How is UVA overrated?

[Anonymous]

[list]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UVA is not a top 5 public university but it is certainly top 25.

It’s #4

Nobody credible believes the latest USNWR rankings.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Cheating

We know honest kids who go there, but we also know of a good number of kids who cheated their way through high school that are also going there. But, that's probably b/c we are in Nova.

I think this is the key to UVA's "overrating." Northern Virginia.
Northern Virginia likes to think UVA is a bargain Yale or Harvard or Princeton or Brown. UVA is an excellent school, but it's very competitive particularly for northern Virginia students. So it evokes the impression of being more elite and prestigious in this geographical area than it warrants. I'm sure if you ask people in California to name the top public universities in the country, UVA would not come to mind.

I’m actually fairly sure they would, because UVA has been a top public for decades. I’m always amazed when people don’t realize this (and that’s coming from someone who didn’t go there, doesn’t have kids there, and only moved to Virginia in the last five years).

Some Californians known UVA is a top school but many don't. More interest in Michigan and Texas Austin than UVA because STEM.

Outside the DMV, most people consider UVA on par with U of Florida. It doesn’t register along with Michigan, UCLA, UCSD, Berkeley, or even UT Austin. It is just pretty average.

This is just not true for anyone that’s actually familiar with academia (i.e., not this forum).

Nope, this is accurate. Keep up with the changes.

I have because I work in academia. This forum is like an alternate reality. I actually think people who don’t know any better end up less well informed from where they started.

I am a college professor. 20 years ago I would not put U of Florida in the same sentence as UVA. However, now they are solid peers academically. For a lot of departments, U of Florida is ahead in terms of faculty quality and research output.

Really? I thought Florida was having trouble because of how much the governor was interfering with stuff in the name of over killing DEI.

Compared to the confederate flags in Virginia, which would you pick?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:it is overrated for 2 reasons:

1) STEM staff and curriculum is like any other T50-100 school

2) Outcomes - lack of fortune 500 companies in and around DMV makes hiring very hard.

No idea what you are talking about on 2. UVA is on every list of banking and consulting placement, plus placement at top law schools, med schools, etc.

I hear Capitol One is a main recruiter there. How impressive.

CapOne has 12,500 employees in Tysons and 12,500 in Richmond. Of course it is going to recruit heavily from the nearby Flagship. I don’t see why that’s a ding.

I believe it is the #1 employer for UVA, W&M, VT, JMU . . .

Certainly top 3 for VT (usually rotates between CapOne, Boeing, and Lockheed due to engineering college). WM is harder to find top employers because it just lists “employers who hired 4 or more graduates,” but CapOne is one of those.

CapOne not top 10 for JMU: https://www.jmu.edu/career/careeroutcomes/_files/2023/class_of_2023_report_final.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If someone is trying to assert it is at the same level as Stanford, it is being overrated. If someone is asserting it is just like any other state school, it is being underrated.

The problem is 5hat many uva grads are delusional and think they graduated from Harvard above Stanford.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If someone is trying to assert it is at the same level as Stanford, it is being overrated. If someone is asserting it is just like any other state school, it is being underrated.

I'd agree with that.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Cheating

We know honest kids who go there, but we also know of a good number of kids who cheated their way through high school that are also going there. But, that's probably b/c we are in Nova.

I think this is the key to UVA's "overrating." Northern Virginia.
Northern Virginia likes to think UVA is a bargain Yale or Harvard or Princeton or Brown. UVA is an excellent school, but it's very competitive particularly for northern Virginia students. So it evokes the impression of being more elite and prestigious in this geographical area than it warrants. I'm sure if you ask people in California to name the top public universities in the country, UVA would not come to mind.

I’m actually fairly sure they would, because UVA has been a top public for decades. I’m always amazed when people don’t realize this (and that’s coming from someone who didn’t go there, doesn’t have kids there, and only moved to Virginia in the last five years).

Some Californians known UVA is a top school but many don't. More interest in Michigan and Texas Austin than UVA because STEM.

