Notre Dame is the best school in the Midwest, the country, and probably the universe

I know it, you know it, and everyone else is thinking it: Notre Dame is simply the best university there ever was and ever will be.

This has nothing to do with being the subject of countless movies, tv shows, or rap songs (although how many other schools can boast this kind of pop culture presence?), and everything to do with the indescribable magic of Notre Dame (skip to 1:32 and you’ll know what I’m talking about).

Students here love to quote former coach Lou Holtz when he attempted to offer a simple explanation of this phenomenon, because it’s just about the closest anyone will ever be able to come to putting their finger on it: “Those who know Notre Dame, no explanation is necessary. Those who don’t, no explanation will suffice.”

Nevertheless, here are just a few of the reasons why Notre Dame is second to none.

We come to play school

Notre Dame consistently ranks among the top 20 universities in the nation, but luckily, we don’t have to rely on these rankings to prove how “good” we are or aren’t; we get the proof every time we step into the classroom.

Our university proudly houses five undergraduate colleges; the School of Architecture, the College of Arts and Letters, Mendoza College of Business, the College of Engineering, and the College of Science. A sixth undergraduate college, the Keough School of Global Affairs, will be welcoming students beginning August 2017.

Every single one of these schools and its award-winning professors is dedicated to its students and their successes, academic and otherwise.

We love sports and we don’t care who knows

ND Athletics are synonymous with history, prestige, and victory.

It’s no secret that our football program is nothing short of legendary, but all 25 of our other varsity teams are equally as impressive. We have 8 NCAA basketball Final Four appearances, a combined 30 NCAA Championships, 43 Olympians, and 61 first round NFL draft picks.

Beyond the purely athletic feats, our student-athletes have won the national title for highest graduation success rate (98%) for nine straight years, and have comprised Notre Dame’s body of 238 Academic All-Americans—the second-highest in history.

We love sports, and our student-athletes are truly the best of the best. Without exception, each and every Fighting Irish team provides this campus with sources of palpable energy and pride that anyone who’s ever been an ND fan can get behind.

Home Sweet South Bend

As much as we love to complain about our location, Notre Dame’s campus is breathtaking and has actually been voted the most beautiful campus in the country. There’s no denying that South Bend winters are harsh, but we are lucky enough to be in a place where we experience all four seasons, each more picturesque than the last.  

Additionally, we are only a two-hour drive from Chicago, and centrally located in the middle of the country, allowing “easy access from all parts of the United States.”

ND loves ND

The one thing that truly sets ND apart is the community. The religious aspect of our university has ensured an overarching, yet certainly not overwhelming, set of values that self-selects its applicants and fosters a community of incredibly kind and caring people that I would be shocked to find at any other school in the world.  

We’ve also one-upped the Greek life system by creating tight-knit dorm communities, each with enough unique traditions and rituals to fill the lakes many times over, and that foster allegiances which residents will take to their grave.

We pretty much do it all, from academics to athletics to clubs and service—perfectly exemplified by senior wide receiver and 2016-2017 student-body president elect, Corey Robinson (yes, you read that right). But we never take ourselves too seriously, either—just ask any ND student how their most recent sylly week was.

Notre Dame is pretty amazing–just sit in on a class, come to a tailgate on a home football Saturday, or stop and talk to any student you see wearing an ND sweatshirt to be reminded of this.

Love thee.