UVA in-state v. Davidson v. Washington and Lee

[Anonymous]

OP - very happy to hear it worked out and your kid is thriving.

I think the ads call that "priceless".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - It really depends on what it means to your family to spend this money.

My VA kid was absolutely opposed to going to UVA. It was a bad fit for him, and it attracts a kind of kid who he doesn't much care for. He went to an OOS flagship that is a much better fit (but we don't have the $$ for full fees private).

Those are two very good private colleges and they do offer something UVA does not, so it really comes down to opportunity cost:

a) borrowing!!!! scary.
b) no funds to help with grand school?
c) will be living lean for 4 years, which might affect internships and other opportunities
d) other children....

we can't answer that.

So very curious as to the kind of kids your VA kid doesn't care for?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - It really depends on what it means to your family to spend this money.

My VA kid was absolutely opposed to going to UVA. It was a bad fit for him, and it attracts a kind of kid who he doesn't much care for. He went to an OOS flagship that is a much better fit (but we don't have the $$ for full fees private).

Those are two very good private colleges and they do offer something UVA does not, so it really comes down to opportunity cost:

a) borrowing!!!! scary.
b) no funds to help with grand school?
c) will be living lean for 4 years, which might affect internships and other opportunities
d) other children....

we can't answer that.

So very curious as to the kind of kids your VA kid doesn't care for?

There's nothing wrong with VA kids but just wrong for my kid. UVA is a fairly conservative school that attracts kids, in-state and out who want to join frats and have that joe-college kind of experience. Nothing wrong with them, just wrong for him. (And please don't argue that there are all kinds of kids there because there's no point in working hard to pick a college if none of them have anything special about the product they offer. This is just one that is not for him.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - It really depends on what it means to your family to spend this money.

My VA kid was absolutely opposed to going to UVA. It was a bad fit for him, and it attracts a kind of kid who he doesn't much care for. He went to an OOS flagship that is a much better fit (but we don't have the $$ for full fees private).

Those are two very good private colleges and they do offer something UVA does not, so it really comes down to opportunity cost:

a) borrowing!!!! scary.
b) no funds to help with grand school?
c) will be living lean for 4 years, which might affect internships and other opportunities
d) other children....

we can't answer that.

So very curious as to the kind of kids your VA kid doesn't care for?

There's nothing wrong with VA kids but just wrong for my kid. UVA is a fairly conservative school that attracts kids, in-state and out who want to join frats and have that joe-college kind of experience. Nothing wrong with them, just wrong for him. (And please don't argue that there are all kinds of kids there because there's no point in working hard to pick a college if none of them have anything special about the product they offer. This is just one that is not for him.)

Good luck to your kid, truly. But you can’t make a sweeping generalization about 30K students being into fraternities. And UVA conservative? LOL!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am the OP who first started this thread back in Feb of 2018. Sorry. . .

My S is in the second semester of his freshman year at Davidson and loves it. Small classes, close faculty interaction, good friends, and an overall very supportive school environment.

Yes, my wallet would prefer UVA, but he is very happy. And he has found the Pre-med advising services to be quite helpful (even for freshmen).

Onward and upward.

Well done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am the OP who first started this thread back in Feb of 2018. Sorry. . .

My S is in the second semester of his freshman year at Davidson and loves it. Small classes, close faculty interaction, good friends, and an overall very supportive school environment.

Yes, my wallet would prefer UVA, but he is very happy. And he has found the Pre-med advising services to be quite helpful (even for freshmen).

Onward and upward.

Well done.

Although more expensive than UVA in-state, Davidson is a quality school (W&L is as well). As long as you can afford and your kid is happy and thriving, it looks like it worked out for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - It really depends on what it means to your family to spend this money.

My VA kid was absolutely opposed to going to UVA. It was a bad fit for him, and it attracts a kind of kid who he doesn't much care for. He went to an OOS flagship that is a much better fit (but we don't have the $$ for full fees private).

Those are two very good private colleges and they do offer something UVA does not, so it really comes down to opportunity cost:

a) borrowing!!!! scary.
b) no funds to help with grand school?
c) will be living lean for 4 years, which might affect internships and other opportunities
d) other children....

we can't answer that.

So very curious as to the kind of kids your VA kid doesn't care for?

There's nothing wrong with VA kids but just wrong for my kid. UVA is a fairly conservative school that attracts kids, in-state and out who want to join frats and have that joe-college kind of experience. Nothing wrong with them, just wrong for him. (And please don't argue that there are all kinds of kids there because there's no point in working hard to pick a college if none of them have anything special about the product they offer. This is just one that is not for him.)

Good luck to your kid, truly. But you can’t make a sweeping generalization about 30K students being into fraternities. And UVA conservative? LOL!

And only 25% of the UVA campus participates in anything Greek. My DD is very anti-greek and has never stepped inside one of the houses (which are off campus on a street). She's had a wonderful time and worked hard and is now doing an accelerated Master's all without ever having to deal with obnoxious moms who making sweeping generalizations about 30,000 students. She doesn't have any friends in the Greek system She's in four of the many clubs on campus. She's done an international abroad program. Never had to date anyone preppy and all-right. Amazing!