Outside the DMV, most people consider UVA on par with U of Florida. It doesn’t register along with Michigan, UCLA, UCSD, Berkeley, or even UT Austin. It is just pretty average.

This is just not true for anyone that’s actually familiar with academia (i.e., not this forum).

Nope, this is accurate. Keep up with the changes.

I have because I work in academia. This forum is like an alternate reality. I actually think people who don’t know any better end up less well informed from where they started.

I am a college professor. 20 years ago I would not put U of Florida in the same sentence as UVA. However, now they are solid peers academically. For a lot of departments, U of Florida is ahead in terms of faculty quality and research output.

Really? I thought Florida was having trouble because of how much the governor was interfering with stuff in the name of over killing DEI.

Compared to the confederate flags in Virginia, which would you pick?

Virginia. So far anyway. Youngkin isn't done yet; so there's still time to change my mind.

[Anonymous]

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Lots of classes taught by grad students.

DD is a 1st Yr and hasn't had a single class taught by a TA. They lead discussion sections for large classes, offer study sessions, proctor and grade exams. But, professors teach the classes and have been easy to communicate with via office hours or email. Flame UVA all you want, but at least post the truth for people genuinely doing their research.

Same is true for my first year student.

My kid at UVA has also experienced large classes with TA taught sections. But let’s be a real, the TAs are doing the grading and teaching the discussion sections. The profs are just lecturing. My DD had a prof who said any questions about the class or material should go to the TA. He will
Meet with kids in office hours to discuss only the general topic (not related to the class coverage) and careers in that subject area. The TAs have a significant impact on the teaching (and one of my kid’s TAs got a D+ in the class when the TA took it—ridiculous!). That said, I think that is the experience at any large university. My other kid is a grad student and TA at another university and it sounds very similar.

I do have issues with class sizes. Last semester my kid had a 400 and a 500 person lecture class and a 700 person online class!! The o line one is being changed next year, though, to smaller in person sections, so the school realizes that was a disaster.

I would also say cheating is rampant, but I also think that is not unique to UVA. My TA kid has also seen a bit of that at their university. I think some of these kids cheat in high school because the expectations are insane and they never stop.

Overall, UVA has been really good for my kid (who has found it challenging and does not have a perfect record there). I would not say it is overrated. It’s not perfect, but for the most part, what we expected.

weird since they don’t have a lecture hall with 500 seats.

Okay. Rice 130 and McLeod 1020 are both 475. So the kid didn’t have a 500 person class - but easily could have had a 400 and a 475 person class with 700 online.

Since you do not believe me, the classes were macro and micro Econ this past fall. One (not sure which) was the largest ever in person class at UVA. They took a photo to commemorate it. Seriously. The online was Financial Accounting. I could be slightly off on the numbers but not far (going by what my kid said). Feel free to call uVA and ask how many kids were in those.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:If you are using USNWR as your standard, then either UVA is overrated or W&M is underrated. UVA and WM have almost identical GPA and SAT/ ACT scores at 25%/50%/75%. In some cases WM has higher stats. There used to be about 10 spots difference between the two in USNWR. But when USNWR started emphasizing things like FGLI/pell grant %, and stopped considering things like the quality of undergrad teaching, the spread went from 10 places to 30 places— in one year.

Maybe UVA is overrated by USNWR. Maybe WM is underrated. But, these school attract the same caliber students. And IMO the quality of undergrad teaching is very important for undergrad students. They should have a similar ranking. Up to you to decide if that ranking should be in the 20s, early 40s or mid 50s.

I love how the insecure W&M booster ALWAYS pushes their way into these discussions to make sure they're not left out.

So true. Most kids at UVA didn’t even apply to W&M. It is such a different vibe. Very, very nerdy at W&M.

No, just no. Most VA kids go in-state and most apply to UVA, WM, VT, JMU and GMU, VCU or CNU as back up.

Huh? Most apply to all of them? As a back-up to what?

