<p>I have been admitted to all three universities but I am struggling a lot with choosing between the three. I am interested in getting an MBA or JD down the road. I want to study either math, poli sci, or some type of business related courses. How do these schools compare academically amongst each other in what I want to study? Also is there anything else of note that distinguishes one college from the rest?</p>
<p>These are three very different schools really, except for the fact that they are all excellent academically speaking. My D just graduated from Vandy in May and her top two choices at the end of her college search were Vandy and Notre Dame. She agonized over the decision, but chose Vandy in the end. It put her closer to home and she preferred the warmer weather to the weather in Indiana. She said repeatedly that she never would have survived the winters at Notre Dame. You said you were interested in taking some business courses which is something you would be able to do at any of those schools, but I know that ND has an excellent business school and Vandy doesn’t have a true business program for undergraduates. That would be the one thing you need to consider in the event you are truly looking for a business major. I really don’t have any direct knowledge of Georgetown. The locales of all three schools are very different. ND is somewhat isolated and my D realized that in addition to the weather, the location of ND compared to Vandy’s proximity to a vibrant city tipped the scales in favor of Vandy. She loved Nashville and would like to return for her residency when she finishes med school. Obviously Washington DC would be an exciting place to spend four years, but I have also heard Georgetown’s campus described as less than beautiful and kind of heavy on the concrete. You have two beautiful campuses in ND and Vandy.</p>
<p>Wow, you can’t go wrong with any of those schools! My daughter is at Vandy (and very happy) but we looked at Georgetown–my impression is that the school is much more a part of the city of Georgetown than say Vanderbilt which, while urban, feels like it is in a bubble. The student housing that we saw at Georgetown didn’t look/feel like in was on the campus. Once the new dorms at Vanderbilt are completed next year, I anticipate that the school will be back to having over 90% of the students living on campus which contributes to the overall “traditional college” feel at VU.</p>
<p>Also I would point out that of the 3 schools, Georgetown is the only one with a larger graduate school than undergrad (of the 8 universities we visited in the dead of summer, Georgetown was the only one with students going about their everyday business, I assume they were graduate students.) However, if you want to go into law or business, you can’t beat the Washington, DC location for opportunities.</p>
<p>My D decided on Vanderbilt based on a combination of academic reputation, location in a fun city, traditional college feel with D1 sports and on-campus social scene, weather, and great financial aid. Good luck to you in your decisions!</p>
<p>These are all great choices with many similarities. Overall, I think Vanderbilt is a friendlier school than Georgetown and I prefer Nashville to South Bend.</p>
<p>Georgetown and Notre Dame are Catholic, unlike Vandy, so they tend to draw a lot of kids from Catholic schools in the Northeast, while Vandy is more Protestant and southern. Vandy is a great place for pre-law students, and though we don’t have an undergraduate business program, you can still do well by majoring in economics. The other schools are solid academically as well, though, so you will be fine no matter where you go. I think the best argument for you to attend Vanderbilt is that it will provide the best undergraduate experience: beautiful campus, great city, the best weather, SEC football, etc. - and that your Vanderbilt degree may look better than the other schools 20 years down the line.</p>
<p>EDIT: And we’re the most fun.</p>