UPenn vs. Notre Dame

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
1

<p>After what has been a grueling college application experience, I have my options for next year narrowed down to Notre Dame and the University of Pennsylvania. My plan is to go into the Humanities.</p>

<p>I feel somewhat pressured to go to Penn. I know that, as an Ivy League school, a degree from Penn would open doors for me that few could even imagine. I don't really feel pressured by my family, but a number of people whom I've spoken to—teachers who've gone to Oxbridge, and even one of my interviewers for another Ivy to which I was rejected—have pointed out that so many more opportunities are available with an Ivy degree, even from one of the so-called "lesser Ivies." Penn is not quite Harvard or Yale, but it is an exceptionally good school.</p>

<p>But I will be brutally honest: My heart tells me to go to Notre Dame. I am so drawn by its incredible sense of community and its overall sense of purpose. I was accepted, in this admissions cycle, to twelve respectable institutions in both the U.S. and Canada. But I know quite honestly that if I denied ND, I would always be asking myself, "What if?", in a way that I know would not happen if I denied any other institution. I will ask "What if?" if I deny Penn as well, but the question would assume a much different character.</p>

<p>I have my sights set on grad school already, and I'm particularly interested in applying, when the time comes however many years from now, to Oxford and Cambridge. Penn, I know, would make it easier for me to get into superior grad school programs.</p>

<p>Still, I know that I would be happier at Notre Dame. It's not that I would be unhappy attending UPenn. On the contrary, to be totally honest I know if I attended I'd probably spend four perfectly happy years there, and end up with a very valuable degree. But I cannot shake the feeling that I would get something more than happiness from Notre Dame; a greater sense of purpose, perhaps. I think ND could very possibly enable me to change fundamentally as a person for the better.</p>

<p>So will someone tell me whether or not I'm crazy to even think about turning down an Ivy? And does anyone know of people who have been in a situation like this before? This may very well end up being one of the most important decisions I'll ever make.</p>

<p>Thank you so much for your help.</p>

<p>And to you waitlisters: I apologize if it seems I'm taking up a spot that someone who absolutely LOVED Penn could put to better use than I... But I imagine situations like these are not unique.</p>

2

<p>Hey…you sound like you have your mind set on Notre Dame already. If you want to go to Notre Dame, if you feel that it is THE school for you, then why not go? Notre Dame is a good school, after all, it’s not like going to Notre Dame will close any doors to you. This isn’t a decision that you should make based on other people’s opinions. Just go to the school you feel is right for you, and from the looks of it, it sounds as though Notre Dame is what’s right for you. That way you can spend your four years with no regrets, and you won’t have to spend the rest of your life looking back and wondering “what if?”.</p>

3

<p>Notre Dame is a perfectly fine school. In my opinion, it sounds like you should go to Notre Dame. The way you describe your feelings for ND makes it sound like heaven lol… and it’s not like no one from ND gets into grad school; in fact, i’m sure it’s in the upper echelon of grad school placement. </p>

<p>…although i will say that i love it here at Penn too. Just make sure you think it through thoroughly yourself, as ultimately it should be your decision. Congrats and good luck!</p>

4

<p>I would say Penn since I am biased, but i would recommend that you follow your heart. If ND is where you want to go, then go to ND.</p>

5

<p>Penn is a slightly better school but it sounds like Notre Dame is your dream school so I would go there. Life is too short to have to wonder “what if” all the time.</p>

6

<p>Since you mentioned Oxbridge, you might be interested in looking at this site presenting the most recent Oxford - Cambridge boat race

At a tab at the top, under “Crew,” you will see the distribution of schools that make up the teams – an interesting starting point as to whether only ivys make the grade at those two schools. Take a look as well at the Marshall scholars page for Cambridge and the Gates scholars and look at that school distribution. If it is heavily weighted ivy, and your heart’s desire is to go to Oxbridge, then you may have an answer there . . .</p>

<p>Generally, the rule in life is to follow your instincts, as instincts channel the future. There is a very good reason your “heart” is telling you Notre Dame. I might listen to it.</p>

7

<p>Thank you for all your input. Right now I am leaning toward ND, but in the month between now and May 1, any number of factors may lead me to eventually choose Penn.</p>

