Would you take Tufts, Emory, Wash U over UVA?

[Anonymous]

Pretty sure the poster who keeps writing about how the “poor and rich don’t mix in college” learned all he knows about college from bad eighties movies. My kids (I currently have four in college) and our friends’ kids all have college friends striped across the economic spectrum, no more or less so in public or private schools. Truly not an issue.

[Anonymous]

Personally, I would jump at the chance to be full pay at Emory, etc, over in-state UVA and have the opportunity to subsidize the education of someone else's kid.

[Anonymous]

I like the fact that Tufts (6K), WashU (7K) and Emory (8K) have smaller undergrad numbers. Not too small, not too large, lends to more personal attention in general.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like the fact that Tufts (6K), WashU (7K) and Emory (8K) have smaller undergrad numbers. Not too small, not too large, lends to more personal attention in general.

A few years ago, I would've said UVA hands down for in-state. Now, after going through the process with our oldest, it's more complicated than that.

These schools are so different with a closer look.:

-specific program strengths

-direct entry programs or apply during sophomore year? (business, nursing, engineering schools for example)

-number of undergrad population (this is important when it comes to access to undergrad research opportunities for example)

-location (urban settings versus college town like Cville)

When you're choosing a school, cost is a just one factor. Make sure your list includes academic and financial safeties too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like the fact that Tufts (6K), WashU (7K) and Emory (8K) have smaller undergrad numbers. Not too small, not too large, lends to more personal attention in general.

That's part of why the fact that the in-state public options for OP are so much more compelling. They are two highly ranked, fairly small public schools: College of William & Mary only has 6k undergrad (and only a handful of grad programs) and even UVA is quite small for a "flagship") with an undergrad population of just under 12K. It's not like University of Wisconsin Madison with its 32K undergrads or University of Michigan with nearly 30k.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Personally, I would jump at the chance to be full pay at Emory, etc, over in-state UVA and have the opportunity to subsidize the education of someone else's kid.[/quote]


LOL! My SLAC is approaching $80K a year and wasn't worth it when I was paying in the four digits decades ago. Both of our children went in-state Virginia. If we lived in California, they would go to UC schools if fortunate enough to get in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pretty sure the poster who keeps writing about how the “poor and rich don’t mix in college” learned all he knows about college from bad eighties movies. My kids (I currently have four in college) and our friends’ kids all have college friends striped across the economic spectrum, no more or less so in public or private schools. Truly not an issue.

Haha....that's exactly what I thought as well. He's likely the same poster that wants his daughter to spend her college years finding an acceptable husband.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the fact that Tufts (6K), WashU (7K) and Emory (8K) have smaller undergrad numbers. Not too small, not too large, lends to more personal attention in general.

That's part of why the fact that the in-state public options for OP are so much more compelling. They are two highly ranked, fairly small public schools: College of William & Mary only has 6k undergrad (and only a handful of grad programs) and even UVA is quite small for a "flagship") with an undergrad population of just under 12K. It's not like University of Wisconsin Madison with its 32K undergrads or University of Michigan with nearly 30k.

NP: UVA is great, but “small” it is not. Come on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the fact that Tufts (6K), WashU (7K) and Emory (8K) have smaller undergrad numbers. Not too small, not too large, lends to more personal attention in general.

That's part of why the fact that the in-state public options for OP are so much more compelling. They are two highly ranked, fairly small public schools: College of William & Mary only has 6k undergrad (and only a handful of grad programs) and even UVA is quite small for a "flagship") with an undergrad population of just under 12K. It's not like University of Wisconsin Madison with its 32K undergrads or University of Michigan with nearly 30k.

NP: UVA is great, but “small” it is not. Come on.

