Campuses similar to Notre Dame?

College Search & Lists
1

<p>I was at University of Notre Dame a couple weeks ago for a baton twirling competition. We had some extra time, so we took a tour of the campus. Notre Dame was never really a school I considered, but I fell in love with the campus. I liked all the green space and the campus was gorgeous. After a week of college visits, nothing compares. Unfortunately, Notre Dame is a bit of an academic and financial reach for me. Are there any schools with a campus similar to Notre Dame, but more reasonable for someone with my stats? I know this is really general, but any help is appreciated!</p>

<p>EFC is roughly $20,000 (this isn’t realistic for us at all)
Annual income is around $100,000</p>

<p>UW GPA: 3.827
W GPA: 4.029 (5 points for A’s in AP classes)
Class Rank: 18/330</p>

<p>Test Scores
ACT composite: 31 (35 English, 28 Math, 29 Reading, 30 Science, 8 Writing) (taking again in September)
SAT: 1840 (not reporting)
PSAT: 183</p>

<p>AP Classes
AP Human Geography (4)
AP US History (3)
AP English Language and Composition (4)
AP European History (3)</p>

<p>Senior Expected Schedule
AP Psychology
AP Biology
Human Anatomy and Physiology
AP English Literature and Composition
German 5
AP Calculus AB
Wind Ensemble</p>

<p>Extracurricular Activities
Tennis (9, 10, 11)
Track & Field (10, 11)
Color Guard (9, 10, 11-Co-Captain, 12-Captain)
Pit Orchestra (9, 11)
Jazz Band (9, 10, 11)
Pep Band (9, 10, 11)
German National Honor Society (10, 11-Treasurer, 12-Treasurer)
National Honor Society (11, 12)
Class Board (10, 11, 12- President)
Competitive Baton Twirling (9, 10, 11, 12- Assistant Corps Captain)
Assistant Baton Teacher Parks & Rec.(9, 10, 11)
Server at Pizza Hut (11)</p>

2

<p>Boston college is one that comes to mind</p>

3

<p>Based on your location, ACT, and area of study, check out Rose Hulman and Bradley U.</p>

4

<p>How much $$$ are you actually able to pay each year?
can you get your ACT up to a 32?</p>

5

<p>If ND isn’t likely affordable, etc, then schools like BC wont work either.</p>

<p>Can you retest and get a 32+</p>

<p>Ask your parents how much they can pay. That will determine where you should apply.</p>

<p>There are other gorgeous schools out there, so dont despair. </p>

6

<p>Should we guess that since you are a twirler that you want a school with big sports for you to participate on the twirl team? </p>

7

<p>I’m planning on retaking the ACT in September. I didn’t do any studying before my first try and I plan to do some this time, so hopefully I can get to a 32+! As for area of study, I’m fairly undecided (engineering IS a possibility, but so are several other things). I think I would like to stay in science but with a minor in German and/or music. My parents have never really given me a straight answer but I think before loans they can afford ~$6,000-7,000 a year.</p>

<p>Twirling would be a great bonus but is not a must-have. I would like somewhere with a band, though (I play clarinet too). </p>

<p>Thank you for the help!</p>

8

<p>Villanova, Holy Cross.</p>

9

<p>What you seem to like about the ND campus is its collegiate gothic architecture, traditional quadrangles, and green space. Many American colleges campuses have similar features. Check out Kenyon College, for example. </p>

<p>However, your biggest constraint probably will be costs. Notre Dame claims to meet 100% of demonstrated need. If you’ve run the online Net Price Calculator and the estimate shows an Expected Family Contribution that is far out of reach, then you may not be able to afford any private schools even after the most generous available need-based aid. Is the $20K EFC before, or after, self-help aid? If you subtract $8-$10K in self-help, then you are a few thousand over the $6K-$7K you think your parents can contribute. Better clarify their limits.</p>

<p>Even if need-based aid plus self-help puts you close to what your parents can afford, then there are not too many other “full need” colleges with engineering programs that are much less selective than ND. Trinity College (Hartford) and Smith College (women only) are LACs with nice campuses that do have engineering programs (though not in the full range of engineering specialties). Barnard College (women only) offers engineering as a dual/joint degree program with Columbia University. Vanderbilt and the University of Southern California are 2 other “full need” schools that offer engineering and might appeal to you, but they are not much less selective than ND. Smith may be one of your best options considering aid, selectivity, and program offerings. A bonus with Smith is its consortium relationship with 4 other area schools.</p>

