@twoinanddone Hi there. Thanks for your response and I appreciate your honesty. Comparing to West Point actually feels relevant in this so thanks. This will definitely be something I think about. Also I’m a he, should have clarified that!
@CCSavant Thank you for your correct response that supporting Planned Parenthood is not supporting late abortions. Planned Parenthood as @thentt pointed out provides an awesome variety of services to ensure all women have the same health equity.
As a general reminder for everyone, abortions make up only around 3% of what they do and “late term” abortions are less than 1% of abortions in this country.
@thentt Thank you for your frank overview and telling me how current ND students would feel about my views on campus. I completely respect people’s religious points of view, but as a patriot I also respect how our country values individual choice, privacy and freedom.
Thank you all so much! I will keep all of this in mind.
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I’m not sure if you have your decision yet, but thought I would add my son’s perspective. He is a junior who grew up in the Seattle area and conforms with all that entails. We were on campus last month for the Junior Parents’ Weekend and got to meet quite a few other students and parents.
We worried a bit about sending a liberal, middle-class boy into an area that has a reputation for religion conservatism. We are Seattle Catholic, helping stock food pantries and build schools but largely ignoring the politics of the church. He loved his poli sci classes. He said, “Discussions are great. There are a variety of views but nobody’s a jerk about it.” His close friends run the gamut from “another Seattle kid” to “almost became a priest.” Political spectrum matters a lot less there than most places.
As for some of the other points that thentt brought up:
mostly wealthy - yep, as it is at most top privates, but the way the living arrangements are done this matters a lot less than you might think.
white - majority, yes, it is in the midwest where this is common. Again, the dorm system socially integrates in an unusual way.
conservative politically - somewhat, but not in a way you would see in the South, and probably a lot less so than its reputation. They did send around 800 kids to the anti-abortion rally in DC. Again, nobody’s a jerk about it.
heavy party lords socially - um, disagree, especially after having two others who went to state schools. My youngest son does not drink. He still has a social life. The dorms set up small common rooms with stereo systems, have parties only on the weekend with beer only and only behind closed doors. They shut down at prescribed times and all gets back to their own beds. Some students party a bit more, but with everyone required to be on campus until senior year it is way less than most places. A very few (with money) keep their dorm room but live in apartments off-campus anyway.
Good luck, and let us know how you decide.
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@Magnetron I remember your son’s comments (relayed by you) as my son was considering Notre Dame (he is class of 2022). “There are a variety of views, but nobody’s a jerk about it”. At my son’s private high school, everyone was a jerk about it…and the more out there, the better. My son loves his experience at Notre Dame. He has friends who party a lot (and study a lot) and a friend who has stopped by his room every Sunday for two years encouraging him to attend mass. Which he sometimes attends, but usually doesn’t. But his friend will not / does not give up. But his friend is not coercive or judgemental in any way. Just wants to celebrate mass with my son when he is ready to do the same. The dorm system really does work.
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My daughter was a very liberal atheist who graduated last year. She did not drink and did not have a problem finding her tribe there. Poly Sci major as well
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As a father of a recent ND graduate and current Tulane student I can provide some insight between those two colleges. The political spectrum at Tulane is more much liberal then at Notre Dame, but I think to classify Notre Dame as conservative is not quite accurate. Political activism is much stronger at Tulane, while the majority of ND students tend to be apolitical. A outspoken conservative at Tulane will find himself/herself facing intolerance, but a liberal at ND will be acceptable as all points of views are accepted. Outspoken, at either end of the political spectrum, students at ND will be shunned by their classmates at a majority of ND undergrads try to avoid extremism. Your political opinions at ND are likely to be acceptable as long as your not standing on a soapbox yelling on the north quad, but get ready for some some intellectual questions.
The differences on campus life between Tulane and Notre Dame are stark. There were some many on campus activities at Notre Dame that my son never left campus his freshman year till March, there are basically no on campus activities at Tulane. Tulane’s campus is in a very nice area of New Orleans, a 40 minute street car (trolley car) ride to the French Quarter. ND is suburban with the small city of South Bend 2 miles south and farms two miles north. Both colleges offer great educations, but the alumni network at ND blows away the network at Tulane, its not even close. Football weekends at ND will be something you will remember the rest of your life, so will be Mardi Gras at Tulane.
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