About

See what students say:

Academics

Notre Dame has many traditions, including a “devotion to undergraduate education” you might not expect from a school with such an athletic reputation. Professors here are, by all accounts, “wonderful”: “Not only are they invested in their students,” they’re “genuinely passionate about their fields of study,” “enthusiastic and animated in lectures,” and “always willing to meet outside of class to give extra help.” Wary that distance might breed academic disengagement, professors ensure “large lectures are broken down into smaller discussion groups once a week to help with class material and…give the class a personal touch.” For its part, “the administration tries its best to stay on top of the students’ wants and needs.” They make it “extremely easy to get in touch with anyone.” Like the professors, administrators try to make personal connections with students. For example, “our president (a priest), as well as both of our presidents emeritus, make it a point to interact with the students in a variety of ways—teaching a class, saying mass in the dorms, etc.” Overall, “while classes are difficult,” “students are competitive against one another,” and “it’s necessary to study hard and often, [but] there’s also time to do other things.”

Student Body

Undergrads at Notre Dame report “the vast majority” of their peers are “very smart” “white kids from upperto middle-class backgrounds from all over the country, especially the Midwest and Northeast.” The typical student “is a type-A personality that studies a lot, yet is athletic and involved in the community. They are usually the outstanding seniors in their high schools,” the “sort of people who can talk about the BCS rankings and Derrida in the same breath.” Additionally, something like “85 percent of Notre Dame students earned a varsity letter in high school.” “Not all are Catholic” here, though most are, and it seems that most undergrads “have some sort of spirituality present in their daily lives.” “ND is slowly improving in diversity concerning economic backgrounds, with the university’s policy to meet all demonstrated financial need.” As things stand now, those who “don’t tend to fit in with everyone else hang out in their own groups made up by others like them (based on ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc.).”

Campus Life

Life at Notre Dame is centered around two things—“residential life” and “sports.” The “dorms on campus provide the social structure” and supply undergrads with tons of opportunities to get involved and have fun. “During the school week” students “study a lot, but on the weekends everyone seems to make up for the lack of partying during the week.” The school “does not have any fraternities or sororities, but campus is not dry, and drinking/partying is permitted within the residence halls.” The administration reportedly tries “to keep the parties on campus due to the fact that campus is such a safe place and they truly do care about our safety.” In addition to parties the dorms are really competitive in the Interhall Sport System, and “virtually every student plays some kind of sport [in] his/her residence hall.” Intercollegiate sports, to put it mildly, “are huge.” “If someone is not interested in sports upon arrival, he or she will be by the time he or she leaves.” “Everybody goes to the football games, and it’s common to see 1,000 students at a home soccer game.” Beyond residential life and sports, “religious activities,” volunteering, “campus publications, student government, and academic clubs round out the rest of ND life.”

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Contact & Visit

Campus Visits Contact

Address
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
220 Main Building
Notre Dame, IN 46556

Phone
574-631-7505

Email
admissions@nd.edu

Experience College Life

Most Popular Places On Campus
Grotto
The Golden Dome (Main Building)
Basilica of the Sacred Heart
Notre Dame Stadium
Eck Center
Hesburgh Library

Most Popular Places Off Campus
Morris Performing Arts Center
East Race Waterway (whitewater rafting)
Bendix Woods Park
Studebaker National Museum
Lake Michigan

Campus Tours

Campus Visiting Center
Monday-Friday and Saturday from Sept-Apr
8am-5pm and 8am-noon
574-631-7505

Campus Tours
Appointment Required: Yes
Dates: Year-round
Times: Jan-Dec: Mon-Fri 11am and 3:00pm;Sat 10am and 11am
Average Length:

On Campus Interview

Campus Interviews
No

Information Sessions
Not Available



Class Visits

Dates/Times Available
Academic Year

Arrangements
Contact Admissions Office

Overnight Dorm Stays

Overnight Dorm Stays
Available

Arrangements
Contact Admissions Office

Limitations
High school seniors only; 1-night stay;

Transportation

Types of Transportation Available to Campus
South Bend Regional Airport in South Bend, IN is 4 miles from campus. USAir and Northwest Airlines provide direct connecting flights into the airport; United Express and American Eagle Airlines have several daily shuttle flights in from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. Other airlines fly to South Bend from other Midwestern cities. Taxis are always available at the airport's terminal entrance for the ride to campus. Amtrak and South Shore railroads serve South Bend from Chicago. Taxis are available at the train station for the ride to campus. Bus transportation to the area is provided by Greyhound and United Limo bus lines through their terminals at the South Bend Regional Airport.

Driving Instructions to Campus
Approach S. Bend on the Indiana Toll Rd. (I-80/I-90) and exit at Interchange 77. Proceed south on U.S. Rte. 31/33. Turn east on Angela Blvd., and at the next traffic light, turn north on Notre Dame Ave. As you approach the campus, turn right on the drive between the Hesburgh Center and the University Club. Follow the signs to the visitor parking area, which is located to the south of the stadium, near the Alumni-Senior Club.

Local Accommodations
The on-campus Morris Inn (574-631-2000) has a restaurant. You also enjoy athletic privileges, including racquetball, tennis, and golf. Prices are at the low end of the moderate range. Simple, inexpensive accommodations may be found at the Signature Inn Hotel (220 Dixie Way S.; 574-277-3211), 5 minutes from campus. There is an outdoor pool and a free breakfast. A Marriott Hotel (123 N. St. Joseph St.; 574-234-2000) is about 10 minutes from campus in downtown.
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Admissions

Applicants: 20,371
Acceptance Rate: 18%






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