<p>I really, really, really loved Notre Dame when I visited the campus this year. I loved everything about it-the people, the campus, the professors, the location. However, I'm not sure I'd be willing to pay $45,000 a year to go.</p>
<p>However, I can go to a great in-state school (University of Arkansas) for a quarter of the price of Notre Dame. I would most likely get a free ride to the UofA, though, thanks to Huckabee's Distinguished Governor's Scholarship.</p>
<p>My question is this, should I go to Notre Dame for $175,000+ (4 years), or go to the University of Arkansas for free?</p>
<p>I'd just like to know if it really matters where your degree is from.</p>
<p>I think ot matters what your intended major is. What your reason for choosing ND might be. A free education is hard to beat. You should apply to all your wish list schools weigh the financial aid package and make your choice then. I went to a independant study college part of the State University of NY and I am probably in the top 10% of successful people in my profession. It is what you make of your life/career and your educational experience that matters most.</p>
<p>Does it matter, yes. I could have had a similar type of deal at the University of Colorado and I left a nice scholarship at Creighton and never have regretted it. Notre Dame will give you a great education, but it is about more than that. I honestly think that for undergrad the college experience at ND is just as good if not better than any other college in the US. It is amazing. You will have opportunities here that simply aren't available other places, and when you go places and mention ND you will automatically make a good impression.</p>
<p>Additionally, you become part of the ND family. It sounds corny, but it is very important. I think the other ND students will back me up on this. By going here you become a part of a group which is extremely passionate about your success. ND isn't just where you go to college, it is something that sticks with you until the day you die, and perhaps goes further if your children go to ND.</p>
<p>I have been known on this board to say that you can get a great education pretty much anywhere, and overall I think that is true. However, I do think that ND is worth it and I have never regretted my decision for what it is worth. It is a lot of money, I know, but ND is so much more than just a great school. </p>
<p>I didn't do a very good job on this post, I am sorry (I am pretty tired) but I do believe it is worth it.</p>
<p>I think it depends on whether you can afford it or not. I had an essentially free ride to the University of Minnesota in the Honors Program, and decided to come to Notre Dame (but Minnesota was my super safety and I was never really considering it). Notre Dame offers not only a top notch education but an awesome college experience as well. Notre Dame is a university that has all the amazing facilities you would expect and the oft-mentioned "family atmosphere" that you wouldn't find at Arkansas.</p>
<p>Some say it is, others say its not. So far I've met a fair number of people who won't be paying a penny and a fair number who will be paying back massive loans upon graduation. Notre Dame may be better than many schools, BUT, I think that, like at most schools, despite what they tell you in the admissions office, the middle class kind of gets screwed over when it comes to financial aid, as they are neither poor enough to merit a full ride nor rich enough to bear the financial burden without any difficulties.</p>
<p>I'm thinking pre-med, and I'll have to take on massive debt for med school. I probably won't be going to Notre Dame unless I get a free ride, which I highly doubt.</p>
<p>My dad (my mom is a housewife) doesn't make much of money, but we have a lot of savings and assets. However, as there are still two children below me to get through college, my parents are wary of using any of our savings to pay for college.</p>
<p>To be honest, I haven't heard much positive about the University of Arkansas. The only thing I know about UA is that it usually has competitive sports teams and that it has a very large sorority system</p>
<p>If you plan to stay in Arkansas after graduation, you might want to consider going to Fayetteville. The alumni ties should put you in good stead within the state; however once you leave Arkansas, I doubt that the university has any pull.</p>
<p>BTW, Arkansas has the fewest numbers of Catholics per capita than any U.S. state.</p>
<p>If you plan to leave Arkansas for the northeast or especially the Midwest, the Notre Dame tie will come in handy. Notre Dame does have a strong reputation for academics and in certain Catholic circles, a Notre Dame degree will mean a lot.</p>
