Notre Dame vs Dartmouth

College Search & Selection
1

I’m trying to decide between these two schools. I am a pre-med.

A Few Notre Dame Pros:
I like the catholic affiliation, dorm life, and community feel offered at ND. The alumni network at ND also appears to be stellar. I have family history with the school as well, so I feel a connection to it.

A Few Dartmouth Pros:
I love the location and outdoor opportunities. I prefer smaller class sizes, which Dartmouth offers. Dartmouth’s Ivy League status is a nice plus.

I have spent an incredibly long amount of time researching these two schools. I have been intentionally sparse in my commentary, because I’m looking for fresh perspectives. Thanks!

2

Are cost a concern? Med school is very pricey, do you care about football? As you know at ND it is a religion to itself. Where do you see yourself fitting in better?

3

The problem is that I can’t tell which one is better for me. The schools basically cost the same amount. I enjoy football – I played it extensively in high school – but my feelings towards the game aren’t a deciding factor. The football spirit at Notre Dame is more of a “nice-to-have.” Quite frankly, my entire reason for making this post is to hear other people’s thoughts on the two institutions. I’m hoping I can take a step back from the decision and hear some fresh perspectives.

4

These schools have very different student vibes. Read the school newspapers on line.

Compare the four year plan of studies for your major. At ND you will have theology and philosophy requirements.

You may also want to research safety, parties, and drinking on campus.

5

Dartmouth’s culture leans toward Greek activities and, to an extent, their related abuses:

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/confessions-of-an-ivy-league-frat-boy-inside-dartmouths-hazing-abuses-238604/

Nonetheless, Dartmouth offers great opportunities for students who sincerely pursue them:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/nataliesportelli/2017/04/26/10-expensive-colleges-worth-every-penny-2017/

6

OP: Interesting that you opted to be sparse about your thoughts. Result might be more of a general discussion than one tailored to your concerns.

Both are great schools where you are likely to meet very nice people. Maybe an odd comment, but true in my experience–and I know a significant number of graduates from both schools. But they will be different in other respects.

As a pre-med, ND becomes at least as attractive as Ivy League Dartmouth College as a primary advantage of Dartmouth is that it places well in the financial & consulting industries among others.

Because I do not know your specific concerns, I will offer ratings found in the Fiske Guide To Colleges 2020:

Notre Dame has 4 out of a possible 5 Pens for Academics, 3 Telephones for Social Life, and 3 Stars for Quality of Life.

Dartmouth College: 5 Pens for Academics, 5 Telephones for Social Life (indicates that Fiske considers Dartmouth College to be somewhat of a party school even though outstanding academically as signified by the 5 Pens rating for Academics), and 3 Stars for Quality of Life.

Overlap Schools:

Dartmouth College overlaps = Brown, Duke, Yale, Stanford, Princeton, Colgate, Middlebury, & Williams College.

Notre Dame overlaps = Vanderbilt, Boston College, Northwestern, Harvard, Duke, Holy Cross, & Villanova.

Duke is the common overlap school for Notre Dame & Dartmouth College. And Duke seems to be a reasonable mixture of both schools in my opinion. Nevertheless, I do not see Dartmouth College students & Notre Dame students as interchangeable.

7

It sounds like you already know the strengths/reasons to choose each. Obviously, they are both amazing schools.

Probably stating the obvious, but which do you seem more excited about?

It may come down to fit. Have you joined each school’s admitted class of 2024 Facebook and/or IG groups? Participated in any group chats? If so, which group do you feel like you see yourself the most in? Maybe watch some YouTube virtual tours/vlogs this weekend. It’s difficult right now not being able to visit, so these are the things my daughter has been relying on to help her decide.

Best of luck and congrats on your acceptances!

8

First of all, congrats! Second of all, I think the cultures would be pretty different at the two schools–perhaps one of the most stark contrasts. My friends at Ivies say its more competitive than collaborative, and in my experience at ND, it is very much collaborative instead of competitive. People are very willing to help one another–it’s called the Notre Dame family for a reason. Also, football and sports are a huge part of ND and they aren’t so much at Dartmouth.

9

For pre-med, it won’t make a difference. Dartmouth has a medical school though, and may have undergrad research opportunities there. However, Dartmouth is more isolated location wise (a plus perhaps if you like nature activities).