Is it worth it to go to Notre Dame for engineering?

College Search & Selection
1

Hey guys,
I’ve been hot and heavy into the college application process as my junior year is coming to an end, and I’m beginning to have some doubts. At this point, my top 5 colleges are

  1. Notre Dame
  2. Georgia Tech
  3. Purdue
  4. Vanderbilt
  5. Missouri S&T
    I plan on majoring in Chemical Engineering. I’ve known for a while now that Notre Dame is nowhere near the top in Engineering (49th according to US News) but have put it at the top of my list because of its Catholic center, diverse student body, Division I sports, and strong academic program. It is a steep price tag ($62k once room and board are accounted for) and I will not be going there unless I can get somewhere close to a full ride, which only seems to be possible if I get the Sharp Leadership Scholarship. Like I mentioned above, though, I’m begginijg to doubt my decision to focus on Notre Dame. For such a hefty price, it doesn’t seem to give back in its engineering program. Bottom line question is: Is it worth it to go to Notre Dame if I want a school that’s going to give me one of the best educations possible while also giving one of the best college experiences (sans partying)? If not, what are some other suggestions for a school that might “fit” me more? (Please refrain from anything that doesn’t offer some way of receiving substantial merit-based aid [ergo, no Ivy League]).

Some things that may help your answer:
•I have no hope of getting financial aid unless I can claim independence, which, from the requirements to do so, doesn’t look likely.
•I have the academic creditials: I have a 4.0 unweighted, 4.5 weighted GPA, a tough class schedule, 34 on my ACT, 218 on my PSAT (which should qualify me for National Merit Semifinalist in Tenessee), good class rank (3rd in a class of 505), a few state titles (State Science Champion at 2014 Beta Convention, repeated regional and 2014 All-State Musician), club involvement (band, Knowledge Bowl, Science Olympiad, piano, multiple honor societies), and a decent amount of service (somewhere near 100 hours). The only thing I don’t have a ton of is leadership. Right now, my only leadership creditial has been section leader in band.
•I am Catholic and consider it an important part of my college experience to have a faith-grounded school
•I’m looking for a larger college. Nothing liberal arts, preferably Division I athletics, and something that gives the “college experience” (good campus atmosphere, good college town, diverse student body) but, again, with minimal partying.
If there’s something else you guys want to know, so long as it isn’t my social security number, address, or anything of that sort, that might help you give a better answer, let me know! I just want some guidance!
Thanks!

2

Apply first. Right now, you have no decision to make as you haven’t gotten in anywhere yet.

3

You won’t be independent. Look at the University of Dayton. They have a good relationship with the Air Force Research Labs for internships. They also have assured merit aid (last I saw).

4

If money is a concern, and you wish to major in Chemical Engineering, check out the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

5

You won’t be independent.

Are you saying that your parents won’t pay anything??? or how much will they pay? This will make a huge difference.

You’ll get HOPE for a Tenn state school, so maybe your parents are expecting you to take advantage or that or another big merit school???


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Bottom line question is: Is it worth it to go to Notre Dame if I want a school that's going to give me one of the best educations possible while also giving one of the best college experiences (sans partying)?

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What is the “sans partying”??? Do you think that ND doesn’t have parties??? Yes, it does. Virtually all schools (especially big Div I schools) have lots of parties.

That said, at many/most schools, the eng’g students are less “partyers” and are usually more serious students.

Until we know how much your parents will pay, it’s hard to help you. Even a full tuition merit award won’t be enough if parents won’t pay anything.

6

Ryan, I am a current senior in high school and have gone through the admissions process for most of those schools that you’re looking at.

