@californiakt0 My perspective, as a parent, is that the adjustment required will be different for each person. Some kids who grew up in LA might absolutely love a new adventure, enjoy the college sports scene, like experiencing the crisp fall air, changing of the leaves, and the lake effect snow. OK, I made up that last one! Other kids will experience quite a bit of culture shock when adjusting to a new environment in a less urban setting, and homesickness will likely be an issue.
I think what you’ll find is that Notre Dame’s location is a part of what drove the tight-knit community feel at ND right from the start. The ND experience revolves around campus life and residentiality/dorm life to such a large extent, and some of that was by design, but surely some of that was by necessity as “town-gown relations” between South Bend and the University were not always as good as they are now.
But for the issue you’re describing, you could almost insert any other selective school located in a suburban or small town setting and get the same answer. Lots of LA kids end up going to Dartmouth because they are charmed by the classic small town feel and want the Ivy degree and Greek life. Lots of city kids go to Cornell because of the school’s rep and the beauty of that area. Same deal with Duke, UVa, or Michigan. All are selective schools in small- to medium-sized settings. And at all of these schools, kids come for the academics and reputation and big-time athletics, and often end up loving the community feel of the place they’re in.
Any applicant to Notre Dame has to be honest with themselves about the religious aspect of the school (and enforced parietals), the sports-focused culture, the homogeneity of the student body (racially and socioeconomically), the intense academic workload, and the reality of northern Indiana weather plus the South Bend location. Obviously, many kids have come to terms with those realities of Notre Dame life, as the school is still getting 20,000 applications a year and continues to enroll classes with outstanding credentials. Also bear in mind that Notre Dame graduates roughly 95% of the kids who enroll, so clearly the big city kids are adjusting alright.