<p>In the meantime, I have a few questions to ask (which I also asked on the ND forum). If I attended Penn, my plan involves double majoring in History and in Theatre Arts. But as a Canadian, it is important to my sense of patriotism to achieve fluency my country’s other official language, French. So how difficult would it be to double major and also take French classes in Penn’s department of Romance Languages? Is a double major and a minor possible? Or would it be feasible to double major in History and French Studies, and minor in Theatre Arts?</p>

<p>Again, one month from now I may yet choose Penn. But right now I am trying to see which school would help me achieve my future plans more.</p>

<p>Thank you so much for your help.</p>

8

<p>Completely possible to do a double major and take a language, a lot of people do. I obviously prefer Penn but you have to be happy at wherever you go. I don’t recall if you said it in your post (not going to reread all of that) but try to visit both before May 1.</p>

9

<p>It sounds like you want to go to Notre Dame (but as FreshPrince said, have you visited both campuses? That’s really important.)</p>

<p>This is one of those scenarios where you know what you want, but everyone else is telling you something else…I know this happens a lot with Harvard and other great schools. “XX is and was my dream school…but I got into Harvard.” They tend to end up going to Harvard because that’s what everyone expects, which is actually why I didn’t apply there (didn’t want to go but knew if I got in the pressure might be too great to decline).</p>

<p>If you have visited both schools, I would go to Notre Dame. As much as I love Penn, you should really go where your instincts are telling you to.</p>

10

<p>I AM IN YOUR POSITION.</p>

<p>And I was just telling someone the other day about the “What if?”…
I feel the exact same way!</p>

<p>For me, it’s really hard because I was accepted to Huntsman which is a phenomenal once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that would be so hard to pass up because I am really interested in foreign service.</p>

<p>I think you NEED to go to Notre Dame - esp if you’re interested in humanities. Penn is great, but your heart is clearly set on ND. You will never regret it if you go there! Notre Dame has the best alumni relationship after H and P, and like a 98% retention rate. Undergrad is so much more about the experience, you can get great academics wherever you go if you are willing to work hard. There is no place like Notre Dame.</p>

11

<p>@morgan</p>

<p>Oh my God I am so relieved to see that I’m not the only one making this decision, haha.</p>

<p>Have you made your decision yet? I mean, I know nothing about what kind of an opportunity being accepted to Huntsman is, but for what it’s worth I’m increasingly finding value in Polonius’ words to Laertes in Hamlet: “To thine own self be true.” Right now it seems I’m searching for a be-all-and-end-all reason to go to Penn — which I may yet find — but Notre Dame… damn, it seems like it has what I want.</p>

<p>And if it helps at all, I myself am interested in a career in the foreign service — albeit the Canadian foreign service. In fact I spent a week in Ottawa last month that focused on International Relations, and the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs told me I didn’t necessarily need a degree in International Relations… But that’s besides the point. You know as well as I that UPenn almost automatically opens doors career-wise. No one can deny that. But as blorgit said in his post earlier, it’s not like ND closes any doors. If one works hard at ND, then it’s definitely possible that they could get into a top-tier grad school and from there make a ton of career connections…</p>

<p>This is a very tough decision, haha. We should keep in touch.</p>

12

<p>@Freshprince and @scribbler</p>

<p>Unfortunately I have not had an opportunity to visit either campus. Like a considerable number of international applicants, I have to make my decision based on what I read about these schools. It makes the decision all the more difficult.</p>

<p>My FA package from ND has not yet arrived, and due to an error on my part neither has my FA package from Penn (And because of the fact I happen to be a U.S. citizen, my FA should not be affected by my international status). So perhaps I will have to make this decision based on finances.</p>

<p>Then again, perhaps not.</p>

13

<p>Domers take care of each other. Going to ND will open just as many doors as going to Penn will.</p>

14

<p>I agree with negoblle2 completely. I am in a similar position, and talking to ND alums and admissions officers, the name Notre Dame gets you in the door at TONS of places. ND alums are everywhere, especially internationally, and it seems as if the sense of camraderie you build at Notre Dame makes alums more likely to hire other alums. Grad school is not a problem, just the name Penn alone won’t automatically get you in. If you put in work at either school, it will be noticed (perhaps even more at ND) and you will be rewarded accordingly.</p>

15

<p>Go to the school which you feel you would personally fit more at. Go to Notre Dame if you feel like that’s where you belong, it’s an excellent school.</p>