I was originally committed to Notre Dame for economics but just got off the extended waitlist for Georgetown McDonough. Trying to decide between the two. I imagine the experiences are very different at each school. Any thoughts/advice appreciated.
Both are excellent schools, congratulations! We toured both of these schools in the past year, so I can pose some questions for you to consider from the vantage point of my tour observations.
- ND is proudly Catholic—in fact, a lot of students attend mass after football games. When we toured Georgetown, the tour guide said it’s mainly Catholic in name only, and this was confirmed by a current student. Which is more appealing to you?
- ND on a football Saturday is unlike any sporting event I’ve ever attended. When we visited Georgetown, there was a basketball game that day, but the tour guide was not aware of it. I asked about it, and she said when they are good, attendance is much better. Does going to games matter to you?
- Obviously, location is very different. The people I know who’ve gone to ND primarily stay on campus, Chicago I believe is two hours away, give or take. Does proximity to a city matter to you?
- I believe at ND, you are in the same dorm for much of your time there, whereas at Georgetown, there are different housing options.
Both are excellent schools with loyal alumni. Not knowing the differences in their business schools, to me, it really comes down what type of campus experience you want and where you want to live for the next 4 years. Good luck and let us know what you decide!
In addition to the above - and expanding on location, there is a world of difference between Notre Dame/South Bend and being in DC. Most people would have a preference between these two.
For some people, state laws in Indiana might be an issue - assuming not for OP as after all they applied there, but worth a mention in case it’s a tip one way or the other.
As OP stated “economics” rather than Mendoza for ND, seems they would not be in the business school there, so that’s also a possible consideration.
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Two excellent options!
You have another post expressing interest in transferring to Mendoza at ND. IF you like both environments equally and IF you do want an undergrad b-school (it is a different curriculum as compared to an economics major – if you haven’t studied the differences, take the time to do so now) then I’d take the sure path at Gtown. Otherwise go with your personal preference.
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Is there a difference in cost and if so does that difference keep to your college budget?
Looking at required courses (core; major) which is the most appealing to you? Economics and Business are quite different subjects, although you might also check, if interested in both whether majoring in one and minoring in the other is possible at each college.
How important is Mass to your spiritual wellbeing?
I expect both colleges will offer daily mass if that is important to the OP.
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OP is not in the b-school at ND. So the choice is liberal arts at ND or b-school at Gtown.
Thanks! I missed that detail—that’s an important distinction.
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Similar cost, full pay. I would much rather study business than econ but it wouldn’t be the end of the world if I didn’t have business. Having Mass is a plus but not super important.
I think the biggest concern for me is I’m worried I might be sacrificing a stellar undergraduate experience if I go to Georgetown over ND, whereas on the other hand I’ll be sacrificing business and exceptional access to internships/career opportunities if I do econ at notre dame over Georgetown.
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It is not the school experience difference that is relevant for you. It is really the difference in the majors. With some overlap, they point to different careers — both possibly interesting. The student really needs to decide for themselves what they want in their career. The usual economics careers are market oriented finance roles. Business roles can also lead to some markets roles, but are more geared towards to marketing, supply chain or operations roles in corporate America. I am just giving example paths. Corporate finance roles need an accounting background which is a bit different than what economics or a business degree would give you. Management consulting companies hire from both majors. So does investment banking hiring — not necessarily all roles at an investment bank.
This is very subjective. Can you expand on what you’d miss at ND (football, etc??) that’s missing at Georgetown? Not trying to dismiss what you’re saying but trying to understand it. If GTown doesn’t offer the experience you want that’s a big factor.
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The student experience at GTown will be more competitive but I don’t think students have complained it’s not a terrific experience. College won’t be your own little island. Some want the “bubble” to find themselves and grow, whereas others would rather be immersed in the world. It’s a subjective preference, neither is better or worse than the other, it really depends on what YOU want to do.
