I am a HS senior trying to decide between my top choices of Notre Dame and Georgetown.
I wanted to see what people have to say about these two universities. I am going to study international/global affairs which both schools are very good for. Georgetown’s school of foreign service is much older and better known than Notre Dame’s new Keogh (idk if I spelled that right) School of Global Affairs though.
I am looking for a school with a good balance between academics and a vibrant social scene where there are always things to do on the weekends. I get the sense from Notre Dame that it isn’t always the most socially active, however I don’t have much reason to believe that Georgetown is any better. I know that Notre Dame does have the advantage of big time sports, which in and of itself I am not considering too much, but it could benefit the social scene.
Does Georgetown being in a city really affect the social scene at all? Do students make use of it? Does Notre Dame’s school spirit really make a big difference in terms of the experience?
Gtown being in a city - that city - has to be a game changer. Everything that happens in DC and there’s lots of college students - you’re not far from GW and there’s tons of restaurants, bars, and bakeries in between But that’s not to say UND won’t have a vibrant scene.
UND has football - what an awesome experience - if that’s your thing.
Can you visit both (on a weekend)? Can you talk to a student ambassador at each and have them answer your questions? Otherwise there’s parents of both schools on here that can feed you info.
LOL - my H had this same choice 50 years ago! Gtown is better known for your major but this is truly a case where two reasonable people could make two different choices.
Assuming both colleges are comfortably affordable I would try to revisit both and then go with your gut.
I will say, if you were accepted to the SFS at Georgetown, I’d seriously consider that one. Plus it’s in DC…great location for internships and the like.
My son is a junior at ND and LOVES it. I can’t speak to your major, but socially he is very happy at ND. The dorms system is very unique and provides a great social system and there are lots of sports and social activities. The student activities organization has an instagram that could give you a sense of things going on on campus.
I do think that SFS is a little more attractive for my major. Also the location is great for professional interests. Even so I am still just unable to make a definitive decision. I am pretty indecisive and just afraid of looking back and being disappointed. I can see myself at either school.
I have spoken to students at both places. Nothing seems to give either school the advantage in my mind, both have advantages and disadvantages. Going to big football games would be nice, but I also would have the opportunity to run track at Georgetown whereas at Notre Dame I may not be guaranteed a spot due to the ACC being a more competitive conference. Also I think I’m more drawn to city life than being sort of in the middle of nowhere like Notre Dame. But, as an athlete, the campus is really what matters since I won’t have much time to leave and so other things. As you can see, I’m sort of running into a wall where nether school seems to be the clear best option.
It does seem like Georgetown suits you better. Students do take advantage of the city, there is so much to do within walking distance. How important is running track and being part of a team to you?
Will you be able to visit both?
You might literally flip a coin…and live with the result for a couple of days. See if that makes your decision more clear.
While both are Catholic colleges, Georgetown is a Jesuit university which is a little different than ND. The Jesuits have a huge component of giving back to the community.
I will confess that I’m a little biased as our DD graduated from another Jesuit school (Santa Clara). She and we were very impressed with Jesuit higher education.
Notre Dame, as you noted, is not exactly in a big city, if that is important to you. But it is also a fabulous university.
Not sure if travel is an issue for you, but air travel and trains to Georgetown are a lot easier than to Notre Dame.
Actually, I am graduating from a Jesuit HS and I have really enjoyed my education here so that is an attractive aspect of Georgetown. Also, I am also already going to school in D.C. Georgetown is a closer drive from my house than my HS. I don’t really know if Georgetown being that close to home is a positive or a negative. Although it isn’t that exciting to spend another 4 years in the same city, it would be in very different context and there are certainly upsides to being close to home.
I have visited both universities several times, I have grown up watching notre dame football games since I have had multiple family members attend. Running track isn’t a huge factor, it’s just that both universities seem so evenly matched that track was one of the only aspects that I could use to evaluate them.
One anecdote…after searching far and wide for colleges, my S’s top college (excellent in his major, most merit aid – also a Jesuit college LOL) turned out to be less than a half hour from our home. We all had concerns about him going to college so nearby.
My husband and I actually sat down with our son to discuss this situation. We (parents) agreed to never pop by campus and to only expect that he come home during school holidays. In return, my son agreed to not use being close to home as a crutch (ex. no dropping laundry off for mom etc.). Basically,we all agreed to act as if he was hours rather than minutes away.
For our family this worked out very well. He had a full and happy campus life. Yes, there were some agreed upon exceptions and that was fine. And at times being close by was helpful (ex. when his laptop broke I drove to campus with his old one to use during the repair). He also got to explore the city in a very new way as a student with his friends.
So this is a long winded way of saying that if you feel Gtown is the right choice that going to college close to home can work out just fine.
