This isn’t strictly a ND question - - sorry if I am in the wrong place.
I have a daughter who has been admitted to Holy Cross and St. Mary’s. GPA - 4.3, ACT - 30.
Those stats are respectable, but would not get her into ND. Anyway, she is considering HC or SM, since there is a lot of talk about the “tri-campus”, and students can take classes from any of the 3 institutions. I feel like that is a big part of the appeal of HC or SMC.
My question is, would HC or SMC students really be welcomed in classes and activities, or do ND students kind of just tolerate them? My fear is that ND students would be snooty, and HC or SMC students may not really participate in the tri-campus offerings.
I really don’t know, though, just wondering.
Would appreciate any thoughts or input at all!
Thanks!
Congratulations to your daughter on her acceptances at St. Mary’s College and Holy Cross College!
From our pov, as far as Holy Cross College is concerned, it would be advantageous to be part of the ND/Holy Cross Gateway program. Otherwise, as she does have the choice, specifically St. Mary’s and Notre Dame programs are well integrated and students share many of the programs, i.e. The Observer https://ndsmcobserver.com/ , clubs and integrated academic programs, for example https://www.saintmarys.edu/majors/dual-degree-engineering. Our daughter, a First-Year ND student, has many friends at St. Mary’s College and students are very welcome on both campuses.
My daughter graduated from SMC in 2017. She has friends at all 3 schools (no issues) and spent a lot of time on both SMC and ND campuses. I can’t speak to HC, but ND/SMC have a healthy class co-ex as well as many opportunities to participate in joint clubs etc. If your daughter is part of the Gateway program and wants to go to ND, then HC would seem the way to go. Otherwise, I would strongly favor SMC.
I’m a current Saint Mary’s student and I feel welcome at Notre Dame. I would agree that if she was offered a spot in the Gateway program she should take it. Several of my friends went through the program and seem very happy with their decision. I participate in a lot of activities and feel welcomed and included at Notre Dame. Of course, there are logistical challenges to overcome, and sometimes I’m one of the only Saint Mary’s women. It really depends on the club though! Feel free to reach out with any questions you may have 
Thanks everybody for your input. I’m getting the distinct impression that SMC is rating higher than HC (which is kind of what I figured). DD got a much better offer from HC than SMC, which is definitely a factor. We may yet contact financial aid and see if they can get a little closer to our EFC.
Since DD didn’t apply to ND, I don’t think Gateway is an option. It’s for ND applicants, rather than HC applicants. Of course we also know about the little email kerfuffle that HC had last spring.
Thanks again everyone!
@Dream25 have you visited both? This is in no way meant to disparage HC, but the HC campus is very, very small. SMC students (~1625) live on campus for 3 years (many for 4) but I think HC can only accomodate 1/2 of its 500 students. My daughter lived in UEdge (with other HC and ND students) her senior year, but her first 3 years in the dorms really cemented her relationships.
I would encourage you to reach out to SMC and see what else they can do for you financially. Good Luck!