Notre Dame Seniors-

With what you know now, what would you say to your freshman self?

Do you still remember the first day on campus as a student? Did you know where you would be today? While the past three and a half years have gone by quickly, you must have come away with unique memories, lessons, and perhaps both pleasant and unpleasant surprises—experiences you are excited to share with your freshman self.

The Sorin Scholars at the Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement (CUSE) would like to invite you to write a letter to your freshman self to win prizes.

Over this winter break, find some time to reflect and write a letter to your freshman self—on a topic of your choice! 30-40 of the best letters will be selected to be published in a book titled, “A Letter to My Freshman Self—What Notre Dame Seniors Say about Their College Experiences.” In addition, top entries will be awarded gift cards to the Notre Dame bookstores and be featured on the CUSE website.

Your letters can be joyful, reminiscent, reflective, serious, humorous, or even somewhat inappropriate within your discretion—we want you to be authentic. If you hesitate, these are the reasons why you should write and submit your letter:

• Constructively reflect upon your experiences at Notre Dame
• Share your advice and experiences with current freshmen, prospective students, parents, and other Notre Dame fans
• Leave your mark at Notre Dame by treasuring your memories in a book
• Be part of something big 

Deadline: January 31, 2016

Submission: Email both a Word document & a PDF document to sorinsch@nd.edu

Word Limit: No word limit, but we encourage you to try to keep your letters to 500-700 words.

Topic: Anything you choose—consider personal growth, lessons learned, professional development, moral dilemmas, social life, sports, and aspirations.

Confidentiality: You can choose to stay anonymous—if you wish, we won’t publish your name with your letter

Prompts to get you started: Ask yourself these questions: What did your freshman self do that makes you proud? What do you wish your freshman self had known? How have your aspirations and passions evolved? How has the past few years change you—emotionally, intellectually, socially, and morally? What is one significant experience you will never forget? What advice would you give to your freshman self about exploring academic interests, building relationships, and pursuing future dreams?

Should you have any questions, please contact senior Lily Kang at jkang5@nd.edu. We look forward to receiving your submissions!

Sincerely,

The CUSE Sorin Scholars