College Decisions

[Amppax]

So I'm wrapping up my senior year, and that means that I have to make my decision on college soon. Currently, I have my choices narrowed down to Notre Dame and Franciscan University of Steubenville. Both I feel are good schools, but each definitely has an area where it is clearly ahead of the other. I believe that ND is probably much better from an academic standpoint, but Steubenville is much better from a faith standpoint. ND would also probably provide me with many more options when I am coming out of school compared to Franciscan, but I think Franciscan will give me a lot that Notre Dame can't. Finally, and this may end up making my decision for me, I may be able to attend Notre Dame at a much lower cost then Steubenville. I really like Steubenville, but I can't as of now justify to myself taking on a lot of debt to go there, especially as I have two younger siblings, one just entering high school (Catholic, although he has a full ride, so it won't cost much) and one entering eighth grade (private as well, and this one might be switching to a new school, which would probably be more expensive). I don't think that it would be fair if I, the oldest, chose a college that could possibly effect my siblings ability to attend the schools that they wanted to. I really like Franciscan, and would really like to go there, but I'm just not sure if I could turn down going to Notre Dame for less. Any thoughts or advice would be much appreciated.

[CatherineM]

What are you going to study, and which school has the best teachers/programs for your chosen major.

[AudreyGrace]

FRANCISCAN! GO THERE!
I'm headed there this fall, and I honestly have no idea how to pay for it lol. My parents barely make any money, and I'm out of state so I can't get state aid. I was accepted to Clarkson, LeMoyne, Hartwick, a bunch of places, all of whom have offered me insane amounts of money. So far, all I have from FUS is a 3,000 per year academic scholarship, and I still have to hear about financial aid. (the 3,000 is a harsh blow, especially considering what the others are giving me with my grades and stuff..) But, I know that God wants me to go to FUS, so I'm trusting it all to Him. Also, I've heard from past students that they really do try to work with you as far as financial aid goes, and that student loans can be the easiest ones to pay off. And, you might be able to play the "financial aid game" and tell Franciscan what aid you've gotten from other schools. If you literally tell them exactly what you posted here, they'll be willing to help. Finally, talk to your parish priest. From what other future freshman are telling me, their dioceses can help A LOT.. much more than they expected. And remember, apply for as many local scholarships as you can. Fastweb.com has some good ones too.

Good luck, and let us know!

[Amppax]

I am planning on studying History, and possibly something as a supplement to that, with the ultimate goal of being a teacher. Both schools, from the research that I have done, have pretty good history departments.

[Amppax]

[quote name='AudreyGrace' timestamp='1302148213' post='2226597']
FRANCISCAN! GO THERE!
I'm headed there this fall, and I honestly have no idea how to pay for it lol. My parents barely make any money, and I'm out of state so I can't get state aid. I was accepted to Clarkson, LeMoyne, Hartwick, a bunch of places, all of whom have offered me insane amounts of money. So far, all I have from FUS is a 3,000 per year academic scholarship, and I still have to hear about financial aid. (the 3,000 is a harsh blow, especially considering what the others are giving me with my grades and stuff..) But, I know that God wants me to go to FUS, so I'm trusting it all to Him. Also, I've heard from past students that they really do try to work with you as far as financial aid goes, and that student loans can be the easiest ones to pay off. And, you might be able to play the "financial aid game" and tell Franciscan what aid you've gotten from other schools. If you literally tell them exactly what you posted here, they'll be willing to help. Finally, talk to your parish priest. From what other future freshman are telling me, their dioceses can help A LOT.. much more than they expected. And remember, apply for as many local scholarships as you can. Fastweb.com has some good ones too.

Good luck, and let us know!
[/quote]

Thanks I hope to be headed there this fall too. Fastweb has been alright, but I've applied for tons of other scholarships, and so far haven't gotten any, hopefully I will get at least a couple of those. Good luck to you too, even though you've already made your decision.

[AudreyGrace]

[quote name='Amppax' timestamp='1302148388' post='2226599']
Thanks I hope to be headed there this fall too. Fastweb has been alright, but I've applied for tons of other scholarships, and so far haven't gotten any, hopefully I will get at least a couple of those. Good luck to you too, even though you've already made your decision.
[/quote]

Thank you! I haven't heard back from any yet either, May's the month we typically hear about scholarships where I'm from. Ask Mamma Mary for some
I certainly need the luck for the enrollment process... I'm getting a bit stressed lol.

