Choosing to attend a school without having visited

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I was just recently accepted to the University of Notre Dame from its waitlist, and I have been given until Wednesday, June 4 to decide whether I will be attending. Because I am graduating on Sunday, and will probably not hear from their financial services department regarding aid until Monday or Tuesday, I do not think I will be able to visit in time to make a decision. I didn't visit ND during my college search because I did not think I would get in, but obviously that was a mistake and there's nothing I can do about it now. </p>

<p>To meet the May 1st deadline, I enrolled at Villanova University and was invited into its honors program. Though I wasn't really thrilled with my prospects and with where I was going, I had accepted it and moved on, and was anticipating attending there in the fall. I received a little over $17k in merit+need-based grants from Villanova, with also the option for a loan and work-study which was satisfactory. If Notre Dame gives me aid in the same ballpark, which I think it will, then finances will not be a factor in my decision. If I get less than ~$15k from ND, I would probably be able to safely choose Villanova without any big regrets. However, if I do get equal or more aid from ND, this might prove to be a very difficult decision.</p>

<p>On my college list, ND was near the top and Villanova was near the bottom. I think on paper, both schools are a very good match for me. I am Catholic, conservative, and white. I play the alto sax and have been very active in my high school band. Both have great athletics which are essential to a good band experience, though I think Notre Dame would definitely have the edge in both the athletic and band departments. Even with the honors program at Villanova, I think that Notre Dame's academics would also have the edge, especially because I will be studying liberal arts (political science, theology, English, Spanish language, etc.) and Villanova is really brought up by its business and engineering schools but is not so much known for its liberal arts. </p>

<p>Visiting Notre Dame would probably "seal the deal" and allow me to make a decision without any "what-ifs" left, but are there any reservations I should have about enrolling without a visit? I obviously can't get a real "feel" for the school without first going there. I have heard that the South Bend area is not a very nice place, but the proximity to Chicago is fine for me. From the pictures I've seen, the campus is really nice, though. </p>

<p>All thoughts appreciated!</p>

2

<p>If it helps any, when I visited Notre Dame the campus was <em>beautiful</em>. And I think like many prestigious schools in sketchy areas (Duke, UPenn, Columbia, etc.) the campus security is good, so there's no need to really worry about being attacked. </p>

<p>Personally, I would choose Notre Dame. If you want to concentrate on liberal arts and ND offers the stronger programs, it seems like an easy answer for me.</p>

3

<p>Years ago I attended University of Maryland without visiting it. It's a huge school and I had no clue if I was going to like it but I did! Sometimes you just have to jump in and work it even if the campus holds surprises you didn't know about - it is up to you whether you sink or swim. Go for Notre Dame!</p>

4

<p>You sound like a perfect fit for Notre Dame. Even though it's big, it has such a close-knit community, both within the dorms and university-wide. I doubt that you will regret taking ND's offer.</p>

5

<p>ND!!! I'm from here and have lived here my whole life (except 2003-2007 when I went to school at IU). It isn't unsafe by any means (trust me, I live like 5 miles NE from the university, in Mishawaka). Most people when they visit South Bend, come to see ND, and have to drive through downtown to get there from the airport (on the west side), and I can totally understand why people would say that the area isn't nice. But I'm from the northern part and much of that part is relatively new (most businesses have been built w/in the past 10 years, these all being about 10 min from ND).</p>

<p>Also, a lot of excitement is generated by the ND band, and if you are looking to participate in a college band, I would definitely go to ND.</p>

<p>Here is a CC link featuring other prospective students' views of ND: <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/visits/university-of-notre-dame%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/visits/university-of-notre-dame&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>I hope this helps you in your decision! Best of luck to you!</p>

6

<p>Awesome, thanks for your reassurance! I think this decision won't be as difficult as I initially thought. I can't wait to go to ND!</p>

7

<p>Well... I know its a little late to comment, but I think attending without a visit is too scary. Personally, I visited ND and although it was absolutely beautiful, I did NOT like it. It was way too suburban and boring for me. I hated it (but then again, thats why there's only 2-3 schools I think are good fits for me)</p>