Congratulations! Welcome to Notre Dame! As a senior, I am so excited to welcome you to the Notre Dame community.
First and foremost, congratulations again. All the stress of school, Common App essays, recommendation letters, supplemental essays, test scores, extracurriculars, and deciding what “holistic review” means has paid off! This is such an amazing accomplishment. Take time to celebrate, tell your friends and family, and thank everyone who has helped you along the way!
Secondly, consider if you're ready to accept your offer. If so, huzzah! If you are still deciding, it is okay to take some time. Even though I was accepted through REA, and I knew Notre Dame was the place for me, I explored the school’s unique undergraduate experience without the stress of whether or not I was admitted. I recommend checking out our YouTube and TikTok accounts to get to know the day-to-day life of a Notre Dame student.
Truly, there is no place like Notre Dame. Each and every person here is bright, passionate, and eager to be a force for good. There is a place for everyone here– and you should get to know other admitted students! With over 270 Notre Dame clubs across the world, chances are you don't have to travel far to find fellow members of the Notre Dame family. My local club, the Notre Dame Club of Dallas, hosted a reception for early admits to get to know each other!
For now, make the most of the rest of your senior year. Finish the year strong academically, stay involved in your community and extracurriculars, and most importantly, enjoy any special senior memories and spend as much time with friends and family as you can.
With Notre Dame’s unique undergraduate experience, there is no need to worry about finding a roommate or securing housing, it is all taken care of! Don’t worry about class registration, First Year Advising makes it as smooth as possible. Do not even worry about your major, I have changed five times in four years. Lastly, especially do not worry if you will find community here: you will.
However, if you should worry, I would worry about the following: how can you fit all that Notre Dame has to offer in four short years? Will you go abroad like most of the junior class? If so, where? How many majors and minors can you complete? The answer: many. How many days until the next home football game? And, how many days are left until the dome becomes my home?