Vanderbilt vs Notre Dame vs Northwestern

Applying to College
1

<p>Hi everyone! I'm currently facing quick a conflict [though I guess it's a pretty nice conflict]
I've narrowed down my choices to the three schools, but have no clue how to narrow it down any further. I want to major in international relations and economics and go onto law school later on. Although my mother says not to consider FA, I'm getting about 17K more at Vanderbilt than the other schools. I was hoping someone could help give me some insight about the schools, getting jobs afterwards, student life, etc about the three schools</p>

<p>My personal pro and cons are: [this is a condensed list]</p>

<p>Vanderbilt:</p>

<p>Pros:</p>

<p>Warm!
Nashville is an awesome city
they have both of my mahors [I'd do IR through the HOD major]
beautiful campus
cheaper</p>

<p>Cons:
People tend to talk about how Vanderbilt is a southern school and it'll be hard to get jobs in Chicago or NYC which is ultimately where I'd like to end up
"Sorority hell" - I do want to rush, but I heard sorority life is intense and people are pretty pompous about the hierarchy of sororities there
Sports....</p>

<p>Notre Dame:</p>

<p>Pros
FOOTBALL! I've been an ND football fan since I was 11 [neither of my parents are grads btw]
The sense of community
campus is beautiful
the food!
business school is great
I'm catholic
visited twice and all the people were super nice</p>

<p>Cons
Doesn't really have an IR major
South Bend is not a great college town
Lots of drinking because there isn't much else to do [this is what the girl I stayed with at ND told me at least]
Weather</p>

<p>Northwestern:</p>

<p>I don't really have many pros and cons because I haven't visited yet [going to wild cats day the 18th] I do like that it's close enough to chicago [I'm aware its about a 40 minute train ride] for internships and stuff to do but there is still a distinct campus. I also like it's great econ department and what not. I grew up about 2 hours from Chicago [I now live elsewhere] so I'm not super opposed to the weather, but I can't say I love the cold either</p>

<p>Any input would be really appreciated! Thank you so much :)</p>

2

<p>I have posted a similar question in a few forums and would love more opinions here, too. I am torn between Northwestern and Vanderbilt (Arts and Science). Discarded Cornell cause of its location. </p>

<p>I want one particular info on dorm life: Do freshmen get to have their own sleeping/studying space? I need a space which is not totally open to my roommate/s 24/7, if not my own room. </p>

<p>Thanks in advance.</p>

3

<p>I don’t think that’s available at Vanderbilt as a freshman, and I have no clue in regards to Northwestern.</p>

4

<p>While it may be hard to compete with the adoration many white Catholics grew up with for Notre Dame, it may not be the best reasoning for college selection. IMO, ND is not on par with your other two options.</p>

<p>Vanderbilt and NU are similar in many ways – picturesque campuses, great locations, socially vibrant, Greek scenes if desired, big time sports, and offer the full college experience (not just academics). They have very different feels though: I have only visited once, but Vanderbilt felt very southern, preppy, with some money and corresponding snobbery. Northwestern has a more intellectual (bit geeky even), diverse, relaxed feel with some money snobbery as well (similar to some Ivies).</p>

<p>Ultimately, NU gets the nod academically and you may find its reputation expands to a wider geographic area, which could give you a leg up if locating outside of the south. I also believe that Northwestern offers a richness of experience through the talents, viewpoints, and backgrounds of a widely diverse student body that Vanderbilt does not. So all things being equal I would suggest NU is a clear choice. However, if your tuition is 17k cheaper at Vanderbilt, then it would be hard to justify passing up a discount like that.</p>

5

<p>^ Wow, I like your answer. You summed up what I have been hearing throughout the day. X)</p>

<p>Q: NU costs me 7.5k more than Vanerbilt does. I am considering appealing my f/a to NU. I know this is a topic of different nature and am sorry, OP, for side-tracking your thread, but does anyone have any idea whether this appealing might work?</p>

