Which college for my son?: U. Dallas / Sewanee / Holy Cross

<p>My son applied to University of Dallas as a fallback and was admitted with a generous scholarship. He was also admitted to University of the South in Sewanee, TN and College of the Holy Cross in MA. He really liked the students at UD and is really torn about where to accept. Does anyone know anything that might be helpful?</p>

<p>Hi - congrats on your son’s admits…and scholarship offer. (D is considering Holy Cross…but she is just starting the process) I’m no expert but I believe you might get more feedback if you post under each of these specific colleges? (and I’d love to know what your son’s final decision is…also if College of the HC is totally off the table if you’d care to give us more info.) (D is on the fence about applying so we are curious of others opinions that have already gone through the process with this school.)</p>

<p>US News Rankings</p>

<p>Holy Cross #32 national LAC
U of Dallas #15 Regional West
Sewanee #32 national LAC</p>

<p>HC and Sewanee far better than Dallas. Sewanee much more southern flavor and HC totally NE flavor.</p>

<p>Holy Cross has division 1 sports and free shuttle service to Boston and Providence both of which are 40 miles away. It also has a stellar academic reputation.</p>

<p>I love Sewanee, so that would be my pick for my kid. It attracts a lot of students from the midwest and northeast, too, but does have a southern flavor (a good thing). It is a beautiful setting with strong academics and a lot of outdoorsy things to do. There is also a lot of drinking- it may seem like more than other places because the campus is pretty isolated.</p>

<p>Trippen, welcome to CC and congratulations on your S’s choices! Is there a significant financial difference for you among the three?</p>

<p>Sewanee is often on the list of most beautiful colleges. Holy Cross is also picturesque.</p>

<p>Welcome and congratulations. My kind of choices–I like the smaller schools, but, alas, not so this son. HC is a favorite of mine. Don’t know much about the other two. Are finances an issue, and are big loans in the picture with some choices?</p>

<p>Holy Cross has very good academics and one of the best alumni networks in the country-good for job placement and internships.</p>

<p>Holy Cross</p>

<p>My d is finishing her freshman year at UD and loves it. It’s a gem of a school, but (as with all schools), it’s not for everyone. It depends on what is important to your son. It would help if you post specific questions and concerns, as well as what your son is looking for in a school. I’d be happy to answer any questions about UD. I’m not familiar with the other two schools.</p>

<p>I’m biased as an alumnus ('08), so I would say UD. I have several alumni friends who turned down Ivies as well as other big name schools to come to UD because the academics and personal attention were that much better. Plus the Catholic faith tradition is important for many students. But as the parent above said, it is a particular fit and not for everyone. It depends on the program that your student is interested in, but UD is generally a better college for a well-rounded education. The Core curriculum is nationally recognized and is being copied by numerous colleges. Check out the WhatWillTheyLearn.com survey. UD is one of 18 that got an “A.” </p>

<p>I have to mention, the Rome program is one of the best study abroad programs in the country (ranked in top 10 by IIS) according to Provost Berry. He has helped establish a couple programs at other colleges and his Ph.D. is from Princeton, so he’s quite familiar with study abroad trends. The Rome semester was life changing and I continue to keep in touch with my professors (from both Rome and Irving). </p>

<p>Comparing colleges on national vs. regional rankings is relatively useless, as they are comparing different lists of schools. UD actually has the highest out of state population of any school in Texas, but they still consider it regional. Currently UD has the most National Merit Finalists of any Catholic college for five years consecutively (#2 is Georgetown). Their Pre-med and Pre-law acceptance rates (80-85% and 90-95% respectively) are on par with Ivy Leagues. They just received their 31st Fulbright Scholar (19 since 1994) and two Goldwater Scholars (1 Finalist and 1 Honorable Mention). Dallas-Fort Worth is a great area to be in with a ton of opportunities. I remember reading an article that said they were two of the top 10 cities for new college grads.</p>

<p>Found a lot of these at: [University</a> of Dallas - Rankings](<a href=“404 - Page Not Found - University of Dallas”>New Redirect Page) and [University</a> of Dallas - Points of Pride](<a href=“404 - Page Not Found - University of Dallas”>404 - Page Not Found - University of Dallas)</p>