My S was admitted to some great schools. He wants to study econ. He’s a well-liked kid who doesn’t party and has a loyal group of athletic (swimmers and runners) and smart friends. He works hard but doesn’t get too caught up in the stress of h.s. He is strong in science and math but needs to work on english and writing. He has received the following acceptances: W&M, ND, Richmond, Villanova, Denison, Holy Cross and some others. He likes all of them for different reasons and is having difficulty making a decision. Any insight? Ty
If he’s done his homework and still likes them all, then cost is about as good a basis as any to narrow down the field. So how about arranging overnight visits to the two or three with the lowest net cost?
I’m biased as an alum, but Holy Cross has a really strong econ program. The student body type (while some do like to have a good time 
) is very much the good kid type you describe your son as. Absence of a greek system leads to a very friendly and collegial environment. Richmond and Denison will have more of a greek-driven social environment. Notre Dame is a great school, obviously, but the religious factor there is going to feel heavier and more conservative than at a Jesuit school like Holy Cross. Best of luck to you and your son - they’re all great schools!
Notre Dame has the best rep out of those, but Holy Cross is good for Econ
He can’t lose with those choices. If cost is not an issue, whatever he likes the most.
ND has more of a core curriculum, with specific requirements including Theology and Philosophy. That structure could lead to more writing than he would like (not to say that wouldn’t be good for him …)
Have you looked at Gen Ed/distribution requirements at each school to compare? That could be a useful mechanism for narrowing the list.
That’s a solid list of acceptances. What are the things he likes about each? At the end of the day, if all else equal, you just gotta go with one that feels right. I go to William and Mary and their econ program is quite strong, but also flexible enough that you at tune it to your own interests.
Definitely visit if possible. Day for Admitted Students Day and overnight stays are a great time to do this
I think ND is the right school for him in my opinion. All the others are good, but ND is better and I think suits him based on your description.
As everyone said, that is a great list of acceptances. Notre Dame is probably the top one out of all the schools but you and your family needs to analyze the costs. Whether or not cost is an issue, send your son to visit or spend an overnight at the contenders you have narrowed down and see what he thinks coming back.
I’m the OP and want to thank you all for your insight. Paying full price is an issue for us even though we don’t qualify for financial aid. We are willing to take out some loans for the right school. He recently toured Villanova and really liked it. No money though. Missed the application deadline to be considered for merit. ND is no money and he might be too challenged there. W&M is reasonable for OOS. HC is no money. We are visiting there next weekend. We are removing Denison and adding back St. Lawrence. Denison was extremely generous in their merit aid but location is a big negative for us. St. Lawrence is back on due to their very generous merit scholarship. Not as academic as the others on his list but he might do well there. Visiting next week. He will make his decision on April 19 after he visits/revisits his final 5.
Denison is a great school though - great academics, cute small town, 30miles from Columbus, swimming athletic powerhouse, national champions many years in a row… what about the location is so negative? And better academics than St Lawrence (which is also rural, that’s why I’m wondering about Denison).
It sounds like the “financially reasonable” choices so far are
W&M
Denison
StLawrence
^^Was wondering the same thing about location of Denison being a big negative.
If you are a Virginian- W&M is a great school and would be the best value of all of these schools.
If not, Notre Dame has an edge on the rest of the private schools on the list in terms of recruiting out of college for a number of fields that your son may be interested in. They are all top notch options but ND may open up more doors than many of the others on the list.
Disclaimer: Virginia public U grad (not W&M).
Thanks again everyone. We do feel like we should add Denison back on or at the very least go visit. He’s been on the Facebook page of admitted students for Denison and seems to like the kids. We also like that there is a small town. We are in NJ so the location is a little far but doable. ND now offers direct flights from NJ to South Bend so that’s helpful but an added expense. The rural aspect of St. Lawrence does make us a little nervous. And, to AVR455, our concern with W&M is that we are OOS and now that they’ve raised their OOS tuition significantly, it is much less of a value for us. I think we should add Denison back on, get out for a visit and make the final decision by third week of April. By then, he will have seen all of the schools.
I don’t think you will be disappointed by a Denison visit–at all. Prototypical college town, a half hour from the 15th largest city in the US, and nice kids with attentive, hands-on faculty.
Good luck!
ccm, in that case I agree that W&M won’t be the same value as if you were in-state. That gives me even more of a reason to suggest Notre Dame. I see your son is interested in studying economics and, if he is interested in pursuing internships at finance companies during his college years, Notre Dame may open up doors that probably won’t exist at the same levels at the other schools on your list.
Based on your description of your S including his academic and social interests, I do think Notre Dame would be the best fit if it is affordable.
After much thought and many college visits, my son has decided to attend Notre Dame (through the Gateway Program). Thank you for all comments and insight. Good luck to everyone else!
@ccm0905 Hi There. Congrats on your son’s decision. I’m not sure if your are still checking in/logging in on this site, but I sent you a pm with a couple of questions about the ND program. Thanks!