I am currently an undergraduate at the University of Southern California (I just started this year). Although I was admitted to Notre Dame last year during early action, I chose to come to USC instead mostly because of my half-tuition (Presidential) scholarship here. Unfortunately, the school is not totally what I expected it to be.
For me, it just seems that USC is too large of a school. I didn’t join Greek life (and would not plan on doing so in future semesters) so I feel left out from much of the social scene here. In addition, coming from a small town in Nevada to Los Angeles has been a a bit of a stressful cultural adjustment for me (though I do love the amazing weather and all of the cultural opportunities that come with living in a big city).
Just last week, I found out that I would be able to transfer to Notre Dame as a second semester freshman. My brother is a senior there and I already know quite a few people. I really like the fact that Notre Dame does not have Greek life, and that the residence halls are instead the biggest part of social life. In addition, I feel that ND undergraduates have better access to university academic resources, as USC can sometimes be overwhelmed by the graduate population as well as the sheer number of undergraduates on campus. One drawback is that ND would be more expensive.
I am currently deciding whether I should stay at USC or leave and attend Notre Dame. The factors holding me back from doing so are Notre Dame’s location (I am comfortable with the West Coast, and like I said, being in LA has been a lot of fun), as well as South Bend’s cold and dreary winters (LA weather was a huge selling point for me last year). Does anyone have any advice for me? Do the academic and social advantages of Notre Dame (at least in my opinion) make up for the difference in weather and location?
I’m not sure that there’s a right answer here. What does your brother say? Has he had issues with the weather and location? Can your parents afford ND?
@suzy100 Well, my brother hasn’t had any issues with the weather in South Bend, but I’ve never spent a winter in the Midwest, so it’s more difficult to tell whether or not it would bother me too much.
As for the cost, ND would only be slightly more expensive, so it shouldn’t be too much of a problem.
@DarylHall, I wish I knew how to help you figure this out. My D is a junior at ND. She absolutely loves it. There are so many academic opportunities offered to her there, and she has taken advantage of them. The advising at ND is pretty incredible, and through it she has developed a very good relationship with the head(s) of both departments for her majors. (Double major, I guess that’s understood.) She’s a humanities kid, not sure what you are studying. We are from the midwest, so she is used to the weather. USC is a fantastic school as well though, and we don’t have experience there so no way to compare.
@suzy100 Thanks so much for the help! Yes, Notre Dame really is a great place and I’m glad to hear your daughter is doing well there. At this point, I’m definitely leaning toward going ahead and transferring. I feel that ND is a much better personal fit for me, and I can certainly get used to the weather!
@darlyhall. I also am in a similar situation. I was accepted to Notre Dame but chose a different school because of tuition. Ever since I arrived, all I can think about is Notre Dame. How were you able to be able to transfer next semester? Did you just contact the admissions office? Thanks
@studentboss Yes! I contacted the regional admissions counselor for Nevada. She asked me for my current class schedule and my high school transcript. That was pretty much it!
@studentboss I was originally admitted for biochemistry, so I’m not sure about the Mendoza thing. I got in touch with the admissions office two weeks ago and heard that I would be allowed to transfer last Friday. I don’t think it would be too late at all so could be worth checking out.
Anybody else have any comments? I won’t have to commit to anything for at least a few weeks. If anybody has any other viewpoints I would love to hear them!
I would think most people would weigh the academic and social fit as primary criteria and things like weather a secondary criteria. Based upon what you have stated earlier, it sounds like ND is the better fit.
I can’t compare the two schools, but I can speak a little bit about ND as the wife of an alum and mom of a student. We live in the northeast so my D is used to the 4 seasons – and she absolutely hates being cold. So the weather in South Bend was a big point of consideration for her too. She was torn between ND and Gtown for this reason. Not that DC is that much warmer, but it gets less snow, and the appeal for her was the cultural perks of the location. In the end, she chose ND because she felt the sense of community and the dorm system would have a greater impact on her daily happiness. Obv that’s a personal choice that everyone must determine for themselves. But whatever you decide about the winters, remember that you will also get gorgeous autumns and nice springs in the bargain
I have a feeling that you really know that the answer is ND. Just needed a little push from some strangers. If you didn’t have a sibling there, I would not be so certain. But since you are intimately familiar with ND, I’d say that the transfer is a no-brainer. Good luck
