Comparing top Catholic Universities

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Notre Dane has poor diversity figures. Look it up.

People were speculating that ND's rank would plummet with the new methodology for diversity and having less poor kids.

ND reamined T20, and it's working to improve diversity.

That's because it has so much going for it beyond diversity. Other schools try to game the system to rank higher. ND doesn't have to play those games but has always made a concerted effort to improve diversity. It is a challenge because of its commitment to its Catholic identity, which understandably may make some prospective students uncomfortable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Notre Dane has poor diversity figures. Look it up.

Botre Dame is a Catholic school created to educate Catholic young adults from back in the day when Catholics were openly discriminated against and not wanted at all the waspy schools.

It's heritage and its mission are essentially Catholic.

Catholics in the US are historically working and middle class, white, western European. Back in the time when ND was formed, this meant Irish, Italians, Polish, Spanish, French and Portuguese, among others. In modern times Catholic in the US is significantly Hispanic.

Notre Dame specifically is traditionally Irish Catholic. You don't get much whiter than an Irish Catholic.

Of course a Catholic university still holding on to its Catholic identity, is going to be disproportionately Catholic and all that usually represents.

Anyone who complains about this is just being contrary and foolish.

All that talk and no figures. ND has 4% black students. Less than 1% Native American. Not 3% international and so on.

Very few African Americans and Native Americans are Catholic.

[Anonymous]

Notre Dame historically served the same purpose as a flagship school like Howard, to provide an excellent education for a specific group of kids that were not welcome at the other notable universities.

Their mission first and foremost is to provide a Catholic centered education.

If you want a top school that focuses on diversity, apply somewhere else. Your kid has plenty of non-Catholic options, and also the "catholic" lite option of Georgetown.

Notre Dame should never sacrifice its Catholic identity to satisfy some box checkers. We have Georgetown for that role.

[Anonymous]

I'm a pretty typical gen X catholic, meaning I left the church 25 years ago. The church is far more conservative than it was a generation or two ago because the people who stayed are the people who are willing to put up with .. a lot.

But my son is interested in ND and that's fine with me. It provides a classic college experience: solid academics, national reputation, fun sports, happy kids, strong alumni. The Catholic part of it is a bit of a negative - it def leans more conservative than school like BC - but my kid can navigate that for himself.

ND has always been a less hospitable place for women, so if I had a daughter I'd be less comfortable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a pretty typical gen X catholic, meaning I left the church 25 years ago. The church is far more conservative than it was a generation or two ago because the people who stayed are the people who are willing to put up with .. a lot.

But my son is interested in ND and that's fine with me. It provides a classic college experience: solid academics, national reputation, fun sports, happy kids, strong alumni. The Catholic part of it is a bit of a negative - it def leans more conservative than school like BC - but my kid can navigate that for himself.

ND has always been a less hospitable place for women, so if I had a daughter I'd be less comfortable.

Is he OK with having a good portion of his dorm mates attending Mass on Sundays and also during the week? How about the single sex dorms with parietals? His dorm will also have at least one priest as the rector who will be setting rules for your son. He will be required to take Theology for at least one semester (maybe 2?). Your son can find the same things he likes about ND in so many other schools. South Bend isn't great either and it gets very cold there. Honestly he would probably be better off somewhere else. Oh, and if he still really wants to go there, be sure he doesn't bash Catholicism even minutely in his essays....he'll get rejected on the spot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a pretty typical gen X catholic, meaning I left the church 25 years ago. The church is far more conservative than it was a generation or two ago because the people who stayed are the people who are willing to put up with .. a lot.

But my son is interested in ND and that's fine with me. It provides a classic college experience: solid academics, national reputation, fun sports, happy kids, strong alumni. The Catholic part of it is a bit of a negative - it def leans more conservative than school like BC - but my kid can navigate that for himself.

ND has always been a less hospitable place for women, so if I had a daughter I'd be less comfortable.

If you are not Catholic and hate Catholicism, why would you send your kids to Notre Dame? Why not Georgetown instead which seems more aligned with your anti Catholic sentiments. Or a secular university.

