Transfer to Michigan or Notre Dame Which one and Will i get in? Help Please

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Notre Dame
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<p>I am a first semester sophomore at Western Michigan University. I was at a private 4 yr liberal arts catholic school in indiana but left bc i hated it. I want to transfer to a good school for pre-law/ pre-med. Chances?</p>

<p>Stats - </p>

<p>High school GPA - ****ty - 3.0 ranked in mid 50%-tile but came from competitive public highs chool where average gpa is 3.5</p>

<p>College GPA - 3.9 with 31 credits - physics, calc, theo, bio, history, english, etc...</p>

<p>ACT - 27</p>

<p>EC -
hs-
Varsity rowing, swimming, soccer, and waterpolo - volunteer coach over the summers, soccer coach and worked all summers.
college -
Water polo club team freshman year; math and english tutor; volunteer for christian youth group (younglife)
worked for a community restoration society last summer. no disciplinary actions against me.</p>

<p>Legacy at Notre Dame - two generations.</p>

<p>what are my chances of getting in. i hear mixed results from all places, i am just most concerned with my high school gpa. i really f'd up and spent too much time on sports and now really regret that. </p>

<p>i have already submitted my michigan app am waiting on notre dame and not too sure if i want to go to tulane.</p>

<p>help please</p>

<p>crb</p>

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<p>It depends on a few things. First of all, ND is very particular about the classes you have taken, so you will want to email them and see how your classes line up. Additionally, you should have a reason to want to apply to ND. I am not hearing it. You sound like you want to go to a more prestigious school, and while ND is that, it is also much more than that. It is perfect for some, but not for others. For that reason, I would look into these schools a bit more and figure out exactly what you are looking for. Most transfers only apply to one or two schools because they know what they were lacking at their last school. You may know that, but if not, think about a reason for transferring. Those at ND (and probably the other schools) will want to know why.</p>

<p>I hope that helps some. Check out my website at Transferring</a> to Notre Dame for more information.</p>

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<p>Irish68178 - </p>

<p>Main reason is i am catholic and have grown up knowing notre dame and what it is. The tradition is the most appealing thing there. the community as well as the students body. the name recognition which it has also brings appeal. Tulane is just a thought because of such reasons as location and the reputation it has. the only allure michigan has is the price tag. I am from michigan and i also have 2 other siblings in college and though fin aid is available. their tuition is minimal compared to that from nd and financial strains now could possibly inhibit my ability to go there. Michigan and Notre Dame are comparably the same school academically but they both have plus and minuses in their own field. </p>

<p>My parents would like me to go to notre dame over u of m but unless i receive heavy fin aid which i didnt last year. idk about going there.</p>

<p>i have checked with counselors at nd and i have all fresh requirements. I just want to know how other transfers would rate me.. thanks for your input though. i appreciate it.</p>

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<p>I strongly disagree with the academics being identical, both are good, but if you truly think they are identical than I would go to Michigan with the difference in cost.</p>

<p>If you have the requirements, I think your chances look very good for ND. What major specifically are you hoping to transfer into (pre-med/pre-law is pretty broad)? Majors like Philo are great because you can do them for either pre-med or pre-law, but especially law, and it is easy to make the argument that you are better off at ND as it is one of the best departments in the world. Just something to think about... the more specific you can be the easier it is to make your case for them to accept you Be sure to talk about the Catholic identity in your statement, that is a solid reason to want to transfer in my opinion. Good luck!</p>

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<p>as far as being prestigious academic institutions one being public and having great name rec and one having less than 8000 ug students and ahve great name rec. but they have plus and minuses. i am poli sci and minor in chem and bio. the minors present issues with nd b/c they do not offer minor in bio so i will have to readjust my thinking with that. but i am moving closer to law school than med right now. thanks for your help</p>

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<p>With your core classes out of the way for the most part (first semester Sophomore), wanting to be prelaw or premed may be one of the most important factors in your ultimate decision. Research into the different school's specific programs. For example, there is no prelaw major at Notre Dame, but a lot of people use History, Political Science, Philosophy, Theology and even Mathematics as a launching pad to eventual law school. Notre Dame does not have a medical school, and a lot of undergraduates have mixed feelings about this. It means that there is a lot more focus on preparing pure as opposed to applied science, even though at an undergraduate level there is not much of a difference. It also means that the focus will be on the undergraduate, but the amount of research you have access to may not be the same as other schools. Again, this is coming from a student who is not "prelaw" or "premed", so I would value your own research over my opinion on this matter. </p>