For VA kids that only apply in-state : the big 4 are uva, VT, WM and JMu (depending on major and feel/preference) —-gmu, VCU, CNU are the safeties/back-ups, radford too

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are using USNWR as your standard, then either UVA is overrated or W&M is underrated. UVA and WM have almost identical GPA and SAT/ ACT scores at 25%/50%/75%. In some cases WM has higher stats. There used to be about 10 spots difference between the two in USNWR. But when USNWR started emphasizing things like FGLI/pell grant %, and stopped considering things like the quality of undergrad teaching, the spread went from 10 places to 30 places— in one year.

Maybe UVA is overrated by USNWR. Maybe WM is underrated. But, these school attract the same caliber students. And IMO the quality of undergrad teaching is very important for undergrad students. They should have a similar ranking. Up to you to decide if that ranking should be in the 20s, early 40s or mid 50s.

I love how the insecure W&M booster ALWAYS pushes their way into these discussions to make sure they're not left out.

So true. Most kids at UVA didn’t even apply to W&M. It is such a different vibe. Very, very nerdy at W&M.

No, just no. Most VA kids go in-state and most apply to UVA, WM, VT, JMU and GMU, VCU or CNU as back up.

Huh? Most apply to all of them? As a back-up to what?

For VA kids that only apply in-state : the big 4 are uva, VT, WM and JMu (depending on major and feel/preference) —-gmu, VCU, CNU are the safeties/back-ups, radford too

Except if you are studying fine arts then VCU is #4 in the US

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are using USNWR as your standard, then either UVA is overrated or W&M is underrated. UVA and WM have almost identical GPA and SAT/ ACT scores at 25%/50%/75%. In some cases WM has higher stats. There used to be about 10 spots difference between the two in USNWR. But when USNWR started emphasizing things like FGLI/pell grant %, and stopped considering things like the quality of undergrad teaching, the spread went from 10 places to 30 places— in one year.

Maybe UVA is overrated by USNWR. Maybe WM is underrated. But, these school attract the same caliber students. And IMO the quality of undergrad teaching is very important for undergrad students. They should have a similar ranking. Up to you to decide if that ranking should be in the 20s, early 40s or mid 50s.

I love how the insecure W&M booster ALWAYS pushes their way into these discussions to make sure they're not left out.

So true. Most kids at UVA didn’t even apply to W&M. It is such a different vibe. Very, very nerdy at W&M.

Most top stats kids in Virginia only apply to UVA as a safety.

This reflects the impression I get. UVA is pseudo-elite because the parents particularly, but also the students, think they're "all that." They can all feel good about themselves being at their "safety" school because it's UVA. UVA is over-rated because the student body/parents/alumnae all think very highly of themselves.

DP. And I think that's where a lot of the chip-on-the-shoulder attitude comes from. They didn't get into their reach schools, so they had to settle for UVA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are using USNWR as your standard, then either UVA is overrated or W&M is underrated. UVA and WM have almost identical GPA and SAT/ ACT scores at 25%/50%/75%. In some cases WM has higher stats. There used to be about 10 spots difference between the two in USNWR. But when USNWR started emphasizing things like FGLI/pell grant %, and stopped considering things like the quality of undergrad teaching, the spread went from 10 places to 30 places— in one year.

Maybe UVA is overrated by USNWR. Maybe WM is underrated. But, these school attract the same caliber students. And IMO the quality of undergrad teaching is very important for undergrad students. They should have a similar ranking. Up to you to decide if that ranking should be in the 20s, early 40s or mid 50s.

I love how the insecure W&M booster ALWAYS pushes their way into these discussions to make sure they're not left out.

So true. Most kids at UVA didn’t even apply to W&M. It is such a different vibe. Very, very nerdy at W&M.

Most top stats kids in Virginia only apply to UVA as a safety.

This reflects the impression I get. UVA is pseudo-elite because the parents particularly, but also the students, think they're "all that." They can all feel good about themselves being at their "safety" school because it's UVA. UVA is over-rated because the student body/parents/alumnae all think very highly of themselves.

