Why is UVA rated as high as it is?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Let's set the record straight. UVA is a perfectly fine state school, but at the end of the day, it's a state school like any other. Nobody outside of the mid-Atlantic thinks of UVA as being particularly interesting or prestigious. Locals always think their own backyard is well-known to outsiders, it's a common bias.

And yes, there is more to life than STEM. I'm a research scientist, and even I know this

well at the risk of devolving into a UVA fight as usual, all state schools are NOT created equal and people know that. I don't know who you all talk to, but UVA, UNC, Michigan, UCLA etc all are considered to be a step above other state universities. That's just a fact. I'm in the executive recruiting business and I talk to hiring managers all over the country sand they know what the top state schools are and what they aren't.

I'm not sure what you mean by "executive recruiting business", but to say UVA, UNC etc. are looked more highly than schools like UIUC, University of Washington, Texas, Minnesota, etc. in the business world for executive recruitment i.e. Fortune 500 is incorrect.

Whats true though is that Michigan and UVa have significant alumni bases in NYC metro area because wealthy students use them as "good enough state schools" for back-up to the Ivies.
Because NYC is the hub of finance, high-end consulting and media - all prestige-obsessed industries - this generally helps graduates from Michigan and UVA through recruiting, networking, etc. UNC, despite being a far stronger STEM and research school than UVA, does not gain the same benefits.

You will be hard-pressed to find anyone that thinks UVA is a "step above" University of Washington, UT-Austin, etc. in Silicon Valley though. Most will either have never heard of the school, think it's just another Southern flagship like UGA (weak in research, academic rigor and STEM, focused on antebellum-type college societies), or consider it a weaker school than the likes of University of Washington & UT-Austin.

In terms of prestige with the top privates like Harvard, MIT, etc., Berkeley is the only school that stands out in that regard internationally.

Berkeley stands out in research, graduate programs . . .and undergraduate alumni who are less happy with their experience compared to many other schools.

[Anonymous]

oh and to say that UVA does not have the cache of UNC is flat out wrong. Everyone who knows anything knows that UNC Chapel Hill has a very high proportion of NC residents (80% by state law) which means that the overall class is typically a little lower level from a stats standpoint. If you're from NC, going to Chapel Hill is not seen as quite as good as being in state VA and going to UVA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:oh and to say that UVA does not have the cache of UNC is flat out wrong. Everyone who knows anything knows that UNC Chapel Hill has a very high proportion of NC residents (80% by state law) which means that the overall class is typically a little lower level from a stats standpoint. If you're from NC, going to Chapel Hill is not seen as quite as good as being in state VA and going to UVA.

I don't think anyone has argued that UNC has more cachet than UVA, just the opposite.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:oh and to say that UVA does not have the cache of UNC is flat out wrong. Everyone who knows anything knows that UNC Chapel Hill has a very high proportion of NC residents (80% by state law) which means that the overall class is typically a little lower level from a stats standpoint. If you're from NC, going to Chapel Hill is not seen as quite as good as being in state VA and going to UVA.

I don't think anyone has argued that UNC has more cachet than UVA, just the opposite.

copied from earlier PP at 11:24 I think.
"It doesn't have the cachet of Michigan or UNC or Georgia Tech, let alone Berkeley or UCLA. The vast majority of Americans wouldn't be able to tell you whether UVA or UFlorida was better (and before you balk, UFlorida is a fine school in its own right)."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I swear there are more uva haters on this forum then boosters. uva is the most prestigious public on the east coast along with unc.

+1. UVA is ranked no. 4 for public universities in America. https://news.virginia.edu/content/us-news-ranks-uva-no-4-best-public-university-country#:~:text=In%20this%20category%2C%20UVA%20is,going%20from%2072%20to%2079.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:oh and to say that UVA does not have the cache of UNC is flat out wrong. Everyone who knows anything knows that UNC Chapel Hill has a very high proportion of NC residents (80% by state law) which means that the overall class is typically a little lower level from a stats standpoint. If you're from NC, going to Chapel Hill is not seen as quite as good as being in state VA and going to UVA.

Having lived there, I don't think that is true. On the other hand, I don't think there is the equivalent to the DCUM bubble in NC.

[Anonymous]

I lived in Chapel Hill for a long time. UVA was quietly viewed as the better school. UNC-CH is very good too, but UVA has more cache nationally as an academic institution. Charlottesville has a more elite history with Thomas Jefferson, etc.

