My top choices are Northwestern, Notre Dame, and Vanderbilt, and I’m pretty torn. I’ve been accepted to all of them and need to submit my SIR by May 1. Can anyone with an insider’s perspective help me out?
I want to ultimately go to grad school in neuroscience (or maybe medical school), and likely major in neuroscience and double major or minor in English/creative writing as well.
Here are some of my experiences with/input on each school so far…
Notre Dame:
I’m super familiar with this school, as I was raised in a legacy (read: Notre Dame cult) family. I’ve also attended scholarship/leadership programs there, and my brother is a current student, so I know the vibe/social scene fairly well.
PROS:
I’ve been accepted into one of their scholarship programs, which comes along with $25K per year along with various program-based aspects, and they have fantastic financial aid. I’d come out of school loan-free and wouldn’t have to work during the year.
Everyone I’ve met is incredibly welcoming and supportive, and the administration and faculty seem to want you to thrive. To all of them, Notre Dame is their home, and they feel it’s the same for everyone they’ve accepted.
I know I’ll have study abroad and research opportunities.
Access to professors is phenomenal, and ND is focused on its undergraduates.
The school philosophy of looking at each student as a person, rather than a studying machine, really speaks to me.
I’m already familiar with the campus culture and I know I’ll have a great time if I go there.
The alumni network, as I know firsthand, is super strong.
CONS:
As your stereotypical middle child, I really feel the need to go off and make my own way. Going to the same school as my brother, mother, uncles, aunts, cousins, second cousins, etc. is the exact opposite of that.
The impression I’ve gotten from the neuroscience program is that it isn’t as intense or serious as other schools, but I could be wrong.
I’m not as enthused about football as much as I feel most of the campus is, and a large part of the culture revolves around it.
I’m not very religious or conservative and I know that’s a large part of the school identity and plays into the social scene. I’ve heard that on campus you can participate in that as much as you want, but I feel like I’d be missing out on a large aspect of going to that school.
I don’t particularly want to be surrounded by the same types of people (white, middle class, conservative Catholic upbringing) as me. Though it wouldn’t necessarily be a problem with me finding my own niche, I do want to be exposed to different viewpoints and philosophies during my time in college.
South Bend is objectively a dump and there’s nothing much to do outside of campus. Since I might not be doing any activities (besides study abroad) which will have off-campus/travel events, I’m worried about being cooped up on campus for four years.
Northwestern:
I’m not super familiar with this school, but I visited over Wildcat Days and spoke to students and faculty. If I were to go here, I’d likely start off in McCormick as a biomedical engineering major or an Integrated Engineering Studies major (combining biomed eng and neuroscience). However, I got a much better vibe from the neuroscience program than the engineering school, so I might end up switching into Weinberg.
PROS:
I’ve been accepted into the Murphy Scholars Program in McCormick, which allegedly goes to the top 18 out of 500 accepted engineering students.
Research opportunities. Being in Evanston, and next to Chicago, along with having so many labs on campus, will enable me to find “bigger and better” projects to be a part of.
Evanston is pretty nice as far as college towns go (definitely better than South Bend) and Chicago is merely a half hour away. I know this will provide all sorts of opportunities for going out with friends, going to events, etc.
The lakefront is beautiful, and kind of nice for someone who grew up next to the ocean.
All the students I’ve met have been wonderful and fun to talk to, have been super helpful, and have great things to say about the school.
I’ll be able to make my own way here, and be exposed to innumerable points of view and people of various backgrounds and philosophies.
CONS:
The only monetary aid that the Murphy program has is $4K for research, which barely covers anything.
Financial aid here is really bad, and I’d likely need to work during the school year (detracting from time to do other things) and take loans, even with a large financial burden placed on my family.
If I were to switch into Weinberg, my Murphy Scholars status would not follow me, and I wouldn’t be part of any other scholars programs as I would be at Notre Dame.
The impression my mother and I got from touring there was a lot colder and bureaucratic than Notre Dame in terms of administration and faculty.
Not sure how access to professors will be, as the school is pretty evenly split between undergrad and grad.
With the quarter system, I know there’s a lot more stress on campus. I’ve also read and heard from students that the school-sponsored mental health system is seriously lacking.
There’s a divide between North and South campus, and I’m wary about how this will affect the sense of school unity.
There’s a plan to revamp the residential system, but it doesn’t seem like they really have a clear plan or know what they’re doing.
It definitely seems more of an “every man for himself” culture.
Definitely more of a community feel at Notre Dame, but will this matter if everyone finds their own niche?
Vanderbilt:
I’ve never visited this school and the most interaction I’ve had with it has been the online tour. But, for me, it might be a mix of both ND and NU - community aspect and doing something my own.
PROS:
They’ve been rated second in the list of “the college with the happiest students” by Princeton Review.
Nashville, from what I’ve read, is a really fun college town.
I believe their English and neuroscience programs are really good (???)
CONS:
It’s in the South, and I’m kind of worried about that vibe.
About half the school is in Greek life. I’d likely join a sorority if I were to go here, but is it more prissy and “Southern belle-esque” than Northwestern or other schools?
I’m not in any scholars programs here.
I honestly don’t know much about this school so I wouldn’t really know what I’m getting into.
I know this is super, super long, but I’d appreciate any help! Thanks!!