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- [00:01]
Cece Guarnuccio
Welcome back, college bound listeners to reintroduce myself. My name is Cece Guarnuccio and I'm a current junior here at the University of Notre Dame. We are so excited to bring you a new episode in our podcast. However, we'll be doing something a little different for this episode. Rather than talking to a Notre Dame graduate, we are joined by a current Notre Dame student with regular decisions being released today for the class of 2027. This episode is dedicated to tips on college discernment and starting at the University of Notre Dame. Last episode we were joined by Phyllis Stone, who shared her journey from an American Studies major to her current role as an executive coach in leadership development. Check it out if you haven't already. Today we are joined by junior and fellow intern Ryan Corey, who will be sharing with us his Notre Dame wisdom. Hey, Ryan, thank you so much for joining us.
- [00:57]
Ryan Corey
Of course. Just glad to be here. Excited to unpack here. Very, very exciting stuff.
- [01:01]
Cece Guarnuccio
As all good Notre Dame conversations start, we'd love to have you share your Notre Dame intro. So that's your name, your major, hometown, your dorm, and we'll throw in what you're involved in here on campus since you're a current student.
- [01:15]
Ryan Corey
Yeah, absolutely. My name is Ryan Corey, currently a junior here at Notre Dame, trying to study finance and minor in real estate. Emphasis on the shrying right there. I'm originally from Phoenix, Arizona, so I guess a little bit more warm weather on campus. Involved in a number of different ways. Well, first I'm in Dylan hall, vice president there, which is a lot of fun. I also work for Fighting Irish media, so kind of working on the broadcast for a lot of our athletic stuff. And then probably the greatest joy on campus. I actually am one of the mascots too, so being a leprechaun, pretty fun. I was just at ACC's this past week. It was really, really good time.
- [01:46]
Cece Guarnuccio
Awesome. Kind of hard to top being a leprechaun, so definitely got a superior Notre Dame experience there. That's awesome. Thank you so much for taking the time then to join us. So today's episode is dedicated to our new admits to the class of 2027. Decisions are released today at 1842 or 6:42 Eastern Time. So first of all, I hope I'm the first to say congratulations and welcome home to the class of 2027. You've just been admitted to the greatest place on earth and we're super excited to have you. So, Ryan, tonight I'm bringing you here to share some maybe tips on The Notre Dame experience and maybe help our new admits on the college discernment process and why they should come to Notre Dame. But before we get into all the deep stuff, I wanted to warm you up a little with a little rapid fire round to get you excited and our listeners excited as well. So our first question is. Favorite Notre Dame tradition.
- [02:40]
Ryan Corey
Oh, wow. Okay. I'm gonna say snowball fight at midnight after the first major snowfall. That's always been a fun one. Love rubbing up South Quad out there.
- [02:48]
Cece Guarnuccio
So favorite club or organization that you think deserves more hype on campus than it gets?
- [02:54]
Ryan Corey
Whoa. Okay. That's a hard one. Okay, I mentioned it earlier. Fighting Irish media. We do a lot of really fun stuff. You know, get to work on the broadcast. Right. With espn, NBC. Like heck. That is an awesome experience. I don't know why more people do that. So, yeah.
- [03:06]
Cece Guarnuccio
Okay. Favorite on campus restaurant.
- [03:08]
Ryan Corey
Ooh. Okay. I'm gonna, like, exclude roars because that's just, like, a cheat code. But aside from that, I'm gonna go with Modern Market. You know, Love the pizza from there. Good za.
- [03:18]
Cece Guarnuccio
Good choice. Good choice. And lastly, favorite dorm event. And it does not have to be your own.
- [03:22]
Ryan Corey
Oh, okay. I. I feel sacrilegious not going with the Dylan event here, but Keenan Review went for the first time this year as a junior. That was mistake number one. Should have gone the past two years. Absolutely Electric experience. Love that.
- [03:36]
Cece Guarnuccio
That is my favorite as well. And I'm a proud member of Johnson Family Hall. But I will still attend the Kenan Review every day that I could. Alrighty, so now into a little bit more of some deeper questions that maybe our new admins might be having. So what is something you learned at Notre Dame that you wish you knew earlier? It could be maybe resources that the university offers a favorite study spot or even a weird dining hall meal combination that has become a staple.
- [04:01]
Ryan Corey
That's a fantastic question right there. Okay. This is super niche, and frankly, like, y'all might not even realize this until you get on campus, but one of the biggest fears, like, not biggest fears, but, you know, like, coming in as a freshman, you're like, okay, you get in the dining hall. You just go in one line, you get whatever food that line has, and then you go sit down, you know? Nah. By the time I'm a junior, like, I am bold in there. Here's the cheat code I came up with. I'm talking buffalo chicken salad. You go to, like, four different stations across the dining hall to make it happen. You know, little grilled chicken. Lettuce cheese, go to another spot to get hot sauce like you make it all work. But I'm saying gotta be bold in the dining hall. You can make some mad creations out there. So that was. That was a fun, fun little experiment.