<p>Good luck with the choice.</p>

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<p>Hey! This thread is actually right up my alley...I didn't get into ND initially so I went to University of Michigan (that, right there, should show you which school is better). I ended up transferring to ND sophomore year. But anyway, transferring to Notre Dame can be much easier (depending on which college you transfer from, etc...). The acceptance rate for transfer is slightly higher than regular acceptance as well.</p>

<p>When it comes to transferring, an applicant is in good shape if he/she excels at the college the student was already at. Accepting students from high school is a crap shoot (it could be an easy high school, etc...) but when it comes to college, showing that you can excel will make you a much stronger candidate. I actually had a kid transfer from a community college in my transfer class.</p>

<p>Finally, the education you will recieve at ND is better than the education you'll get at U of M. I love U of M and it is a great school...but ND is simply better. Much smaller classes, nicer people, and national prestige that is surpassed by few. If financing is that important, then that is entirely respectable...and U of M is a BARGAIN. However, I do have friends that graduated from ND with 6 figures of debt and they still have no regrets. Notre Dame is an investment--more so than most other colleges--because ND students succeed in all careers. </p>

<p>Don't be afraid about transferring either because all of the students at ND embrace new people. You will be immersed in the social scene before you know it. If you have any doubts about ND...just come to the first home game this weekend and I think, after all is said and done, there will be no doubt in your mind as to where you belong.</p>

<p>GO ND!!</p>

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<p>I'm no expert on transfer admissions, so I'll let irish handle that.</p>

<p>I would like to comment on the academics part (don't venture on to CC too often anymore, and even less often to the ND thread, but I wanted to comment):</p>

<p>Comparing ND and Michigan is like comparing apples and oranges. One is a quarter the size of the other, with a smaller, more secluded campus, and a rich religious tradition. The other is a big-time state school with a more diverse student body and more diverse perspectives. If you're in-state, it's half the cost. Saying one is "better" than the other is pretty stupid, since they're both great schools with excellent traditions, academically, socially, and athletically. Sure, it's great going to a school with such a family atmosphere as ND, but there's something to be said for representing the people's university at a public school, such as Michigan.</p>

<p>I seriously considered both schools, visited both multiple times, and came away feeling great about America's education system! Rivalry aside, they're both good schools, nay, GREAT schools, and each has made their mark on hundreds of thousands of students. I personally LOVED Ann Arbor, and the fact that when I visited in February with sleet blowing across my face, I had a choice of several coffee shops, bookstores, and libraries within Ann Arbor that I could visit just a few steps off campus. I liked the fact that I talked to 3 professors in my 2 days there, more than at ANY other school I visited (about 10 total...including ND and BC). Which I thought was neat considering how many people automatically disregard public education as blasphemy because "the classes are SO BIG!" As if a private-school grad would honestly know how it works, compared to their classes of 20.</p>

<p>As for ND, the campus is so easy to fall in love with, it's easy to see why it's one of the most beloved schools to so many. The Grotto, the Dome, Far Quad, etc. all made the school unique and appealing. The rivalries between the dorms were taken seriously, to a comical level. The one thing I didn't like about ND, which was probably the difference-maker for me, was the sense of entitlement many students seemed to have (that "ND does no wrong" attitude). And the lack of diversity in comparison to other schools I was considering (though I understood that was simply a result of being a private Catholic school, not so much the university's wrongdoing). I appreciate school pride, really agree that it's key to a successful school, but I also appreciate acknowledgement that there are always areas to improve...and that's something I didn't get in my visits there. If I missed it, I suppose it's my loss. But I looked and listened as best I could for it!</p>

<p>Michigan's out-of-state fees are ridiculous, as are the OOS fees for most public schools. Ironically, it would have been cheaper for me to go there than ND, had I chosen to attend one of them. But of course that depends on one's own financial situation.</p>

<p>SO, that's my $.02. I truly believe those schools are amongst the top-15 in the nation. Just because Michigan is public doesn't make it worse, anyone who thinks that is just plain ignorant and narrow-minded. Just because ND is a private school doesn't mean the extra money isn't worth it, assuming it's where you really want to go. In all reality, most people who succeed at Michigan would have been great admission candidates and students at ND as well, and vice versa.</p>

<p>The hype about one school being "better" than the other academically is just that, hype. Some people will learn better in a smaller, more personal environment, others will enjoy the vast course offerings and challenging task of trying to make your mark at a school of 40,000. To each his own; the wold will be a better place when schools can be accepted for what they are, rather than what they aren't.</p>

<p>Sorry for the long post, I've just been waiting a long time to say it all! Best of luck in your decision, and to future generations of applicants to ND and other great universities. We should consider ourselves extremely blessed to live in a country with so many excellent options.</p>