<p>I have been admitted into the University of Michigan Honors program and into ND. I’m considering either business or pre-med. Sports, school spirit, and alumni networks are also very important to me! Any help would be appreciated! </p>
<p>Okay, in addition to being huge rivals – there are some big differences. While both have great sports, school spirit and national reputation, academics are stronger generally at Michigan in terms of quality of faculty. Folks rave about the power of the ND alumni network in terms of helping find jobs etc. How comfortable are you with the size of undergrad life at Michigan? Honors could make the top notch academics more accessible and easier to navigate, so that could reduce the impact of the larger size. </p>
<p>How important is religion and Catholicism in your life? If it is an important part of what you are looking for in your college experience, then that would mean ND. If you aren’t especially religious, how do you feel about the Catholic-based residence life provisions at ND? Single sex dorms, parietals, having sex (either hetero or not), is against the code of conduct. How comfortable would you be with the annual right-to-life bus caravans to protest Roe v. Wade anniversary? Does that matter to you, or not at all? </p>
<p>Really cannot go wrong with either choice, they are different types of strong schools. If cost matters, for instance, instate in Michigan vs. debt for ND, my own preference would be Michigan all the way. Is this a hypothetical question, since May 1 date has come and gone? </p>
<p>I got into ND off the wait list a few days ago and have until the 16th to decide. Is the Notre Dame name held higher than the Michigan name?</p>
<p>@midwestmomofboys</p>
<p>“Is the Notre Dame name held higher than the Michigan name?”</p>
<p>I don’t think there is a reputational distinction between Michigan and ND. Perhaps among Catholics, Notre Dame will be held in higher esteem. </p>
<p>As midwestmonofboys suggests, focus on the difference between those schools and choose the one that fits you better. </p>
<p>Hey so I am going to ND next year so I can shed some light on this I think.</p>
<p>Notre Dame has a stronger reputation than Michigan, if that matters to you. ND’s alumni network is also incredible, and really can’t be beat. Notre Dame has had the number 1 undergraduate business school in the country for the past 5 years, and their pre med program is awesome (ND’s med school acceptance rate is about double the national average). </p>
<p>Sports and school spirit are pretty even at both. However, at Notre Dame you have the fun of having a bunch of rivalry games, instead of like two.</p>
<p>The Catholic values of Notre Dame are truly great. Even if you aren’t Catholic, the values are nice. You don’t need to be Catholic to go to ND. You will definitely notice it’s presence on campus, but it’s not like you have to go to mass. The only requirement in regards to religion at ND is that you take 3 theology classes, and those can be on any religion. </p>
<p>It seems that @midwestmomofboys is pretty heavily biased so I am going to address some of the positives of things she mentioned. </p>
<p>Yes, dorms are single sex, but that does not mean you cannot interact with the other gender. Dorm life is really unique and awesome at Notre Dame. There is no greek life so there is none of the social tension associated with the greek presence, yet the dorm system still provides a similar atmosphere. People are very proud of the dorm they live in and each dorm has many fun traditions. There is is Keenan Revue (a comedy show), the Fisher boat race (making boats and racing them across St. Mary’s lake), etc. Dorms have fun with each other and there are plenty of rivalries between dorms on campus. I could really go on, but if you want more details on this just PM me.</p>
<p>Parietals. Yes some people hate them. Some people like them. It is personal preference. You may think they suck because on weekends quiet hours start at 2, and weeknights at 12, but that does help you get sleep easily. You can also continue to socialize and hang out with people, as long as you aren’t too loud. When I was overnighting I was up until 3 on a Thursday just talking and hanging out with people. But again parties don’t run as late and stuff (that can be viewed as a positive or negative).</p>
<p>Also another thing that I think weighs heavily in ND’s favor is the sense of community that it has. It is like no other school I have been to. It really is tight knit and you have a true sense of pride for being a part of the ND family. The ND community is really special, and something that Michigan does not quite have. </p>
<p>But as @midwestmomofboys said before, if you are in-state for Michigan you should consider the cost difference. Michigan has a great honors program that would provide you with many benefits. But Notre Dame is great too.</p>
<p>Sorry for rambling. I just thought I would try to balance the scale a bit. Feel free to PM me!</p>
<p>Also watch these videos. They both do a good job at grasping what Notre Dame is about (the first one is newer).</p>
<p><a href=“The University of Notre Dame | Any Given Day - YouTube”>The University of Notre Dame | Any Given Day - YouTube; </p>
<p><a href=“Nowhere Else But Notre Dame - YouTube”>Nowhere Else But Notre Dame - YouTube;
1 Like
<p>Sorry my post was geared entirely towards ND. I don’t know too much about Michigan because I am not going there.</p>
<p>“Sorry my post was geared entirely towards ND. I don’t know too much about Michigan because I am not going there.”</p>
<p>…and yet you stated that, “ND has a stronger reputation than Michigan.” In the world of academe, Michigan has the stronger reputation. </p>
<p>“Notre Dame has had the number 1 undergraduate business school in the country for the past 5 years…”</p>
<p>…to the chagrin of Wharton students who are dying to go to ND over their overrated school. </p>
<p>@rjkofnovi <a href=“Bloomberg - Are you a robot?”>Bloomberg - Are you a robot?;
<p>I find the ND name carries more weight than Michigan from personal experience. But I live out west.</p>
<p>Let’s look at the the undergraduate business school ranking that makes sense:</p>
<p><a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/business-overall”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/business-overall</a></p>
<p>“I find the ND name carries more weight than Michigan from personal experience. But I live out west.”</p>
<p>With all due respect, there are many people who are not enamored with the ND name. It works both ways.</p>
<p>@rjkofnovi Regardless of what ranking system you go by, my point was that the business program at ND is very strong and should be something to consider.</p>
<p>And I understand that. I was making a generalization.</p>
<p>If you really want to keep challenging me on my comment, please PM me. I don’t want to digress from the purpose of this thread.</p>
<p>ND has one of the best alumni networks in the country.</p>
<p>Claiming that one of those schools has a stronger reputation, better alumni network or more potent school spirit than the other is pointless. There is no way of proving any of it since both are truly elite on all three fronts. The OP will be equally well served attending either school, but since they are so different, she really should establish which of those two excellent universities is better for her.</p>
<p>To the OP – whether ND or Michigan is more highly regarded – that is not really a question to which there is a single right answer. In my own opinion – as someone from the east coast who has lived in the midwest for 20 years – the quality of academics is stronger at Michigan. But ND is beloved, with passionate support from the ND family. I wouldn’t presume to say one view is right and the other wrong, there are different considerations and values that go into that determination.</p>
<p>If my child were making this decision, I would encourage them to think about the differences between the schools and consider their own preferences and priorities. In addition to the differences I mentioned earlier, what about the ND First Year Studies curriculum, how do you like that? Great? A pain? Or the requirements for 2 Theology and 2 Philosophy courses? I am not judging parietals or other aspects of life at ND. My point is, there are some distinctive aspects to student life at ND, not found at other schools, that a prospective student should understand as they make their decision. </p>
<p>Reflect on what you want in your education. You will receive a wonderful education at each school. Different, but each wonderful. </p>
<p>The way I see it, you KNOW if you want to attend Notre Dame. It is in your blood. The school has a very specific approach, culture and philosophy. You either love it or you don’t. Michigan serves a much wider spectrum. If you aren’t sure, I think Michigan makes better sense. On the other hand, if the Notre Dame concept really appeals to you, then you are sure to love it.</p>