- [04:37]
Cece Guarnuccio
I had love seeing the different unique ways people combine dining hall meals. So, Ryan, flashback to your senior year of high school. You've just received your Notre Dame acceptance letter. What? Now, what advice would you give to any seniors currently that. That are trying to decide what college to attend?
- [04:56]
Ryan Corey
Aw, man, that's a great, great question there. Well, number one, like, on a completely unbiased standpoint, just for seniors in general, you gotta pick the school that's right for you. I think that takes a lot of maturity, and it's definitely a hard decision to pick where you're gonna be for the next four years. So first, just. It's important to listen to your friends, listen to your parents, but ultimately comes down to you and your decision, and you gotta go with your gut and where feels right. But second, you know, like, coming from a Notre Dame perspective, I'd say it really comes down to, you know, figuring out what the best part of a school is, you know? But if you want somewhere that is top 10 across the board, athletics, academics, religion, tradition, student life, community, like, all of that, that's why you come to Notre Dame.
- [05:41]
Cece Guarnuccio
I wholeheartedly agree. I'm a tour guide on campus. Like, I know Ryan, you are, too. And my kind of why Notre Dame spiel is always, when I was looking at schools, I wanted to see what made a school different. So for Notre Dame, that was, what else does Notre Dame have besides football and being a top 28 school? Because you can get that at a lot of schools. But what Notre Dame have, that really makes it different. So great advice. So now we're gonna flash forward a little bit more. We've decided college. Assuming it's Notre Dame, it's the summer going into your freshman year, and you're starting to maybe pack and buy stuff for your dorm, or you're maybe getting a little nervous to be going your freshman year. What advice would you have for this standpoint? Any tips for, you know, even just purchasing things for the dorm? Or maybe ways to help relax some anxious Frenchmen out there who aren't sure what their freshman year is going to look like.
- [06:30]
Ryan Corey
Well, you're really sending me back a few years here. Okay. Just remembering some of my biggest fears. One, community showers. I was so freaked out about. You know, I'll say it. I'll say the Taboo phrase here. I don't even care. Yeah, I was afraid about that. But, you know, after a week, you're just, like, used to it. You got the rhythm down, you know what's going on. But definitely, you know, you want to make sure you got shower caddy, you got your shower shoes on. Very specific level when it comes to that. Also, just general rule of thumb, no matter what dorm you're in, air conditioning or not, you got to get a box fan. Like, that's. That's very important. Just for, like, that August month, once you hit football season, like, the weather starts clearing up too. It's. It's beautiful. But need that. Need that little staple. And then the other thing I would just say is you want to come prepared with, you know, good attitude. You want to bring that into whatever dorm, whatever environment you're going into. And I think with that and just an open mindset of, oh, whatever comes, that's what's going to happen. You know, you let it live and let it breathe. That's how it's going to be.
- [07:22]
Cece Guarnuccio
Exactly. A big thing for me was remembering that everyone else is new and it's everyone else's first year on campus as well. So everyone else is nervous and excited to meet people. So definitely going in with that mindset that, yes, it may be awkward those first few weeks, but you'll eventually find your people and have a great time. So we're now in our freshman year, sending you back again a little bit, but what advice would you have for your freshman self? You're on campus, you see all these resources and clubs and people and dorms and everything going on on campus. What advice would you give to freshmen starting at Notre Dame, to make the most of their time at Notre Dame, but to make sure they're also not getting too overwhelmed during their freshman year.
- [08:03]
Ryan Corey
There is a big adjustment to college, like one just on an academic level, like keeping track of your classes, being independent and all that stuff. Like, you gotta really learn how to balance it all. That was a big thing for me. But I would say one of the biggest things, and I know it sounds cliche, it sounds cheesy, but you gotta get involved, man. Coming in our freshman year, we were in the middle of COVID Of course I had a good time, but at the end of the day, I was feeling a little bit bummed every now, and I was like, man, I want to get involved. I can't or I don't know how. So what I did right between fall and spring semester, I sat down, I Made a list on Google Docs. I was like, all right, I want to turn. I want to turn this mess around. I want to get more involved in campus. How can I do that? I made a list of. I think it ended up being about six different clubs, six different activities I wanted to get involved in, wanting to try one, to learn more about things that I'd done in the past. I was a theater kid in high school, worked on like, lighting and sound, all that stuff. So I want to get involved in that on campus. Just learned a bit about it and then things I hadn't like. I mentioned I worked for Broadcast on campus. I wanted to learn what that was. At the end of my spring semester, freshman year, I was involved in every single of those activities. I had written down that, that that made all the difference. I know it sounds so cliche, so cheesy, but like, genuinely, you gotta sit down and you gotta just experience the people on campus in one way or another. And that's the best way to do it. So set your heart to something, be bold, like, go out of the way, try something new. You got four years to mess around and figure it out, so might as well give it a shot, especially while you're young.
