University of Notre Dame Reviews

"Notre Dame is a phenomenal place to learn, and I will recommend it to anyone who will listen. Notre Dame has challenging academics, a prestigious place in academia, but best of all it has a community atmosphere that is unparalleled. The comradery is intoxicating and the tailgates can make anyones week of classes worth it. More so than that, the school stands on 5 pillars: mind, heart, zeal, family, and hope. Throughout your education, these pillars will slowly seep into your subconscious and give you a feeling of responsibility to use your education for the good of others. Truly the only downside to Notre Dame is the price, so if financials allow, I highly recommend attending this amazing school and seeing for yourself why so many seem obsessed with this place.Read Less"

"Though financial support in the low cost of living area of South Bend is plenty sufficient, the ACMS department's academic environment too heavily tends to lone wolf style advising, only advising students per individual standards of each PI, discouraging interdisciplinary work. Program design is not well aligned given current academic and industry job markets, where graduates are prepared primarily only for job options in financial/data science industry, despite diversity of options that should be under the applied math umbrella. The stats side of the department has slightly better graduate outcomes, but that is primarily due to the high demand for data science credentialed professionals. Little mentorship or job prospects are offered by faculty themselves. Lastly, general mistreatment of students rampant across graduate education is not being addressed and actually actively ignored/permitted in this department. Attrition is approximately 40% and average time to degree is 6.7 years.Read Less"

"My undergraduate education has been the best decision of my life so far. During my time at the University of Notre Dame, I was challenged to think about not only my education but my faith, my family, and the world in a new light. Receiving a faith-based education in a community that values education and community to the highest regard is an experience that not many undergraduates receive. From the choice of classes to the on-campus community to the numerous clubs and societies, these staples of Notre Dame are what make it unique and enjoyable for all its students. I was able to pursue my academic interests (mainly economics) while incorporating my personal passion of the Irish culture and people. I had relationships with my professors that allowed me to find funding for opportunities such as presenting at an international conference as an undergraduate student and being published in multiple university publications as well encouraging me to continue pursuing my educational passion of Irish Studies beyond my undergraduate degree. Most importantly, I have learned how to fail and how my shortcomings in one area do not make me any less of a person. Everyone at Notre Dame is intelligent and talented, but what makes us belong is our uniqueness and our desire for something greater community and the desire to serve others. My undergraduate education has shaped my identity as a young adult and as a new graduate student which is something that I cannot iterate enough.Read Less"

"Notre Dame is a great school academically. The professors are knowledgeable and approachable, and the school spirit is phenomenal. The diversity of the student body (socioeconomic, religious, racial, etc) is still lacking, but the school is working on that. There are some archaic rules, and the gender relations are pretty poor, but Notre Dames flaws serve to bond the student body in a very unique way. Its a fun experience, and academically a great one."

"The University of Notre Dame is a very high quality and friendly school. The most striking quality about my school is how friendly everyone was throughout my 4 years of study during my Bachelor's degree -- the student body is non-competitive and people love to help each other and work together. The faculty are very supportive and very personal. All the professors I personally had (in science and psychology courses, mainly) were very available to help students during office hours, although I didn't go often. The lecturers were also very good, and I think the content I learned in school was very high quality compared to other people I've met who went to other schools. The exams are very fair and the more difficult classes (such as organic chemistry, etc) are known to curve-up to benefit the whole class. The campus is beautiful and there are many many places to study (quietly and in groups). Students are required to live in campus dorms for 6 semesters (3 full years) which is a few requirement... Even though it wasn't a requirement when I was there, I still stayed in the dorms for all 4 years. The surrounding city (South Bend, Indiana) is not the best city (boring, relatively dangerous at times), not walking distance from ND campus), so for a lot of people living on campus for all 4 years is the best option. It really isn't bad, BUT: ALL DORMS are SINGLE SEX, and males cannot enter female dorms after 12am on week days and 2am on weekends (and vice versa). This is a huge problem for some people, and there are some illegal ways around it, so consider if this would be a deal-breaker for you. The dorms themselves are very fun and very nice with good furniture (for the most part) and nice quiet study spaces. Living in the dorms also comes with a meal plan for 14 meals per week and $360 in "flex points" to spend at campus stores and restaurants on campus. The dining hall is really nice (there are 2) and everyone thinks the food is pretty good for a university (one of the best in the country). I would definitely stay 4 years on campus again if I could go back and re-choose. Now some negatives.... Like I said, the separation of the sexes within the dorms is a pretty negative thing for some people. I didn't mind it, but I didn't really like it overall. Besides for it being annoying with friends or significant others, its actually hard to make friends of the opposite sex freshman year, and therefore gender relations can get somewhat awkward (overall, throughout your time at university). Some people have no problem with this and make friends easily, but many other people have noted problems with this system. Everyone is still nice to each other, it's just hard to get close to them when you live so far apart. Another thing to consider is that this is mostly a liberal arts, business, and law school. I was a pre-medical student and I know I had fewer opportunities for medical-related activities and classes than my friends did at other universities. HOWEVER, I was recently accepted into an amazing graduate program so the education does pay off and everyone knows that Notre Dame is an amazing school regardless of what major you completed. About the religious aspect... Notre Dame is a Catholic university. There are chapels in every dorm (not required to go to mass), a basilica on campus, and 2 semesters of REQUIRED theology courses (6 credits total, but actually very interesting for even non-christian students). A fair amount of your classmates will be practicing Catholics who attend mass often, but there will also be many people who were raised Christian or Catholic and don't really believe in it, and also other students with no faith at all. Unlike other religious schools, no one would give you any issues if you weren't Catholic or didn't go to mass at all at Notre Dame. If you love the Catholic faith and are very involved, however, I'm sure you would really love the Catholic culture at Notre Dame. Overall, I think having a Notre Dame degree has already helped me in life, and I'm only a half year out of school. It wasn't a perfect school, but I felt my classes and professors were amazing with very diverse topics and very interesting!!! There are lots of fun things on campus, and the campus is so beautiful!Read Less"

