UVA vs. Northwestern

[Anonymous]

DD is trying to choose between UVA and Northwestern for ED. They are both her top choices.

Would love insight into the two schools from people who have experience with them. (Btw, I'm doing this for me, I'm going to let her make her own decision of course). Cost doesn't make much of a difference as we're not in VA anyway. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Are you in DC? If so, TAG applies to UVA but not Northwestern. That’s 10K/year.

[Anonymous]

Unless you VA IS (sounds like you are not), Northwestern.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you in DC? If so, TAG applies to UVA but not Northwestern. That’s 10K/year.

OP: No, should have said - we're in CT.

[Anonymous]

Not exactly sure how you want to compare them since they couldn't be more different. From size to location there isn't much similar. Specific major?

-NU grad with one at NU and one at UVA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not exactly sure how you want to compare them since they couldn't be more different. From size to location there isn't much similar. Specific major?

-NU grad with one at NU and one at UVA

Wonderful! I'd love to hear your DC's experiences. DD likes them for different reasons - she's very interested in Politics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not exactly sure how you want to compare them since they couldn't be more different. From size to location there isn't much similar. Specific major?

-NU grad with one at NU and one at UVA

Wonderful! I'd love to hear your DC's experiences. DD likes them for different reasons - she's very interested in Politics.

Both kids are happy. I am biased towards NU since I loved it and did a poli sci concentration way back when. Both have great poli sci departments and impressive professors. One wanted a big state school so picked UVA. Great town and doesn't feel as big as it is. It is quite southern though, or at least for him and a lot of kids are from VA which is expected. NU is in a big "suburb" just north of Chicago and have a more urban feel with the ability to go into the city easily with the El. He is a theater kid and you can't beat NU for that. He wanted a smaller school but with sports so NU fit the bill for him. Kids are from all over. A lot of CA kids there. Both campuses are beautiful but NU wins (at least for me) though the weather can be tough. Being from CT that wouldn't matter though.

[Anonymous]

UVA is not at the Northwestern level.

[Anonymous]

Ah...time to pull in the UVA haters.

Since you're from CT, you might not realize that UVA has a lot of haters on this board. For a wide range of reasons, some real and some imagined. But just remember that this board is probably not the best barometer for the strength of UVA.

[Anonymous]

UVA would be a real pain to get to from Ct. There is no decent airport anywhere close. Washington Dulles is hours away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not exactly sure how you want to compare them since they couldn't be more different. From size to location there isn't much similar. Specific major?

-NU grad with one at NU and one at UVA

Wonderful! I'd love to hear your DC's experiences. DD likes them for different reasons - she's very interested in Politics.

Both kids are happy. I am biased towards NU since I loved it and did a poli sci concentration way back when. Both have great poli sci departments and impressive professors. One wanted a big state school so picked UVA. Great town and doesn't feel as big as it is. It is quite southern though, or at least for him and a lot of kids are from VA which is expected. NU is in a big "suburb" just north of Chicago and have a more urban feel with the ability to go into the city easily with the El. He is a theater kid and you can't beat NU for that. He wanted a smaller school but with sports so NU fit the bill for him. Kids are from all over. A lot of CA kids there. Both campuses are beautiful but NU wins (at least for me) though the weather can be tough. Being from CT that wouldn't matter though.

New poster. Also an NU alum like the PP and also did poli sci minor way back when. (Hmm, maybe our paths crossed....)

Agree on all that PP says about both UVA and NU (we have a lot of contacts at UVA and spend a fair amount of time in Charlottesville, plus have academic contacts at NU). Very different locations and vibes and both are great for the right kids.

OP, has your DD had any chance pre-pandemic to visit either school? Visiting makes a huge difference especially where locations are as different as Evanston and Charlottesville. Of course, visits are not very likely right now, but there are increasingly good virtual tours at many colleges and some feature tours of various dorm rooms etc. Some colleges are now connecting prospective students with current upperclassmen to talk about the colleges. See if UVA or NU is doing anything like that.

I do find the sheer gigantic size of UVA tough, and that was one factor that my own DD did not want. NU isn't a small college by any means but definitely feels smaller and more cohesive than UVA. I'm not referring just to physical size but to the size of the student bodies.

One thing I think is advantageous about NU is the fact, as PP notes, that students come from all over, whereas UVA is natually more VA-heavy and more Southern; I loved having friends from all over the country and learned a LOT by getting to know people from very different regions and backgrounds than my own. At UVA your DD will be the more, um, "exotic" student, though she won't be the only out-of-stater.

