University of Notre Dame

The University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana is a special place. Because it sits near the top of many ranked lists of colleges, many aspire to attend because of its prestige. But I think it’s important to recognize that Notre Dame offers not just a world class education, not just tremendous school spirt, but Notre Dame is unapologetically Catholic. I think it’s an amazing place for a practicing Catholic, a good place for a not so observant Catholic, and not a place for a non-Catholic. Full disclosure: I’m saying this as a practicing Catholic.

There are 60 chapels and 160 Masses celebrated on campus weekly. In fact, each dorm celebrates Mass each week in its own chapel. There are 75 priests in residence, and a stunningly beautiful Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes where students come to pray - and they do. Additionally, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, which is the primary church on campus, is huge and absolutely stunning. There’s also a 19-feet-tall statue of Mary atop the famed golden dome, and a 132-feet high mosaic mural of Jesus over the library, famously known as “Touchdown Jesus.” Most importantly, Notre Dame’s strategic plan does not include initiatives to move away from this Catholic identity, but rather to further it. So I would advise students to consider all of this when thinking about spending four years at Notre Dame.

We heard about some great updates at the Mendoza College of Business during our visit. First, they’re getting the Bloomberg terminals out of the basement and building a beautiful new trading room. Also, they reduced the core curriculum for Mendoza students 3 years ago so that students can more easily add a second major outside Mendoza. Also, with the Foundations of Business minor, which is accessible to any undergrad, students can leave with all the fundamentals of business they need. Real Estate is the fastest growing minor and it will probably never become a major, as it’s not “academic” enough. For students who don’t apply into Mendoza, internal transfers are possible, and more likely with a high GPA. Lastly, they’re seeing far more men than women choosing to study finance, which is something they’d like to change.

The College of Engineering is also doing a lot to encourage equity between male and female students. For instance, they have a “women in engineering” ski trip to northern Michigan where they learn the engineering of ski lifts and snow-making machines while also having fun. Internal transfers into engineering are also possible, as long as the students have the math preparation, which most Notre Dame students have. Calc AB is expected if your high school offers it, pre-calc if it doesn't. In terms of academic preparation overall, most admitted students have taken 9 to 13 AP classes, unless their high school offers fewer.

If students don’t mind being in South Bend for 4 years – a lovely town but in the middle of nowhere – then Notre Dame is a great choice for the right student.