<p>Colgate was kind of like a safety/match school for me in terms of my college app process especially after I got into Notre Dame EA. Now I am making a really tough decision... For the money or for what I really love? In fact, I love both Colgate and ND. Colgate gave me a ridiculous $28,000 Grant considering like 65% of the student body pays full tuition. Notre Dame gave me about $13,200 which, I know blows. Well the thing is, in terms of what I am looking for in terms onf environment, food, campus, activities,---though different (i.e.- party vs. nonparty, preppy vs. not preppy), I am not so much worried about the lifestyle because I thought both were fairl equal.
As a financial matter, my parents do not mind to send me to either school, but obviously, one would be inclined to go for the money considering that these schools are similar in academic caliber. But in my case, I really really want to go to ND but I simply hope to not be in such a loan burden after my 4 years of college.</p>
<p>1.) As a student interested in premed and research and a thriving school spirit environment, which would you prefer? </p>
<p>2.) Since these are the only schools I got accepted to, can I write ND a letter and include my Colgate finaid award (which was based on need), so that ND can hopefully give me more money?</p>
<p>im in a very similar position..... ive applied to several universities n have been accepted to all them but one.. but i havent really heard from that university.... okok so here's the thing.... i'm pretty much down to notre dame n trinity university (yes! i know! big difference between the universities, i know how nd is MUCH, MUCH, MUCH BETTER). i dunno what i'll do... i got aid from both universities, but i got SO MUCH MORE from trinity..... the difference is $50,000 in the four years... so yeah i dont know! i know how notre dame is prolly better in the long run....however i dont know where i'd be HAPPIER.... yes im catholic n yes i dont drink alcohol so nd seems like the perfect match, but ehmm.... im not so sure. yeah i dont drink, but that doesn't mean i want to be surrounded by 10,000 other students who are always sober n there's never any fun or partying... n yeah im catholic, but am i ready to live somewhere that's EXTREMELY religious? im catholic, but not VERY religious.... i dunno if im ready for the environment. plus, nd seems soooo restrictive! i mean... ugh... i seriously dont know.... i would've thought this weekend wouldve been the best weekend ever bc once i was really IN LOVE with the universitiy but now i dont know...
on the other hand there's trinity which to ALL of u might seem like a piece of garbage, but hey.... what if there's where i really belong? i like comodity n freedom n right now im not only choosing where ill study, but where I'LL LIVE! in trinity... i get a suite, microwave, fridge, cable, tv, and whatnot.... a balcony with the san antonio skyline, and even a maid cleans the rooms and bathroom (yeah i get my own). i know this might seem a little shallow to all of u right now, but they're things which u need to think about bc after all ur living there.... anddd i prolly think acadamically speaking my grades would be better in trinity bc it's much easier than nd, n thus i guess it would look good when applying to grad school. but then again the big dilmma... what's better? graduation top from a good school, or graduation so-so from a top school? n san antonio is so much more appealing than south bend n i've got a whole bunch of friends going to texas n louisana..... yeah it's all so.... aghh i'm seriously very confused....
right now i probably sound like if im leaning more towards trinity, but i feel more like 50/50. notre dame is truly a dream... here i am... a salvadoran who'll be the first in his family to attend college... n from the 3,500 universities in the US i got accepted to the 18th!! out of 13,000 ppl who applied... i was one of the 3,000 who got accepted! AND im intl WITH SCHOLARSHIP which places me in one of the most competitive pools! n i got it... n my stats arent near perfect, but for some reason notre dame thought i was fit enough to be part of their 2006 freshman class! ive seen ppl with much better stats than mine get rejected from nd so here im thanking God he gave me this opportunity......
i prayed for months to God to get accepted to all of the universities i had applied to, but if only i had known it would've been better to get accepted to the ONE university which He knew i'd be the happiest n was truly meant to be in!
oh yeah and did i mention the pressure!!!! from school, friends, and family! everyone is expecting me to go to notre dame..... (except my parents... they're more like.. go wherever u want to go) but i know all the $$$$ will eventually become a burden! ANDDDD if i do turn down nd for trinity im POSITIVE that one day i'll wonder WHAT IF WOULD'VE CHOSEN NOTRE DAME?</p>
<p>wow fv920 was that message hard to read. As an English major, even though I started out and spent two years in the college of Science, my first inclination was to give up and stop reading. Mainly because one of my biggest "pet peeves" is the way the that the dratted AIM shorthand has invaded the way in which people communicate be it via email or other mediums. Then there is your use of ellipses...they are great if used sparingly to simulate a stream of consciousness flow for a posting. But like all good things, best if used sparingly.</p>
<p>Now then, I'll climb off my soap box and think on your question a little bit. In my mind, fighingirish this is a real tough decision. I applaud your willingness to write a letter to ND's financial aid and explain your situation. Do I think you'll meet with a lot of success, not really - simply because of the attitude that "we're Notre Dame." That and the fact that they have so many people who want to come every year. Now if you have legitimate arguments, I would tell you that nothing good ever comes if you're not afraid to wager. So nothing ventured, nothing lost, give it a whirl. Maybe you'll get lucky and be able to post a response about how I was wrong. </p>
<p>Now ND has the intangibles going for it. And as far as Pre-med programs go...well personally I've never been impressed by premeds. If you go back a couple of pages and read some of these threads, I've had some choice comments about premedical programs in general and what I've seen produced up here. Research opportunities are plentiful, you just have to pursue them, no one is going to beg you to work for them. But on average by 2nd semester sophomore year, or the summer between sophomore and junior year there is a large percentage of College of Science students engaged in research. </p>
