<p>I posted this in the Notre Dame forum and to be fair of biases, I'll post it here too.</p>
<p>I have been accepted to both and recently went down to Notre Dame for spring visitation weekend.</p>
<p>I fell in love with the school and the people there, but I'm not sure if the school is as strong academically in my major as Northwestern is.</p>
<p>I plan to major in psychology with a pre-med path and Northwestern has a better overall medical program, but I simply love Notre Dame more.</p>
<p>Could you guys give your own input on this matter and help me decide what school is right for me?</p>
<p>I'm afraid visitation weekend has biased me and that maybe my plans could change in the future and then going into the school for a specific major would go awry.</p>
<p>Northwestern is beautiful, it’s right by the lake, right by the city, lots of opportunities! You would do well either location, it’s a matter of weighing a few factors:</p>
<p>-Yes, Northwestern has a better med program. Keep in mind that college really is job training as well as life training, and the better trained you are, the better prepared you are for the future.</p>
<p>-No, Northwestern is not faith-based. You will not be surrounded by Catholics. Whether this is a pro or con depends on your outlook. I would keep in mind that if you go to ND, once you get out of the Notre Dame bubble, you will eventually have to face other cultures than the one you’ve (I’m guessing) grown up with. Northwestern would give this opportunity right away. On the other hand, if you want your religion integrated with the rest of your school experience, ND is the way to go.</p>
<p>-Northwestern is close to a big city, with all the disadvantages and advantages that go with that.</p>
<p>-The weather in both places is comparable, and both campuses (imo) are gorgeous.</p>
<p>-Despite what the ND board people may have told you, you will still have a great social life at Northwestern. It’ll just be less faith- (and probably football-) centered.</p>
<p>LEt’s be real - NU is still the better school, but ND is great too and you really should go where you’d be happiest.
On top of that, pre-med at NU is a grade deflationary b–ch; so if your GPA is the altar at which you will worship, pick ND.
But if you can appreciate the beauty of a lakefront campus, the greatness of Chicago (and even Evanston, which is a wonderful college town), the extraordinary diversity of NU, and (though I hate to, and don’t mean to, offend ND, which is a great school) the academic superiority of the pre-med (and other) studies at NU, then you have one tough decision on your hands!</p>
<p>I am in perhaps a unique position to comment on this. I have a son graduating from ND in May, and a son starting at Northwestern in the fall.</p>
<p>If you “think” you loved ND, do not hesitate, go to ND. It is unlike any university I have ever visited, and offers a special place to go to school to anyone that gets in. As a person of faith, it is almost impossible to describe. There truly is a different feel, a sense of faith when on the campus that waves over me when there.</p>
<p>As for the grade inflation at ND, I know that not to be the case. My ND son is headed to med school in the fall,(with multiple acceptances) and busted his tail to pull grades at ND-no grade inflation there. Everybody that goes there is a 4.0, and posted 33-36/1500+ on entrance tests. Just like every other pre med program, be prepared to work hard or get weeded out.</p>
<p>All of that being said, for my youngest son, Northwestern was by far the best fit. He is much more in need of being near a city, the vibe of entertainment and culture that is Chicago, and is well removed from South Bend. He needed to make his own mark separate from his brother, and Northwestern is the perfect fit for him.</p>
<p>@bella: Exactly. You are right to say NU has a much better med program and it also has a med grad school for me in the future should I choose to remain there.</p>
<p>Faith or no faith is no major concern for me as I can tolerate either environment, but ND is just sometimes a bit more close minded, which I don’t really like.</p>
<p>Personally, I don’t like urban areas, but if I must then I can handle it.</p>
<p>Haha I’m from the midwest so weather is no surprise to me.</p>
<p>@WCAS: Do you know anything about the curving system at NU? I’ve only heard second hand accounts that say some larger intro courses end up with a cutoff at 94% between an A and a B which to me seems a bit harsh.</p>
<p>@steeler: I feel that after spending 4 days at ND, I truly have fallen in love with the school and especially the people. They are simply unbelievable there. On my first night, I was lost on the way to my dorm at about 3AM and I asked a complete stranger for directions and he ended up walking me all the way to my dorm hall. For me, this was what began to open my mind up to ND, because I had told myself before if I got into these 2 schools, I would have gone to NU for sure.</p>
<p>Haha Grade inflation would be nice, but it doesn’t bother me too much to have to earn my grades as long as grades are not ridiculously difficult to maintain.</p>
