How to pick between UVA and W&M

[Anonymous]

My kid has the wonderful problem of having been accepted to both. He is also in at a couple of great SLACs and, with those, the question is obviously, are they worth the extra money vs a pretty similar experience at W&M. (Likely not, but he'll go to all admitted student days).

As far as "fit" goes, to me, it is pretty obvious that W&M is a better fit. He doesn't care about the Greek scene and isn't especially drawn to the big sports scene. He is a sports fan and athletic, so that might change, but more than that he is very driven, intellectual, and (I expect) more of an intense small group of friends than big partier type. But, the way he looks at it, the social fit is low on the priority list. He's really just thinking what will be better for grad school or jobs after. Likely physics major.

Any advice?

[Anonymous]

We're out of state and my ds is probably going to pick WM over SLACs with merit.

[Anonymous]

UVA is ranked in 20’s and W&M ranked in 50’s. Wouldn’t ranking matter?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UVA is ranked in 20’s and W&M ranked in 50’s. Wouldn’t ranking matter?

Reputation matters not raw ranking (this is why NEU hasn't become more "prestigious"). Both have really good reputations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UVA is ranked in 20’s and W&M ranked in 50’s. Wouldn’t ranking matter?

DP: Their admitted student body is nearly identical in terms of GPA and SAT scores and both schools have a similar reputation for quality. W&M just doesn't fit easily into a quantitative based ranking system because it's somewhere between an LAC and a research university but classified as a research university.

[Anonymous]

W&M offers small class sizes, provides a great all around education and is investing in its science programs which were already strong. Also working to improve the weak points of housing and food. For my two kids it was any easy choice.

[Anonymous]

Visit both one more time. Rankings, smankings at this point. He has to feel good about his choice.

[Anonymous]

As a physics major, he should go to the school that will give him the most and best opportunities for undergrad research in his area(s) of interest. He should read professor bios to find out about their research. He should also consider reaching out to those who interest him the most about potential research opportunities.

--STEM PhD

[Anonymous]

Go to both DFAS and Days on the Lawn

[Anonymous]

UVA is 38th in physics programs according to rankings; WM isn’t listed.

[Anonymous]

I think SLACs are better for kids going to grad schools.

A university with grad students is going to be higher ranked as a program but the experience for an undergrad is going to be better at the SLAC (in part because of the lack of grad students so professors not grad students will be teaching and if the professors need help they will look to undergrads not frad students for that help).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UVA is 38th in physics programs according to rankings; WM isn’t listed.

Those are grad rankings

[Anonymous]

Most kids with this choice - who are in state - have a very clear understanding of where they fit best. He literally doesn't? I mean they are quite different. My two who chose UVA liked W&M but felt it was not quite the right social, and rah rah type school for what they wanted, so it was the second choice. I'm 100% sure they would have been fine at either. W&M is also more expensive and farther from home (and way more annoying to get to), so that was a small ding against it.

[Anonymous]

Thanks so much to those have replied. My kid is also a little hung up on the rankings but my feeling is that a LAC college will have more opportunities for research, smaller classes, thus resulting in better letters for grad school. The way I see it, ranking matters for grad school but, for undergrad, if they are in the same ballpark of peers, it does not. Again, that is my perspective but if I am totally off-base, I'd love to be contradicted now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most kids with this choice - who are in state - have a very clear understanding of where they fit best. He literally doesn't? I mean they are quite different. My two who chose UVA liked W&M but felt it was not quite the right social, and rah rah type school for what they wanted, so it was the second choice. I'm 100% sure they would have been fine at either. W&M is also more expensive and farther from home (and way more annoying to get to), so that was a small ding against it.

It is not that he doesn't see one as a better fit, it is that he isn't prioritizing fit. He's very driven and just feels like the social stuff will be fine anywhere and just doesn't want to list that as a factor. FWIW, I think W&M is a better fit. They are pretty comparable distance and moneywise for us.