My son is a bright, thoughtful young man, a solid student (32 ACT, many AP classes, 97 weighted GPA) and also a world class athlete. He has been told he can have a likely letter from Harvard, but also a full scholarship from Notre Dame (we would not quality for financial aid at Harvard). Clearly these will be very different experiences. He has visited both campuses and resonated with both. We did not even have ND on our radar, but the visit and speaking to other athletes made it a choice he is seriously considering. Both have great resources for students, and at ND especially for student-athletes, Harvard’s international reputation of course is the best, but ND’s alumni network is also impressive. The isolation of ND is a downside, but not so much for him. We used to live in the Boston area and love it. Can people provide their thoughts on what they would consider.
what atmosphere and culture is right for him?
is the Harvard focus on grad students (2/3 of students) a concern?
is international reputation a big deal for him?
can he study his intended and backup majors at both schools?
will he be pursuing grad or medical school? then undergrad not as important
are funds unlimited? is the harvard diploma and bragging worth $280k?
IMHO no, not versus the fantastic ND student athlete experience
280k in savings make flights and travel inconvenience pretty bearable 
can you travel to see him compete in either univ?
does he like the ND fight song?
@sololebow I have a couple of friends who are athletes at ND on scholarships and they absolutely love it there! ND has such a tight-knit community feeling for student-athletes and for all the students where the isolation thing won’t even be that much of a problem. IMO the ACC league has a better competition pool than the Ivy league, so he’ll definitely be challenged there. Also, I know someone who is an athlete at Harvard. He loves it, but the downside is the fact is that they get no scholarship money. I have a few friends who compete for other Ivy league schools who have a great experience with it.
Personally, I would go with ND if you’re a student-athlete. ND’s athletics and resources for athletics are top notch, plus the academics are amazing also. The reputation and alumni network for both schools are great, but Harvard does come out on top. I feel at ND you get the whole package…academic, athletic, and social. Harvard you definitely do, but I feel ND has more of an edge with their athletics.
@midwest_parent You would only pay $280K for Harvard if you are VERY wealthy. This year they handed out substantial grants to families with AGI up to $180K. You pay nothing if your AGI is under $85K. And they do not consider home equity or retirement funds. For the vast majority of families, Harvard will be cheaper than ND. The exception of course is that all the Ivies only offer need-based financial aid. They have no athletic or merit scholarships.
I also wouldn’t say that Harvard has a “focus” on graduate/professional schools. It is a major research university, but the College is central to the university. What Harvard students can do, as can students at Columbia etc., is take courses at these graduate and professional schools. Many Harvard undergrads take courses at the Harvard Kennedy School, which is a very unique experience. That said, Harvard does not aspire to offer an undergraduate-centric or “LAC” experience to its students.
ND definitely as the edge with varsity athletics, and especially in football. You don’t go to the Ivies for their athletics. That is not what they look for, and student-athletes seeking athletic scholarships should definitely go elsewhere. ND would be an excellent choice, so long as you don’t mind the winters.
“You would only pay $280K for Harvard if you are VERY wealthy. This year they handed out substantial grants to families with AGI up to $180K.”
Making $250k a year and paying $280k for Harvard is pretty tough financially. Making $1 million a year and paying $280k for Harvard is no big deal. Completely different scenarios.
Making $250k a year and paying $0 for ND is basically winning the lottery. If you are making $1 million a year, paying $0 for ND is nice but probably not outcome determinative.
sololebow stated in second sentence that they “would not quality for financial aid at Harvard” so @exilibris97 I think we can assume they are paying $280k vs $0 - thats a lot of money
Harvard College: 6,700
Harvard graduate and professional students: 15,250
that a very different environment the the lovely undergraduate focus and residential college system at ND
Nd is super overrated
@mimimo7890, you applied to ND but were not accepted, correct?
Daughter went to Harvard as a student athlete. Son is at ND though not doing varsity sport. Both very wonderful and very different places. Aside from both being very good schools they are not much alike at all. That said, each kid has spent enough time on each campus to feel like they could have been at home either place.
Much depends on why your son wishes to go to college. If his goals and priorities are centered around his athletic pursuits, he should probably go to ND or the like. If, on the other hand, he’s looking for the best educational and intellectual opportunities, Harvard is, well, Harvard. If, independent of financial considerations, he would choose Harvard, then secondarily you’ll need to decide whether the extra cost is worth it.
@mimimo7890 It would seem you are biased and/or bitter: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/20466808/#Comment_20466808