Is the preference for UVA over UMich a DC area thing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

If you are an international student thinking about going to America, do you go to the college started by one of the founding fathers of USA, or some place near Detroit?

Probably go to the university routinely ranked among the 20 best universities in the world as opposed to one that doesn't even make it into the top 100.

[Anonymous]

We are in VA and child is interested in UVA and UMich. If she chooses UVA, we’d be able to purchase her a car as well. But it is really difficult to get in to UVA from VA.

[Anonymous]

The smugness in this thread.

Good lord.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:in state tuition is the reason. I have never lived anywhere where the state flagship hasn't been over hyped

Bingo!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UVA has students from almost all 50 states and many countries. It received 41,000 applications last year and most of them were not from VA.

UVA has always ranked higher than UMich until the latest change of US News on Pell grant percentage. It will outrank Mich again next year. It is smaller in size, has a liberal arts feel, better weather, historical campus, and higher endowment per student.

Sure Jan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a personal opinion and I'd argue Gothic > Southern neoclassical

Agree. I’ve always loved old gothic university buildings. When I imagine a beautiful university campus in my head, it’s what I’ve always pictured.

[Anonymous]

UVa is undoubtedly a great school, but as a Midwesterner there's a strong preference among friends and family for UMich. Lots of kids from here go to UMich, and very few consider UVa. If a kid wants a great state school, UMich is a great school that's fun to attend. UVa isn't really on the radar, or if it is, people think that it's full of people from DC and New York (and people from DC and New York aren't very nice. And Ann Arbor is a great town.

[Anonymous]

This is a DCUM cage match compliments of USNWR and rampant insecurity. Most in-state kids don't look at expensive OOS schools, which is what UVA would be for a Michigander and what Michigan would be for a Virginian. OOS kids may consider both, and Parchment (I know people diss it but it supposedly is based on real data from high schools), says 54% of cross-admits choose Michigan and 46% UVA, but that result is not significant at the 95% confidence level, so they are pretty evenly split.

But this is all silly. As someone succinctly said earlier, go somewhere you are 1) admitted, 2) can afford, and 3) like. The last point I would add to that is 4) don't look back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UMich > UVA in national reputation, but the culture is different. If kids are looking for a more traditional, Southern vibe, they’d prefer UVA. Better campus too. I’d far prefer Michigan.

"better campus" is very subjective. I've visited both campuses and strongly prefer Michigan's (I have a bias toward really large campuses that I can explore and never get bored of )

Agreed. Both are nice, but I'll admit to a preference for Michigan's architecture over UVA's.

Why did you use the law school quad for Michigan? Seems pretty desperate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a DCUM cage match compliments of USNWR and rampant insecurity. Most in-state kids don't look at expensive OOS schools, which is what UVA would be for a Michigander and what Michigan would be for a Virginian. OOS kids may consider both, and Parchment (I know people diss it but it supposedly is based on real data from high schools), says 54% of cross-admits choose Michigan and 46% UVA, but that result is not significant at the 95% confidence level, so they are pretty evenly split.

But this is all silly. As someone succinctly said earlier, go somewhere you are 1) admitted, 2) can afford, and 3) like. The last point I would add to that is 4) don't look back.

Parchment is literally worthless. 1) Very few kids actually go fill that site out AFTER they get admitted and decide and 2) Even those that do, it is 100% unverifiable. It is totally worthless "data".

[Anonymous]

Ann Arbor is snowy, cold, grey and miserable most of the year. Just a fact. Towns that win those best places to live are paid for. It's all a racket.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a DCUM cage match compliments of USNWR and rampant insecurity. Most in-state kids don't look at expensive OOS schools, which is what UVA would be for a Michigander and what Michigan would be for a Virginian. OOS kids may consider both, and Parchment (I know people diss it but it supposedly is based on real data from high schools), says 54% of cross-admits choose Michigan and 46% UVA, but that result is not significant at the 95% confidence level, so they are pretty evenly split.

But this is all silly. As someone succinctly said earlier, go somewhere you are 1) admitted, 2) can afford, and 3) like. The last point I would add to that is 4) don't look back.

Parchment is literally worthless. 1) Very few kids actually go fill that site out AFTER they get admitted and decide and 2) Even those that do, it is 100% unverifiable. It is totally worthless "data".

Parchment gets its data from participating high schools. The results sure don't seem random.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UMich > UVA in national reputation, but the culture is different. If kids are looking for a more traditional, Southern vibe, they’d prefer UVA. Better campus too. I’d far prefer Michigan.

"better campus" is very subjective. I've visited both campuses and strongly prefer Michigan's (I have a bias toward really large campuses that I can explore and never get bored of )

Agreed. Both are nice, but I'll admit to a preference for Michigan's architecture over UVA's.

Why did you use the law school quad for Michigan? Seems pretty desperate.

I've been to both, there are a lot of not-so-great spots on both campuses, but I'd say Michigan has more. Everyone always posts the one spot (e.g. the University of Washington quad with the cherry trees in bloom and Mount Rainier in the background), but it usually isn't representative of the whole campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UMich > UVA in national reputation, but the culture is different. If kids are looking for a more traditional, Southern vibe, they’d prefer UVA. Better campus too. I’d far prefer Michigan.

"better campus" is very subjective. I've visited both campuses and strongly prefer Michigan's (I have a bias toward really large campuses that I can explore and never get bored of )

Agreed. Both are nice, but I'll admit to a preference for Michigan's architecture over UVA's.

Why did you use the law school quad for Michigan? Seems pretty desperate.

I've been to both, there are a lot of not-so-great spots on both campuses, but I'd say Michigan has more. Everyone always posts the one spot (e.g. the University of Washington quad with the cherry trees in bloom and Mount Rainier in the background), but it usually isn't representative of the whole campus.

This goes for any school. Take away the clock tower from Georgetown and you're left with an ugly mess

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[
UCLA: 31,500 undergrad enrollment; 68% in-state; 1400 avg SAT; 30.5 avg ACT; 3.9 GPA
Berkeley: 31,800 undergrad enrollment; 67% in-state; 1425 avg SAT; 31 avg ACT; 3.89 GPA
UMich: 31,300 undergrad enrollment; 51% in-state; 1435 avg SAT; 32.5 avg ACT; 3.88 GPA
UVA: 17,011 undergrad enrollment; 66% in-state; 1420 avg SAT; 32 avg ACT; 4.32 GPA
UNC: 19,400 undergrad enrollment; 81% in-state, 1385 avg SAT; 30 avg ACT; 4.39 GPA

It can be really complicated to compare GPAs across these schools, especially as the UC system has a very specific weighting methodology and only looks at grades from sophomore and junior year. Similarly, Michigan recalculates all GPAs using their own system that tops out at 4.0. And then there is the issue of different levels for in state, OOS, and international (and how international GPAs are guesstimated). And, of course, all of the GPA variation across states, districts, and individual high schools is also a factor (i.e. the original rationale for standardized testing).

Having said that, the numbers above are largely comparing UVA and UNC weighted GPAs against UCLA, Berkeley, and Michigan unweighted GPAs. UVA and UNC report weighted GPA average on the common data set. The other 3 report unweighted (well, in the case of Michigan, their custom re-weighting, but on a 4.0 scale). Just FYI.