<p>Hey guys Im having major problems deciding between cornell and notre dame (deadline's being tomorrow and all). what i want to do in college is environmental engineering/ environmental chemistry and hopefully eventually get an mba. now I love both campuses and their unique "feels" even though they seem like polar opposites sometimes. so I guess my determining factor might be which college would give their undergrads more hands-on opportunities and attention in the environmental fields, or really in general. one thing I really like about nd is how their showcase their students' research, but then idk if that would even be possible at cornell being larger with many grad students. But I dont want to judge on that alone. </p>
<p>so, does anyone have any experience with this? any advice at all really appreciated..</p>
<p>if u want to do research and lots of it, come to cornell. cornell is simply much better in that regard than notre dame in that and in the sciences in general. I just don’t think you can put Notre Dame on the same level in the sciences. Cornell is a research university. Notre Dame is not (although one can still find an excellent education there).</p>
<p>Nine years ago, I was in the same position you are, and similarly torn between Notre Dame and Cornell. As you say, they are polar opposites in some regards and there are a lot of appealing aspects of each school.</p>
<p>That said, because you’re interested in environmental sciences, I would say you absolutely have to go to Cornell. The exposure you will get in terms of faculty leadership on different issues, research opportunities, and the enthusiasm that your fellow students will have for the subject cannot be matched at Notre Dame. I’m pretty much convinced that Cornell is the best place to study environmental issues in the country.</p>
<p>Just peruse some of the environmentally-themed events that Cornell has had on campus in April alone:</p>
<p>I was a bit of a different case, interested in the social sciences. I think in that case there’s a bit more room for debate.</p>
<p>Socially, there will be some differences, especially in terms of the parietals and Cornell’s much more diffuse social scene. It’s also going to be a much much much much more diverse campus in Ithaca. But if you’re looking for a supportive Catholic community, you can definitely find one at Cornell:</p>
<p>What a difficult choice - as a grad from one (ND) and a parent of a current student at the other (Cornell) I know that both provide excellent educations and opportunities - it really depends on YOU taking the initiative to get involved at whatever school you choose. I have to agree with CayuagaRed - Cornell is pretty amazing in your areas of interest, offers a beautiful and diverse campus and has a wonderful Catholic community. Pray about it…Good luck with your decision today.</p>
<p>I was just at a research showcase at cornell on wednseday that was specifically for undergraduate research. As a UG at cornell, you will definitely have sufficient funds to research.</p>
<p>hspecs: Do you like it at Cornell? My S is going to be faced with the same decision (hopefully) and he is also interested in environmental science. Any info you can share would be appreciated!</p>
<p>I very much dislike ND. As an Indiana resident, you think I would be proud of such a strong university.</p>
<p>Quite the contrary.They are pretentious and big-headed. Their representatives ride the border between being obnoxious and just darn mean. I think that the air of elitism is strong there than it is at the Ivies!</p>
<p>That being said, there are many wonderful things about ND (i.e. campus, football, etc) and many of the students are fine young people. If you are Catholic, you can’t go wrong. You would have a fun four years there, but I would choose Cornell over it in an instant.</p>