<p>I'm trying to decide between ND and Cornell. I've been accepted to both. I would like to hear your comments on these two schools- positive and negative. Thanks.</p>
<p>is this a joke?</p>
<p>one thing if this was gtown vs cornell, but ND is in Indiani, a catholic university, that prides itself on football</p>
<p>take the ivy, and call it a day</p>
<p>in all seriousness, i don't see how someone would choose Notre Dame over Cornell, the opportunities amassed from Cornell will far exceed that from Notre Dame in the long run</p>
<p>Anyways....</p>
<p>Notre Dame is a pretty good university academically, although its academic reputation is overshadowed by its football reputation. What major are you planning to study at each school?</p>
<p>bball, I completely disagree. There is so much more to a college experience than just if one is an Ivy and another isn't. However, I don't even think your post is informed. First of all, Notre Dame is higher ranked than Georgetown is and is considered to be the premier Catholic university. Secondly, you don't even know what major the OP is looking at, so how can you compare the programs? You are making a blind assessment and it is obvious.</p>
<p>I will talk more about ND on the ND forum where you also posted, so I won't start that over here. One thing I do ask you to think about, as a college junior, is that there is a lot more to your education than just prestige and academics. I know several people who transferred out of Ivy's because while the academics were great, they just didn't fit. You have to find where you can fit, where you can grow. College really is an experience, it is more than just what is in the classroom (at least at Notre Dame). Perhaps it isn't like that at other places.</p>
<p>Even looking at prestige Cornell and ND are only separated by 5 spots on the US News list...that isn't all that much. Cornell is further than several Ivy's than it is from ND, just something to think about :). Sorry bball, I really don't mean to be rude about your post, but it just rubbed me the wrong way and I feel it inaccurately portrayed ND. ND is a great school that has more than just school, which some colleges just can't say. If you only want academics, maybe you go to Cornell. However, I would challenge take up any college's challenge about them providing a better college experience. Anyways, enough, more on this on our boards. I have to run and take a test but once you tell me about your major over there I will tell you more. Also, look at the other threads, I think they will help.</p>
<p>"there is a lot more to your education than just prestige and academics" ??? As far as prestige, I agree with you, but academics? C'mon on. Academics are a huge portion of your education. If they aren't you will eventually find yourself working for Asians or others who do value academics. </p>
<p>There is a good book, "Beer and Circus: How Big Time Sports is Crippling Undergraduate Education" that you should read.</p>
<p>Factors like pretige, selectivity, and US News rankings are by far not the most imortant things to consider when considering an undergraduate institution. To be frank, I have very little respect for the US News Rankings anyway.</p>
<p>However, there are factors to consider when comparing schools. The first should be educational quality and the undergraduate research opportunities you will have in your field of interest. One of the best things about Cornell is that they are good in so many different fields. Cornell also prides itself on undergraduate research potential.</p>
<p>I am a scientist/engineer. From that perspective I can tell you that Cornell will have more opportunities to develop your potential as a researcher. I do not know how is in the humanities, if that is your field.</p>
<p>I am biased towards looking at the academic and research quality of an institution. When making my own professional decisions, I generally do not think too hard about the social, religous, or athletic environments. What I can say, however, is that I attended Cornell and enjoyed the atmosphere immensly.</p>
<p>If you truly are conflicted on this choice, perhaps I can give you the Cornell perspective if you tell me your field of interest.</p>
<p>forgradadvice, thanks a lot for your input. I'm really facing a dilemma in my decision between these two schools. What would your advice be to someone who's considering majoring in Biology and possibly going into pre-med? thanks. All other comments are also welcome. I am thinking mainly about academics and where an edge could be attained after graduation in 4 years.</p>
<p>From an academic point of view, my opinion would be to go to Cornell. Cornell will give you the opportunity to perform research and EC's related to biology that will give your medical school applications an edge.</p>
<p>From a pre-med acadmic perspective, I don't think ND can compare to Cornell (in my opinion anyway)</p>
<p>hope this helps.</p>
<p>When you look at their graduate school acceptance rates, both are very strong and will get you where you want to go. Educational quality is very important, don't get me wrong, but I don't believe that the difference between the 13th and 18th ranked schools is as big as you guys are making it sound. </p>
<p>For those that criticize me for saying that academics aren't everything, let me preface this all by saying I am a transfer student. I know what a difference the other academic factors can make. Many of my friends went to very good academic institutions but were miserable. It isn't worth that, trust me, college is tough but it doesn't have to be hated! I am not saying that academics shouldn't be your top priority, it should be, but I think you are splitting hairs with these two schools and you should look more at where you fit in best and what feels right to you. What good is going to the higher ranked school if you in fact hate it?</p>
<p>dude...i live in Notre Dame's surrounding city of South Bend and I've grown up here being a huge ND football fan. I got into ND and Cornell, and I wouldn't even consider ND over Cornell...trust me on this one...pick CORNELL!!!! I mean it's got more prestige, a prettier campus (it literally reminded me OF ND, but nicer, cleaner and less Catholic) and better course selections. Plus ND is very restricted with all its rules and stuff, Cornell is a way more chill environment AND better academically. Pick the Ivy!</p>
<p>I am going back to my home because it isn't going well over here neither here or on another thread where I asked a honest question that pertains to my line of research, so it is best that I go before I post comments that may be viewed as rude.</p>
<p>However, I do ask you guys to consider what the person, not you, is looking for. The last poster said that he would choose Cornell in part because of the Catholic nature of ND, but how do you know that the OP is the same way? I just don't see how you can give advice without asking him (or her for that matter) for that information.</p>
<p>Regardless, Ahess, you know where to find me. I am just going to get out of Cornell's hair because I am ruffling too many feathers, including my own</p>
