Why deny UVA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The most uninteresting people go to UVA, at least those from Northern Virginia. They leave NoVa, go to UVA, and return to NoVa. Dull. Dull and pompous. A bad combination.

I find this post dull. Dull. Pompous. Don't forget pompous.

[Anonymous]

I grew up on the west coast then lived in several major cities and I find UVA boosterism so baffling. It’s a fine state flagship like many others. UMich. UWashington. UWisconsin. UIllinois. UWashington. UTexas. In league with all those when hiring from undergrads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Serious question here, not trying to troll. Why do so many on DCUM insist that UVA is not a prestigious school? I just don’t get it. It clearly is. I remember deciding to move to Virginia over Maryland 35 years ago because of the University of Virginia and the College of William and Mary. UVA being a top dog is nothing new.

Why so much animosity? Why so much denial?

nobody is denying anything that is true - we are just trying to balance out UVA boosters all of whom happen to be from Virginia. if UVA is so prestigious why aren’t people from Cali and Florida coming here to praise it? there are none. Every single one is a parent from NOVa

Because this is a DC centric board. UVA, is among the top universities in the nation for many disciplines. Not all. But many. And there are people in FL, in CA, in MA, in NY coming to UVA for College.

Similarly, there are people who get into UVA and decide it is not for them. My DD preferred the atmosphere at Va Tech over UVA.

it’s a DC centric board but people from MD Zaire decidedly less impressed by UVA. why is that?

Because UVA isn't worth out of school tuition.

right, but that merely confirms the fact that virginians are confusing what is an excellent bang for the buck in their own state for a stanford. others, who don't have the same financial incentive, are able to see things more clearly.

[Anonymous]

Fun school for rich somewhat bright kids who can get bids into the most selective Greek Life chapters — they’re the big men and women on campus. Everyone else is an irrelevant cog at a big public U, who will end up in pretty normal middle class careers. Sales, HR, Fed, teachers, nurses, shitlaw attorneys.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Literally nobody cares. It’s an adequate college; signals your kid likely has above average drive & your family is likely at least upper middle class. Nothing more.

“Top” public colleges are Asian grinds at the top and mostly partying white kids in the middle. That’s the truth.

To more worldly folks, it’s just a good public college, nothing more.

I did not attend UVA so I don't care, but these PPs are stupid. It is much, much better than "adequate" or "good, nothing more". Describing it thus makes you sound like a moron, not one of the "worldly folks".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fun school for rich somewhat bright kids who can get bids into the most selective Greek Life chapters — they’re the big men and women on campus. Everyone else is an irrelevant cog at a big public U, who will end up in pretty normal middle class careers. Sales, HR, Fed, teachers, nurses, shitlaw attorneys.

You don't have a clue what GPA or test scores it takes to get into UVA today, do you?

[Anonymous]

If powerful aliens came to earth and judged us by these threads, they'd wipe us all out without a second thought.

[Anonymous]

Only HYPMS are universally regarded as prestigious. The rest of the top 25 are all great schools.

Few "worldly folks" have heard about Dartmouth, Vandy and Duke, let alone Emory, Tufts and Washington U.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Only HYPMS are universally regarded as prestigious. The rest of the top 25 are all great schools.

Few "worldly folks" have heard about Dartmouth, Vandy and Duke, let alone Emory, Tufts and Washington U.

Pretty sure most folks have heard of Duke, but basketball is the big factor there. There are great schools beyond 25 particularly if you are also considering LACs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A university with a 26% acceptance rate isn't considered prestigious.

As an academic I think UVA is a good school and a solid choice for my child. However, UVA is not a prestigious university or a research powerhouse. Therefore, it was not on my list of desirable institutions to pursue a Tier 1 tenure track job.

Beggars can't be choosers, as any real academic will tell you. Most "academics" would be thrilled to get offers to teach at UVA. --

And your writing style makes your claim to be an academic somewhat dubious. I'm skeptical. Let me guess, you're a kid with a fetish for bashing UVA and trying to cover your tracks by pretending to be reasonable through claiming you would be happy for your hypothetical child to go to UVA.

-- poster with absolutely no affiliation with UVA.