[Anonymous]

UVA isn't even close to 30,000 students. It's just over half of that.

[Anonymous]

Folks, it is really ok for a kid not to want to go to UVA.

If you truly think your school is one-of-a-kind, it has to be because of things about that school that matter to you that make it different from everywhere else. That's a good thing.

Give it a rest. You sound like you joined a cult.

[Anonymous]

Looking at next year's COA, it's getting incredibly expensive for in state students especially in Eng and Biz. What is going on? I know that they derive very little of their operating funds from the GA but there have to be other factors at play.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UVA isn't even close to 30,000 students. It's just over half of that.

25k students including grad students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - It really depends on what it means to your family to spend this money.

My VA kid was absolutely opposed to going to UVA. It was a bad fit for him, and it attracts a kind of kid who he doesn't much care for. He went to an OOS flagship that is a much better fit (but we don't have the $$ for full fees private).

Those are two very good private colleges and they do offer something UVA does not, so it really comes down to opportunity cost:

a) borrowing!!!! scary.
b) no funds to help with grand school?
c) will be living lean for 4 years, which might affect internships and other opportunities
d) other children....

we can't answer that.

So very curious as to the kind of kids your VA kid doesn't care for?

There's nothing wrong with VA kids but just wrong for my kid. UVA is a fairly conservative school that attracts kids, in-state and out who want to join frats and have that joe-college kind of experience. Nothing wrong with them, just wrong for him. (And please don't argue that there are all kinds of kids there because there's no point in working hard to pick a college if none of them have anything special about the product they offer. This is just one that is not for him.)

Good luck to your kid, truly. But you can’t make a sweeping generalization about 30K students being into fraternities. And UVA conservative? LOL!

Over 60% consider themselves moderate, conservative, or very conservative. Only 35% consider themselves democrats. For college kids, that is glaringly conservative

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - It really depends on what it means to your family to spend this money.

My VA kid was absolutely opposed to going to UVA. It was a bad fit for him, and it attracts a kind of kid who he doesn't much care for. He went to an OOS flagship that is a much better fit (but we don't have the $$ for full fees private).

Those are two very good private colleges and they do offer something UVA does not, so it really comes down to opportunity cost:

a) borrowing!!!! scary.
b) no funds to help with grand school?
c) will be living lean for 4 years, which might affect internships and other opportunities
d) other children....

we can't answer that.

So very curious as to the kind of kids your VA kid doesn't care for?

There's nothing wrong with VA kids but just wrong for my kid. UVA is a fairly conservative school that attracts kids, in-state and out who want to join frats and have that joe-college kind of experience. Nothing wrong with them, just wrong for him. (And please don't argue that there are all kinds of kids there because there's no point in working hard to pick a college if none of them have anything special about the product they offer. This is just one that is not for him.)

Good luck to your kid, truly. But you can’t make a sweeping generalization about 30K students being into fraternities. And UVA conservative? LOL!

Over 60% consider themselves moderate, conservative, or very conservative. Only 35% consider themselves democrats. For college kids, that is glaringly conservative

Source? “Moderate” does not equal “conservative”.

Signed,
Moderate voter

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Source? “Moderate” does not equal “conservative”.

Signed,
Moderate voter

True. I've never seen moderates grouped with just conservatives.

Anyway, a lot of college students evolve on issues during college and the years after. I tended to vote a certain way from 18-26 and voted a very different way after that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - It really depends on what it means to your family to spend this money.

My VA kid was absolutely opposed to going to UVA. It was a bad fit for him, and it attracts a kind of kid who he doesn't much care for. He went to an OOS flagship that is a much better fit (but we don't have the $$ for full fees private).

Those are two very good private colleges and they do offer something UVA does not, so it really comes down to opportunity cost:

a) borrowing!!!! scary.
b) no funds to help with grand school?
c) will be living lean for 4 years, which might affect internships and other opportunities
d) other children....

we can't answer that.

So very curious as to the kind of kids your VA kid doesn't care for?

There's nothing wrong with VA kids but just wrong for my kid. UVA is a fairly conservative school that attracts kids, in-state and out who want to join frats and have that joe-college kind of experience. Nothing wrong with them, just wrong for him. (And please don't argue that there are all kinds of kids there because there's no point in working hard to pick a college if none of them have anything special about the product they offer. This is just one that is not for him.)

Good luck to your kid, truly. But you can’t make a sweeping generalization about 30K students being into fraternities. And UVA conservative? LOL!

Over 60% consider themselves moderate, conservative, or very conservative. Only 35% consider themselves democrats. For college kids, that is glaringly conservative

Source? Typically when you have a large state university, it reflects the state. Virginia's schools are fairly middle of the road as colleges go, but colleges in general are left of center compared to the overall population. There is an online ranking based on political affiliation of students and here is where Virginia colleges came in for "most Liberal" out of 504 schools:

62 VCU
220 JMU
245 W&M
280 VT
286 UVA
320 MWU
343 GMU
407 ODU
435 CNU
463 VMI