Anonymous wrote:Before applying early action, you really should visit both. Notre Dame is a very unique environment. When we were looking at colleges, ND had the nicest, friendliest kids. But compared to other schools, it's not particularly diverse. It is fairly isolated in South Bend, which is not a wonderful town. But the campus is beautiful. Both humanities and the Mendoza business school are outstanding. Chicago is not too far away. Notre Dame is very much a big name school in the Midwest. Football and sports generally are a big part of the Notre Dame experience. The school inspires an almost cultish devotion. Its alumni network is among the best in the country. But you have to visit. You either feel it or you don't.

Over the past 15-20 years, I'd say Notre Dame has been on the ascendent compared to Georgetown. From a rankings and opportunities point of view, they're comparable schools, particularly for business or humanities. But the Notre Dame endowment dwarfs what GT has. GT has really struggled financially. Its basketball team is nothing these days. Not much school spirit. Its facilities are run down. Not a lot of alumni seem to donate. But it's in DC, which is very different than South Bend. Besides the Catholic thing, they seem like very different schools.

First of all, it would make more sense to call it GU, not GT (that would be more like Georgia Tech). GU has not "really struggled financially." It's true, their sincere commitment to Jesuit traditions precludes it from investing in over the topness. Notre Dame could take a lesson. The campaign just launching focuses on raising capital to invest in making the world a better place, not a state of the art swimming pool. Would my gym-loving, bro business school son there love a better gym? Maybe. But he really loves the scrappy culture of it all at Georgetown. I just think people leave there feeling proud they are at a place that lives its Jesuit traditions, to give back and do good. I don't know, because I haven't experienced it and only know how badly some current kids there rub me, but I just don't get the sense that ND people have that same attitude.

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Anonymous wrote:Can’t you apply REA to both? Although if the college office at Prep (I assume) is telling you to pick one, listen to them.

DP. Different school. NO! With restrictive early action, it only allows you to apply EA to PUBLIC universities. You cannot EA at another private university.

100%. You can only REA to one

This is wrong, and an example of why you should not seek advice on this forum.

NP. It’s not wrong. The “R” in REA stands for “restricted.” The restriction is that if you apply REA to a school, you cannot apply early (REA/SCEA/EA/ED) to another private university.

Oh FFS. It's okay to be stubborn when well informed, but ...

From ND Admissions site:

Notre Dame has a non-binding Restrictive Early Action program.

A student applying Restrictive Early Action to Notre Dame may apply to other Early Action programs at either private or public colleges or universities.
A student applying Restrictive Early Action to Notre Dame may not apply to any college or university (private or public) in their binding Early Decision 1 program.
If you apply to Notre Dame through REA, you may apply to any Early Decision 2 program as this has a deadline post our REA decision release in mid-December.

You're really sticking to your guns here, aren't you? You may not apply to two restrictive action programs. Georgetown has the same restriction. You can apply REA to Georgetown and to other EA, but not other REA. You cannot apply REA to both Georgetown and ND.

Again you are wrong. It is determined on whether or not the other REA school has that restriction. ND does not.

My son considered a few top Catholic schools...he really wanted to stay in that environment coming out of his Jesuit HS.

He looked at ND, BC, GT and others. He applied to ND BC and some safeties. Ended up at ND.

Did not like Georgetown AT ALL. Campus was cramped and tired. No green space to speak of. Also was ready to be FAR away from home.

He just graduated from ND and is still going back to campus for football games...is there this weekend for the big game against Ohio State. He has made some lifelong friends, a few of which have moved to DC for jobs.

From my perspective, ND seemed to be a really happy, positive place with friendly people (students, parents, staff). The campus is pristine. Residential life is really special where your dorm becomes your home and you bond with the people and it's culture/traditions. Each dorm has a chapel and students can attend mass at their dorm or their friends' dorms. My son was there for four years and I don't think he ever attended mass at the basilica except the times we were there to visit. He really enjoyed mass with his friends in the casual environment of the chapels.

Football weekends are absolutely electric. I would recommend he visit campus on a football weekend to get a sense of the vibe. Arrive on a Friday to see normal campus life and stay for the Saturday game day.

Good luck!

Georgetown is incredibly stingy with money. Lots of rich kids and lots of poor kids. It has a real 1980s barbell vibe.

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Anonymous wrote:Can’t you apply REA to both? Although if the college office at Prep (I assume) is telling you to pick one, listen to them.

DP. Different school. NO! With restrictive early action, it only allows you to apply EA to PUBLIC universities. You cannot EA at another private university.

100%. You can only REA to one

This is wrong, and an example of why you should not seek advice on this forum.

