Hi everyone! I am an Econ major intending to internally transfer / double major in business as well. I am currently enrolled in Notre Dame’s College of Arts and Letters, however I have just been admitted into Georgetown College (D.C.) off of the waitlist. I have made a list of advantages for each school below. (Cost will be about the same)
Notre Dame:
Sports / school spirit (I’ve rooted for ND Football my whole life)
Better school environment ( higher graduation rate, higher retention rate, have heard only good things, etc.)
Potentially smarter / more hard-working peers (have higher SATs and HS GPAs, whereas parent’s clout may help for admission into Georgetown, feel free to disabuse me in the comments)
Higher endowment, and thus larger budget for better quality education
Very strong alumni network
I’m Irish-American, so I have a slight bias toward ND
Georgetown:
Not as strict (less archaic rules such as parietals)
Closer to home (I’m from the East Coast, but still a few hours from Gtown)
Higher regional prestige
More internship opportunities
Very liberal (I’m moderate, and political talk of either kind bothers me)
“secular” (while I’m technically Catholic, I believe more Protestant theology)
No weird gender relations like I’ve heard about ND
If I missed something or am wrong about or overemphasizing something please let me know. Any insight helps. Thank you.
OP: You label Georgetown University as “very liberal”. From where did you get this impression ? (I understand that the terms “liberal” and “conservative” are relative.)
Niche ranks GTown as the 69th most liberal college in America, whereas (for example) Yale is #136, and Yale have a very liberal atmosphere (from what I’ve heard, and from the statistical lack of conservatives on the campus). I’ve also heard from an alumnus that Gtown is “antifa-ground”. Btw I don’t have a problem with liberalism / the political left, just those who are super political on either side.
I would say you will find very smart/hard working peers at both, so I wouldn’t consider that a factor.
Both are amazing schools, but IMHO if costs are the same and you don’t have a preference regarding where to live, I would give ND the edge for their overall happiness of students, alumni network, and endowment (which may be even more important nowadays).
Either way you won’t go wrong though. Best of luck!
I think ND has an identity that seems to resonate more with you, just based on what you listed above – lots of ND positives. Sports culture, enthusiastic alumni network, Catholic – kind of sounds perfect for you. Also, Mendoza if you want to major in business, though you’d have to apply to the program internally.
A big difference here is location – do you want to be in a city and closer to home, or in South Bend Indiana where the ND campus is the hub of social and academic life?
Also, not sure I would call gender relations “weird” at ND – it’s a catholic university after all. They just don’t want you spending the night. I think the curfew is 2am – that’s fair. Talk to some current ND students about this if it’s really a concern, but I wouldn’t consider it a factor when choosing between the schools.
Also, you’ll find smart hard working students at both schools. The choice here is really about school culture.
Jesuit education is excellent. And while yes, Georgetown is more liberal than ND, it ain’t that liberal. (It is Jesuit after all.) Not buying Niche’s poll. Sure, it has a strong Poli Sci department and many students are attracted to DC for that reason alone.)
They are both similar for Econ. Are you actually in the undergrad business school at either? (I’m a big fan of Econ, but you will be competing for jobs with those actually enrolled in the b-school.)
I would not characterize ND as having smarter and more hard-working students than GTown, and Notre Dame is notorious for the power of clout (it has the highest percent of legacy admits among selective colleges).
Overall, I would consider them equivalents, though GTown may have an edge in Econ. That being said, a person always succeed better at a college where they fit better. Every thing you have written indicates that you would be a much better fit for ND, and that you may be happier there.
Funny thing is that my H chose between these two schools many years ago. IMO they are peer institutions. Two very reasonable people could make different choices and neither would be right or wrong. Pick the school that resonates with you more and most importantly once you make a decision never look back!