UVA with Jefferson Scholarship vs Harvard

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I knew a MIT grad with a $100,000 debt. She said she's screwed.
Harvard isn't worth $80,000+/year = $320,000.

Agreed. Most doctors would agree with this too. State schools for undergrad is the smarter route. The first two years are pretty much all the same wherever you go. And if you tell me for the network, all schools have an alumni network.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Never heard of the Jefferson scholarship, but I have certainly heard of Harvard. As has everyone all around the world.

I'd take Harvard unless it would be impossible financially.

It’s a full ride to UVa

Full ride plus a large stipend plus plus funding for unpaid internships plus funded study abroad over your junior year summer


https://www.jeffersonscholars.org/scholarship

+1. It's a very big deal. And a big deal on campus. Everyone knows who are the Jefferson Scholars. My DS competed for it but was passed over after the regional interviews.

I’m trying to imagine this.

Why is that difficult? There are only 4,000 in a class at UVA. The Jefferson Scholars regularly meet off campus at their center and do activities together.

Only 4K

Not the PP but it’s not a huge school. I think there are what 20 Jefferson scholars?

I agree. It’s a big deal. And everyone knows which students are the Jefferson Scholars.

+1 The question is not whether Harvard is "better" than UVa. The question is whether your kid wants to be a regular student student at Harvard or one of the top 20 in the class at UVA. Jefferson Scholarship is more than just a free college education. For example, at UVA, Jefferson Scholars hold the prestige positions such as the student representative to the Board of Visitors and the best research positions. From a job perspective, Jefferson Scholars attend private events with UVa's most successful alumni. Also, Jefferson Scholars are all Echols Scholars and have no area/major requirements and have priority in scheduling classes, which allows students get into classes with desired professors and get better recommendations for graduate schools.

Why is this a thing? Sounds pretty unfair to me.

So they can attract students who are obvious future movers-and-shakers.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I agree, I hire high level people (200K+) and I have never heard of a jefferson scholarship until my child was a senior at a VA school. Go to Harvard unless you will be in debt forever. Its major league/minor league. Both good.

Why would you care about where "high level" people went to college? Sounds, ummm, untrue.

Really? Interesting. I will tell you why I care. The old school top schools were a litmus test of intellect. It was an IQ test on the resume. People can make up ANYTHING on their resume or linkedin (and trust me, they do). The referrals they give you are only going to speak positively. Former HR offices will tell you nothing for fear of a lawsuit. Unless it's a technical interview with coding or other tests, it's very difficult to determine if someone is a hero or zero in an hour conversation. Its probably the biggest inefficiency in modern work - so many posers, why can't I see their last 10 years of performance reviews? Anyway, I digress. The point is, I do give extra special treatment to UVA grads and Ivy grads (pre-2017, I no longer believe in academic rigor being the Ivy's priority) because I knew they were smart to be going there and smart people can be trained, grown and have more potential regardless of role.

So yeah, not sure why you think that is weird. Regardless, never heard of a Jefferson scholar until this year.

So you gave special treatment to UVA grads and Ivy grads even before knowing what the Jefferson scholarship was, so why the comment about definitely picking Harvard if it's $300,000+ more?

[Anonymous]

Over 4,000 students are nominated for the Jefferson (my kid was one of them). You can't apply - your high school nominates you and then you compete regionally, then at UVA for it. Much like competition for the Rhodes. https://www.jeffersonscholars.org/

[Anonymous]

I’ve known young adults who chose the free ride (not UVA) and have always regretted it. I know an Arizona native who had free ride to Arizona and took it over Stanford. When applying to law school, he was offered free ride to Michigan or regular admission to Stanford. He said he always regretted not going to Stanford for undergrad. I also interviewed someone who went to UMD and had received the Bannker Key full scholarship. He was embarrassed by UMD and unprompted (no one interviewing cared) he brought it up and said he only went there because of the scholarship.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve known young adults who chose the free ride (not UVA) and have always regretted it. I know an Arizona native who had free ride to Arizona and took it over Stanford. When applying to law school, he was offered free ride to Michigan or regular admission to Stanford. He said he always regretted not going to Stanford for undergrad. I also interviewed someone who went to UMD and had received the Bannker Key full scholarship. He was embarrassed by UMD and unprompted (no one interviewing cared) he brought it up and said he only went there because of the scholarship.

