<p>ND all the way...no contest!</p>
<p>Georgetown all the way. Great location, both for access to internships and for social life.<br>
A more adult atmosphere in terms of student options and responsibility. A more ecumenical orientation in fundamental outlook: G'town was <em>founded</em> to be a religously diverse institution and there are items like an active Hillel and a Muslim chaplain that attest to an actively diverse outlook.</p>
<p>I have a different major (international politics, perfect for Georgetown)...but I liked Georgetown because practical experience is so important, and there is no better place than DC for that. My interviewer spent his summers as a Congressional intern (and got a paper published in the congressional newsletter), my admissions ambassador was only a Junior and was working at the World Bank! Even Freshmen get internships that are the envy of other college students!</p>
<p>I would never consider ND because I'm not Catholic (and I don't want to put myself through being that great of a minority), Georgetown has a great international population which I always enjoy meeting people from other countries. </p>
<p>Plus, it's got people like Madeleine Albright and George Tenet, among other brilliant and amazing people- a focused curriculum and of course, DC is a good place to SURROUND yourself in all things Government and political.</p>
<p>I go to Georgetown, and obviously i say go to Georgetown University in the District of Columbia!!!
I contemplated applying to ND, but didn't for various reasons(and it was a way from my home in Long Island, NY).<br>
If you want to base your decision on religion, go to ND. It has a stronger Catholic experience, and, at least in my view, a more conservative Catholic population(in my own words "Catholics that actually practice what the Church teaches, not what they want it to teach"). However, Georgetown does have a Catholic presence. There are various Masses on Sundays, as well as daily Mass. Georgetown is an extremely accepting school, as that is the principle that it was founded on. You will find Buddhist prayer/meditation sessions, the Jewish Student Association, Muslim prayer services, Hindu prayer services, and various Protestant services. The Orthodox Christian association also hosts weekly Vespers on Tuesday evenings. Of course, if you want a more conservative Catholic experience, hop on the Metro and go to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. I've been there twice just b/c I felt like going, and it was AMAZING. This is a unique experience that you won't find ANYWHERE else in the US. The National Cathedral is also a short bus ride(or a 20 minute walk if you feel like it) from campus. St. Nicholas Cathedral(Orthodox Church in America) and a Greek Orthodox Cathedral are also a short bus ride or 15-20 minute walk from campus. I've been to Divine Liturgy at St. Nick's(I'm interested in learning about various religions). So, going to Georgetown allows you to experience many religious traditions that you wouldn't normally experience.</p>
<p>Recruitment at Gtown is amazing, from what I've heard, especially in business. Although the B-school isn't ranked at the top, Gtown is known for its students frequently being recruited by top investment banking companies. It's similar for other areas.</p>
<p>The government department is great, from what I've heard. Being in DC opens you up to SO much. Never does a week pass without an undergrad wide email being sent about the internship opportunities available in DC for students. Joining College Dems or Republicans also opens doors to you in the areas of government and poli sci. </p>
<p>Campus life is also amazing. There are always tables in Red Square, and people handing out flyers while you try to run to your class. Georgetown's strength is that most people are involved in at least one campus/community activity. I've spent A LOT of money going to the events of people on my floor,lol, and it was all worth it. They go to mine as well(i'm in the symphony orchestra). When you walk through Red Square, don't forget to look down, as some group must have chalked something on the ground. In relation to parties, there are always a few parties every day, and the major ones start on Thursday nights. However, no one will force you to drink or do what you don't want to do. For instance, a group of us went to a hookah bar, and I said I didn't want to smoke, but I wanted to come just to see what it actually was, and no one said anything negative. It's just the fact that we all went out to just hang out. </p>
<p>I find the student body to be much more accepting and familial than I thought it would be. People love to help each other out at Gtown. When people are drunk, someone will always help their friends out. Even if it's just by calling GERMS(Georgetown Emergency Response Medical Service), they know what to do in certain situations. GERMS is the epitomy of this concept, as its philosophy is Students Helping Students. I remember going to the vending machines late one night on the first floor of my dorm, and a group of ppl that were at a party came back in, and one girl had a little bruise(for whatever reason,lol). One guy went up to his dorm and got some creams, etc, and her friends comforted her. I would say that the majority of Gtown students are like this. People are more approachable than they seem. Also, since it's not a large school, you'll always find people waving to their friends on their way to their classes, the dining halls, etc.</p>
<p>New Student Orientation was an amazing four days. We had Casino Night, where they converted the Leo's Dining Hall into a casino w/ real casino games and ppl could win prizes like an iPod, dvd player, etc. Here's a list of other events we had:
-President's Cookout
-Welcome Aboard(a huge pep rally, then you had dinner w/ your orientation group)
-Welcome Mass
-Convocation(complete w/ black graduation robes(yes I felt like harry potter,lol))
-"Island" themed dinner
-Hoyas Photo(the entire freshman class and transfers put on our NSO t-shirts and spelled HOYAS on Harbin Field w/ candles in hand(it was at night))
-Captain of Comedy Mike Birbiglia(he went to Gtown, and he was pretty funny)
-A Cappella Lunch
-The O-Show(put on by the Mask and Bauble Dramatic Society, it introduced us to the various theater groups on campus and some productions this year)
-Pluralism in Action(basically a performance about diversity. This year, they read from the actual applications of incoming students, so we could discover the characteristics about our peers. Then we got into our orientation groups and discussed)
-various Open houses
-the final pep rally, w/ the cheerleaders and band, and they showed the NSO video(they taped the events of the orientation week).