The Catholic experience will be most different although of course both are definitely Catholic in expectations for their students and thus it permeates the experience. You’ll have noticed behavior expectations (dorms for instance) are different. There will be more different faiths at Georgetown. Faith is more all-encompassing at Notre Dame and a community glue (sort of) alongside football.
If Mass with what feels like everyone isn’t a major deal breaker and you want to study Business rather than Economics sounds like Georgetown would be closer to what you’d want?
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I agree with SJ2727 that it would be helpful if you shared what part of the ND experience you would miss/feel is better as compared to Georgetown…if it’s school spirit and sports, yes ND wins and it’s not close.
Meanwhile some additional factors to consider:
-What if you don’t like econ at ND and can’t transfer into Mendoza? Seriously, many students who wanted business and said they will just major in econ do NOT like econ. What is the backup plan? Math major? etc
-Think about the areas that these schools are in…ND is in a quiet area surrounded by farmland and yes there is Eddy commons which is fine, and perhaps you will go into Chicago once or twice a year, but fast paced it is not. Georgetown is in a thriving, electric urban area with people, stores, restaurants, bars.
-Highlighting that I agree with myos1634 that Georgetown will likely feel more competitive than ND…in many ways…academics, clubs, etc. Not that ND doesn’t have some competitive clubs.
-Regarding outcomes…IMO you can achieve your career goals from either school and many majors.
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100% agree with this. Both schools are excellent. I would choose the one you think you’d be happier at for 4 years.
Yes, I think the point is that if OP doesn’t like economics and can’t transfer there are many other major options. Sometimes you don’t know what you want to major in till you’ve taken a class or two in it and while a backup plan is nice, OP might find they end up majoring in something they didn’t consider till they were exposed to it (this is what happened to me - my major ended up being economics, lol)
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I would not share that concern. At McDonough you will not be at a school where you will be focused mostly on Business. You will be getting a Jesuit education where the priority is on educating “the whole person” and teaching ethics and values. Business is just one part of that.
Do a deep dive - or revisit it if you’ve already read it - into the University Core + the Liberal Arrs Core for BSBA students. Together they equal 19 courses, which is about half of your undergraduate course work. Then consider that you have the option of taking a minor outside of the business school if you want to enrich you studies that way. Then consider that Georgetown offers miles than just the classroom experience. There are BUILD & ReBUILD, the H.O.M.E. program, Smart Start, and so much more outside the classroom. There is no way - absolutely no way - that you would be passing up a stellar undergraduate experience by picking Georgetown over Notre Dame. And then add to what the schools offer the fact that living in Washington, DC for 4 years - if you take advantage of it - is an education in itself.
Given that you “would much rather study business than Econ”, this is a no brainer. Go to Georgetown and consider yourself fortunate to be attending one of the very best universities in the country (!} - especially for a combination of business + liberal arts.
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The part of the ND experience I might feel left out on is definitely the school spirit/football culture etc. For me I wouldn’t consider it a huge dealbreaker but I’m not very familiar with the social scene/school spirit at Georgetown (I imagine school spirit isn’t that big outside of basketball?)
Honestly nobody here can or should tell you what to do. Every path you choose in life means you also forego other opportunities.
At this point you have isolated your pros and cons – now you need to have a heart-to-heart with yourself and make a decision. There is truly no bad choice.
I will note that as I see things, it comes down to an assured spot in the b-school at Gtown v your preference for the spirit/sports vibe at ND (I have two ND grads in my household so get the appeal…but also kniw people who loved Gtown). I would take a hard look at the curriculum at both schools. An economics major is a liberal arts course of study that gets theoretical in the upper levels while as an undergrad business school major you will take introductory classes in subjects such as accounting, finance, marketing, etc. and then choose a major.
Please let us know your choice.
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Thank you all for the help! I ultimately have decided to commit to Georgetown as I see it would be a greater fit for my academic and career goals, and it’s logistically a lot easier for my family as it is very close to home. I greatly appreciate hearing your insights for each school and I’m happy with my decision. Hoya saxa!
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