A 12k undergraduate student population makes UVA one of the smaller flagship state schools, especially among the higher ranked. I didn't say it was a small college, but quite small for a flagship. As I noted other high ranked public state flagship schools can have 30k+ undergrads:

Just randomly selecting a few,
U of Maryland --college park--30k
U of Michigan: 29k
U of Wisconsin Madison- 32k
U of Texas Austin 40k
U of Illinois--34k
U of Iowa --24k
UC-Berkeley -- 30k
UCLA 31k
U of Washington - 30k

at the Mid range: UNC chapel hill - 18k
U of Oregon--20k

University of Vermont's undergrad population is about the same as UVAs and is also considered a smaller flagship, though not quite as highly ranked. I don't know of any other highly ranked public flagship that is as small as UVA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the fact that Tufts (6K), WashU (7K) and Emory (8K) have smaller undergrad numbers. Not too small, not too large, lends to more personal attention in general.

That's part of why the fact that the in-state public options for OP are so much more compelling. They are two highly ranked, fairly small public schools: College of William & Mary only has 6k undergrad (and only a handful of grad programs) and even UVA is quite small for a "flagship") with an undergrad population of just under 12K. It's not like University of Wisconsin Madison with its 32K undergrads or University of Michigan with nearly 30k.

The thing is, having that many undergrads are one thing, but at the flagships like the ones you mention, it's not like the kids in the Engineering or Nursing school mix much with kids in Arts & Science or Agriculture. I mean, they can, but when you boil it down to how you are actually going to classes with etc, a school with 30k students is more like 5k and then, poof, it is pretty manageable. But to each their own, all of the schools being discussed are terrific, but they all offer very different undergrad experiences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Personally, I would jump at the chance to be full pay at Emory, etc, over in-state UVA and have the opportunity to subsidize the education of someone else's kid.[/quote]


LOL! My SLAC is approaching $80K a year and wasn't worth it when I was paying in the four digits decades ago. Both of our children went in-state Virginia. If we lived in California, they would go to UC schools if fortunate enough to get in.

I went to one of the top SLACs. At the last reunion, I was talking to a classmate who is now a tenured liberal arts prof at UVA. I asked if he thought the SLAC was worth the extra $$$ over UVA in-state. Answer was a clear no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the fact that Tufts (6K), WashU (7K) and Emory (8K) have smaller undergrad numbers. Not too small, not too large, lends to more personal attention in general.

That's part of why the fact that the in-state public options for OP are so much more compelling. They are two highly ranked, fairly small public schools: College of William & Mary only has 6k undergrad (and only a handful of grad programs) and even UVA is quite small for a "flagship") with an undergrad population of just under 12K. It's not like University of Wisconsin Madison with its 32K undergrads or University of Michigan with nearly 30k.

The thing is, having that many undergrads are one thing, but at the flagships like the ones you mention, it's not like the kids in the Engineering or Nursing school mix much with kids in Arts & Science or Agriculture. I mean, they can, but when you boil it down to how you are actually going to classes with etc, a school with 30k students is more like 5k and then, poof, it is pretty manageable. But to each their own, all of the schools being discussed are terrific, but they all offer very different undergrad experiences.

But the school with 6k students ALSO has departments, so the 6k students also get divided much smaller and can really get personalized faculty attention. And a group of 6k student can also feel like a manageable whole. But yes, to each their own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Personally, I would jump at the chance to be full pay at Emory, etc, over in-state UVA and have the opportunity to subsidize the education of someone else's kid.[/quote]


LOL! My SLAC is approaching $80K a year and wasn't worth it when I was paying in the four digits decades ago. Both of our children went in-state Virginia. If we lived in California, they would go to UC schools if fortunate enough to get in.

I went to one of the top SLACs. At the last reunion, I was talking to a classmate who is now a tenured liberal arts prof at UVA. I asked if he thought the SLAC was worth the extra $$$ over UVA in-state. Answer was a clear no.

Well then that’s settled.

[Anonymous]

Um...UVA has 17,000 undergrads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Um...UVA has 17,000 undergrads.

Actually currently 16k residential undergrads I think.