What is the obsession with UVA for out of staters?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's small for a high-ranked public, more affordable than private, generally respected, has historic significance, charming campus, strong sports teams, balanced culture...I could go on.

This. We're in VA and neither of my kids were interested in UVA (one at VT, one at a LAC) but I understand the appeal. To me the most stand out aspect is more that it's a known flagship but not massive like Michigan, UCLA, Berkeley, other OOS flagships that people pay a ton of $$$ to attend. Personally, I wouldn't pay OOS sticker price for any of them but we didn't have an unlimited budget for college. Those who do I'm sure have a different balance of considerations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone fill me in with the obsession over UVA for out of staters?

I get it is a good school and price of tuition can’t be beat if you are instate.

But I don’t get the obsession from the MD crowd.

Is it just since they are influenced by the VA parents?

I am a longtime VA resident and I am not interested in UVA and my kids are not interested in UVA. UVA school environment appears toxic (boasting, dominant Greek life, southern location etc.) from the postings by the various UVA boosters on this site.

Agreed!
Personally, I do not get why anyone would pay OOS for a large state school (even Michigan or Berkeley). If I'm paying $65K+, I'd rather my kid be at a smaller private school and pay the $80K.

Personally I don’t understand paying 80K for a smaller private school (given the choice) that’s not a Berkeley or Michigan in terms of academics or renown. To each his own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's small for a high-ranked public, more affordable than private, generally respected, has historic significance, charming campus, strong sports teams, balanced culture...I could go on.

When your most well-known state option is a place like Rutgers (huge, town isn't nice, hard to finish in 4 years, so-so sports, suitcase school), UVA is really attractive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone fill me in with the obsession over UVA for out of staters?

I get it is a good school and price of tuition can’t be beat if you are instate.

But I don’t get the obsession from the MD crowd.

Is it just since they are influenced by the VA parents?

I am a longtime VA resident and I am not interested in UVA and my kids are not interested in UVA. UVA school environment appears toxic (boasting, dominant Greek life, southern location etc.) from the postings by the various UVA boosters on this site.

You…live in VA. That is a southern location, too. Maybe you can move to the other slave state of MD?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's small for a high-ranked public, more affordable than private, generally respected, has historic significance, charming campus, strong sports teams, balanced culture...I could go on.

This. We're in VA and neither of my kids were interested in UVA (one at VT, one at a LAC) but I understand the appeal. To me the most stand out aspect is more that it's a known flagship but not massive like Michigan, UCLA, Berkeley, other OOS flagships that people pay a ton of $$$ to attend. Personally, I wouldn't pay OOS sticker price for any of them but we didn't have an unlimited budget for college. Those who do I'm sure have a different balance of considerations.

Oh, your kids didn’t even apply? UVA is very popular with local high school applicants. That’s great that they are happy where they landed.

[Anonymous]

I'm in NYC and UVA is almost never mentioned. Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, UVM, UCs have more interest. Then MN and OH for merit. Alabama, South Carolina, UTD, Tulsa for free rides. IL for CS. UC Bolder and U of Utah for merit + outdoorsy. Florida bcs there's some grandparent thing?

UVA really far far down on list of OOS public schools here these days. So much so I just inquired with friends about it and nobody had any interest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm in NYC and UVA is almost never mentioned. Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, UVM, UCs have more interest. Then MN and OH for merit. Alabama, South Carolina, UTD, Tulsa for free rides. IL for CS. UC Bolder and U of Utah for merit + outdoorsy. Florida bcs there's some grandparent thing?

UVA really far far down on list of OOS public schools here these days. So much so I just inquired with friends about it and nobody had any interest.

I'm just outside the city and UVA is considered a top school. Just remember our personal networks don't reflect reality. We're probably 30 minutes from each other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone fill me in with the obsession over UVA for out of staters?

I get it is a good school and price of tuition can’t be beat if you are instate.

But I don’t get the obsession from the MD crowd.