My situation is pretty similar to yours actually. I love my Catholic faith and want to go to a school where I’d still be able to be involved with it. I live in GA and am planning on majoring in computer engineering. So far I’ve been denied from Vanderbilt (Early Decision) and WashU. However, I was admitted EA to Georgia Tech but I’m still waiting on Notre Dame’s decision. Considering you’re a junior, you’ve got lots of time still to get things figured out. Some things to note though, things that I would say would help a lot:

Visit both schools, and ask especially about a Catholic center on campus. With Notre Dame, that won’t be a problem lol but with Georgia Tech and Purdue I would inquire and see if you can find any current students to give you some input about their experiences as well. I know I was surprised to see that Georgia Tech had an amazing Catholic center, with mass every day and the opportunity to go on retreats and get involved in service projects. To me, this was something I hadn’t even thought about, since Tech is a public university here I didn’t expect it to have an involved Catholic group. So, keep an open mind about at each school and you’ll be surprised what you find.

So now, as I eagerly await a decision from Notre Dame, GT is looking like a pretty great option, considering I can get full tuition paid on a scholarship, and the fact that schools with a similar tier of Notre Dame have denied me, it may be where I end up. But for the time being right now, I’m praying a whole lot about it. But for you, your credentials are already ALOT better than mine so I don’t think getting accepted will be a big issue for you. The schools on your list are selective though, so don’t be depressed if a denial or two comes along, you just gotta keep looking forward. After I was denied from Vanderbilt I took it pretty hard, and it affected my apps to other schools, so I would recommend finishing apps to all schools your interested in first while you’re applying, so you can just sit back and wait for those acceptances.

As far as for cost, try your hardest to get scholarships so you can keep your options open. If at the end of the day it comes down to cost, you’ll be fine with any school you choose within your price range. I would make an effort to pull up each of the schools’ websites on your own and see if you can find a link to student organizations to see if their Catholic group has website as well, to kinda give you a better feel for the environment on campus.

This post is getting pretty long so I’ll leave it at that. If there’s anything you’d like to ask me about, go ahead, and best of luck to you going forward!

7

Hey guys, thanks for all the replies! Just a few things to address/answer
PurpleTitan: I’m not assuming that I’m going to be accepted. What I’m asking is if it’s WORTH applying. I made this post with the hope of finding other potential schools that might be worth applying to.

Mom2CollegeKid: My parents, if they stick to their word (which they normally do) say they are not helping at all with my college funding. Both of my parents grew up extremely poor and had to provide every penny of their college experience through their own work, and they feel I should have that same experience. I completely respect that decision and will abide by it, but it does put me in a pinch. I either have merit-based svholarships or student loans to look forward to, and I do not intend on taking as few loans as possible. Also, I am aware of the HOPE. Tennessee Knox is my “safe” school, but is obviously not my first choice, and the HOPE is only for public Tennessee schools. I am also aware there is a drinking scene at Notre Dame and pretty much any college (with the infamous exception of BYU:)) but my question, for those who went to Notre Dame or are familiar with the campus, is “how bad is it?” I don’t plan on ever drinking, especially not underage, and I don’t want to go to a college where I cannot find a size able group of people who find fun in things other than beer pong.

Neosman: I really enjoyed reading your post:) it’s so cool to see someone who’s in a very similar situation as me. Could you tell me a little bit more about Georgia Tech? You mentioned something about a full tuition scholarship, but the only one I’m familiar with is the Sharps Leadership. What other opportunities are there? Also, anything and everything about the admission process, GT Early App procedure, or even essay questions to watch out for would be awesome! Response or no response, I wish you the best with computer science, and maybe I’ll see you around at Notre Dame or Georgia Tech one day!

8

Little typo above, under my response to mom2collegekids, that should say “I intend on taking as few loans as possible,” not “I do not intend on taking as few loans as possible.” A big difference in meaning!

9

If it’s true your parents won’t pay anything for school then you need to look at full tuition scholarships. You as a student are limited to a $5500 loan as a freshman (topping out at $7500 for juniors and seniors). Go to the FA forum and look at the pinned threads for some good scholarship possibilities (Alabama being one). UT-K will also be an option due to your HOPE funding.