-Mass of the Holy Spirit(beginning the new year. It was on Healy Lawn).
-Hypnotist John Cerbone</p>
<p>continued...(lol, sorry if it's long)</p>
<p>Then we had the most unique event. The Big Hunt. It was basically an all-freshman scavenger hunt throughout DC(and by DC i don't mean the Georgetown area, I mean the WHOLE city,lol). We got free t-shirts, and ran around DC trying to figure out the questions that were given to us in a booklet. If we found big hunt Leaders, they gave us a sticker that gave us more points. We went to GWU(ugh...lol, j/k), the Kennedy Center, the Lincoln Memorial, the Smithsonian, and so many other monuments I can't even remember them,lol. The teams with the most points won various prizes.</p>
<p>So, if you want to focus on government, have an AMAZING first year experience, have great connections, gain internships in DC in the first few months that you set foot on campus, have a great city at your disposal, have an active campus community with a familial atmosphere, go to Georgetown. ND is good, but it can't compare to what Georgetown can offer, especially for you(and the key is for YOU. as you may notice from my name, I'm applying to Penn for transfer, but that's b/c it focuses more on what I want to do than Georgetown does. If Gtown had what I wanted, i would GLADLY stay, and I know it'll definitely be extremely hard for me to leave in May. However, for goverment, ND and Penn can't beat Gtown).</p>
<p>Good luck w/ your decision, and make the right one. Go to Georgetown University in the District of Columbia!</p>
<p>pennhopeful> YOU JUST MADE ME SOOOOOOOOO EXCITED TO GO TO GU IN AUGUST!</p>
<p>hoya saxa!</p>
<p>cool! There is SO much that I left out, and SO much you'll experience within your first few days setting foot on the Hilltop. I vividly remember the first day. I had been to Gtown before for the summer college before my senior year, so I wasn't AS nervous as I would've been. Then we drove down 37th street, and we passed the front gates, and there were balloons everywhere, and tons of people walking around, people with orientation shirts on, etc. We had to drive around to the southwest entrance, and we unpacked in the garage. People would take my things up to the dorm while I got my keys. I was so excited, and nervous of course, as I didn't know anyone, except my roommate and a few people I met here on CC. That's another thing for the original poster and you: Georgetown has a new residential concept that isn't found at most schools, and I think is unique among the top colleges. It's called CHARMS-Campus Housing Roommate Matching System. Basically, it was some sort of forum where you could chat with other incoming freshman. You could talk about your interests, etc., and narrow your search by inputing criteria. Then, you both could choose to accept each other as roommates. So basically, you could find your roommate without ever meeting them, instead of having a computer choose it! Now, granted, if you choose to be in a special housing program, you can't do CHARMS. I'm in Living Well, and I couldn't, however it worked out WELL. My floor is SO amazing. A little less than half are Living Well(meaning that you agree not to use alcohol and other substances on and off campus. of course, there are the people that were forced to do this by their parents and break it. I chose to do it), so we have a great, vibrant little community.</p>
<p>It's great being in a great city too. The metro is great, contrary to what others might say. It's one of the best subway systems in the country. With its long escalators, flashing lights, etc., it's more modern than various other systems. Although Georgetown doesn't have its own metro stop, there are shuttle buses that run to the Rosslyn and Dupont Circle metro stations Monday to Saturday. On Sundays, you can take the 15-20minute walk to Rosslyn across the bridge(with a beautiful view of Georgetown and the Potomac river.). The Georgetown Park Mall is on M Street, and it's ok, not the best. It doesn't have a lot of clothing stores if that's what you want, but that's all on M and Wisconsin anyway. If you want a larger mall, take the metro to Pentagon City. Clarendon(also reached by metro) has a little mall with a Barnes and Noble and an Apple Store(if you have apple products(i suggest you have an iPod as you'll get annoyed by the people that walk around w/ their iPods everyday,lol. I have one now,haha)it's convenient, as many schools don't have Apple Stores nearby).</p>
<p>Halloween also is amazing at Georgetown. So many people got dressed up. It was MADNESS on M and Wisconsin. A group of us had gone to dinner and movies, and when we were walking back, it was literally CRAZY out there. The police was everywhere, and they had the bar things to keep people on the sidewalks. It was cool. </p>
<p>Then during Homecoming Weekend, there were many events, and all the alumni came back.</p>