[4588686]

[quote name='Amppax' timestamp='1302145415' post='2226581']
So I'm wrapping up my senior year, and that means that I have to make my decision on college soon. Currently, I have my choices narrowed down to Notre Dame and Franciscan University of Steubenville. Both I feel are good schools, but each definitely has an area where it is clearly ahead of the other. I believe that ND is probably much better from an academic standpoint, but Steubenville is much better from a faith standpoint. ND would also probably provide me with many more options when I am coming out of school compared to Franciscan, but I think Franciscan will give me a lot that Notre Dame can't. Finally, and this may end up making my decision for me, I may be able to attend Notre Dame at a much lower cost then Steubenville. I really like Steubenville, but I can't as of now justify to myself taking on a lot of debt to go there, especially as I have two younger siblings, one just entering high school (Catholic, although he has a full ride, so it won't cost much) and one entering eighth grade (private as well, and this one might be switching to a new school, which would probably be more expensive). I don't think that it would be fair if I, the oldest, chose a college that could possibly effect my siblings ability to attend the schools that they wanted to. I really like Franciscan, and would really like to go there, but I'm just not sure if I could turn down going to Notre Dame for less. Any thoughts or advice would be much appreciated.
[/quote]


There are lot's of pious Catholic kids at ND. It's also a much, mcuh better school academically. At Notre Dame you're going to have some of the best scholars in the world there to teach you who you can visit during their office hours. I'm sure that FUS has some good scholars too but on average ND is going to be ahead.

I have a good friend who stayed at FUS for some time. He even lived with Scott Hahn Whose son is at ND, I believe) for a time. He's now at grad school studying early Christian history. When he told me he was applying to grad schools I asked him if he was going to FUS. He laughed and said about what I've heard elsewhere. If you want to be an apologist then FUS is a great school. But that's kind of their trick. They don't bring a lot else to the table.

Unless your lifelong dream is to be a youth minister or something like that I don't see what advantage there could possible be to going to FUS. They charge a lot and they don't give you a degree that goes nearly as far in the secular world as a degree from ND. And I think it's safe to say that in the Church a degree from ND would still be seen as more valuable than a degree from FUS.

I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with going to FUS. I'm just saying that if you have a choice, particularly if the pricetag is less, I can't seen anything that FUS is going to give you that ND doesn't meet and exceed.

Lot's of really serious Catholic kids at ND. It's your decision but I would really encourage you to go to ND.

Edited April 7, 2011 by Hasan

[4588686]

Also the town of Stubenvile is not a great college town. I don't know what else is around FUS (I've never been to the campus, just the city) but the city is pretty crummy from what I remember. I can tell you that that's a big deal. You're not going to want to stay on campus 24/7.



Of course I have no idea what's around ND.

[4588686]

Also the town of Stubenvile is not a great college town. I don't know what else is around FUS (I've never been to the campus, just the city) but the city is pretty crummy from what I remember. I can tell you that that's a big deal. You're not going to want to stay on campus 24/7.



Of course I have no idea what's around ND.

[Lil'Monster]

GO TO FUS!

[4588686]

Also you can foster your faith anywhere. UNC does not have a huge Catholic population but with a big school, even if it's secular and in an area that historically doesn't have a lot of Catholics, there's a large enough general population that statistically you're still going to have plenty of devout Catholic kids around. Our Newman center has plenty of kids who are really excited to be Catholic and do Catholic things. At a place like ND that's going to be much, much moreso the case. You'll have no problem finding a great circle of orthodox Catholic teens to hang out with.

Edited April 7, 2011 by Hasan

[ThePenciledOne]

Visit both campuses but I recommend FUS.

I'm currently a student there, and it's been such a huge blessing. FUS has a pretty decent history department, with an excellent education program. One of my household brothers actually transferred from ND to FUS, because he wasn't receiving the sort of spiritual backbone he needed (that's his testimony more or less)

I'd write more, but it's late, though there isn't much else to say except that it is an anointed school by far.