"Notre Dame is a wonderful, engaging campus, with an active and involved student body across all levels of the collegiate experience. The faculty, staff, and students work cohesively as a dynamic unit. The campus itself is beautiful, and features locations unlike any other university environment in the nation."

"This is a great school. It is small enough to feel like you are not just a number, but big enough to have lots of culture and diversity."

"Notre Dame is a great school with a caring and close community and a beautiful campus. I loved my time there and feel it has prepared me well for life after school."

"Notre Dame is a place where you gain so many opportunities by being a part of a traditional university. Notre Dame challenged me academically and to make a difference in the world through the education I received. I will always call ND home due to the amazing professors and life long friends."

"Every day I feel lucky that I was able to attend the University of Notre Dame. The education I received was above average, and I felt more prepared for graduate school than other individuals entering my graduate program from different schools. The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry is very small and tight-knit, which allowed me to receive as much personal instruction as I needed. The professors genuinely wanted to help each student learn and to reach their full potential. The university gives me opportunities every day, even after graduating. It's easy to make connections with potential employers or new friends over your experiences at Notre Dame. Notre Dame turned me into the person I am today, academically, spiritually, and ethically. I couldn't have asked for a better and more complete undergraduate experience than the one I received at the University of Notre Dame.Read Less"

"I could not have asked for a better experience than what I had in the College of Arts and Letters. The faculty in both the English and Gender Studies departments encouraged critical thinking and open dialogues both in and out of the classroom. I would especially recommend writing a senior thesis! It was a challenging, year long passion project that utilized all the skills I'd honed throughout my undergrad career."

"Notre Dame is an amazing school with a fantastic culture. The minute you step on campus it feels like home! I learned so much from the teachers and made friendships that will last a lifetime. I loved every minute of my four years at Notre Dame and wish I could go back for more."

"I attended the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, IN for my undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Sociology, with a minor in Studio Art. I could not have asked for a better undergraduate experience. Notre Dame is a Catholic university that nurtures faith, cultivates community, and grows students through rigorous academic work, excellent service opportunities, strong dorm pride, and awesome football. The university does not have fraternities or sororities so the single-sex dorms on campus become the center of social life. Dorm communities are rich in tradition and supported by excellent staff who work very diligently to include all residents in activities and community. Every dorm is equipped with a chapel, 24 hour lounging space, a small gym, and study rooms. Typically, students live on campus in the same dorm for the first three years of undergrad and then move off campus, though a large number of seniors remain on campus. I am still very close with all of the girls on my hall and many of my favorite Notre Dame memories took place within my dorm. Beyond the dorm life, Notre Dame is well known for superb academics. As one of the top universities in the country, Notre Dame is full of extremely bright students who are driven to achieve high and are supported by some of the top faculty in the country. Nearly all of the professors have PhD's and are experts in their given field. I had few classes that had more than 20 students and even in the larger classes, the professors were very accessible and eager to help. Also, during my four years of undergrad, Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business was consistently named the number one school for undergraduate business programs in the United States. Notre Dame's approximately 9,000 undergraduate students also take advantage of hundreds of inter-mural, club, and varsity sport options available to them. There are frequently 5ks or 10ks on campus (or the annual half marathon for those who want to challenge themselves) for the very active student body. In addition, there are a plethora of clubs to join, service organizations in which to partake, and opportunities to start something new. As an undergraduate, I started the campus chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation to raise funds to support the wishes of terminally ill children. It is easy to become involved, no matter where your interest area lies. Finally, from a post-graduate perspective, two of the strongest assets for Notre Dame are the exceptional Career Center and the alumni network. The Career Center has an excellent record of aiding students in the career determination process and in guiding them to incredible opportunities and positions. Accounting majors typically pursue positions at the Big 4 firms and Finance majors will be competing for the top spots at the largest banks. Outside of business, the Career Center links students to research experiences, summer and extended service opportunities, non-profit work, and MCAT, LSAT, GMAT, and GRE assistance, among many others. If a student is interested in an opportunity that the Career Center does not have a contact for, Career Specialists will reach out to make any application process easier on the student and to aid in networking. They also provide resume building and review services and interview preparation practice. In addition, many of the contacts for positions are Notre Dame alumni. The alumni network is extremely loyal to Notre Dame and loves to support fellow graduates. A cousin of mine attended Notre Dame for his MBA and told me recently that he only applies to job positions now through Notre Dame alumni contacts found on the extensive alumni directory that is available to all graduates. In my own experience, I got my first post-graduate job at the Department of Defense when the Career Center put me in touch with a Notre Dame alum who worked in Human Resources and pulled my resume for the position. Contacts are everything and Notre Dame maintains a very wide and deep network through alumni. I also returned to the Career Center for career guidance a year after graduating and, once again, received incredible support in determining how to make a career change. The Career Center continues to support alumni long after graduating and has become an invaluable resource to me. Overall, Notre Dame is an outstanding university and attending this school was the best decision I could have made. An important characteristic that stood out to me and made a significant impact on my experience is how the students want the best for each other. While the students are driven and motivated to get the most out of their individual experiences and to succeed academically, it is not at the expense of others. Many other top universities are riddled by extreme competition among students, but Notre Dame students truly strive to support one another. They are certainly competitive but, outside of sports, it is not a competition that they turn on each other. I cannot enumerate the number of times I experienced students teaching each other, aiding each other, or generally looking out for one another academically. The campus community is one that is bolstered by a strong faith and the social tradition of that faith emphasizes service and caring for others, which is reflected in students' behavior towards each other. Lou Holtz, one of Notre Dame's most renowned football coaches said of the university, "If you've been there, no explanation is necessary. If you haven't, none will suffice". I highly recommend the University of Notre Dame. Go Irish!Read Less"