<p>It's so cool walking by White Gravenor, Healy and Copley when a tour is going by or if someone wants directions. I won't lie, I try not to smile when I see a large tour of prospective applicants, and they look at you and other students rushing off to where they need to be, or just talking, etc. You start to really appreciate what you do, where you go, and what you can accomplish with the resources at your hands.</p>
<p>And remember, the great events don't end after september. The President of Nigeria came to campus. Madeline Albright spoke. The author of the book we had to read gave a speech. Prime Minister Aznar came to campus. The Archbishop of DC came. Kerry came last year. Clinton makes regular appearances(he's been on campus every year for a while, so i've heard). So many other people have been here that I can't even remember. We've had the College Ball/Casino Night(different from the one during orientation). SFS has the Diplomatic Ball. Each floor plans various floor activities. My dorm had a dorm wide christmas decorating contest. For homecoming, each dorm made a banner. There was the Performing Arts Gala, that showcased the various performing arts groups. There was Rangila, a South Asian dance performance(search The Hoya for it). It was sold out within an HOUR of tickets being released(probably less). I heard it was AMAZING(sigh, didn't get tickets). </p>
<p>I could go on and on. And I've only been at Gtown for a little more than 4 months. Even though I'm most likely leaving for academic reasons, I will NEVER forget everything I experienced on the Hilltop. There really shouldn't be any deliberation when deciding b/w ND and Gtown. Though ND is ranked higher according to US News(and I really believe that that ranking is flawed. And of course, prestige wise, Gtown has a much better reputation, and most regard it as among the Ivies), Gtown offers a better overall experience. ND might have more alumni or more school spirit and better sports, but Gtown offers everything. </p>
<p>HOYA SAXA!</p>
<p>GU no doubt. ND is the most overrated school in the nation. Their academics are subpar...academically and prestige-wise GU takes it. This in turn leads to better recruiting. Although ND grads recruit at ND they are the middle managers while people from a school like GU are those people's bosses. GU has excellent recruiting especially if you want to do govt/poli sci, etc. GU is a powerhouse in this field (comparable to JHU, Tufts in this area). ND is not known for any programs in particular other than football (lol). Also the most elite law firms, i-banks, etc recruit solely from ivys, lacs, stanford, duke, GU, mich, berkeley, etc. Not from ND. </p>
<p>GU hands down, unless you're a football player.</p>
<p>"ND is not known for any programs in particular other than football (lol)."</p>
<p>haha,LOL. For some reason I really did laugh out loud. So true, so true.</p>
<p>Hello everyone, I am the original poster. Wow, the ND bashing has become way too much. Quotes like ND grads are middle managers while Gtown grads are their bosses are ridiculous. I think there might be a slight east coast bias on this forum. I've talked to some of my parents friends, some of which are incredibly wealthy, and they say that in Chicago, a ND diploma is valued much higher than a Gtown one. What I've discovered after talking to a lot of people around here is that most people view Gtown as vastly overrated. I guess in the Midwest, ND wins in prestige...</p>
<p>To "theDad": Why do you say that Gtown offers a more "adult atmosphere." Also, no offense, but the whole diversity thing isn't really my style. So, ND being very homogenous is a plus.</p>
<p>After reading all of these posts, I think I'm going to chose ND over Gtown...</p>
<p>um, seeing as how ND is in the midwest, obviously it will have more prestige than in other areas of the world. Georgetown has international prestige. Also, most people(and you can search these boards as well) view Georgetown as underrated. If you are interested in government and political science, then ND cannot beat Georgetown. Georgetown is known for its strength in these areas, as well as international politics, international relations, etc. It also has the benefit of being in the capital of our country. You will have access to resources and internships that you won't find at ND. I got an email from a NY congressman or some other person working in the goverment looking for an NYer as an intern. We get many of these emails monthly. You will be able to listen to dozens of people from around the world speak on campus, and this is something that won't be found at most colleges. I'm looking at some of my old emails, and this is what I see:
-"Pacem in Terris - Dr. Miroslav Volf of Yale Divinity School to Speak on Campus"
-"<em>Jesuit from Rome to Speak on the Future Challenges of Catholicism"
-"</em>REMINDER: Prominent Catholic Layman to Deliver Address and Receive Honorary Degree"
-"<em>DAVID HOROWITZ TO SPEAK ON LIBERAL BIAS TONIGHT!"(College Republicans)
-"</em>Lecture Fund Presents Al Gore-Ticket Information"(completely forgot about that one above! Sold out in minutes. Police everywhere, secret service, etc.)