10

Hey Erin’s dad! I didn’t realize there is a limit to student loans. Like I said above, I don’t intend on taking any student loans if possible, but it’s good to know! As for full-tuition scholarships, I have been looking around for quite some time:) I’ e been told that with my current ACT score and potential National Merit Semifinialist distinction, I could get full ride + stipend to both Alabama and Ole Miss. I don’t know about UT-K, though, with in-state tuition, I don’t think it’d be much different. Of these, I would probably go to Alabama before UT-K because, from what I’ve heard, they have a better engineering program.
For my “big 5” schools, there aren’t a ton of choices. It seems the only full-tuition scholarship I’ve seen for ND, GT, or Purdue has been the Sharp’s Leadership Scholarship. It is full tuition for four years plus ~$10k in stipends to be used for research development. I am definetly putting in for it, but I’m not crossing my fingers, as the scholarship is VERY competitive. At Notre Dame, only 5 incoming freshmen receive it. It’s somewhere around that number at the other schools.
Actually not sure about Vanderbilt full-rides.

Btw, bottom-like question is still out there, guys. Is Notre Dame a good engineering school?

11

Have you considered Villanova? They have a Presidential scholarship that you should look into and they also have engineering as well as business. It’s a beautiful campus in a very nice suburb with easy access into Philly. And obviously, their Men’s basketball team is a top ranked team.

12

One other thing, Erin’s dad: What are the FA forums? I just googled it and got “fur affinity forums,” which I don’t think is what you meant…

13

Yes, it is a good engineering school but not near as good as Georgia Tech which is the best engineering school on your list. And GT being in-state is a major plus. For a good combination of engineering and Catholic, take a look at University of Dayton (mentioned by Erin’s Dad in post #2).

As long as you understand that you probably will not be able to afford Notre Dame, there is little harm in applying. After all, something might come through. Just make your plans around attending Georgia Tech or Alabama. By the way, Alabama has an excellent Catholic student center.
http://www.stfrancisuofa.com/

There really is no such thing as “minimal partying” colleges, but one of the advantages of large schools is less peer pressure and it is easier to choose your circle of friends.

14

FA = Financial Aid.

15

I don’t think your question about ND matters anymore. Your FA pkg from them will ALREADY include the full $5500 loan, so you won’t be able to put that amount towards EFC.

What is your EFC?

16

NROTCgrad: Thanks, will do!

Erin’s dad: thanks, haha my brain just wasnt making the connection this morning… I’ll take a look. I started a list of potential scholarships alongside their criteria this morning.

Mom2collegekids: I couldn’t give you an exact number, but we are effectively paying for everything. I’ve filled out the Collegeboard net calculator and even at the most expensive schools, such as $65k-a-year Harvard, we are qualified to recieve NO financial aid. The only thing subtracted from my Notre Dame estimate was what I would pay off with a part-time job and loans, which amounted to about $7000. I’m well aware of the fact that my chances of affording ND are slim to none, and that my only hope is a full-tuition scholarship. I am willing to go the extra mile to try and get that scholarship, but my question is if I should even bother if Notre Dame doesn’t have a good engineering program.

17

Oh and mybstnw, I did some research on Villinova, but I don’t think that’s the right place for me. It seems to be much more of a business school than anything else and carries almost the same price tag as ND.

18

For what it is worth (or not) according to the following worldwide ranking for engineering and technology, ND is ranked #79 in the world. Ahead of Virginia Tech and Brown (yes, the “Ivy”), but only a little behind U.Maryland. Pretty good, I would say. Then again, GT is ranked #11 worldwide. Purdue is #50, and notice that Vanderbilt is not on the list. Just another ranking, however. Rankings are dime per dozen. I have several of my own. :-?

http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2013-14/subject-ranking/subject/engineering-and-IT

19

If your parents won’t pay anything toward your college expenses, then you’ll need more than full tuition.