imiracle911

I vaguely heard that ND is a sports-oriented, very religious, academically intense school. However, I want like to how ND is compared to IVYs more specifically. How is this school in general and what similarities and differences does it have with HYPSC?

mhawk177

Notre Dame is a very selective school, though obviously not as much as any of the Ivys. The thing is that it's just a way different experience. Notre Dame is Notre Dame... and if you've ever been there on a football game day, you'll know that no Ivy can touch that atmosphere.

Clearly it is an extremely strong academic school, though not as strong as the Ivys. Connections coming from either are strong, and ND can (depending on the reviewer and possibly football preferences ) carry as much sway as an Ivy education... regardless, Notre Dame on a resume will still draw a lot of attention. There is no lack of rigor, and religion is clearly a factor, but it is absolutely not a requirement.

Honestly, it comes down to what you're looking for. I'm all but narrowed down to ND and UMich.. two schools with amazing academics, school spirit and opportunites... those factors are a huge part of my preference.. I really love ND, so I may have some bias but I think I've told you straight-forward the way things are.

docmom

Good post, mhawk. My son was just talking about this very thing when he was home for Easter. Said ND was probably not the same academic caliber as the very top Ivies, but probably similar to the average Ivies, and with just a ton of other advantages thrown in. He said ND is academic, athletic, a party school, an atmosphere of pure energy, extremely supportive, a place that lets you explore your spiritual side if you want, and probably the best well-rounded university in the US. The alumni network is probably the most *loyal* in the country, as well. If an ND alum (or heck, even an avid ND fan) is looking over your resume, you will most likely be granted an interview.

If all you care about is academic rigor, then go to an Ivy. But if you want the whole of the collegiate experience, ND is about as good as it gets.

parentalexpert

A few thoughts here. Every school is different and has unique strengths. Cal Tech and MIT have a unique focus on math, science and engineering that is probably unrivaled in the U.S., and thus are the perfect fits for students who have tremendous God-given ability in math and science and a tremendous interest in pursuing math and science almost full time during their four years in college. But that's obviously not a good fit for everyone. Harvard has the most prestige and the highest name ID of any school in the U.S., so if that's your criterion and you can get in, go there. But the actual educational quality at Harvard may not be as good as at a number of other places, and new students there are plunked down in the midst of a group of super high achieving, highly self-motivated specimens with very healthy egos, which may not be a good fit for a lot of smart students. Etc. etc. ND is a special school with specific standards and emphases that for many students is a perfect fit -- academics plus moral and spirtual standards + quality of student life and togetherness + very high name recognition and prestige.