University of Notre Dame Visit Report by nstar19

Visit Activities:

Information Session: Yes - This was very informative, and it certainly helped to clarify a lot about the admissions process in specific regard to Notre Dame.

Campus Tour: Yes - This worked out so wonderfully--I was able to approach a tour guide who lived twenty minutes from me and had only one other prospective student with me (she turned out to be very nice, too)

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Campus:

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Everyone I talked to, including my tour guide, was incredibly helpful and friendly. They were all willing to discuss and answer my questions.

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The admissions receptionist was very friendly and provided plenty of information to us.

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Those Domers aren't lying when they talk about how gorgeous the campus is. This was my first trip to Notre Dame, and I thought it was even prettier than Stanford (which is saying a LOT lol).

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Everything on campus was neat and orderly, and the architecture of the buildings was ususally stunning.

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Didn't get a chance to see inside. On the outside most were quite lovely, though.

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I never felt unsafe while on campus and my tour guide even said that the best thing about ND was the security: she could leave her stuff in the library for an hour or two and not worry about theft.

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Simply stunning. Everthing about Notre Dame seemed welcoming, and that is certainly not something I can say that about any other university that I have been to.

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Off-Campus:

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It seemed to me like the existence of Notre Dame perpetuates the existence of South Bend. That being said, it isn't a terrible city, just perhaps a little boring. Notre Dame is much more thriving

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Campus Visit Notes for University of Notre Dame

Visit Description:

In all honesty, I went to Notre Dame with rather low expectations. I am not a legacy; I have no real ties to the University. As my dad and I drove toward the dome that morning, I did not feel any sort of anticipation. In fact, I rather remember hoping for the tour to be over with quickly, so that I could be sure that Notre Dame was not the school for me and I could cross it off of my list. Nevertheless, it started to grow on me. It began in the admissions office, looking through the brochures given to me by the friendly receptionist, as I heard the theme music of Rudy playing quietly in the background. It was at that moment when I turned to my father and said, "I bet they're going to persuade me. Just you wait and see." Of course, I did not want to be persuaded. I just wanted to be able to walk away from ND knowing that it was not what I wanted. But with every passing minute I was becoming more convinced that Notre Dame really is all that people say it is, and even more. By the end of the tour, I could feel it in my heart that this place was truly special. (Now, you may think I just sound cliche here, but I honestly can't think of a better way to describe what happened. I'm just as surprised as you are that a cliche like that could actually be realistic haha)

And of course, there were so many signs. Everything that happened that day just seemed to flow together so smoothly, from the beautiful weather to the unexpected private tour when the other prospective I was touring with had to leave early for another college visit. My tour guide even played volleyball for ND--a sport I used to play and still have a passion for. Whether it was meant to be or just happened to turn out very nicely, my day at Notre Dame was one that I will never forget. It was undoubtedly the best college visit I have ever had, as well.

To those of you reading this who are considering applying to Notre Dame, I cannot recommend a visit highly enough. You cannot understand Notre Dame until you experience it yourself. And perhaps, like me, you will also be convinced that ND really does take the cake as far as colleges go :)