Please help me choose between these two schools!

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Ok, so I'm completely torn between two schools: the University of Notre Dame and the University of San Diego. I need some guidance: can someone please help me? </p>

<p>Background info: live in the Midwest; mom went to Notre Dame; very close to family; hate cold weather; intend to go to law school at a top university</p>

<p>UND
Pro's: love the kids- I fit in really well; great English/history dept's, one of which I will major in; study abroad opportunities; love the dorm system; yearbook- intend to serve on; not too far from home; amazing alumni network; prestigious.
Con's: large class sizes freshman year- not a lot of 1-on-1 attention from teachers, which is the learning environment I do best in; would have lower all-around GPA because it's nearly impossible to get a 4.0, and I need an uber high GPA to get into a top law school; I have no financial aid from them, so I would be saddled with enormous student loans that would make it impossible for me to attend anything but a state school for law school; weather is
terrible.</p>

<p>USD
Pro's: small class sizes- lots of 1-on-1 attention from teachers; received a scholarship for 2/3 tuition; would be in highly selective honors program; would have higher all-around GPA; would receive all of the best opportunities because would be at the top of the top, academically; amazing study abroad options; weather/food great; smaller student body; wouldn't have any debt after undergrad and would have money left over for law school.
Con's: didn't fit in as well with the kids- most talk like they're from the valley, which drives me crazy; really far from home; no yearbook; alumni network not as strong; kids not very driven academically and more focused on partying, whereas I'm the opposite; virtually no prestige beyond the west coast. </p>

<p>Please, any and all thoughts are much appreciated!</p>

2

<p>Wow, it would sure be great to graduate debt-free for law school. It would be hard to turn down SD - ND is great, but big debt hurts big!</p>

3

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<p>Unless one of the other things you mentioned about USD is an absolute deal-breaker, go with USD. The flexibility and peace of mind being debt-free will give you is worth ten Notre Dames worth of prestige.</p>

4

<p>Even 3 years at a state law school can run you $90K in debt, so after ND and law school you’ll start your career nearly $200K in debt. You should run the calculations of what that monthly payment looks like on the average starting salary for a lawyer (not the salaries of those graduating at the top of their class from Harvard Law). </p>

<p>And if you have any interest in practicing public interest law - prosecutor, defender, enviromental work - jobs that pay in the low 40s, you’ll be in debt for the rest of your life.</p>

5

<p>Sounds like ‘good fit’ vs. affordable. That’s a tough trade off. As others have said, if you are sure that law school is in your future, and money is a significant (how much?) constraint, you don’t really have much of a choice here. Is there anywhere else that you were admitted where the choice isn’t quite so stark? </p>

<p>Also is there any chance the UND might be willing to negotiate on the financial aid and if so, how much would make a difference? (“You are my first choice, but here’s my offer from USD and my family’s updated financial situation - is there anything you can do?” is the typical approach.)</p>

<p>Finally, if you do end up at USD, know that there are smart, hard-working kids everywhere - don’t let the stereotypes and the valley speak cause you to pre-judge people whom you might have more in common with than you initially think. You may not be part of the ‘main-stream’ culture of the school, but you won’t be alone either.</p>

6

<p>At first glance, I didn’t think I’d have anything to offer on a choice between the University of North Dakota and the University of South Dakota. :slight_smile: But the choice you presented seems much simpler. If your family was wealthy enough to be entirely price-insensitive and pay cash, then ND would be a great choice. But if it requires debt to make that choice, then clearly San Diego offers a peace of mind that would be invaluable.</p>

7

<p>did you apply to any UC’s? I would go to UC Riverside before USD.</p>