How to pick between UVA and W&M
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Anonymous
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OP, this really is a YMMV situation.
As you describe your DC, W&M would be a better choice (SLAC discussion aside). We faced this same choice for our DC this year. We felt W&M was good academically but didn't fit well with DC. DC really did not like the vibe of the place, but liked UVA and will go there. Until we saw the schools in person (we did overnights) we couldn't appreciate the differences. Good luck to you. You and your DC will make the right choice. |
Anonymous
DP here. No, you and yours do this often. You have a mental illness. |
Anonymous
| Keep an open mind and visit with W&M physics faculty. For the size school, they have a good number of physics professors nicely distributed across various specialties. There’s also a good number of undergraduate students majoring in physics and a healthy GRADUATE department and post-docs. There are great opportunities for research and even an opportunity to complete an honors thesis. You should definitely ask where kids are headed for graduate school. |
Anonymous
I think some of it's that it's harder than expected, I think some of it is that kids just find other things more interesting/physics less interesting at the level that is required. No HS class (even an advanced HS class) is going to give you exposure to what it's like to really major in physics and become a physics grad student. |
Anonymous
This. If your DC was interested in a less challenging liberal arts major, either school would be just fine. But I'm assuming that by choosing physics (a very challenging major), your DS is serious about STEM and may be contemplating grad school in physics. In that case, your DC should choose the school that offers the strongest physics program with research opportunities in his areas of interest. My DD's bf is an undergrad physics major at UVA and has had a number of teaching and research positions as an undergrad both during the school year and summer break. He feels very challenged by the program and seems to like it (although he did say there are a few bad profs). Here is info about the UVA physics program. It appears that they graduate about 50 physics undergrads a year, so that should give you a sense of the size of the department. You can compare it to the size of the WM one. https://www.phys.virginia.edu/Education/Programs/MajorBrochure/default.pdf Regarding Greek life and emphasis on sports, it is possible to complete avoid both of these things--as my DD has--and still have a great experience. DD has zero interest in either and most of her friends are not in Greek life. She is very happy there and has an eclectic and solid set of friends. There are all kinds of kids at UVA and most find their people. |
Anonymous
My physics major son is having amazing research opportunities at W&M. Their grad school placements are also strong. I don’t have experience with UVA |
Anonymous
| I’m definitely in the camp of not going off rank but going off the vibe. Take your child there and feel the difference. It’s going to be different. Which one does he see himself fitting in better and having 4 years at? |
Anonymous
My DS is thriving at W&M, but he is not a physics major. He has a couple of close friends at UVA, and those friendships are thriving, too. I agree with your son; whatever's best for his long-term career goals. He will do fine with either choice. Great problem to have! |
Anonymous
It's totally fair to vet backup departments/majors too. Go and talk to students and faculty about opportunities to do research, co-ops or otherwise get practical experiences. Kick the tires. You're going to spend 6-figures and 4 years at this school. Don't just go off of reputation, random input from a website or rules of thumb, much of which is decades out of date. |
Anonymous
| If he really likes W&M more, go W&M. Fit is important. Rankings aren’t everything. |
Anonymous
This. WM is making big investments in CS and related subjects. And as a hiring manager, my experience is that CS students at W&M or UVa have visibly better written/verbal communications skills than at some other “higher ranked” CS schools, while their CS technical capabilities are more than sufficient. Those communications skills - combined with more than adequate tech skills - translate into better upwards mobility in my workplace and many other workplaces. I find the USNWR or other rankings do not correlate well with actual job skills - job success is much more about the student’s diligence, their total package of CS skills, and which specific CS electives they took. |
Anonymous
| My daughter wanted to combine art with CS and unfortunately there were no digital arts classes of any kind available. She wanted to make it work - but there wasn't anything. |
Anonymous
No. |
Anonymous
only if you're into that kind of thing |
Anonymous
+1. People need to investigate the factors used in rankings to see if they are relevant to them, not blindly follow them. Both are good schools, OP. Don’t think you can go wrong here. Good luck! |