schools based on my test scores/likelihood of getting in. Some of the schools to which I applied, like Georgetown, were great for me. However, I did not get into Georgetown. Notre Dame ended up being my academically best option (ironic, seeing as how it's general regarded as "better" than Georgetown (barely, though)). I never did an official visit to Notre Dame, I just assumed I would like it because I liked Georgetown and I assumed the two would be similar. My dad is an alumni of Notre Dame, and I had visited when I was younger—before I was considering it for me.

Unfortunately, I don't think Notre Dame is for me and I am looking to transfer. I am not Catholic, and I didn't think that would be a huge problem but my life views are actually different from most people there, given 85% of the student body is Catholic. Yes, Georgetown is Catholic too, but not nearly as much regarding both student body and school policy. The city of Southbend offers nothing with the exception of a few good restaurants and some bars—but not too much. Notre Dame was the only school to which I applied that wasn't in a big city (Nashville, L.A., Miami, and DC). Furthermore, the party scene seems, at least based on my expectations, pretty skimpy. You effectively have to take a cab to any off-campus parties and they're usually not too great (I guess I was expecting crazier). Dorm rules are lax when it comes to alcohol—beer is fine if you're over 21, though you can easily get away with both beer and liquor regardless of age is you're even somewhat smart about it. However, dorms are NOT coed, and members of the opposite gender must leave the dorm by midnight on weeknights and 2:00 am on weekend nights. Also, nearly everyone at Notre Dame (the guys, anyway) are absolutely obsessed with sports—ESPN is always on, and I have to nearly fight to watch a movie or the news, it's really like a drug to them. I don't like watching sports (with the exception of the ND home games, which are of course fun) so this is hard for me, too. Also, probably because there is such a high number of Catholics, there is comparatively little diversity of opinion/culture of most people here—it's not a "right-wing" school, but I am pretty liberal amongst my friends, and I consider myself a moderate-conservative person (many people are socially conservative).

All this being said, from an academic standpoint, Notre Dame is a fantastic place to be—it will help you to secure a future (of course, no degree is a guarantee these days). Professors are very easy to access, and nearly all are very friendly and helpful. Students are extremely kind, and there is a huge sense of community at the school as well. If you want to go to college to simply be a study machine and do some clubs, then ND may be a good place for you. If you want a bigger social scene or city life, then I would suggest giving ND a second look before applying or especially choosing to attend. If you are not Catholic—or especially not Christian such as myself (passive agnostic here)—then I would be cautious too. Like I said, I thought this wouldn't bother me, but it ended up being more of an "issue" than I thought it would be.

Best of luck in choosing the right school, whether you're transferring from another or are filling out apps for the first time.