Is it better to attend a highly ranked college (Notre Dame) and be a regular, non-honors student or attend a so-so college (Miami University in Oxford Ohio) and be one of the top students?
Some of the things I’m looking at are smaller class sizes and academic support/guidance. At ND, a regular class size could range from 40-150 students. However at Miami I was one of the few who was selected to be a Stamps Scholar, which includes a full ride and $10,000 stipend along with other great benefits. As part of the honors program, the class sizes will be very small as well.
Should I attend ND as a non honors student, or attend Miami as one of their top students?
IMHO, it depends on your financial situation. If $60K a year is nothing for you and your family then the extra cache of Notre Dame is worthwhile. If it will be any sort of financial burden to you or your family then I’d go with Miami. You can get a great education at either place and future employers will respect your getting a full ride.
I’d say Miami if you have plans for graduate school, but really it means little without knowing ranking and course quality of major, family finances, etc.
Miami is a good school and can get you where you want to go. The D of one poster on CC went to Miami and on to Med School. Will your family have difficulty paying for ND? Do you want to go beyond a Bachelors?
I agree with @Wien2NC Both schools are very well regarded. Winning the Stamps is a major achievement that will likely translate into a lot of opportunities for personalized mentoring, research opportunities, etc. and a peak intellectual experience. If you have aspirations for medical/professional/graduate school at a later date, the savings would be considerable.
If you were comparing directional state U with Yale, I might have a different response.
Miami is comfortably within the top 100 universities in the nation. Go for it!
Are you full-pay at Notre Dame? If so, I don’t see how you can turn down Miami. If you’re getting a significant discount off the sticker price at ND, then maybe you have a decision on your hands.
completely agree with @Troyus If money is a non-issue, I’d go to ND, if the cost of ND will create hardship, loans then take the free ride to Miami Ohio.
ASKING the question, since I am trying to sort out for next year. I do not know either school well and K2 will not apply to ND because of the Catholic Vibe but we could substitute any other top school for ND. While I understand saying ND if the other scholarship was need but it is full ride merit. Doesn’t the prestige of the Stamps get you most of the way and then the free ride gets you the rest?
Assuming OP could afford ND but not comfortably, but no loans, for those who said ND, why?
To OP, some of that scholarship will be taxable income to you, something to figure out as to amount.
ND is recognized as one of the very top schools in the country whereas UMO has neither the reputation nor the name recognition. These things do matter if you want to reach the top of a profession. That said, if OP could afford ND but “not comfortably” I’d recommend UMO. Only if money really is no object would I suggest ND.
Either school is perfectly fine. A full ride + should not be denied for trivial reasons. I think you need a reality check if you consider Miami a “meh” school.
What would your major be?
What is the cost of ND for your parents and what was their budget?
Do you plan to go for the PHD, or to law school/med school? Or what would your optimal professions be?
@Troyus there is no UMO. It’s University of Miami and people add the Ohio because that other school (which was founded 100 years later) has a football team that was good at one time. Name reputation of a school does not matter for the vast majority of occupations/professions.
Thanks everyone for the advice! I’m sorry if I’ve offended anyone about calling Miami a “meh” school; I will admit I have a slight bias for ND. I plan to double major in history and statistics, so the name recognition of ND would be a plus. However studying abroad is something I would like to do, and the stipend from Miami would go a long way.
As for the financial aspect, I have other siblings who are going into college and Notre Dame offered a reasonable financial aid package. My parents are willing to pay for whatever school will make me the happiest. It would be a little bit of a burden for my family, but not extensively so. However if I chose to go on to grad school, I will be the one paying.
Miami is not a so-so school. It’s a great university, was one of the original named “Public Ivys” in that book. It’s a really great place to go, and I think a full ride there is a better choice than full pay at Notre Dame under most circumstances.