UVA vs Cornell, Georgetown, etc. for in-state

[Anonymous]

My kids are only freshman but have been debating with several people. If your kids get into UVA with in state tuition, do you go there versus a Top 15ish private, e.g., Northwestern, Cornell, Georgetown, etc.

It seems like it boils down to if you get Harvard, Yale, or Princeton, you go there over UVA. If you get lower tier ivies such as Penn, Cornell, you go to UVA because of cost difference. My view is any ivy over UVA. But I would not spend money on a Boston University, George Washington (I went there), NYU, etc. over UVA.

Thoughts? What ivies would you go to over UVA? Just HYP? Georgetown and Northwestern?

I will have three kids in college at same time (for two years) so tuition is a factor.

[Anonymous]

Depends on the kid and major.

Generally, I'd like my kids to be exposed to a more diverse student body and a different part of the country so I'd push to go further from home. But if UVA was a good fit and the kid really wanted it I wouldn't oppose it.

[Anonymous]

Sorry OP here. Additional factor is they want to go to grad school so UVA Law also a good option and I hear they take UVA grads. Do you save the money for grad school in case they get into a top grad school out of state?

[Anonymous]

We are saving aggressively with target amounts to cover most of the cost of private college for our kids. If grad school is in the picture too we will do our best to help but loans might be required.

We were both STEM nerds and it was fairly easy to find grants for grad school back in the day. It was also fairly easy to stay at the same school for grad school. Not sure how that works these days. Also not sure about the admissions process for law school.

[Anonymous]

Absent special factors (athletics, scholarships, location, etc.) there are very few schools I would choose over UVa in-state, such as HPYS and MIT/CalTech. But UVa vs Georgetown / Northwestern / UPenn / Cornell? No.

[Anonymous]

The price depends on what you can afford and what financial aid you would get, so it is impossible to make generalizations. The value to your child depends on your child's needs and wants, which again are very specific.

For my children, out of state at a comparably-ranked school would be a better choice than UVA. None of them would fit in a large state school environment and all of them (like PP said) have seen enough of Virginia and are ready to experience what else is out there. So we would, and are able to, pay for Northwestern, Georgetown, or comparable over UVA.

I wouldn't be thrilled about GW over UVA because I think UVA is a better school in most aspects. If my kid were qualified to get into UVA (which is very competitive), he should go somewhere better than/farther away than GW.

[Anonymous]

The second post could have ended the thread. It's far too early to know what your kid wants to study or what they want in a college. Relax.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry OP here. Additional factor is they want to go to grad school so UVA Law also a good option and I hear they take UVA grads. Do you save the money for grad school in case they get into a top grad school out of state?

Don't top tier law schools take the best students? I don't think they are beholden to the undergraduate divisions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Absent special factors (athletics, scholarships, location, etc.) there are very few schools I would choose over UVa in-state, such as HPYS and MIT/CalTech. But UVa vs Georgetown / Northwestern / UPenn / Cornell? No.

Unless the kid want to major physics. No in state school in Virginia is great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids are only freshman but have been debating with several people. If your kids get into UVA with in state tuition, do you go there versus a Top 15ish private, e.g., Northwestern, Cornell, Georgetown, etc.

It seems like it boils down to if you get Harvard, Yale, or Princeton, you go there over UVA. If you get lower tier ivies such as Penn, Cornell, you go to UVA because of cost difference. My view is any ivy over UVA. But I would not spend money on a Boston University, George Washington (I went there), NYU, etc. over UVA.

Thoughts? What ivies would you go to over UVA? Just HYP? Georgetown and Northwestern?

I will have three kids in college at same time (for two years) so tuition is a factor.

georgetown is not a top 15 private...not in the slightest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But UVa vs Georgetown / Northwestern / UPenn / Cornell? No.

lmao. only people whose kids can't get into or afford these colleges ever say crap like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry OP here. Additional factor is they want to go to grad school so UVA Law also a good option and I hear they take UVA grads. Do you save the money for grad school in case they get into a top grad school out of state?

Don't top tier law schools take the best students? I don't think they are beholden to the undergraduate divisions.

So I am OP and a lawyer. Generally, they (like private schools in high schools and colleges) want the best academic students. The difference is that extracurricular activities compensate much less for law school. I believe UVA Law likes UVA undergrads meaning that they consider it a strong academic school and respect grades out of there. I went to GW but did not apply to GW Law because I didn't want to be in the same place for 7 years. That being said, the rumor was it was "harder" to get into the law school there from its own Undergrad because they wanted ivy kids or they wanted diverse undergrads. Trying to figure out how other law schools would view their own undergrad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Absent special factors (athletics, scholarships, location, etc.) there are very few schools I would choose over UVa in-state, such as HPYS and MIT/CalTech. But UVa vs Georgetown / Northwestern / UPenn / Cornell? No.

Unless the kid want to major physics. No in state school in Virginia is great.

What are the best schools for undergrad physics (outside of MIT or Stanford)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids are only freshman but have been debating with several people. If your kids get into UVA with in state tuition, do you go there versus a Top 15ish private, e.g., Northwestern, Cornell, Georgetown, etc.

It seems like it boils down to if you get Harvard, Yale, or Princeton, you go there over UVA. If you get lower tier ivies such as Penn, Cornell, you go to UVA because of cost difference. My view is any ivy over UVA. But I would not spend money on a Boston University, George Washington (I went there), NYU, etc. over UVA.

Thoughts? What ivies would you go to over UVA? Just HYP? Georgetown and Northwestern?

I will have three kids in college at same time (for two years) so tuition is a factor.

georgetown is not a top 15 private...not in the slightest.

US News had it at 20 but I did say 15ish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Absent special factors (athletics, scholarships, location, etc.) there are very few schools I would choose over UVa in-state, such as HPYS and MIT/CalTech. But UVa vs Georgetown / Northwestern / UPenn / Cornell? No.

Unless the kid want to major physics. No in state school in Virginia is great.

What are the best schools for undergrad physics (outside of MIT or Stanford)?

Rice