<p>If “full need” schools are not affordable after need-based grant aid AND self-help, then you probably have two realistic options. One would be a local commuter school. Another would be to aim for significant merit aid. For that, you’d want to raise your test scores a bit. A 32 ACT and 3.5 GPA would qualify for free tuition at the University of Alabama. The full-tuition scholarship plus self-help may get you close to your parents’ limit.</p>

10

<p>Your test scores will make it unlikely to get into top schools like ND, Michigan or even Wisconsin, but in the end it won’t matter if you do well somewhere else. Look at John Carroll if you want a Catholic School with a nice suburban campus. Indiana University is a pretty school with solid academics if you want a bigger “rah rah” school. Iowa would be worth visiting. Iowa City is a great town. Never been to Minnesota, but that may be an option too.</p>

11

<p>OOS public schools are likely to be too expensive without large merit scholarships.
For a family income of $100K and no significant assets, the Indiana U Net Price Calculator shows an estimated COA of nearly $46K for an OOS student. Even for an Indiana resident, the estimated net COA is nearly $24K.</p>

<p>John Carroll has a lower sticker price than ND but its average need-based aid is not as generous.
Use the online Net Price Calculator to build your own estimate.
For a family income of $100K and no significant assets, the net cost estimate I get is $19,300 (after grant aid but without self-help aid). So it might be feasible after loans, work-study and summer jobs if the OP’s parents can contribute ~$10K+.</p>

12

<p>Looks like tk21769 has a lot of great information, but I’m new on the thread and don’t know what a lot of the abbreviations mean (OOS, COA, OP, etc.)</p>

13

<p>OOS - out of state
COA - cost of attendance, (sticker price of tuition, room & board, etc. minus financial aid)
OP - original poster (member who made the thread)
NPC - net price calculator</p>

14

<p>Gothic campuses:
<a href=“Universities with Gothic architecture - College Search & Selection - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/771993-universities-with-gothic-architecture.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“Collegiate Gothic - Wikipedia”>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collegiate_Gothic&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“How Gothic Architecture Took Over the American College Campus - The Atlantic”>How Gothic Architecture Took Over the American College Campus - The Atlantic;

15

<p>@tk21769‌ Net price from Notre Dame before loans or self help is about $26,000. With a $7,500 loan and $2,700 work, which brings the total to around $16,500. This is better but still would be a stretch (it’s the same with almost everywhere, though). Also, I’m starting to drift away from engineering and focus more on health sciences, so engineering is not a priority.</p>

<p>@Dcdad92 I’m curious as to why I am not competitive at UW-Madison. I did not mention this earlier, but I live in Wisconsin. Also, according to [url=&lt;a href=“https://www.admissions.wisc.edu/freshman/requirements.php]this[/url”&gt;https://www.admissions.wisc.edu/freshman/requirements.php]this[/url</a>] my ACT score puts me above a typical admitted student. I understand Michigan since I do fall in the middle 50%, and I know I’m in the bottom 25% at Notre Dame, but I’m taking the ACT again next month, and I hope to improve one or two points.</p>

16

<p>You’d get in Madison.</p>

17

<p>I’ve seen a lot of stats for UW-Mad admits. You’ll get in. 100% sure.</p>

18

<p>If a gorgeous campus is important and you’re willing to consider non-engineering schools, I would recommend looking at St. Olaf. It has excellent academics (esp. in science), great food, and atmosphere.</p>

19

<p>Holy Cross-top25 LAC IS SAT optional and meets 100% demonstrated financial aid. HC campus 1 hour from Boston.</p>

20

<p>The student’s issue is the unaffordable EFC. Unless she gets into an ivy-like no-loans school (very unlikely), she is ALREADY going to have full loans and work study in her pkgs…so loans and working during the school year wont lower family contribution. </p>

<p>Her saving grace will be finding schools that will award HUGE merit (MORE than full tuition) so that the remaining costs (say about $12k or so) can be covered with the parent contribution AND a 5500 fed student loan. </p>

<p>Getting half tuition or whatever awards wont work. I dont even think her own flagship will work. She wont qualify for aid, her parents $6k wont go far, and a loan wont cover the rest.</p>

<p>Telling her the names of schools that meet 100% of need is not going to work, either. Her TRUE NEED is far more than what any of those schools would determine. Her parents cant pay THEIR contribution.</p>