<p>I'll post more when I think on this a little bit. I would caution you though. This is your decision, NO ONE else is capable of making it. Take anyone's posts with a grain of salt, if you make a decision based on what someone else tells you, without thinking critically for yourself, you'll likely end up unhappy.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice. Well for me, I want ND and my parents dont have so much problem with the money. Its just the matter of will going to ND give the better opportunity as a premed in the long run as opposed to Colgate or is it better to save up that money and worry later when I come down to medical school?</p>
<p>Do you really think the students at ND don't drink? have you ever met anyone who goes there? It may not make Playboy's list of party schools, but not all the kids there are going to be nuns and priests. If you go to ND because you don't want a school where people drink, you are going to be very unhappy.</p>
<p>no dude its not that, what I meant to say was that I do not mind living in both environments but basically, in the long run, will ND be the better place despite the fact that I may have to pay more money.</p>
<p>as to the drinking believe me not everyone up here does so...personally I have several good reasons for rarely doing so - one of which is the stuff turns my stomach if I have more than 2 beers in close proximity. Nevertheless, you'll find that a lot of people up here don' drink, or if they do it's not that heavy. That having been said there is a sizeable portion who exemplify "work hard, play very hard" but then again that often fades by senior year for some...not all.</p>
<p>I don't drink for one, for what it is worth. I am not sure if I can help too much because A. I am a psychology major and B. I am not familiar with Colgate (other than I love their toothpaste) but I actually like the pre-med program we have here from what I have heard from my friends. It is very challenging, no doubt about that, but isn't as cut-throat trying or as focused on trying to make you quit as some other programs. They also do very well in getting people into good med schools and I have many friends that have gone on to medical school. Take this all with a block of salt (not just a grain) because most of it is second-hand and just what I have been told but from that I do think that ND is a good place to be a pre-med. As for if it is worth it, it depends on how much the atmosphere is worth to you and how good Colgate is with pre-med, which I don't know. You said that the atmosphere is something that appeals to you, and if that is the case and this is where you will thrive best, then I probably would come here. </p>
<p>Lets be honest, it is A LOT OF MONEY but then again you are studying pre-med so as long as all goes well and you don't change your mind you will make A LOT OF MONEY someday. I had a nice scholarship at Creighton and leaving that behind when I transferred was tough, but I realized that this is something that you can only do once and also being from Notre Dame lasts a lifetime, the ND family doesn't end when you graduate. If it were me, I would go to the place where you will thrive the most both as a student and as a person. That being said, I do have over $100,000 in debt to my name so the process can be painful!</p>
<p>hey fightingirish01. Heck yes Notre Dame is worth all that money. definately go to Notre Dame. ND is a TOP school, so no matter what programs or courses you take, they will be competitive and rigorous compared to other colleges. Notre Dame is much more famous and well known than Colgate, even though colgate is an excellent school too. 2) you can try and show ND your colgate financial stuff, but i dont think it will help.</p>
<p>hey fv920. GO TO NOTRE DAME. i say that because i live in texas and i know a lot about trinity. Trinity is known in Texas and the South, but Notre Dame is world wide. Everyone knows about Notre Dame.
Just think about it: when you tell people you got into ND and then trinity, pay attention to how they react; people will look at you differently knowing that you were good enough that ND wanted you.</p>
<p>as for what everyones talking about about the drinking stuff: we as students go to college to study. thats it. you control the environment and the people you are with, so if you're against drinking, dont hang out with people who do.</p>
<p>guys, help me with my decision, please! Notre Dame or Johns Hopkins. I love ND, but i would play tennis for JHU and i love tennis. plus im doing medical, and both are really strong in the pre med stuff</p>
<p>I think it's unwise to base your decision solely on prestige. You need to go where you feel most comfortable. I'm in a similar position as you are, expect that I am deciding between UMich, Case-Western, and University of Dayton as a pre-med. UMich is the most prestigious, but also very expensive. I'm actually starting to lean more towards UD because it's much cheaper and med school is so expensive. I have a friend who was accpeted EA to University of Chicago and is ridiculously smart, but is likely going to Ohio University. People seem shocked when she tells them her decision, but she just says that she can learn anywhere. Don't decide to go to Notre Dame just because everyone's heard of it; go where you want to and forget about what others think. Afterall, this is your future, not theirs.</p>
<p>I agree that prestige shouldn't be the only consideration...but it is a consideration. In a lot of majors a ND degree is more valuable than other schools (in some careers, such as academia, where you went does matter). That being said, I do think that fit should be your primary consideration... you have to go where you are happy!</p>
<p>people at my school look at me differently now that they know i've been accepted to ND... and you know what, it feels good. maybe its me, maybe cuz im the middle child, but i feel like ive finally "become" someone and that everyone will take the time to say "whoa, did you know elizabeth got into notre dame!" and i thank notre dame for giving me that opportunity, of course i had to earn it, but still: ND ROCKS</p>
<p>I have heard some negative things about Colgate's premed program, though from a second-hand source. If you'd like, I can e-mail or pm you about it. </p>
<p>About which school to go to, ultimately, you are the one who has to live with the decision. Be sure you are the one making it and not your parents, friends, or random people on message boards! I hope you find a way to make Notre Dame work because I get the impression it is your dream school. Best of luck with the financial aid. Have you applied for any independent merit scholarships? Go to fastweb if you want to find some.</p>
<p>Well, Im not sure if this is a help in relation with the social envmt between Colgate and ND... the thing is Im not Catholic yet I have done most of my education since Kindergarten at a Catholic/Jesuit school. And well Colgate- the rich white preppy atmosphere-...I just recently graduated from a preppy rich boarding school and I enjoyed it as well. Things go both ways for me. I mean money is obviously the main card in this game, and I still want to go to ND because of the unbeatable ND family and congenial atmosphere...yet I am not sure if I am missing out on a lot if I choose to go to Colgate..</p>