ND seems to do a fairly good job of subtly wvangelizing kids into the Catholic faith. Perhaps you want you son to come home to Catholicism?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a pretty typical gen X catholic, meaning I left the church 25 years ago. The church is far more conservative than it was a generation or two ago because the people who stayed are the people who are willing to put up with .. a lot.

But my son is interested in ND and that's fine with me. It provides a classic college experience: solid academics, national reputation, fun sports, happy kids, strong alumni. The Catholic part of it is a bit of a negative - it def leans more conservative than school like BC - but my kid can navigate that for himself.

ND has always been a less hospitable place for women, so if I had a daughter I'd be less comfortable.

Is he OK with having a good portion of his dorm mates attending Mass on Sundays and also during the week? How about the single sex dorms with parietals? His dorm will also have at least one priest as the rector who will be setting rules for your son. He will be required to take Theology for at least one semester (maybe 2?). Your son can find the same things he likes about ND in so many other schools. South Bend isn't great either and it gets very cold there. Honestly he would probably be better off somewhere else. Oh, and if he still really wants to go there, be sure he doesn't bash Catholicism even minutely in his essays....he'll get rejected on the spot.

Sure. Why would other people attending church services be an issue. We live in NY and many of our friends have faith traditions that are not our own and ... it's not like we have to be OK with that. Of course we're OK with that. LOL, what?

But also I went to ND so I have a pretty good idea how the school works. Did you? I think you'll find a minority of kids attend even a single non-mandatory Mass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a pretty typical gen X catholic, meaning I left the church 25 years ago. The church is far more conservative than it was a generation or two ago because the people who stayed are the people who are willing to put up with .. a lot.

But my son is interested in ND and that's fine with me. It provides a classic college experience: solid academics, national reputation, fun sports, happy kids, strong alumni. The Catholic part of it is a bit of a negative - it def leans more conservative than school like BC - but my kid can navigate that for himself.

ND has always been a less hospitable place for women, so if I had a daughter I'd be less comfortable.

If you are not Catholic and hate Catholicism, why would you send your kids to Notre Dame? Why not Georgetown instead which seems more aligned with your anti Catholic sentiments. Or a secular university.

ND seems to do a fairly good job of subtly wvangelizing kids into the Catholic faith. Perhaps you want you son to come home to Catholicism?

this is not a good look for you or your views. nobody ever said anything about hating Catholicism. why is it so hard to have a discussion?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a pretty typical gen X catholic, meaning I left the church 25 years ago. The church is far more conservative than it was a generation or two ago because the people who stayed are the people who are willing to put up with .. a lot.

But my son is interested in ND and that's fine with me. It provides a classic college experience: solid academics, national reputation, fun sports, happy kids, strong alumni. The Catholic part of it is a bit of a negative - it def leans more conservative than school like BC - but my kid can navigate that for himself.

ND has always been a less hospitable place for women, so if I had a daughter I'd be less comfortable.

Is he OK with having a good portion of his dorm mates attending Mass on Sundays and also during the week? How about the single sex dorms with parietals? His dorm will also have at least one priest as the rector who will be setting rules for your son. He will be required to take Theology for at least one semester (maybe 2?). Your son can find the same things he likes about ND in so many other schools. South Bend isn't great either and it gets very cold there. Honestly he would probably be better off somewhere else. Oh, and if he still really wants to go there, be sure he doesn't bash Catholicism even minutely in his essays....he'll get rejected on the spot.

Please. Why would anyone bash Catholicism in an admissions essay if they really want to go to Notre Dame? That should get them rejected.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a pretty typical gen X catholic, meaning I left the church 25 years ago. The church is far more conservative than it was a generation or two ago because the people who stayed are the people who are willing to put up with .. a lot.

But my son is interested in ND and that's fine with me. It provides a classic college experience: solid academics, national reputation, fun sports, happy kids, strong alumni. The Catholic part of it is a bit of a negative - it def leans more conservative than school like BC - but my kid can navigate that for himself.

ND has always been a less hospitable place for women, so if I had a daughter I'd be less comfortable.

