Villanova or Holy Cross??

<p>I think it’s silly to argue about colleges, to each his own. No one can make Holy Cross a bad school by saying it or Villanova or BC. They are all good and grad schools know quality.
My daughter got into better schools than HC (as far as rankings) but picked it because it was a good fit. Her friend at Holy Cross got into Cornell but picked HC. One kid who did transfer to Dartmouth junior year had a facebook page, “I transfered to get an A” because it is hard to get one at HC.
You can get a good education at any of those colleges, rankings are just not entirely accurate.
I found it funny to compare HC and Smith side by side on US News…in all catagories HC was equal or better, GPA, retention, class size, but “peer ranking” made the only difference which isn’t something that is finite. Smith I think was in the twenties then.
So, look deeper at what you care about, then choose the best that you can afford.</p>

<p>lily collegeboard comparisons only give you acceptance rate and sat scores.</p>

<p>Debruns: Well said and thank you. That’s basically what I’ve been saying, but this just keeps going on and on because I feel the need to respond to Nova’s comments and generalizations.</p>

<p>Nova: Yes, I know that. Thus why I gave the light hearted disclaimer “just because I can”
It also shows how the size and place are very different. I think it’s just nice having the stats side by side.</p>

<p>lily- you hit me first!</p>

<p>I agree, we don’t need to go back and forth. </p>

<p>Debruns- I agree a lot with what you are saying…no one can diminish another school. Like I said to Lily, most of the time no one is just slamming a school for the joy of it, but rather saying why one aspect of a certain school is better than the next. And I think those aspects will come handy to future students who will peruse these pages looking for opinions on certain aspects of these schools.</p>

<p>In my opinion, the schools are equal but different. Oxymoron?</p>

<p>Nova: Nothing personal but you do seem bitter. Holy Cross is a very good school. There are a lot of cross appilications (and acceptances) between the two schools. The major differences are in the size of the schools and the majors offered. Villanova has business, nursing and engineering schools. I don’t think Holy Cross has any of these. It is a smaller liberal arts school with good academics and a great history. Both are top 5 catholic schools.</p>

<p>I agree with you one hundred percent. Holy Cross is a great school. Villanova is a great school. however, I still am not bitter because I have no reason to be.</p>

<p>Wouldn’t the possible bitterness come from not getting in to your top choice school (Georgetown) or even Boston College?</p>

<p>not getting into georgetown wouldn’t make me bitter because it’s a reach for most students…I would have liked to go to gtown because it was my first choice school (nova was my second)…Lily- was HC truly your first choice school, you didn’t apply anywhere better?? ND, Tufts, etc??</p>

<p>Nova2011, that is a very shallow question to ask. HC is a first chioce school for a lot of kids. I don’t know the exact percentage, but I think somewhere between 20-30% of HC’s incoming class is accepted early decision every year…meaning that it is the first chioce for all of those applicants. And I think it goes without saying that HC students, in general, are very passionate about their school.</p>

<p>Yes HC was my first choice. And has been since I first toured it summer before Jr year. I fell in love the moment I stepped n campus, my gut knew it was right. I didn’t get into my reach schools (Stanford and UPenn), but I got in everywhere else including UCLA, USC, Boston C, Villanova, and other quality schools. Even if I had gotten into my reach schools I would have gone to Holy Cross. Not only did I love the school but they are paying my full tuition. I got other great offers from great schools, but to me nothing could compare to HC. Whether or not you believe that HC was my first choice doesn’t matter b/c I can’t wait to go to college and am proud to wear my sweatshirt.</p>

<p>Oh and the only reason I didn’t apply ED was because I wanted to see financial packages before I decided (finances mattered a lot in my decision)</p>

<p>^isn’t your full ride to HC just need based. If HC were really your first choice then there would be no need to apply to stanford and upenn. Finances at both and HC are basically all need met, so you would probably owe the same at all of them. </p>

<p>I dont think you can really say HC was your first choice unless you were accepted to Stanford and actually considered going there. I think you would have changed your mind about HC pretty fast.</p>

<p>My dad works at Santa Clara and Jesuit schools sponsor scholarships for kids who come from other Jesuit schools. HC offers one full ride a year to a Jesuit student (ie: me). I applied to Stanford because my parents went there and to UPenn because my counselor told me to. I never wanted to go to Stanford b/c it is way to close to home and I didn’t want to stay in CA. I was waitlisted at UPenn but pulled myself off the list because I could afford HC. </p>

<p>HC has always been my first choice. I just needed to get the scholarship (it’s called Fachex you can look it up). I don’t qualify for major need money, so even if I got off the waitlist at Penn I couldn’t afford it. I love HC and I don’t need random person on CC telling me otherwise. I’m going to graduate with money left for grad school and a great education. </p>

<p>I toured HC right after Georgetown (awful experience that made me not even apply) and BC. By my third college tour I knew where I wanted to go.</p>

<p>We all envy tha aspect Lily, good for you. The scholarship will make decisions later much easier. My daughter’s counselor wanted her to apply to UPenn also (she didn’t want to apply to Yale being in her back yard) but after she visited, it wasn’t a good fit at all. She was always an LAC girl and she wanted a Catholic school. She and her friend aren’t the only ones who found HC a fit over “a higher number”. She didn’t like a few things about BC, nothing academic.
I hope you enjoy it, nothing is perfect, but it has a lot of offer for a small school.</p>

<p>LilyEmory what a wonderful journey! Are you going to enter HPAP? Thank you for righting this thread Lily. Listen to her Nova11!</p>

<p>Thanks Debruns and cecilturtle. I am not premed, I’m a double major in biology and psychology. I’m thinking of trying to be a professor or research scientist. I never wanted to be a doctor; I don’t really have the stomach for it nor do I like the idea of such long hours and years upon years of schooling I have to pay for.</p>

<p>cecilturtle: I dont need to listen to any journeys on here having started my own college journey at 14 years old, and enrolled at Nova at 17, hopefully graduating a year early as well with zero debt. </p>

<p>Lily- I think you made the right choice at HC, but just because that school is right for you or anyone else, does not mean it is stronger academically than another school…and that was what I was arguing, that Nova was just stronger than HC, and nothing personal to you.</p>

<p>Nova: Yes I know. You just challenged that HC wasn’t actually my first choice so I explained. I had said before the schools were overall comparable, but I thought HC had a slight edge, but not when it came to business. Objectively HC has a better bio/premed program and Nova has a stronger business school.</p>

<p>Nova, we all have our journey, mine every bit as challenging as yours. Stop insulting HC with generalizations.<br>
You wanted to speak frankly, with verve about these things. that always comes across so poorly to others.</p>