6

<p>I tried appealing Notre Dame for more aid, and they straight up said no. I’m doing the same with Northwestern and hoping their being reasonable. Thank you hinsdale1 for your answer! It was very insightful :slight_smile: Why don’t you think ND is on par with the other two?</p>

7

<p>My son is graduating from Vanderbilt in May. He had no trouble lining up internships in CA, and that is where he has a job waiting for him. He was also offered internships in Chicago and DC. He didn’t look for permanent jobs anywhere but CA, so can’t comment on permanent jobs in the east. (His field is CS, and that probably matters.)</p>

<p>He has found Nashville and the Vanderbilt campus to be friendly places, welcoming to non-southerners such as himself. I’ve been on the Vanderbilt campus many times, and I think the preppy thing is waaay exaggerated. Please believe me when I tell you my son is not preppy. </p>

<p>re Notre Dame. My husband used to be on the faculty. Great students, very nice. The students love it. I can’t say I cared much for South Bend. The action is on the campus, not in town. That is very different than Vanderbilt, particularly for upperclassmen, many of whom take advantage of the nearby entertainment options.</p>

<p>Vanderbilt offers individual rooms after freshman year. My son did not share a room soph, junior or senior year.</p>

<p>I have gotten the impression that there is not a shortage of quiet study spots, including 24-hr, although they might be a bit of a walk from the freshman Commons area.</p>

8

<p>ND is a world class institution, and if it was your least expensive option I would suggest matriculating. </p>

<p>If money is not an issue, however, Northwestern is clearly on a higher level academically (reputation, breadth of regarded program offerings, depth of coursework) than Notre Dame, and in just about any measure except school spirit (which is also not shabby at NU). ND also does not offer the cultural experiences (its in the middle of nowhere) that being part of a diverse campus or next to a world class city provides, etc (many other reasons as well). Personaly, if I were a white Catholic, ND is probably the last place I would consider going to college - at least if you ever expect to truely broaden your perspectives. On my visit to ND, it mostly felt to me like a continuation of my Catholic (I am not Catholic but went to Catholic HS) high school experience, which was good but sheltered.</p>

9

<p>Thank you all for your input! :)</p>

10

<p>Bumping this :)</p>

11

<p>please help? :)</p>

12

<p>I say visit all schools and decide based on gut feeling.</p>

13

<p>bump! :slight_smile: please and thank you!</p>

14

<p>

There seems to be a confusion with graduate and undergraduate focuses here. Both universities are excellent, but their focuses are different.</p>

<p>Northwestern focuses first on its graduate departments, as evidenced by the high academic regard carried by those departments (see opinion polls of others in academia). Notre Dame focuses first on its undergraduate education, which causes a lapse in academic reputation, which is primarily based upon graduate work for universities. However, it is considered one of the best schools for undergraduate education.</p>

<p>College rankings ultimately produce a flawed picture. However, as Northwestern’s leg up in the rankings of graduate programs has been pointed out, I think this might be considered as well: [url=<a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/undergraduate-teaching]Best”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/undergraduate-teaching]Best</a> Undergraduate Teaching | Rankings | Top National Universities | US News<a href=“Notre%20Dame%20#4,%20NU%20unranked”>/url</a>.</p>

<p>Both are excellent schools, whether for undergrad or grad school. Personally, though, I would probably prefer ND for undergrad and NU for grad, as those are the strong suits of each.</p>

<p>

You are correct in the fact that South Bend cannot compete with NU’s proximity to Chicago, and that is something to be considered. However, the system of intellectual discourse present at so many great universities, including ND and NU, should broaden your perspective, regardless of how many times you say the word “white” (the % of white students at ND is similar to the % of white US citizens, so I’m not sure what you’re getting at).</p>

<p>

I agree, you should visit Notre Dame, Northwestern, and Vanderbilt, and see what you like and don’t like about each. It will allow you to make a more informed decision, rather than relying upon the impressions of others. So far, it sounds like you’ve got two down and one to go. Once you have done all three, sit back and assess what’s important to you and what really impressed you.</p>

<p>

The Political Science department has an International Relations specialization. It’s an IR program within a PoliSci major.</p>