<p>I am trying to decide between Washington Univeristy in St. Louis, Univeristy of Michigan and Notre Dame for an undecided major.</p>
<p>Wash U has offered me 10,000 scholarship and other aid
U of M is instate tuition
Unsure of financial aid at Notre Dame (assuming nothing)</p>
<p>Personally, I am of the feeling that U of M is too big and a large number of kids form my high school go there (40+). But, I was accepted to the engineering school and if I decide to do engineering this is the best school. Wash U I recognize as a great school academmically but I am unsure of the social life and general fit. Notre Dame may not be as superior academically as Wash U but I have the feeling that the experience would be amazing. </p>
<p>I believe that you go to college to get good grades and presige in later careers, but you also go for the experience that defines the individual you will be in later life. If I went to Notre Dame I would be accumulating about 50,000 dollars more student loans than the other univeristies. I keep wondering if the experience is worth the money difference or the academics. College is a once in a lifetime experience and people always say after graduating not to worry about the student loans.</p>
<p>First, I would not claim that Wash U is any better academically than Notre Dame. By most indicators, all three of these schools are academic equals, with indicators that favor larger research U's favoring Michigan (endowment, peer/prestige rankings, research/pulbication) and ones that favor smaller universities (students per prof, etc.) going to Wash U and ND. The quality of students at each school are about the same, just that Michigan will have a wider range or talent (both high and low end) than the other two. If engineering is a real possibility, this is a no-brainer in favor of Michigan, but since you're undecided, we won't give it away so easily. Why are you feeling that U of M is too big? Sure, it's large, but you don't feel it whatsoever. As far as your experience goes, Michigan will feel almost as small as Wash U and ND. Also, why do you feel that "the experience would be amazing" at ND? Have you visited and you just got a great feel or is this a hunch? So again, there's very little difference in academics unless we're talking about engineering, and don't speak too easily of "dfference in experience" unless you've visited or talked to lots of students from each school.</p>
<p>Notre Dame will cost you $45,000/year, Washington Universikty will cost you $35,000/year and Michigan will cost you $20,000/year. Unless you feel it is worth paying an extra $60,000-$100,000 to attend Wash U or Notre Dame over Michigan, your choice is actually quite easy.</p>
<p>Campus life at all three schools is great, albeit different in style. So personal style may be a factgor. Academics are about the same as well, though Michigan is significantly better than ND and WUSTL in Engineering. One of the key differences is setting. Michigan is located in Ann Arbor, one of the nicest and most fun college towns you are likely to find anywhere. South Bend and St Louis aren't nearly as nice.</p>
<p>The students of UMich WashU and ND are equally academically bright. It wouldnt really be useful to go into the qualifications of the various programs each school has because you are an undecided student. However, UMich is too big (a reason I did not want to go there). WashU has a way way too competitive nature. You are left with ND, a perfect school in my mind. The students are great. The faculty is great. The facilities and campus are great. The traditions are great, and so is the foo'ball. Im sorry if I seem biased but I had to choose between the same three schools, and I chose ND over UMich and WashU.</p>
<p>Red, I am not so sure one can truly feel a size difference difference between Michigan and Notre Dame. Yes, Michigan is 3 times larger than Notre Dame, but Notre Dame isn't exactly a small university. You still have 12,000 students (8,500 undergrads) and over 1,000 acres. And Michigan's faculty is much larger than Notre Dame's (3,000 at Michigan vs 800 at Notre Dame), so in the end, you really cannot feel a difference. Intro level classes at Michigan are bigger, but they are also pretty big at Notre Dame. Most intermediate and advanced level classes are roughly the same size at both universities.</p>
<p>Otherwise, both universities are very similar in most respects. Both have excellent facilities, a wealth of resources, excellent corporare ties and very proud, successful and loyal alumns and incredible traditions. The main difference between the two is that Notre Dame (both as a university and in terms of students) is more conservative and Ann Arbor is more happening and fun. I do give Notre Dame an edge in terms of campus beauty. Notre Dame is gorgeous. </p>
<p>In short, is Notre Dame worth paying an additional $100,000 over Michigan to attend? IF the OP comes from a very wealthy family and is better suited for a more conservative and secluded setting, yes...otherwise, I'd say no.</p>
<p>"The students are great. The faculty is great. The facilities and campus are great. The traditions are great, and so is the foo'ball."
You could say the same about Michigan.</p>
<p>To the OP - ask yourself the following questions:</p>
<p>1) What is the chance that you may decide to major in engineering? Afterall, you did apply to the College of Engineering, didn't you?</p>
<p>2) How important is diversity to your college experience?</p>