[Deus te Amat]

[quote name='Amppax' timestamp='1302145415' post='2226581']
So I'm wrapping up my senior year, and that means that I have to make my decision on college soon. Currently, I have my choices narrowed down to Notre Dame and Franciscan University of Steubenville. Both I feel are good schools, but each definitely has an area where it is clearly ahead of the other. I believe that ND is probably much better from an academic standpoint, but Steubenville is much better from a faith standpoint. ND would also probably provide me with many more options when I am coming out of school compared to Franciscan, but I think Franciscan will give me a lot that Notre Dame can't. Finally, and this may end up making my decision for me, I may be able to attend Notre Dame at a much lower cost then Steubenville. I really like Steubenville, but I can't as of now justify to myself taking on a lot of debt to go there, especially as I have two younger siblings, one just entering high school (Catholic, although he has a full ride, so it won't cost much) and one entering eighth grade (private as well, and this one might be switching to a new school, which would probably be more expensive). I don't think that it would be fair if I, the oldest, chose a college that could possibly effect my siblings ability to attend the schools that they wanted to. I really like Franciscan, and would really like to go there, but I'm just not sure if I could turn down going to Notre Dame for less. Any thoughts or advice would be much appreciated.
[/quote]

The Catholic University that has the orthodox Catholic community of Steubenville AND the solid, kick-butt academic reputation of Notre Dame is the University of Dallas. It's not too late to apply.

[url="http://www.udallas.edu"]www.udallas.edu[/url]

Seriously, it's amesome. You may not have heard of it, but it's one of the five best liberal arts schools in the country. It's named on all of the "such-and-such" guides to the best colleges, and is ranked in the top 10 best Catholic colleges.

If you have more questions, please let me know.

Edited April 7, 2011 by Deus_te_Amat

[Luigi]

Notre Dame:

1. The academic reputation;
2. The reduced cost - saddling yourself with college debt is sometimes necessary, but not with a large amount of debt, especially if the degree will lead to a job that pays decently-but-limited. And your consideration of your whole family's financial needs is admirable - you're right to think how your decision will affect your younger siblings;
3. You can certainly practice and deepen your Catholic faith at Notre Dame;
4. If, after a year or two at Notre Dame, you still really want to go to Steubenville, you'd have time to transfer there for your junior & senior years (usually required to obtain the degree from the awarding institution) - and they might offer you better financial aid based on your Notre Dame grades or something.
5. Stuebenville & Notre Dame are close enough - 375 miles, a six or seven hour drive - that you could probably put together road trips for the better beer blasts and feast days.

[EcceNovaFacioOmni]

I went to Notre Dame and will gladly answer any of your questions via private message. I don't know Steubenville so will only testify to my experience in South Bend. There is a tremendous orthodox, committed Catholic community on the Notre Dame campus. It's not just a grassroots movement among students either, there are very solid people in campus ministry as well as on the faculty. There are many flavors of devotion as well - campus ministry sanctions a Latin Mass on campus as well as a few praise and worship groups. There is a basilica on campus offering three confession times each day and each dorm has its own chapel, at least 100 Masses being offered on campus each week. Many of the dorms even have young Holy Cross priests living among the students. The campus with the Grotto of Lourdes, Our Lady atop the administration building, and the Word of Life (Touchdown Jesus) mural aside the library, has a very Catholic ethos. Students call it Catholic Disneyworld, it's something you can feel.
Aside from all this, Notre Dame offers a huge amount of resources to undergrads that I am only now appreciating as an alum. There are a lot of perks because of the prestige, finances, and alumni connections. If you have an idea there is someone there to nourish it and someone else to finance it. In the aftermath of the Obama scandal the administration has been very conscious of rebuilding a Catholic image. ND just embarked on a project to study adult stem cells on campus (it might even be the first?). There is now a Faculty for Life coalition and a project is underway to grade a graduate program in pro-life studies, which will send students to crisis pregnancy centers and policy tanks during their studies, etc etc etc.
As an aspiring history teacher, I know there are some incredible Catholic historians here, along with a Medieval Institute which is known for its orthodoxy on campus. ND is also home to the ACE program, which sends graduates to poor Catholic schools around the country for two years while they study for their M.Ed. on campus during the summer (ace.nd.edu).
I'll stop now as I have to go to work, but feel free to holler if you're curious about something. It's true not everyone at ND is passionate about their faith, but I saw it as an opportunity to engage intellectually and "make God credible," as Benedict XVI has said is so important. This less homogeneous community is probably the biggest difference in campus life between ND and FUS, but I think there's much to recommend it.

Edited April 7, 2011 by thedude