Is it just since they are influenced by the VA parents?

I am a longtime VA resident and I am not interested in UVA and my kids are not interested in UVA. UVA school environment appears toxic (boasting, dominant Greek life, southern location etc.) from the postings by the various UVA boosters on this site.

Agreed!
Personally, I do not get why anyone would pay OOS for a large state school (even Michigan or Berkeley). If I'm paying $65K+, I'd rather my kid be at a smaller private school and pay the $80K.

Personally I don’t understand paying 80K for a smaller private school (given the choice) that’s not a Berkeley or Michigan in terms of academics or renown. To each his own.

UVA OOS for engineering and when accepted into the business program is about $87-$89k total cost. It may be the most expensive state school there is for OOS tuition for these kinds of majors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm in NYC and UVA is almost never mentioned. Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, UVM, UCs have more interest. Then MN and OH for merit. Alabama, South Carolina, UTD, Tulsa for free rides. IL for CS. UC Bolder and U of Utah for merit + outdoorsy. Florida bcs there's some grandparent thing?

UVA really far far down on list of OOS public schools here these days. So much so I just inquired with friends about it and nobody had any interest.

well that is not true LOL but ok if you'd like to think that way. It has always been a popular school for the NYC to Boston corridor due to the warmer location, great sports environment, charming campus, smaller but still large vibe, strong academics etc. I'm from the NYC metro area and my brother attended UVA back in the 1980s. It was always a school with cache. My kid attends and his roommate is from Boston, another best friend from the NYC area, another friend from Denver, Altanta etc, I could go on. I don't think he has any friends from MD to OP's point. I don't feel like it's an "obsession" with MD parents becasue everyone knows it's super hard to get into out of state, and UMD is not half bad. But the northeast? yes, it's very popular with certain types of people.

and to the PP who does not want their child to apply to UVA because of the "boosters" on this site, that's a very odd perspective to take as I would hope you know that 90% of the posts that appear to "boost" UVA are trolls and others try to stir the pot.

[Anonymous]

I live in NYC now and have kids in private high school now. I'm not talking about the 1980s.

[Anonymous]

I think it's a beautiful school. I'm from out of state and love the campus and area feel. Aside from that, I am not telling my kids to apply there or thinking about it much more than "that's a nice school". They would not want to apply to an area so far from their comfort zone which is very close in.

[Anonymous]

132 students at UVA from NY state.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm in NYC and UVA is almost never mentioned. Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, UVM, UCs have more interest. Then MN and OH for merit. Alabama, South Carolina, UTD, Tulsa for free rides. IL for CS. UC Bolder and U of Utah for merit + outdoorsy. Florida bcs there's some grandparent thing?

UVA really far far down on list of OOS public schools here these days. So much so I just inquired with friends about it and nobody had any interest.

Really? Lots of UVA grads in NYC working in diverse fields from Sotheby’s to State Street. You don’t indicate that you have a student looking at colleges right now— do you? I’m asking because your writing is juvenile with a misspelling or two. “Bolder,” lmao

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, there is no obsession, but some UVA boosters on DCUM certainly want you to believe it. UVA is a good public university. There are many such. That's all.

Honestly, I'm beginning to think that there are not really UVA boosters posting on these threads. Instead, they are just trolls trying to stir the pot.

But anyway, as for the UVA "obsession" from Maryland, I think that many students wants that state flagship experience within an easy drive from their homes. UMD might be "too close," and UVA is the perfect distance away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm in NYC and UVA is almost never mentioned. Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, UVM, UCs have more interest. Then MN and OH for merit. Alabama, South Carolina, UTD, Tulsa for free rides. IL for CS. UC Bolder and U of Utah for merit + outdoorsy. Florida bcs there's some grandparent thing?

UVA really far far down on list of OOS public schools here these days. So much so I just inquired with friends about it and nobody had any interest.

I live in NY too and I somewhat agree.