<p>The University of Arkansas Honors College has a lot going for it. About 4 years ago, Walton Foundation gave the University 300 million and stipulated that 100 million be used to beef up graduate programs (not business cause already basically funds that college) and the other 200 million be used to increase the offerings of the undergraduate honors college. 200 million for a limited number of students is huge! They have had tons of Fulbright, etc winners. Recently hired new honors director (I think he was at Georgia Tech) who is adding some interesting cross discipline type courses and other things. </p>
<p>The honors college has the money to provide lots of options and their graduates get in to Med Schools such as Wash Univ. Research opportunities and grants for undergraduates are easy to come by including summer/winter break research overseas or US travel. They provide extra money for overseas opportunities up to 3 semesters. (one year at one country, one semester at another if come in with enough AP credit). Honors dorms and early registration are part of the deal. </p>
<p>Also they offer several Honors fellowships (seperate application) that are full rides. Because they are fellowships, not scholarships, Arkansas students who qualify for Governors scholarship get to pocket part of the money and use for personal expenses. All-in-all a pretty sweet deal. </p>
<p>I suggest that you apply for an honors fellowship. If you are a finalist, they will bring you in for an interview weekend. You will be able to see the other types of students who are in the Honors College. Then, come April, you will better be able to decide whether Notre Dame or the deal at Arkansas will serve you better for undergrad and applying to both won't hurt.</p>
<p>you should apply regardless and try to get your appplication fee waived. right now you shouldn't worry about whether to apply or not based on finances...leave further decisions until after the results come in</p>
<p>Notre Dame won't give anyone a "full ride" per se unless they are dirt poor. The university willl use work-study, etc, to fulfill aid obligations. They won't necessarily hand someone a "full ride all expenses paid deal" unless they are an athlete.</p>
<p>Is Notre Dame worth it- absolutely! I would honestly turn down a full ride from Harvard or Stanford to stay here at this point. I am not kidding.</p>
<p>In pure economic terms when a private college costs $50,000 plus per year, the incremental cost versus the flagship state university is never going to be offset if you are a business, engineering, or terminal liberal arts or sciences degree student.</p>
<p>I give you the example of a family I know with two brothers. Good friends of ours, known for years. Both are EE graduates, are a year apart in age and are fifteen years into their careers. They each make the same top salary for a EE Engineering Manager. One went to Carnegie Mellon and got a degree at the top Computer science school in the country. The other went to Purdue and has the same degree. The Carnegie beother came out with $20K in debt and the Purdue guy came out with $12k in the bank(the summer job of the former paid tuition and for the latter went into the bank). That $32k difference starting out is why the Purdue brother has no debt, a larger house with an in-ground pool and $25K in college funds for his kids, and no debt on his cars. The Carnegie Mellon guy has the smaller house, car debt and no college funds. Same career progression, same salary, same spending habits as each are virtual clones of each other. For the satisfaction of getting to wear a Carnegie Mellon t-shirt, the CM guy's life has been by far a greater struggle.</p>
<p>In pure economic terms unless you are using the high price private college as entry to medical, top 25 law or top 10 MBA School, the economic return will not be there to justify the cost of tuition that is 3 to 4 times higher than your local Purdue, Illinois, Cal Poly, or UFlorida. Notre Dame will give you an advantage here for sure, but it is not like ND is guaranteed to make the top graduate school admission happen. It is always better to be the one 3.9 guy from State U. than be among a trove of 3.5s at a high ranked school, particularly if you are good at taking standardized tests.</p>
<p>So it comes then comes down to the intangibles . I think someone could make a real argument that Notre Dame's intangibles-the football, the spirit, the fun, the Religious atmosphere etc. or Carnegie Mellon's in the above example -world class computer science, are truly unique and priceless. If your personal preferences lead you to want to take on the economic burden of those intangibles that is fine. But in 2006, and with the $50K barrier about to be breached, recognize the economic reality too. Is a Carnegie Mellon or Notre Dame sweatshirt worth the cost of a fleet of eight Chrysler Town and Country Vans over 4 years. </p>
<p>Ten years ago, when tuitions were more reasonable and middle class incomes higher in inflation adjusted terms the above analysis would be far different. But it is 2006.</p>