<p>If you don’t mind me asking, what were the major differences in your sons that sent them to different schools?</p>
<p>Was it mainly personality-based or was it because of their respective majors?</p>
<p>Since no one has said it, I will say that NU has one of the best Psych departments in the country. It sounds like you should probably go to ND though. Follow your heart.</p>
<p>Oldest son’s personality is much more faith oriented, conservative, (don’t get him started on obamacare), linear in his thinking (hence the strong science/math) needed for pre med. He was a good high school athlete, ND is full of great ex high school jocks that could have played division II or III sports. ND was the right choice for him, as it seems as if most of the kids there fit that same mold.</p>
<p>Northwestern bound son is way more liberal, creative, loves indie bands, stand up comedy and will LOVE being able to catch comics/bands in the city on a fairly regular basis. He will not be following his brother into medicine. NW is the better fit for his degree. Based on your statements, I think ND will blow you away. Financial aid was a bit better at ND, and their overseas study program cannot be beat. (virtually no additional cost to do it at ND).</p>
<p>Finally, if you are serious about pre med, start reading SDN (student doctor network) and educate yourself about the process of med school application asap. Lot more to it than just grades. You need to bang out a science gpa of at least a 3.7/3.8, hit MCAT score of 30 or better, have lots of clinical hospital experience, volunteer…etc just to get interviews for most med schools-and then it is often a weird subjective interview/committee that accepts/rejects/waitlists you. Long story short, hit the ground running at either school, GET TO KNOW science profs early for letter of recs for med school, volunteer at a clinic asap, shadow a physician whenever possible, etc.</p>
<p>As a parent, I really love ND and wanted son #2 to attend ND (I am not a ND alum), but as a parent, you have to support your kids in the path THEY choose. The fact that NW is a great school, kinda close, and he is excited to attend, makes it easy for me to wholeheartedly support his decision.</p>
<p>Notre Dame all the way. I had the same decision and I chose Northwestern- big mistake. My brother is a senior doing pre-med, 3.7 GPA and already has interviews with 2 med schools. </p>
<p>NU sucks. The students are not very smart, they just work really hard and go for the grade. I wouldn’t say there’s a lack of school spirit here, it just seems gay whereas ND school spirit has pride and prestige.</p>
<p>I am an intelligent student (ACT 35, SAT 2360) who did not work hard in high school and hung out with the less smart people who are much more fun, and I am having a very difficult time making friends here. They’re all nice kids, just not the kind of people people like me can have much fun with.</p>
<p>^^^ Here is a personal testament. If you are prejudiced (“gay”), judgmental (“the students are not very smart”), and closed-minded (“hung out with the less smart people who are much more fun”), Notre Dame would seem to be a better choice. </p>
<p>I can understand why the down-to-earth, work-hard play-hard culture at Northwestern would not be suitable for certain people who exhibit the aforementioned qualities.</p>
<p>nu2014 - no reason to stay at a school you are not happy with, lots of students transfer after their freshman year.</p>
<p>^
Ditto. “it just seems gay” - you must be kidding. And after all of 1 week on campus you’ve already decided you made a “big mistake”?</p>
<p>“I am an intelligent student (ACT 35, SAT 2360) who did not work hard in high school and hung out with the less smart people who are much more fun.”</p>
<p>Tell me why you’re busy posting 2 messages for the first time today under a new CC name right in the middle of a home football game ???. </p>
<p>Any Northwestern freshman student I know interested in having “more fun” was at Ryan Field today, cheering on the Wildcats as they went up 4-0 on the season. Presuming you really are an NU student, why were you in your room in the middle of the game on a Saturday posting online to high school students?</p>
<p>ND is anti-gay. You would fit right in. Apply for spring admission if possible; it should be easy since ND would be glad to take students from higher-ranked instititions.</p>
<p>I would almost call ■■■■■ on this one- how can you complain about lack of school spirit and then skip the first home game of the year on a PERFECT (well a little cold) football day?</p>
<p>nu2014, if your post is honest, then consider giving it a little more time before you decide that NU is not right for you. it could be just the fact that you haven’t found a good group of friends or a community here at NU that suits you, which is what happens to freshmen at all colleges. if you still feel NU’s not a right fit then, then by all means transfer as posters above have already mentioned.</p>