NP. It’s not wrong. The “R” in REA stands for “restricted.” The restriction is that if you apply REA to a school, you cannot apply early (REA/SCEA/EA/ED) to another private university.

Oh FFS. It's okay to be stubborn when well informed, but ...

From ND Admissions site:

Notre Dame has a non-binding Restrictive Early Action program.

A student applying Restrictive Early Action to Notre Dame may apply to other Early Action programs at either private or public colleges or universities.
A student applying Restrictive Early Action to Notre Dame may not apply to any college or university (private or public) in their binding Early Decision 1 program.
If you apply to Notre Dame through REA, you may apply to any Early Decision 2 program as this has a deadline post our REA decision release in mid-December.

You're really sticking to your guns here, aren't you? You may not apply to two restrictive action programs. Georgetown has the same restriction. You can apply REA to Georgetown and to other EA, but not other REA. You cannot apply REA to both Georgetown and ND.

I vote GT simply because I find ND alums incredibly annoying and would prefer to have fewer in this area.

Since you asked. Though these very irritating people do seem to like their alma mater, so that's nice I guess.

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Anonymous wrote:Can’t you apply REA to both? Although if the college office at Prep (I assume) is telling you to pick one, listen to them.

DP. Different school. NO! With restrictive early action, it only allows you to apply EA to PUBLIC universities. You cannot EA at another private university.

100%. You can only REA to one

This is wrong, and an example of why you should not seek advice on this forum.

NP. It’s not wrong. The “R” in REA stands for “restricted.” The restriction is that if you apply REA to a school, you cannot apply early (REA/SCEA/EA/ED) to another private university.

This is wrong. At ND you can REA there and still EA or REA anywhere else, as long as the other school allows student to rea elsewhere.

But Georgetown REA only allows EA to public schools?

Since there are no frats at ND, where are the weekend parties held?

If given a chance, everyone should take one to live in DC at least for few years.

Anonymous wrote:I think location of colleges matters a lot more than people realize. So many kids go to Northwestern and then .. end up in Chicago. Or they don't and realize they're in SF and 60% of their college friends are in chicago and 40% are spread out in a dozen different cities.

Ditto BC, Ditto Georgetown, Ditto UVA, Ditto Stanford, Ditto UCLA, Ditto Rice ... etc etc.

A nice thing about ND (or middlebury or grinnell, etc) is that nobody is staying in South Bend. And it's more like 25% go to chicago, 15% to NY, 15% to DC, 10% to SF etc.. You will have a circle of 25 minimum in your first job town. It can make the decade out of college a lot more fun. And successful -- those connections won't matter much if they're 2000 miles away.

If your future is in DC, Georgetown. If not, ND.

Good point! They're both great, if your kid can indeed get in. But I think this is a valid point to consider.

Anonymous wrote:Does your kid want to be in a city or in South Bend?

Does your kid care about football culture or not so much?

Is your kid interested in the School of Foriegn Service, which cannot really be replicated at other universities, or more the college, which would have similar academics to other schools?

For those who are basing their perception of surrounding area of ND on 10 or more years ago, it is much different now. Nice walkable urban area with shops, restaurants, and apartments. Chicago is an easy train ride or 2 hour drive away.

https://www.nd.edu/stories/rolling-out-the-welcome-mat/

I think location of colleges matters a lot more than people realize. So many kids go to Northwestern and then .. end up in Chicago. Or they don't and realize they're in SF and 60% of their college friends are in chicago and 40% are spread out in a dozen different cities.

Ditto BC, Ditto Georgetown, Ditto UVA, Ditto Stanford, Ditto UCLA, Ditto Rice ... etc etc.

A nice thing about ND (or middlebury or grinnell, etc) is that nobody is staying in South Bend. And it's more like 25% go to chicago, 15% to NY, 15% to DC, 10% to SF etc.. You will have a circle of 25 minimum in your first job town. It can make the decade out of college a lot more fun. And successful -- those connections won't matter much if they're 2000 miles away.

If your future is in DC, Georgetown. If not, ND.

You should really visit both and see what your child likes. They are both great schools (and hard admits) but the 4yr experience will be different.

Also - be sure to find some true safeties that they love.

Anonymous wrote:I can’t believe you’re all falling for this. No high school counselor is going to tell a parent or kid that they’re an easy admit for both of these schools. This is a bogus thread.

God DCUM is gullible.

+1 I had the first reply to this thread.

Anonymous wrote:ND has some merit. Which I don't think Georgetown has. They gave us the worst FA package of all colleges over two kids.

What colleges gave better financial aid for your kids?