How "Catholic" is Notre Dame?

[Anonymous]

Has he visited OP?

Also, given your description has he look at Jesuit Universities:
http://ajcunet.edu/institutions

He might find a good fit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a DS whose stats match up pretty well for Notre Dame. He wants to be in the Midwest (we moved here five years ago from WI) and wants to be in a smaller town or a suburb of a larger town. Not wanting to be isolated (ie no Kenyon), but a University of Chicago type school is out. So here's the dilemma- how Catholic is notre Dame? We are Catholic (on paper at least), so he is not at all against crucifixes in the classroom, prayer, and the like. BUT we fall more in line with the 'Cafeteria Catholic' line of thinking, only go to church a few times a year outside Christmas and Easter, fairly liberal, etc. No interest in a school where the large majority is uber-conversative. Does that rule out Notre Dame?

Hopefully I am not opening a can of worms here

what is it about Notre Dame that is a good match? Academics? Reputation? A particular major? The size feels just right? Division I sports program? Would you consider schools affiliated with another denomination, particularly if the religious aspects aren't front and center? State universities? There's a lot of options in Wisconsin and Minnesota that meet that smaller town or suburb criteria.

[Anonymous]

One thing I will say about Notre Dame is that kids who go there pretty much want to go to Notre Dame. They're not looking for a small school in the midwest, or a Catholic school that's not too Catholic. They're generally looking for Notre Dame with has a history, community and culture all it's own.

[Anonymous]

"which"

[Anonymous]

Go visit. I think for ND in particular it's important because you either love the feel of this school or you don't, and DS will need to figure out which it is before he makes any big decisions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One thing I will say about Notre Dame is that kids who go there pretty much want to go to Notre Dame. They're not looking for a small school in the midwest, or a Catholic school that's not too Catholic. They're generally looking for Notre Dame with has a history, community and culture all it's own.

Exactly. My HS boyfriend chose ND over Harvard because it was a family tradition. He remains a huge ND fan, though he did go to Harvard for grad school.

Also, re the suggestion of Michigan or Wisconsin as alternatives to ND -- 1) Those schools are very different in terms of culture (not all big-time sports schools are the same -- e.g., compare Stanford to Wisconsin). 2) Michigan and Wisconsin are each about 3X the size of ND.

[Anonymous]

I went to Notre Dame and never met a non-Catholic. It has also gotten way too politically conservative for my taste. I wouldn't encourage my kids to go there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to Notre Dame and never met a non-Catholic. It has also gotten way too politically conservative for my taste. I wouldn't encourage my kids to go there.

Wow. You sound like you didn't get out much.

[Anonymous]

There are tons of non-Catholics at ND. I don't believe PP that s/he actually attended the school because that is absurd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are tons of non-Catholics at ND. I don't believe PP that s/he actually attended the school because that is absurd.

Yes, I did indeed graduate from Noter Dame in 1990 and I never met one nonCatholic when I was there. Where are all the tons of nonCatholics? Seriously - do you have any references for your statement? What year did you graduate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to Notre Dame and never met a non-Catholic. It has also gotten way too politically conservative for my taste. I wouldn't encourage my kids to go there.

Wow. You sound like you didn't get out much.

Actually I got out a lot. It was no where as conservative when I was in school there. That is simply a fact. I have no idea who you are or what year you graduated from Notre Dame but please share your experiences if they are different than mine.

My father also graduated from Notre Dame in the 60's when it was a hot bed of liberal social justice movements. Nothing like it is today.

[Anonymous]

My daughter was accepted but decided it wasnt a good fit. The dorms are single sex and they have weekly mass in the basement. Also the female tour guide went on and on about the privelege of being selected to wash the football helmets. Also the climate wasnt appealing. She went to a w school and had lots of diverse friends and i think it was a bit too catholic for her. We are casual c & ers. Great school if it is the right fit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter was accepted but decided it wasnt a good fit. The dorms are single sex and they have weekly mass in the basement. Also the female tour guide went on and on about the privelege of being selected to wash the football helmets. Also the climate wasnt appealing. She went to a w school and had lots of diverse friends and i think it was a bit too catholic for her. We are casual c & ers. Great school if it is the right fit.

That's so funny. Back in the day, they didn't give tours and kids didn't have to way all these varying impressions. I was there in the late 70's, early 80s and my girlfriends and I would have been appalled that some girl thought it was an honor to wash football helmets. I must say though that I've seldom attended more personally meaningful masses as the ones I went to on the first floor of my dorm. To reduce that to a sound bite really doesn't do justice to the experience.

I get the part about diversity. I know a friends son coming from this area, was really surprised at how homogenous the student body seemed after NOVA. That said, he loved it. I think it depends on what kind of person you are. My friends today are incredibly diverse, but that has a lot to do with having lived on 3 continents. I still wouldn't trade my four years at ND for anything.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I did indeed graduate from Noter Dame in 1990 and I never met one nonCatholic when I was there. Where are all the tons of nonCatholics? Seriously - do you have any references for your statement? What year did you graduate?

The only non-Catholics I've met who have been at Notre Dame have been graduate students or postdocs. I've never met someone who went there for undergrad who wasn't Catholic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about U Mich or U Wisconsin? Rah rah large schools like ND, in medium-small college towns

Purdue?

Purdue is a much better value than ND. I am from South Bend and it is a very boring city. It is Democratic and not very conservative for an Indiana school.