"Science Business at the University of Notre Dame gives you the best of both worlds. It allows you access to the top Undergraduate Business school in America while also giving you that logical thinking background only science and math classes allow. This degree sets you up for any job you would want to pursue when you just can't decide between the business world or science world."

"The university is good, however I got stuck with an instructor that did not focus on papers and so it has taken me longer than I wanted to graduate."

"It is an excellent school that gives you excellent, practical experiences that set you up for a lifetime of opportunities. It is truly a special place that will change you forever."

"My experience at Notre Dame was very unique in that I was very fortunate to be a part of the 1st cohort for a new scholarship initiative for 1st generation college students at Notre Dame known as the AnBryce Scholars Initiative Foundation. Though I can admit that perhaps if it was not for this scholarship, I may have chosen to attend another university, I can honestly say that I am very pleased with my Notre Dame experience and education, not only academically, but in terms of social and political awareness. My one critique is ND's lack of diversity, but that is a problem that the university is actively working on. Being a 1st generation college student, but also the first generation to be born in America, I thought I would not find a sense of community at Notre Dame, but surprisingly enough, the community found me. I was invited to apply to the most incredible scholarship program imaginable and being a part of this program has opened many doors for me, but most importantly, gave me a family. Notre Dame has been a blessing in my life, and I will be forever grateful for the incredible alumni network and the many opportunities it was afforded me.Read Less"

"The Peace Studies program at University of Notre Dame is an incredible opportunity to live, learn and work with students from all over the world, and particularly students who have experienced conflict firsthand. The professors also share a wealth of experience working in conflict settings. University of Notre Dame still has a long way to go in terms of recruiting diverse students to the general student population, and encouraging a culture of acceptance and mutual respect. The Peace Studies program, however, enshrines the values that I think ND will aspire to in the future.Read Less"

"I'm pursing a MBA to use in law enforcement against drug trafficking organizations. The reason being that both legitimate business and illegitimate business revolve around one thing, money. Notre Dame has really rallied behind this concept. They really want to train business leaders to mold a better world. This alignment between the Fighting Irish and myself has really given insight to what I'm trying to do. Notre Dame has one of the strongest programs in the nation but that extra purpose to use business for good is what sets them apart for me. I couldn't be more certain of my choice to go here.Read Less"

"The degree that I received from Notre Dame strengthened my intellectual abilities, my moral character and my creative inquiry process. It prepared me well for all of my future endeavors and I was supported by numerous departments: I received funding for art history research in Paris, a summer internship focused on social justice in Washington D.C., and a summer internship working with solar energy and conflict resolution in Gulu, Uganda. I was very involved in campus life, social advocacy concerning Neglected Tropical Diseases, the French Club, and tutoring at local middle schools. My time at the University of Notre Dame prepared me well for a 2 year commitment with the Peace Corps, teaching English in Tanzania and now for graduate studies at Teachers College, Columbia University to become a Middle School English teacher. Notre Dame prepared me academically, but more importantly it bolstered my self-confidence, my moral character, and my commitment to social justice. I have had many wonderful life experiences thanks to Our Lady's University!Read Less"