Claiming UVA is not prestigious doesn't equal bashing UVA. And yes, you are correct that TT jobs are rare. I wanted to be at a Tier 1 research institution, which UVA is not. Luckily, I was hired at one and didn't have to consider other schools.

[Anonymous]

Many of the students who go to UVA (not all) are a snobbish lot, and their attitudes make people dislike them and the school. A lot of the snobby students are from Nova.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A university with a 26% acceptance rate isn't considered prestigious.

As an academic I think UVA is a good school and a solid choice for my child. However, UVA is not a prestigious university or a research powerhouse. Therefore, it was not on my list of desirable institutions to pursue a Tier 1 tenure track job.

Beggars can't be choosers, as any real academic will tell you. Most "academics" would be thrilled to get offers to teach at UVA. --

And your writing style makes your claim to be an academic somewhat dubious. I'm skeptical. Let me guess, you're a kid with a fetish for bashing UVA and trying to cover your tracks by pretending to be reasonable through claiming you would be happy for your hypothetical child to go to UVA.

-- poster with absolutely no affiliation with UVA.

Claiming UVA is not prestigious doesn't equal bashing UVA. And yes, you are correct that TT jobs are rare. I wanted to be at a Tier 1 research institution, which UVA is not. Luckily, I was hired at one and didn't have to consider other schools.

I am hesitant to call almost any school prestigious because it is a relative term and endlessly debatable. So I might agree with you on that. But I don't agree that UVA is not "Tier 1" in research. The most commonly used classification is the Carnegie Classification, and UVA is in the top level -- R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity.

Does it rival Hopkins or Michigan in research spending? No. But still highest level classification.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Only HYPMS are universally regarded as prestigious. The rest of the top 25 are all great schools.

Few "worldly folks" have heard about Dartmouth, Vandy and Duke, let alone Emory, Tufts and Washington U.

If you haven't heard those names, you're not only not worldly, you're not even a reasonably intelligent American.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only HYPMS are universally regarded as prestigious. The rest of the top 25 are all great schools.

Few "worldly folks" have heard about Dartmouth, Vandy and Duke, let alone Emory, Tufts and Washington U.

If you haven't heard those names, you're not only not worldly, you're not even a reasonably intelligent American.

You are missing the point. I was responding to PP whose "worldly folks" never heard of UVA. By that definition, the "worldly folks" probably never knew Vanday and Duke either.

I think we can all agree HYPMS is definitely in this imaginary prestigious and elite league. Everyone else is just pretending. Honestly UVA is probably better known to folks in Hong Kong or Singapore than Vandy, Duke, or Emory is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A university with a 26% acceptance rate isn't considered prestigious.

As an academic I think UVA is a good school and a solid choice for my child. However, UVA is not a prestigious university or a research powerhouse. Therefore, it was not on my list of desirable institutions to pursue a Tier 1 tenure track job.

Beggars can't be choosers, as any real academic will tell you. Most "academics" would be thrilled to get offers to teach at UVA. --

And your writing style makes your claim to be an academic somewhat dubious. I'm skeptical. Let me guess, you're a kid with a fetish for bashing UVA and trying to cover your tracks by pretending to be reasonable through claiming you would be happy for your hypothetical child to go to UVA.

-- poster with absolutely no affiliation with UVA.

Claiming UVA is not prestigious doesn't equal bashing UVA. And yes, you are correct that TT jobs are rare. I wanted to be at a Tier 1 research institution, which UVA is not. Luckily, I was hired at one and didn't have to consider other schools.

I am hesitant to call almost any school prestigious because it is a relative term and endlessly debatable. So I might agree with you on that. But I don't agree that UVA is not "Tier 1" in research. The most commonly used classification is the Carnegie Classification, and UVA is in the top level -- R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity.

Does it rival Hopkins or Michigan in research spending? No. But still highest level classification.

Fair enough. I was attempting to answer OP's question, not bash UVA, which again, I think is a good university. I landed a job at Hopkins and I don't think UVA is in the same league, at least for STEM or SS. If I was a history or law professor, I would jump at a job at UVA. However, saying I'm tenured at UVA--no matter the discipline--I don't think has the same weight as MIT or Harvard (prestigious institutions).