<p>Bottom line…I don’t think you have to be a genius to realize that the Notre Dame populace is probably the most esoteric of any student body in America. It will be a “dream come true” to those who value what Notre Dame offers, but it could be a nightmare for others. This isn’t a unique situation, though…I’ve known plenty of people at Ivies who went there JUST for the name. They didn’t fit in and didn’t have a great time. Sacrifices like that are well worth it for some.</p>
<p>Northwestern is a great school. The few I have known that went there ended up turning into pretty arrogant and weird people…nevertheless, that doesn’t negate my previous statement. I don’t see what the argument is, though…Notre Dame and Northwestern’s average ACT/SAT scores are pretty much on par–1434 SAT and 32.6 ACT at Notre Dame rival some Ivy averages by the way–so what is the problem? Everyone will gravitate toward the university they feel more comfortable at. I truly think that Notre Dame has more of an allure that Northwestern, but perhaps I am biased. I transferred from the University of Michigan to Notre Dame and have never regretted it for a moment.</p>
<p>How about this…go to Notre Dame for undergrad and Northwestern for grad school? I can only hope that ND invests more in research and enhancing its graduate school repertoire!</p>