This weekend, over 1,500 admitted students and their families arrived on campus for “The Rally” — Notre Dame’s accepted student weekend. For many, this weekend’s drive down Notre Dame Avenue may have been the first time they set their eyes on the Golden Dome. To these students, the fortunate 9% of applicants who were accepted, the next month before decision day on May 1 will be a time for choosing, as they weigh options from other elite universities across the country. While many current students likely have compartmentalized their college admissions experiences in remote recesses of their minds, choosing to attend Notre Dame was probably one of the first hugely consequential decisions they made and is the choice the accepted class of 2029 now faces. Every student’s reason for choosing their college will differ, but the roughly 2,000 students who make the big decision to attend the University each year, despite their myriad experiences, all seem to have something which draws them to spend four years in South Bend, Indiana, often many miles from home.
In an age when tuition stands at a staggering $82,000, college is undeniably an investment. Students and their parents expect a level of academic pedigree and professional resources commensurate with their investment. Indeed, Notre Dame not only matches but exceeds these expectations, whether it be through world-class professors, innovative research opportunities or the expansive alumni network. Moreover, some of the most generous financial aid in the country has made these benefits available for more and more students. In the end, however, these reasons are not why students should come to Notre Dame. Students who have been accepted here have already proven themselves and will likely excel at whatever institution they choose before achieving success after graduation. Notre Dame will foster their success as well as and better than most institutions, but it offers something fundamentally greater.
Prospective students should come to Notre Dame because it provides something which no other elite institution does — an overarching sense of mission and purpose in a tumultuous world. Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross remain genuinely Catholic institutions with authentic commitments to truth, justice and the common good. Even for those students who are not Catholic, this identity and desire to do good forms a unique community which is increasingly rare in higher education, but timeless in its value. It is a lighthouse which calls students here and an anchor in the lives of those who embrace it.
This sense of community is no mere cliche. The dorm life, despite what prospective students may have been told about strict rules, does indeed foster a genuine sense of community and lasting friendships. Dorm Masses offer you the chance to grow closer to God and your peers. Moreover, the tri-campus community with Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross allows students to expand their horizons and gives them yet more people to forge lasting connections with. And, of course, the thrill of doing touchdown pushups at a Notre Dame football game with 80,000 people in the stands will unite you with your classmates like nothing else.
Beyond being academically challenging, courses at Notre Dame foster genuine academic discussion, where a wide range of viewpoints can be heard. Open inquiry is welcome and celebrated at Notre Dame. Classes ask questions which seek to bind faith and reason for an authentic understanding of the human experience, not to divorce the two. A collaborative, not a cutthroat, competitive spirit truly pervades both academic and extracurricular activities. A cohesive and beautiful campus architecture seeks to uplift the human spirit and physically reflects the values which the institution espouses.
Many schools offer a great education, but not all offer what Notre Dame does. Ultimately, many of the challenges students face at Notre Dame will likely be the same challenges they would face at any college they might attend. They will deal with a challenging academic course load, confront social difficulties as they adjust to college and may often feel pressured or stressed. While it may be an enclave at times, Notre Dame is not immune to the difficulties and chaos of the real world. And, indeed, despite its guiding mission, the University often does not fully live up to the mighty values it preaches.
What Notre Dame can give you, however, is the sense of purpose and the spirit necessary to rise above your challenges and move forward with courage and compassion. When you fail a difficult test, your professors will work with you to help you succeed. When you have conflicts with your friends, your RAs will advise you. When you feel confused or angry with the world, you can find clarity and solace in your studies and discussions. When the South Bend perma-cloud has you down in January, you can cast your gaze upon the Golden Dome and be uplifted for a moment. And when the troubles of life are simply too much, you can kneel down at the Grotto and set down your burdens for a moment. What Notre Dame will give you and has given generations before you cannot be quantified. It cannot be encapsulated in an average SAT score, an acceptance rate or a U.S. News and World Report Ranking. It is invaluable, and it will last you a lifetime.