DP. And I think that's where a lot of the chip-on-the-shoulder attitude comes from. They didn't get into their reach schools, so they had to settle for UVA.

UVA is a bit like Yale in that they are never first choice for the students. It is a mark of rejection.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cheating

We know honest kids who go there, but we also know of a good number of kids who cheated their way through high school that are also going there. But, that's probably b/c we are in Nova.

I think this is the key to UVA's "overrating." Northern Virginia.
Northern Virginia likes to think UVA is a bargain Yale or Harvard or Princeton or Brown. UVA is an excellent school, but it's very competitive particularly for northern Virginia students. So it evokes the impression of being more elite and prestigious in this geographical area than it warrants. I'm sure if you ask people in California to name the top public universities in the country, UVA would not come to mind.

I’m actually fairly sure they would, because UVA has been a top public for decades. I’m always amazed when people don’t realize this (and that’s coming from someone who didn’t go there, doesn’t have kids there, and only moved to Virginia in the last five years).

Some Californians known UVA is a top school but many don't. More interest in Michigan and Texas Austin than UVA because STEM.

Outside the DMV, most people consider UVA on par with U of Florida. It doesn’t register along with Michigan, UCLA, UCSD, Berkeley, or even UT Austin. It is just pretty average.

This is just not true for anyone that’s actually familiar with academia (i.e., not this forum).

Nope, this is accurate. Keep up with the changes.

I have because I work in academia. This forum is like an alternate reality. I actually think people who don’t know any better end up less well informed from where they started.

I am a college professor. 20 years ago I would not put U of Florida in the same sentence as UVA. However, now they are solid peers academically. For a lot of departments, U of Florida is ahead in terms of faculty quality and research output.

Really? I thought Florida was having trouble because of how much the governor was interfering with stuff in the name of over killing DEI.

Compared to the confederate flags in Virginia, which would you pick?

Haha - have you even been to Gainesville? It’s confederate flag central.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[list]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UVA is not a top 5 public university but it is certainly top 25.

It’s #4

Nobody credible believes the latest USNWR rankings.

It’s been that way for 30+ years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are using USNWR as your standard, then either UVA is overrated or W&M is underrated. UVA and WM have almost identical GPA and SAT/ ACT scores at 25%/50%/75%. In some cases WM has higher stats. There used to be about 10 spots difference between the two in USNWR. But when USNWR started emphasizing things like FGLI/pell grant %, and stopped considering things like the quality of undergrad teaching, the spread went from 10 places to 30 places— in one year.

Maybe UVA is overrated by USNWR. Maybe WM is underrated. But, these school attract the same caliber students. And IMO the quality of undergrad teaching is very important for undergrad students. They should have a similar ranking. Up to you to decide if that ranking should be in the 20s, early 40s or mid 50s.

I love how the insecure W&M booster ALWAYS pushes their way into these discussions to make sure they're not left out.

So true. Most kids at UVA didn’t even apply to W&M. It is such a different vibe. Very, very nerdy at W&M.

Most top stats kids in Virginia only apply to UVA as a safety.

This reflects the impression I get. UVA is pseudo-elite because the parents particularly, but also the students, think they're "all that." They can all feel good about themselves being at their "safety" school because it's UVA. UVA is over-rated because the student body/parents/alumnae all think very highly of themselves.

This comment is dripping in bitterness.

[Anonymous]

I’m just gonna say this. My kid is graduating next month and interviewing for jobs currently. she is in a field that does not hire cohorts of entry level people, so the timing has to be right where they have a need and she can start reasonably soon. This has meant it’s been a rush in recent weeks as she’s finally to a point where she can start next month. She has had 11 interviews and 4 second rounds. I will say per the posted PDs she does not have the experience. They are usually looking for 2 years of exp and she has two great summer internships but definitely not two years. I believe that she has gotten these interviews in large part because she is at UVA. She had a second interview today and they said she was the only candidate they are meeting who is still in college. The UVA name does open doors that other VA colleges do not. Sorry, it’s just a fact.