Now if you're talking about storied basketball teams over decades that have generated NBA players such MIchael Jordan, then UNC wins hands down. There still is no town I'd rather be in during the NCAA tournament than Chapel Hill. It is magical to experience the excitement when the team is on fire.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I lived in Chapel Hill for a long time. UVA was quietly viewed as the better school. UNC-CH is very good too, but UVA has more cache nationally as an academic institution. Charlottesville has a more elite history with Thomas Jefferson, etc.

Now if you're talking about storied basketball teams over decades that have generated NBA players such MIchael Jordan, then UNC wins hands down. There still is no town I'd rather be in during the NCAA tournament than Chapel Hill. It is magical to experience the excitement when the team is on fire.

Kyle guy>Jordan

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I lived in Chapel Hill for a long time. UVA was quietly viewed as the better school. UNC-CH is very good too, but UVA has more cache nationally as an academic institution. Charlottesville has a more elite history with Thomas Jefferson, etc.

Now if you're talking about storied basketball teams over decades that have generated NBA players such MIchael Jordan, then UNC wins hands down. There still is no town I'd rather be in during the NCAA tournament than Chapel Hill. It is magical to experience the excitement when the team is on fire.

\

So quietly that no one ever said it.

Cache - a collection of items of the same type stored in a hidden or inaccessible place.
Cachet - the state of being respected or admired; prestige.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I lived in Chapel Hill for a long time. UVA was quietly viewed as the better school. UNC-CH is very good too, but UVA has more cache nationally as an academic institution. Charlottesville has a more elite history with Thomas Jefferson, etc.

Now if you're talking about storied basketball teams over decades that have generated NBA players such MIchael Jordan, then UNC wins hands down. There still is no town I'd rather be in during the NCAA tournament than Chapel Hill. It is magical to experience the excitement when the team is on fire.

\

So quietly that no one ever said it.

Cache - a collection of items of the same type stored in a hidden or inaccessible place.
Cachet - the state of being respected or admired; prestige.

Hahaha you took the words right out of my mouth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The thing that is so annoying about these posts is that no one (NO ONE) is saying that UVA is an "elite" or "prestigious" college compared to Ivy league etc. All we are every trying to argue is that is it a stop state school. It is. and therefore, it's a great option for instate and a solid option for those out of state who want a mid size school with great sports and academics in a temperate climate.

I am the executive recruiter and I'm talking about executives, not new hires. By the time you are a CEO, no one cares where you went to undergrad but some names do stand out as a good "pedigree".

I have literally seen multiple posters claim aggressively and quite meanly that UVA was a better choice than top privates. The delusion knows no bounds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I swear there are more uva haters on this forum then boosters. uva is the most prestigious public on the east coast along with unc.

Well, and Georgia Institute of Technology, which rivals the likes of MIT and Stanford in engineering, is in the east coast.

For publics, Berkeley dominates in the west coast, Michigan dominates in the Midwest, UT-Austin dominates Southwest.

I don't think one can say that UVA dominates in the east coast or even the Southeast, its a toss-up between UNC, UVA and Georgia Tech based on what one values.

[Anonymous]

^For engineering its' definitely Georgia Tech, for natural sciences its definitely UNC.

I know for humanities & business UVA is strong, but is it stronger than, let alone dominates over, UNC? Definitely not in undergraduate business, but not sure in humanities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I swear there are more uva haters on this forum then boosters. uva is the most prestigious public on the east coast along with unc.

Well, and Georgia Institute of Technology, which rivals the likes of MIT and Stanford in engineering, is in the east coast.

For publics, Berkeley dominates in the west coast, Michigan dominates in the Midwest, UT-Austin dominates Southwest.

I don't think one can say that UVA dominates in the east coast or even the Southeast, its a toss-up between UNC, UVA and Georgia Tech based on what one values.

Precisely. And the thing is, Berkeley has carved out a name in the national consciousness due to its research prowess and graduate programs. The other you've named have done the same but through big-time sports. UVA, meanwhile, merely conjures vague associations with racism and neo-Nazis and maybe if you're well-read, Thomas Jefferson.

[Anonymous]

It's a fantastic school and people often choose to "hate it" because they couldn't get in and/or now find that their children aren't getting in...

--https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/top-public