-"Pacem in Terris - Dr. Paul Farmer, Global Health Care Advocate for the Poor, to Speak on Campus"</p>
<p>The list goes on and on. Many of our lectures are on CSPAN, so seeing a television crew, reporters, etc. on campus doesn't surprise anyone anymore.</p>
<p>So, in relation to what you want to do(Goverment/political science), nothing can beat Georgetown. However, if ND is calling to you more, then of course you should go there.</p>
<p>lets just put it this way...when have you ever heard someone say ND has the best program in __________? Personally I've never. While I've heard many people talk about Gtown and it's top programs. Especially in govt/politics/etc!!!! They are a govt/politics powerhouse, no other school is so highly regarded in this field. </p>
<p>ND has a more highly ranked business program than Gtown. But what is funny about this is that the elite ibanks and consulting firms will hire someone from Gtown more readily than they would hire someone from ND. I-banks and consulting firms recruit at ivys, lacs, and other highly prestigious schools because they produce the highest caliber students. So even though ND's program might be higher ranked Gtown has better recruiting - in the eyes of corporate recruiters Gtown students are of a higher caliber than ND students.</p>
<p>Torn, "more adult" = an administration that isn't nearly so paternalistic in attitude towards its students.</p>
<p>However, if "diversity isn't your thing", there apparently is quite a demand in this country for people who have grown up and gone to school in an insulated bubble. I just pray that you will not become one of the people who makes decisons affecting the rest of us.</p>
<p>TheDad, I kind of like the paternalistic attitude of the administration. It helps create a family atmosphere that I get, and this feeling I think is unique to ND. TheDad, I do wish to go into politics, and I would be much more comforted if there were people like me making the decisions. What this country needs is people who are capable of seeing Bush's insanity, but also able to see that Ed Kennedy, Kerry, and Dean are morons. I'm pretty much decided, even if I do get accepted to Yale, I think I'm going to chose ND. The college experience there seems to be unbelievable.</p>
<p>Pennhopeful, your posts about Georgetown were among the most informative on CC! My D got accepted EA, and got very excited reading what you wrote. Thanks so much for posting! By the way, what program is taking to away from GU to Penn?</p>
<p>Torn, it really sounds like you've made up your mind. Have fun at ND, and congrats!</p>
<p>Torn, my two top choices are Georgetown and Notre Dame as well, I am a white Catholic female from an upper middle class family. I have been on an overnight stay to Notre Dame, it was AMAZING. I consider myself CONSERVATIVE and religous (not like church everyday, but I go every Sunday mostly), the "homy" enviroment at Notre Dame is ineffable. I cant say the same for Georgetown, I have never been on an overnight stay. It is a tough decision. If i get into both schools, I have NO idea where i would pick. I applied RD to both, and both are my TOP choices. Same type of interest, poly sci. I think Notre Dame is the better choice for both of us, Georgetown does not have the same "enviroment" as Notre Dame, and I have NEVER heard one bad thing about ND from a current or past student. Good luck with your decision, I look forward to hearing from you. And who knows maybe we will end up at the same school and I will see you at orientation HAHA.</p>