- [09:26]
Cece Guarnuccio
Exactly. Clubs are the time to pursue your passions outside of the classroom and just really get to know more of the Notre Dame community. Because I've met Ryan through my outside activities and you just really meet amazing people that you might not have otherwise had the chance to get to know. So, Ryan, one final question for you. It's a good staple of any Notre Dame student, and that is why Notre? Dame. What about Notre Dame made you want to come here and continue to come here now as a junior, three years in.
- [10:01]
Ryan Corey
Yeah, I mean, that's. That's a great question there. I kind of break it down into two parts, really, for me when I'm talking about this. And I. I'm a tour guide as well, like CC said, and this is kind of how we always end. Our tour is the grand finale. But I break it down to two parts. One, how I came to know Notre Dame. Both my parents went to Notre Dame. My sister just graduated. So it was kind of. It was kind of in the blood. The family bleeding golden blue, watching football with my dad for as young as I can remember. And that's, that's kind of how I came to know it, like learn what it was. But that's not why I came here. And I could attribute some of the learning about what Notre Dame is to the pre college programs. I did a couple summer programs before I came here, but end of the day, it really just gets back at this idea that, you know, Notre dame is top 10 across the board when it comes to every single aspect. I always break it down to five prongs. One, academics, top 20 institution. You're going to get fantastic job opportunities, but also fantastic experience with the freshers. Two, you know, it's Roman Catholic. That's a big part of my faith, especially, and I get to continue pursuing that at Notre Dame. Three, traditions. It's like, the way I put it, it's small enough of a school where everybody kind of knows the same traditions, same little niche things around campus, but big enough where you get to meet somebody new every week. What I mean by those little traditions is, like, if you ever see a bike unlocked, you don't steal that bike. You go put the bike in your nearest tree. Or if you're in south dining hall and someone drops a plastic cup, everybody in the whole dining hall applauds. It's things like that, just like little niche things that make the university what it is for athletics across the board. Like, baseball team was in the World Series. Women's basketball is now, what, a three seed or something in March Madness. So it's really cool. And, like, students get behind that. It really makes the experience great. And last but not least, I just cannot, like, Cece knows I can't emphasize this one enough, but the Notre Dame community, that Notre Dame family, one of the things I always like to say is the people on campus, they really make it what it is. It sounds so cheesy again, but it's the truth. And if you want an experience where you go to a great school, you get a lot of really good knowledge. But you not only learn from the, like, textbooks and lesson plans, you learn from the people around you in the classroom. You learn from walking down south quad and hearing somebody say something really stupid. But wait, that's a great idea. I want to look into that. That's why you go to Notre Dame, you know, and that's what we're all about. There's a famous quote by one of our former coaches that's, you know, you don't go to Notre Dame to learn something. You go to Notre Dame to be somebody, and that's kind of what we're all about. So that's my 2 cents on the YND right there.
- [12:19]
Cece Guarnuccio
Ryan wholeheartedly agree. For me, kind of similar experience. My older brother grew up wanting to come here. Came here originally. I did not want to Come to Notre Dame. I knew nothing about the school besides football. And if you've ever seen me at a football game, now I'm super excited. So you wouldn't believe it, but prior to my college experience, I did not like football. So I was like, I can get a great education anywhere else. Why would I come to Notre Dame? I, I thought it was just a football school. Then I did a pre college program and realized, wow, this is a lot more than just a football school or just a great school academically. It really is the people that make the place. It is the most humble group of people that I've ever met. I've never felt that I've ever been in a competitive environment while here. Yet they're off doing incredible things across the world, on campus, everywhere that you can imagine, and I want to help you do the same. So Notre Dame really is a place where they do seek to develop the entire person to really go out there and be a force for good. And it's been incredible to be a part of that experience and even help other people get to their goals and destinations as well. So, Ryan, that is all the time we have for today, but did you have any last words that you wanted to offer or even just a welcome home message to our new admits?
- [13:41]
Ryan Corey
Yeah, I mean, hey, you guys are making me feel old. The class of 2027. What the HEC. Congratulations to everybody who like, got accepted. Seriously consider Notre Dame and, you know, best. Best thing I can say is like, reach out to us students if you guys have any questions, like, we want to talk to you guys, we want to tell you guys about our experience and kind of what makes it special. So definitely consider Notre Dame. It's. It's. It's home. That's the only way to describe it. It's home.
- [14:07]
Cece Guarnuccio
Well, that's all the time that we have for today. Thank you so much, Ryan, for your time and thank you listeners for joining us today. Thank for another episode of College Bound. We hope this helps all of our new admitted students in their college discernment process. It's a challenging decision to make, but hopefully we will see you all on campus this fall. Come back next week for another insightful experience from a Notre Dame alum. And make sure to listen to all past seasons of College Bound on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you listen to your podcast. Congrats to the class of 2027 and welcome home. Go Irish.