<p>My son says he's pretty sure it's WashU, but he still doesn't want to shut the door to Notre Dame. Maybe it's because Notre Dame has been much more visible: calling him, sending him emails, alumni calling him, etc.. While he got plenty of direct mail before he applied, now he gets nothing from WashU.</p>
<p>He's interested in pre-med which he can do at either school. And visited both schools.</p>
<p>What do you think?</p>
<p>premed? definitely WashU.</p>
<p>Well actually I think WashU contacts a lot with students, at least to me.</p>
<p>ND</p>
<p>-Amazing alumni connection
-Real emphasis on the community as a family
-My sister had to decided between WashU and ND and she chose ND and is incredibly glad she did. The student body at ND is really approachable and warm</p>
<p>There’s a lot of solidarity and school spirit at ND.</p>
<p>WashU is academically superior in the sciences and research, but ND has so many secondary factors going for it that it’s the better choice overall.</p>
<p>WashU’s yield rate is 34 percent, compared with Notre Dame’s 56 percent.
A majority of the students accepted by ND choose ND, really want to be there. A yield that high compares with those of Columbia, Brown, Dartmouth, and Cornell.</p>
<p>Alumni Giving Rates
ND = 51%*
WashU = 35%</p>
<p>*3rd only to Princeton and Dartmouth among National Universities</p>
<p>pre-med advising, pre-med research, prePmed letter of rec from professor… WashU.</p>
<p>Washington U gets my vote too.</p>
<p>If he wants an experience, ND.</p>
<p>If we wants strength of curriculum and opportunities in pre-med, WashU.</p>
<p>For me, ND would be the unquestionable choice.</p>
<p>kwu: your point on yield is very helpful. I think there’s a big difference because so many apply to WashU as a “safety”, with an ivy as their “dream” while ND is more often chosen as a legacy. You know, “the family” idea, inspired by Father Hesburgh.
.
JohnAdams: your point is also interesting. Alumni giving rates are important in that it shows your happiness with the college years later. It should be noted that this represents the number of alums giving, not actual $$ amounts. My sense is that WashU has become a more serious college in the last 20 or so years, so their alum-giving rate will increase substantially years from now. It also reminds me to say we should all be sure to “give” in later years, wherever we go! Big donations or small, colleges continue to need our support.</p>
<p>I think ND would provide a more full campus life experience. I doubt any med school would say…hmmm, we pick the Wash U person over the ND person if stats are equivalent.</p>
<p>well, I don’t really think that ND would provide “more”. Everyone I know who goes to WashU thinks it provides awesome experience</p>
<p>mom2collegekids: who knows how med schools determine their acceptances. I have heard WashU has great advising and very helpful in the medical school application process. Having experienced the college application process this year, I’ve been grateful for how our HS’s system helped. I’m just not familiar with ND’s advising.</p>
<p>ND. Both will do a sensational job preparing you for med school, however if you change your mind about majors/careers ND has far and away the superior name recognition and alumni network worldwide.</p>
<p>^ Nationwide, not worldwide. But, that suffices. USA, USA! ;)</p>
<p>ND competes mostly with BC, GTown, Michigan, and USC. WashU competes mostly with the lower ivies, NU, UChicago, Duke, Emory, and Rice. By “competes” I mean, those who apply to the school, usually also apply to the schools listed. I dont think you can compare yield rate. But ND is mostly well known because of its football. So, if that’s important for you, then by all means go to ND. My vote is WashU.</p>
<p>6 for WashU, 6 for Notre Dame. Anyone else? (Actually, I added my son’s vote. He says WashU.) Anyone else?</p>
<p>confusedboy: “ND is mostly well known because of its football. So, if that’s important for you, then by all means go to ND.”…My son is NOT a football fan.</p>
<p>John Adams</p>
<p>One of the reasons that ND has such a high alumni giving rate is because approximately 25% of Notre Dame students are legacies (and there are probably even more cousins, nephews etc), who come into the school as strong supporters of the university. I tend to agree with limabeans that the Wash U rate will probably go up at least a little in the future.</p>
<p>If you really want my opinion (which is not necessarily the right choice for the OP), I would pick Wash U.</p>
<p>I’d vote for Wash U. I have a son who’s a freshman there and he is beyond happy.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Notre Dame is also one of the most, if not the most, prestigious Catholic institutions of higher learning in this country. This accounts for the strength of its alumni network and the unity and pride of its student body. You don’t have to like football. Go to join the fun and support your school. Maybe you’ll like it.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I have never encountered a poster with a username more apt.</p>
<p>Students who considered U. Notre Dame also looked at…
Boston College
Boston University
Brown University
Clemson University
Cornell University
Dartmouth College
Duke University
Georgetown University
Harvard College
New York University
Northwestern University
Princeton University
Stanford University
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
University of Virginia
Vanderbilt University
Villanova University
Washington University in St. Louis
Yale University</p>
<p>Students who considered Washington U. also looked at…
Boston College
Boston University
Brown University
Clemson University
Cornell University
Dartmouth College
Duke University
Georgetown University
Harvard College
New York University
Northwestern University
Princeton University
Stanford University
The George Washington University
Tufts University
University of Chicago
University of Pennsylvania
University of Virginia
Vanderbilt University
Yale University</p>
<p>@midatlmom
Why isn’t your choice the “right choice” for me, the OP? Would you think ND is a better choice for my son?</p>