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<p>It’s a bit overblown to compare Notre Dame to any LAC when ND has a larger undergraduate population than any of HYPSM and all but two of the Ivies. In fact, ND has one of the largest (undergraduate) student bodies among schools in the USNWR top 20.</p>
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<p>Yeah, but you were trying to extrapolate from your state school experiences to make claims about top privates (Harvard, Cornell). Ivy students do not represent the “majority of college students.”</p>
<p>Deleted post.</p>
<p>Ok so just a few things to add. About the “Backup College” thing. It’s just a joke, so people need to stop freaking out about it. I once went to a BC vs Clemson football game, and most of the BC student section cheered “Backup school” as the Clemson team took the field. My brother, who attended Clemson, was not offended because he knew it was just a joke. So for those who are getting offended by this nickname for BC among Notre Dame students, don’t. You’re in college now and trash talk among rivals comes with the territory, so get used to it. And for most kids who go to ND even BC isn’t necessarily a backup school. I didn’t think I was going to get into BC or ND. I ended up getting into both and chose ND, but in no way was BC a backup for me.</p>
<p>Oh and I believe this is the article that someone posted about earlier
<a href=“http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/papers/1287.pdf[/url]”>http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/papers/1287.pdf</a>
And it’s free there!</p>
<p>If you were seriously comparing two things (cars, shoes, hotels, restaurants, etc) people would think you were insane if you had test-driven/worn/stayed at/eaten at only ONE of them. Yet people are quick to assert all sorts of points of superiority re ND, Princeton, Cornell, etc. when it’s pretty clear they have attended only one of them.</p>
<p>Also, people who get smug about their superiority to others should be reminded that there are always people looking down on them, too. Even if you’re 1st in your class at Harvard, med and law students will dismiss you as a punk. And actual doctors and lawyers will dismiss those med/law students as naive kids. And those actual doctors and lawyers? Their wives are probably messing around with their personal trainers, who have associate’s degrees in fitness from Xyz Community College.</p>
<p>Collegekid9 and all the other alarmists- We don’t hate BC. Both ND and BC are Catholic, football-loving schools with great academics. We have a lot in common, which lends itself to some friendly rivalry. Try not to be so sensitive and have some fun with it! </p>
<p>Also, with regards to the ND vs. Ivy debate. I think those numbers could very well be accurate. HYP have a huge edge in academic prestige, but I think ND’s academics are comparable and imo NOTHING can beat it for the whole college experience, but then again, that’s a very personal thing. I chose ND over Dartmouth back in the day and, although I fretted over it for a very long time, it turned out to the the best decision I ever made, whatever the prestige-whoring CCers may say.</p>
<p>Also, ib62- did you really say that? That’s so sad. I LOVED college. Sure I worked really hard, but I had so much fun and loved ND so much that they practically had to drag me kicking and screaming away from campus last spring. There were very few dry eyes at graduation. And I can’t wait to go back for a football game this fall (coming from a girl who HATED football 4 years ago). Yes, my experience has a lot to do with the fact that I went to ND, but many people go to college- whichever one they choose- to have a “super-awesome” time, both academically and socially (one of my best friends from high school just graduated from Princeton and she had a blast). And you should totally listen to me because I’m a med student and you’re just a little undergrad punk. :)</p>