taking a free ride at Arizona is not really the same as a prestigious scholarship at UVA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve known young adults who chose the free ride (not UVA) and have always regretted it. I know an Arizona native who had free ride to Arizona and took it over Stanford. When applying to law school, he was offered free ride to Michigan or regular admission to Stanford. He said he always regretted not going to Stanford for undergrad. I also interviewed someone who went to UMD and had received the Bannker Key full scholarship. He was embarrassed by UMD and unprompted (no one interviewing cared) he brought it up and said he only went there because of the scholarship.

taking a free ride at Arizona is not really the same as a prestigious scholarship at UVA.

dp. sure, it's different, but not so different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve known young adults who chose the free ride (not UVA) and have always regretted it. I know an Arizona native who had free ride to Arizona and took it over Stanford. When applying to law school, he was offered free ride to Michigan or regular admission to Stanford. He said he always regretted not going to Stanford for undergrad. I also interviewed someone who went to UMD and had received the Bannker Key full scholarship. He was embarrassed by UMD and unprompted (no one interviewing cared) he brought it up and said he only went there because of the scholarship.

This

Even within UVA circle, not everyone knows Jefferson scholarship. After the awkward conversation, only curious people might go google what the big deal is for this scholarship.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I’ve known young adults who chose the free ride (not UVA) and have always regretted it. I know an Arizona native who had free ride to Arizona and took it over Stanford. When applying to law school, he was offered free ride to Michigan or regular admission to Stanford. He said he always regretted not going to Stanford for undergrad. I also interviewed someone who went to UMD and had received the Bannker Key full scholarship. He was embarrassed by UMD and unprompted (no one interviewing cared) he brought it up and said he only went there because of the scholarship.

taking a free ride at Arizona is not really the same as a prestigious scholarship at UVA.

dp. sure, it's different, but not so different.

It's very different. You have to be nominated by your high school for the Jefferson. Only one per year and sometimes high schools don't nominated anyone. That's 4,000 nominees, then culled locally, then regionally, then finally the remaining 132 spent 3 days at UVA and compete for 30 odd seats. My DD was one of them but she didn't make it to the finals.

[Anonymous]

One factor no one seems to be mentioning is that the top management training programs (the secret clubs which get you the best jobs after college, which get you into the top graduate schools after), only recruit at the Ivies.

For many careers, $320,000 debt is a mere pittance in a lifetime of opportunity, an investment.

UVA is a great school, but there would be some missed opportunities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One factor no one seems to be mentioning is that the top management training programs (the secret clubs which get you the best jobs after college, which get you into the top graduate schools after), only recruit at the Ivies.

For many careers, $320,000 debt is a mere pittance in a lifetime of opportunity, an investment.

UVA is a great school, but there would be some missed opportunities.

This is old school. It’s no longer like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One factor no one seems to be mentioning is that the top management training programs (the secret clubs which get you the best jobs after college, which get you into the top graduate schools after), only recruit at the Ivies.

For many careers, $320,000 debt is a mere pittance in a lifetime of opportunity, an investment.

UVA is a great school, but there would be some missed opportunities.

This is old school. It’s no longer like this.

Lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If they are smart enough to get a Jefferson Scholarship, bank the money and pay for an MBA at Harvard.

Harvard undergrad is guaranteed. Harvard MBA after 4 years at UVA is not.

Also, students can pay for their own MBAs after they start working. MBAs also provide competitive pricing similar to law schools. I.E. if one gets into Stanford, Wharton and HBS, applicants can start a pricing war between them to lower the cost of attendance.


Someone with Harvard undergrad does not need Harvard MBA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you can easily afford Harvard without loans, go there. Otherwise take the UVA full ride.

This. For my family (not wealthy) UVA full ride would be the choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I knew a MIT grad with a $100,000 debt. She said she's screwed.
Harvard isn't worth $80,000+/year = $320,000.

Agreed. Most doctors would agree with this too. State schools for undergrad is the smarter route. The first two years are pretty much all the same wherever you go. And if you tell me for the network, all schools have an alumni network.

Yes to this. I am a doctor and did my undergrad at a state school. Came out with no loans. Wouldn’t have done it differently.

Obviously different if you are independently wealthy.

I can from an immigrant family and my full ride at a public state university was the right route for me, knowing that I would still have years of school (and loans) after undergrad.