<p>Hi, I need some help deciding between UC San Diego and University of Notre Dame.</p>
<p>UCSD (Sixth College, Computer Engineering)
Pros: Close to home, ranked higher for undergraduate engineering (from US News and World Report)
Cons: Many students (I prefer a smaller school)</p>
<p>Notre Dame
Pros: Less students, better overall ranking (from US News and World Report)
Cons: Far from home, cold weather (I'm from SoCal, and I'm not a big fan of cold weather)</p>
<p>I have visited Notre Dame many times (My dad went there, and he will be pushing me to go to ND without a doubt), and I will visit UCSD in a few weeks.</p>
<p>If money isnt a factor for you, I’d say Notre Dame without a doubt, especially if that’s where your dad is pushing you. If your family feels like they were a part in your decision making, you could always come back to them for advice/financial help. If you pick, UCSD, let’s say, maybe your dad will feel like you didn’t believe in his advice and will have a “well this is what he wanted” mentality if you do poorly at UCSD. (this seems so unlikely of a parent, but is definitely how many people think)
Since you say you visited ND many times though, and can only come up with those pros and cons, idk. If you didn’t like anything about the campus and quality of life when you visited, I’d say stay away from ND because most students tend to just know if they want to go there after visiting the school.
If after visiting UCSD it’s still a 50-50 toss up though, go with ND. Tough out the cold weather and graduate with the better degree.</p>
<p>I would probably go with ND - the engineering department is continuing to improve and you will have the smaller class size that you are looking for. You cannot control the weather - yes it will be cold but a lot of people here are from California and they can make it through the winter … ND has the alumni network and name recognition that UCSD does not have - just my opinion though.</p>
<p>Thank you for the advice
I do think the campus is nice, although I’ve never been there during the winter, but I have never been to UCSD, so I can’t compare right now. It’s very hard for me to make a decision like this… I know I constantly annoyed my parents, because when they asked me which school I prefer, I would always reply with “I don’t know,” but I really don’t. I’ve never really fallen in love with a school after a visit, as many students do, I just think they’re all wonderful schools.</p>
<p>the alumni network and job prospects with a notre dame degree far outweigh san diego sunshine, if they cost the same, go to Notre Dame</p>
<p>even though Notre Dame may not have as strong an engineering program as Berkeley for instance, all the major corporations and defense companies come recruiting there, you are bound to have great employment prospects</p>
<p>Overall, ND is certainly a better school, however, there could be a number of reasons for you to stay in SD. Cost of attendance would almost certainly be cheaper at UCSD (which in this economy certainly has to be a consideration-- who knows that jobs will be out there when you graduate and have to pay off $150k in student loans?). Weather is certainly better, and getting home for breaks and holidays would be a lot easier. College is a tough enough adjustment so perhaps not having to worrying about moving cross-country would be good for you. Also, while I don’t put much stock into USNWR, ND’s engineering is probably one of the least reputed academic programs they offer. You could end up switching and be fine, but if that’s what you <em>know</em> you want to do, it doesn’t sound like you’d be hurting yourself academically. Plus, even though ND’s nationally reputation far surpasses that of UCSD, if you want to stay local in SoCal for the foreseeable future, your job prospects should be just fine with a local degree. ND’s a great school, but I could certainly understand if you opted for UCSD.</p>
