<p>I'm completely lost in trying decide between ND and Harvard. At Notre Dame, I was accepted into the Hesburgh-Yusko Scholars Program, which, in addition to providing $25,000 each year in scholarships, provides fully-funded summer enrichment/internships for students in the program. Harvard probably won't give me any aid. Everyone keeps telling me that Harvard's prestige is unmatched, which may be true, but I feel like the internships/summer experiences provided by the HYSP might strengthen my resume almost as much as a Harvard education. I really want to go somewhere where students like to have fun and let loose on the weekends, and from experiences on campus/family relations I know Notre Dame is that type of place. I don't know much at all about Harvard, but I know that I don't want an ultracompetitive environment where academics is the only focus.
I'm interested in studying film, maybe something in business as well. I know Harvard is great for business, but ND has Mendoza as well.
Please share any insight you might have. Thanks!</p>
<p>Harvard students party plenty. HYSP at Dame is cool, but it’s definitely not Harvard.</p>
<p>I think a lot depends on your family’s finances. If money isn’t important, then I think Harvard will offer you more advantages in the fields that interest you–and you’ll be able to get good summer internships if you want them. But you will save more than $100,000 if you go to ND. How important is that?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>They know people of your caliber are accepted to places like Harvard, that’s why they want to lure you with the Scholars Program. They will treat you VERY WELL at Notre Dame with that Program, but at Harvard you will be on your own, sink or swim.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>It sounds like you know in your heart that you want to go to Notre Dame. You probably ought to listen to your heart.</p>
<p>That said, you may want to consider that Harvard most certainly is NOT as described above. </p>
<p>First: It’s a competitive environment, certainly, but not in a gross, high-school-like way. There are lots of really ambitious people there, with big dreams and lots of confidence in themselves. They want to do things, and they aren’t waiting for anyone else’s permission to start. The competitiveness people feel at Harvard is largely due to that – your roommate is doing awesome things, that person you met at the party is doing awesome things, what awesome things are you doing? </p>
<p>Second: Academics may be less of a focus at Harvard than at any other college, certainly any other college where anyone who got into Harvard might go. This isn’t true of everyone, but for lots of students at Harvard, what is going on outside of the classroom is far more important than their classes. Everyone there is super-smart, and the college doesn’t think it owes it to the world to draw fine distinctions among the students, so people tend to do fine in their classes without giving their lives to studying.</p>
<p>The biggest overt competition at Harvard is really for places in the most popular extracurriculars. Writing for the Crimson or the Lampoon is a big deal, and those organizations have incredible alumni networks. They don’t take everyone who shows up at the orientation meeting, and they don’t print everything that gets submitted.</p>
<p>Harvard! Because you applied it. </p>
<p>is the price differential an issue? What are your parents saying?</p>
<p>Harvard does not have an undergraduate business school, ND does. As a parent, I don’t see that as a basis for making a decision between these two schools. </p>
<p>As JHS said above, Harvard is known among higher ed circles as having ridiculous grade inflation – the idea seems to be that, if you were good enough to get in, we’re not worried about whether you can do the work while you are here. Students work hard in the sense that they are busy doing incredible things outside of class, not because the workload is a killer at Harvard. </p>
<p>Have you visited either school? Cambridge and Harvard Square are pretty amazing places to live. Take a look at the speakers, events coming through Harvard at any given time – the opportunities to grow and contribute in a meaningful way are endless. </p>
<p>If it were my kid, I would tell them to go to Harvard over ND. Not because of the name recognition, but because of the undergrad experience. </p>
<p>It sounds like you want “permission” to go to Notre Dame. </p>
<p>Harvard Harvard Harvard Harvard. The opportunities that you will find at Harvard are unparalleled and will give you a leap start into the world. The only reason I might decline Harvard is if the 100k price tag difference is important </p>
<p>@MYOS1634 @Hunt Being completely honest, finances are not a huge concern. My parents have saved enough to pay for four years of undergraduate college. The main benefit I saw from saving $100,000 would be more money for me to go to film school after college if I’m still interested.
@Pizzagirl That’s a fair statement. I want to go somewhere I know I’ll enjoy. I’ve visited Notre Dame countless times (my dad and sister both went there) and I know I love it, but everyone keeps saying it’s crazy to pass up on Harvard. I don’t know enough about Harvard student life to know if I’d enjoy it.
@Midwestmomofboys I’ve visited Notre Dame probably a dozen times for various reasons. I visited Harvard once in ninth grade, but I’m going out to Boston this weekend to visit.
Thank you everyone for the advice!</p>
<p>I hope this post is flame. Really. These are not comparable schools. Harvard is Harvard. Even at full cost, I could justify going to Harvard. If you were comparing Yale, or maybe Stanford, I could see the debate, but not Notre Dame, which isn’t even in the same league as Harvard.</p>
<p>Have you decided? Unless you visited Harvard and hated it then this should be a no brainer- Harvard. </p>