University of Virginia

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UVA was really popular OOS this year for DC and MD kids who wanted a large state school. I know 4 kids who chose it over Michigan, several over Berkeley, several over UNC, etc.

I really wish UVA would take more in state kids. Make it 80/20 like UNC or 90/10 like Texas. DC and MD kids shouldn’t be getting into UVA over VA kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm from the west coast and honestly had someone told me they went to the University of Virginia I would have reacted the same way as if they'd gone to the University of Oregon or the University of Arizona.

Now that I have been here over a decade, I get it, it's super prestigious and incredibly hard to get into.

Please explain to me why it is so prestigious, and why if my kid gets in, they should automatically take it (cost not a factor). My spouse is pushing it hard. I would never say this out loud, but to me it feels like all the smartest kids at all the northern Virginia schools go to UVA, making it a place of sharp elbows. I've heard it's hard to even join clubs there because everything is so competitive. Tell me why it is a great school - are the professors great? Campus seems fine to me, but I have seen prettier. What makes it so much better than other state universities? I get the William and Mary thing because it's this small, public liberal arts school.

I don't want to start a huge argument. Please just educate me on what makes UVA so strong. Why do your kids who go there love it? What do they love about it that is unique to UVA?

The smartest kids in NOVA do not all go to UVA and having smart kids does not make it necessarily make it a place with sharp elbows.

The strivers from NOVA go to UVA, the really smart kids go elsewhere. Strivers often have sharp elbows.

Dumb take. Really smart kids do go to UVA. Top schools elsewhere are certainly full of strivers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm from the west coast and honestly had someone told me they went to the University of Virginia I would have reacted the same way as if they'd gone to the University of Oregon or the University of Arizona.

Now that I have been here over a decade, I get it, it's super prestigious and incredibly hard to get into.

Please explain to me why it is so prestigious, and why if my kid gets in, they should automatically take it (cost not a factor). My spouse is pushing it hard. I would never say this out loud, but to me it feels like all the smartest kids at all the northern Virginia schools go to UVA, making it a place of sharp elbows. I've heard it's hard to even join clubs there because everything is so competitive. Tell me why it is a great school - are the professors great? Campus seems fine to me, but I have seen prettier. What makes it so much better than other state universities? I get the William and Mary thing because it's this small, public liberal arts school.

I don't want to start a huge argument. Please just educate me on what makes UVA so strong. Why do your kids who go there love it? What do they love about it that is unique to UVA?

The smartest kids in NOVA do not all go to UVA and having smart kids does not make it necessarily make it a place with sharp elbows.

The strivers from NOVA go to UVA, the really smart kids go elsewhere. Strivers often have sharp elbows.

Dumb take. Really smart kids do go to UVA. Top schools elsewhere are certainly full of strivers.

Agree. Why so rude?

[Anonymous]

A bunch of top kids at my student’s nova high school went ED to UVA, preferring it over any Ivy etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A bunch of top kids at my student’s nova high school went ED to UVA, preferring it over any Ivy etc.

I’m sure Ivy tuition prices came into play in their decisions to ED at UVA.

[Anonymous]

Why? Ivy League schools are quite generous with financial aid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UVAers call it "prestigious" because it's a closed club for hyper-competitive kids who couldn't quite get into a real Ivy. There's a definite cutthroat atmosphere for meaningless club positions. Graduates have a chip on their shoulder and no real skills beyond networking with other equally insufferable alums. It's an average state school...great PR team though.

I had plenty of classmates who chose UVA over the Ivys they got into. For some, it was financial, but for others they appreciated the school spirit, the larger community and variety of experiences available, and the opportunity to access top notch academics without the pressure cooker Ivy mentality

When I think of an option to an Ivy, UVA doesn't seem like the next logical step. Sorry. Very good state school though.

It’s hard to believe that so many students got accepted to an Ivy League school but chose UVA instead. They knew how much the Ivy would cost. And if it’s about prestige I don’t think too many people in the Northeast have much to say about it. Same with the West Coast. I read an article a while ago about rapes at fraternity parties and how the police weren’t called on, only campus police. It reminded me of the big Southern schools where sports come before academics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, size-wise UVA is well outside the top 100.

Out of 4,000 colleges

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UVA was really popular OOS this year for DC and MD kids who wanted a large state school. I know 4 kids who chose it over Michigan, several over Berkeley, several over UNC, etc.

I really wish UVA would take more in state kids. Make it 80/20 like UNC or 90/10 like Texas. DC and MD kids shouldn’t be getting into UVA over VA kids.

Sure, first pay more taxes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why? Ivy League schools are quite generous with financial aid.

Haha, nope, still expect to drain all parental assets

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UVA was really popular OOS this year for DC and MD kids who wanted a large state school. I know 4 kids who chose it over Michigan, several over Berkeley, several over UNC, etc.

I really wish UVA would take more in state kids. Make it 80/20 like UNC or 90/10 like Texas. DC and MD kids shouldn’t be getting into UVA over VA kids.

Sure, first pay more taxes.

The MD and DC kids going to UVA are only doing so because they're not getting into Ivies, Georgetown or MIT. It's their safety school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UVA was really popular OOS this year for DC and MD kids who wanted a large state school. I know 4 kids who chose it over Michigan, several over Berkeley, several over UNC, etc.

I really wish UVA would take more in state kids. Make it 80/20 like UNC or 90/10 like Texas. DC and MD kids shouldn’t be getting into UVA over VA kids.

Sure, first pay more taxes.

The MD and DC kids going to UVA are only doing so because they're not getting into Ivies, Georgetown or MIT. It's their safety school.

Who cares, let them pay more or make VA families pay more taxes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why? Ivy League schools are quite generous with financial aid.

Not if you are a donut hole family with reasonable assets. You get nada.

[Anonymous]

UVA has a level of autonomy that they received in exchange for less state funding.

https://www.fm.virginia.edu/docs/fpc/heco/UVaManagementAgreement.pdf

So increased taxes won’t necessarily go to the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UVA has a level of autonomy that they received in exchange for less state funding.

https://www.fm.virginia.edu/docs/fpc/heco/UVaManagementAgreement.pdf

So increased taxes won’t necessarily go to the school.

Great, don’t complain when they admit OOS students over in state.