Atypical College Visits

My atypical senior year has collectively funneled ACT testing and college applications into one semester. In order to figure statistics and general information about the schools on my Common App, I’ve had to log on to virtual sessions and interviews with regional reps. However, these virtual visits can only do so much for a student to get to know a college.

After numerous virtual tours with the University of Notre Dame and Northwestern University, my family and I decided it was best to get a sense of the campuses by visiting the institutions themselves.

With the uncertainty of COVID-19 and schools taking their individual measures of dealing with the pandemic, the situation at every school is hard to keep track of at times. Even though neither campus was hosting live tours, I still felt it was necessary to see the campuses in all their real-life glory.

Notre Dame is located in South Bend, Indiana. We arrived with ample time to get to know campus in a pre-weekend environment. Notre Dame felt like the quintessential college campus, the kind you picture when you’re a kid. Quads and residence halls stretched as far as the eye could see leading up to the golden domed building, the heart of campus.

The student population was out enjoying the fall afternoon before the early drafts of a brutal winter; a difficult adaptation for any South Floridian. We spoke to campus staff and students at different locations across campus and everyone was extremely friendly and understanding of the current situation. The campus serves as the hub for the majority of student life; spirit activities were underway as we walked through various lawns and patio areas. The replica of the grotto in Lourdes was a reminder of life back home and symbol of the school’s Catholic values.

After visiting South Bend, we drove fifteen minutes north of Chicago to Evanston, the city adjacent to Northwestern University. Unfortunately, unlike Notre Dame, the majority of the student population was still under virtual instruction so the campus was fairly empty except for a few other visitors. Of course, this again meant we would tour ourselves using Google Maps and a few brochures.

The lakeside campus is a combination of modern and gothic buildings, all somewhat uniform with each other. Because of the emptiness, we drove through Evanston on the way back to Chicago.

Overall, traveling to these cities amidst the pandemic was worth the experience. Walking the grounds I could potentially find myself in a year later really adds another layer to these prospective schools. Go Irish and go Wildcats!