Is he OK with having a good portion of his dorm mates attending Mass on Sundays and also during the week? How about the single sex dorms with parietals? His dorm will also have at least one priest as the rector who will be setting rules for your son. He will be required to take Theology for at least one semester (maybe 2?). Your son can find the same things he likes about ND in so many other schools. South Bend isn't great either and it gets very cold there. Honestly he would probably be better off somewhere else. Oh, and if he still really wants to go there, be sure he doesn't bash Catholicism even minutely in his essays....he'll get rejected on the spot.

Sure. Why would other people attending church services be an issue. We live in NY and many of our friends have faith traditions that are not our own and ... it's not like we have to be OK with that. Of course we're OK with that. LOL, what?

But also I went to ND so I have a pretty good idea how the school works. Did you? I think you'll find a minority of kids attend even a single non-mandatory Mass.

No I didn't, but my kid did. And Masses are part of the social fabric of the university and residential life. There is a chapel in every single dorm and they are a vibrant meeting place for students to pray several times a week in some cases. Your son might enjoy doing it as well and decide to embrace his faith! Maybe he will meet a nice devout Catholic girl and marry her. It is not unusual to meet your spouse at ND. Is your son baptized? Confirmed? https://campusministry.nd.edu/pray/mass-times/residence-hall-mass-schedule/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a pretty typical gen X catholic, meaning I left the church 25 years ago. The church is far more conservative than it was a generation or two ago because the people who stayed are the people who are willing to put up with .. a lot.

But my son is interested in ND and that's fine with me. It provides a classic college experience: solid academics, national reputation, fun sports, happy kids, strong alumni. The Catholic part of it is a bit of a negative - it def leans more conservative than school like BC - but my kid can navigate that for himself.

ND has always been a less hospitable place for women, so if I had a daughter I'd be less comfortable.

Is he OK with having a good portion of his dorm mates attending Mass on Sundays and also during the week? How about the single sex dorms with parietals? His dorm will also have at least one priest as the rector who will be setting rules for your son. He will be required to take Theology for at least one semester (maybe 2?). Your son can find the same things he likes about ND in so many other schools. South Bend isn't great either and it gets very cold there. Honestly he would probably be better off somewhere else. Oh, and if he still really wants to go there, be sure he doesn't bash Catholicism even minutely in his essays....he'll get rejected on the spot.

Sure. Why would other people attending church services be an issue. We live in NY and many of our friends have faith traditions that are not our own and ... it's not like we have to be OK with that. Of course we're OK with that. LOL, what?

But also I went to ND so I have a pretty good idea how the school works. Did you? I think you'll find a minority of kids attend even a single non-mandatory Mass.

No I didn't, but my kid did. And Masses are part of the social fabric of the university and residential life. There is a chapel in every single dorm and they are a vibrant meeting place for students to pray several times a week in some cases. Your son might enjoy doing it as well and decide to embrace his faith! Maybe he will meet a nice devout Catholic girl and marry her. It is not unusual to meet your spouse at ND. Is your son baptized? Confirmed? https://campusministry.nd.edu/pray/mass-times/residence-hall-mass-schedule/

Yes!! The Milkshake Mass at Dillon Hall is very popular! There was a great video about a student who talks about it that was released in the "Sacred Stories" series last advent season. Very moving. My kid went to this every week among others.

[Anonymous]

you can get the milkshake without the mass. fyi.


Sunday night masses happen at (all? a lot?) of jesuits schools. BC, Georgetown, Marquette, Santa Clara. It's not really unique to ND.

[Anonymous]

a lot of punchable faces at ND

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:you can get the milkshake without the mass. fyi.


Sunday night masses happen at (all? a lot?) of jesuits schools. BC, Georgetown, Marquette, Santa Clara. It's not really unique to ND.

True. But do they have chapels in all the dorms with well attended masses several times a week? I don’t think so. ND is unique in that way.

[Anonymous]

The number of ND students attending mass several times per week likely approaches zero. No one knows whether any particular student attends mass, nor do they care.