Hi! First, congrats on getting into both Notre Dame and Georgetown! I was also accepted into both schools, and I just committed to Notre Dame! I plan on majoring in Accounting or Finance at Mendoza. If you’re concerned about nothing besides reputation and you’re going into business, yes, Notre Dame’s business school is ranked a bit higher, but they’re both fantastic schools, so it’s super tough to decide. (Especially if you go international business, which Georgetown is killer for).
Anyway, for me, it became kind of an emotional decision - you’ll get a great education at either school, so whatever you’re feeling fits you best is where you should go. I looked into a lot of the same things though - Notre Dame is better known for being excited about their school, especially in terms of sports and activities. Most activities are on campus or very close because there isn’t much to do in Sotuh Bend, so there’s a strong sense of community because everyone sticks close. At Georgetown, people spend more time in the city (because D.C. is amazing), which is great because of everything you can do/have access to there, but doesn’t bring students together as much, so it depends what you prioritize.
Students are pretty driven at both schools because you had to be tough to get there at all, but it’s important to know that Notre Dame grades on the bell curve, which makes good grades a little more competitive and tougher to get.
In terms of socializing, I’ve heard from current Georgetown students that partying can be pretty active every day if you know where to find it, but most people save it for the weekends. Plus, at Georgetown, people can go into clubs in the city for bigger parties if they want to. At Notre Dame, I’ve heard it’s reserved pretty much for weekends too, and there is little to no drug activity (just drinking), and parties are generally smaller and in dorms.
When making friends/finding groups at Georgetown, it’s all based on what activities you’re most involved with. The club you spend your time with will generally become your group of friends, and I’ve heard that this can get sort of elitist because a lot of their clubs require applications. However, your closest friends would have the same interests, and this can help you with networking and helping to find people that are similar to you. At Notre Dame, it’s more about dorm life - you’re randomly assigned to both your roommate and your dorm, but they function almost like Greek life. Dorm buildings (segregated by gender) have dances and events like a sorority or fraternity, but they don’t do rush because you just show up already in one. (Of course, this is all second-hand info, so take it with a grain of salt)
Hope this helped! Good luck!