<p>I agree with your comments about Cornell and ND. I posted on a similar thread around a week ago that the med school acceptance rates of the two are similar and that the OP should go to the one they feel most comfortable at.</p>
<p>That said, you are pathetic. After two posts (the second of which is troll-like) you're going to run back to your precious ND board just because you ruffled some feathers? Gee, after having to dispel the suicide myth for the 10,000th time, I wonder why Cornell posters are so testy? And then to complain about the Cornell board on the ND board...what are you, 12 years old?</p>
<p>I will PM you so you can discuss this with me in private but I do feel that it is appropriate to warn others about this board because it isn't the same way at Brown, Amherst, and some of your peers. I just don't want others coming over and possibly making you guys hate ND, that isn't my intention and it was just a warning that I wasn't well received. It shows I am not trying to hide what I am doing over here, they can come and see, and I am genuine because they know me.</p>
<p>Just to cover the issue for all becuase several people have brought it up, my research concerns suicide but more specifically college suicide. I have done research on the effect grading has on suicidal ideation and if going to a grading scale like MIT switched to for freshman (pass/fail system) would help lower suicidal ideation for students. I have a copy of this paper that I could send to those who doubt. I also do research with Prof. McIntosh at the University of Indiana at South Bend on survivors of suicide and the guilt and grief they feel as a result of the suicide. I am going to be starting a honors thesis in the near future most likely about the stigma involved in suicide and the secrecy that surrounds it and if this is healthy or not. </p>
<p>I will post this information on the other thread as well but I want you to know that the other thread is of genuine interest to me and I didn't know another way of finding out the answer. It was not meant to troll.</p>
<p>Additionally, I posted an amendment to my OP on the ND board saying that the problem was due to a misunderstanding about my other question and its intent. I think we are all on the same page now, again if not get in touch with me as all of my contact info is accessable to you, but I think you just responded the way you should have assuming that it was a low blow and I freaked out because I thought you were awfully harsh to me for me just asking an honest question, if that makes sense. Sorry guys, just a misunderstanding.</p>
<p>I think Irish is correct in his analysis, that when faced with two institutions that are both well regarded academically, do not automatically pick the better ranked school. Instead, consider where you would best fit in, where you would like to live for 4 years, what school offers the campus life you envision. In sum, consider factors other than pure academics, and usually on CC, when people talk about a better school academically, they mean academics according to a magazine ranking system.</p>
<p>Well said odyssey.</p>
<p>I got into a number of very prestigious schools, including Notre Dame. Notre Dame is conincidentally the lowest ranked school that I got into. Yet, I am going there without hesitation. Why? Because it is the perfect fit for me, a Liberal Arts student who happens to be Catholic and who happens to love sports.</p>
<p>Different schools have vastly different conceptions of fun. I'm sure that, at Cornell, football is just not that big a deal, whereas at Notre Dame it is LIFE. On the other side of the coin, I'm certain that Cornell has a number of traditions that are completely irrelevant and meaningless to Notre Dame.</p>
<p>AHess, I would recommend that at this point you attend the school that your heart resonates with. At this point, rankings and prestige are meaningless: both Cornell and Notre Dame are virtually identical in these. (Cornell may have more "prestige", but Notre Dame's alumni probably more active and more willing to help Notre Dame grads.) In terms of diversity, if that's your thing, Cornell is obviously more diverse. If you're not Catholic, Notre Dame (which is an explicitly Catholic institution) is probably not your place either. </p>
<p>My personal recommendation would rely on more information, AHess. I would need to know your religion, your possible major, and your general cultural interests. No school has black and white positives and negatives; Notre Dame's football, the pride of the school, would be a canker on a campus such as Swarthmore or Cal Tech. </p>
<p>You're probably wondering why I chose Notre Dame, the lowest ranking school according to US News of the schools I was accepted at. To put it simply, Notre Dame is a one of a kind institution. There is literally NO school like Notre Dame; can you name me one other school with a single-sex hall system, great academics AND stellar Division I athletics, a school in the middle of NOWHERE that still is a dream school, a school with an explicit Catholic identity, a school which is still 80% caucasian, a school where alumni as old as 90 still return for each and every home football game? In this category, there is no comparison between Notre Dame and Cornell. Cornell is a stellar institution, do not get me wrong, but it does not have an IDENTITY like Notre Dame does.</p>
<p>What I'm trying to say is this: instead of Notre Dame, I could have decided among schools such as Chicago, Northwestern, Wash U in St. Louis, Johns Hopkins, and Cornell. I chose Notre Dame because the unique IDENTITY of the school grabbed onto me and never let go. Notre Dame is the type of place that you will either love or hate. Take it from me: if you don't like football, if you don't like homogeneity, if you don't like Catholicism, STAY FAR AWAY from Notre Dame and head to Cornell. Even if you like any of the above things, don't discount Cornell; it is still a fabulous institution.</p>
<p>AHess, the very fact that you were accepted at both schools shows your personal and academic talent. Congratulations. Visit both schools and go where your heart lies; rankings are virtually commensurate. </p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>AHess, I have found the following site very useful. You might to spend some time getting some more information from there to help you make a better decision.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.studentsreview.com/%5B/url%5D">http://www.studentsreview.com/</a></p>
<p>that is a very helpful website (if you look carefully you will be able to see my review of Notre Dame). Just remember that, good or bad, everyone posting there is posting because they feel strongly about the school and it may not be a representative sample. For instance, Creighton's profile says that more than 50% would not go there again and I guarantee that is not the case. That being said, it is a great place to get some honest opinions about the way things are.</p>