The other selling point to me for NU was the proximity to Chicago and the ease of getting into Chicago if you wanted; you could easily choose never to go into the city or you could pop in just a few times a year. Students were not dashing down there to drink and party but were more going to plays and museums, and that was terrific. You never felt you "had" to go into the city to have fun but it was there if you wanted it. NU does not feel like an urban school yet has access to urban activities as desired. Charlottesville is a very nice town in a lovely area but you do need a car to get beyond downtown Charlottesville to explore the countryside and the pretty country towns.

Academically both are great. Your DD might get smaller class sizes sooner at NU. A lot depends too on what courses she wants--both have very solid political science departments. She might want to delve into the specfic course sequences at each university and see which best fits her and which professors are doing work and research that most interests her. That kind of detail can be a deciding factor re: academics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ah...time to pull in the UVA haters.

Since you're from CT, you might not realize that UVA has a lot of haters on this board. For a wide range of reasons, some real and some imagined. But just remember that this board is probably not the best barometer for the strength of UVA.

PP from above to note: DCUM also has a strong and vocal contingent of UVA boosters here, for whom the university can do no wrong. They'll balance out any UVA "haters" here. I have seen more boosters than haters over the years on these threads.

OP is more than capable of dismissing mere knee-jerk boosters or haters and giving attention to posts with balanced and realistic opinions. I'm sure OP will be fine.

[Anonymous]

As a UVA alum that grew up in FL - there are a lot of weird things I see on this board about the school that I truly don't understand/didn't encounter at all.

Some thoughts -

1) Yes, CVille is hard to get to. I used to fly into Dulles then take the train to CVille. There is an Amtrak station very close to Grounds so it was never a huge problem but definitely a pain in the ass.

2) It's not that huge. There are 11kish undergrads. That's solidly a medium sized school. Speaking as someone who went there, it seemed TINY. You always ran into people you knew, everyone seemed to know everyone, classes were for the most part small (or a lecture with a small discussion in years 1 and 2).

3) It is a lot of kids from Arlington and Westchester who are pretending to be southern. Seriously - almost everyone I met was from outside DC, Richmond, Westchester, or Greenwich. Your DD will not be "exotic" at all.

I absolutely loved UVA and studied International Affairs and Anthropology. Made wonderful friends, created wonderful contacts with professors, studied abroad, and it prepared me very well for a great career. I also got 4 years of a very, very "traditional" college experience which is great or horrible, depending on the person. You can't go wrong with either school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not exactly sure how you want to compare them since they couldn't be more different. From size to location there isn't much similar. Specific major?

-NU grad with one at NU and one at UVA

Wonderful! I'd love to hear your DC's experiences. DD likes them for different reasons - she's very interested in Politics.

Both kids are happy. I am biased towards NU since I loved it and did a poli sci concentration way back when. Both have great poli sci departments and impressive professors. One wanted a big state school so picked UVA. Great town and doesn't feel as big as it is. It is quite southern though, or at least for him and a lot of kids are from VA which is expected. NU is in a big "suburb" just north of Chicago and have a more urban feel with the ability to go into the city easily with the El. He is a theater kid and you can't beat NU for that. He wanted a smaller school but with sports so NU fit the bill for him. Kids are from all over. A lot of CA kids there. Both campuses are beautiful but NU wins (at least for me) though the weather can be tough. Being from CT that wouldn't matter though.

New poster. Also an NU alum like the PP and also did poli sci minor way back when. (Hmm, maybe our paths crossed....)

Agree on all that PP says about both UVA and NU (we have a lot of contacts at UVA and spend a fair amount of time in Charlottesville, plus have academic contacts at NU). Very different locations and vibes and both are great for the right kids.

OP, has your DD had any chance pre-pandemic to visit either school? Visiting makes a huge difference especially where locations are as different as Evanston and Charlottesville. Of course, visits are not very likely right now, but there are increasingly good virtual tours at many colleges and some feature tours of various dorm rooms etc. Some colleges are now connecting prospective students with current upperclassmen to talk about the colleges. See if UVA or NU is doing anything like that.

I do find the sheer gigantic size of UVA tough, and that was one factor that my own DD did not want. NU isn't a small college by any means but definitely feels smaller and more cohesive than UVA. I'm not referring just to physical size but to the size of the student bodies.

One thing I think is advantageous about NU is the fact, as PP notes, that students come from all over, whereas UVA is natually more VA-heavy and more Southern; I loved having friends from all over the country and learned a LOT by getting to know people from very different regions and backgrounds than my own. At UVA your DD will be the more, um, "exotic" student, though she won't be the only out-of-stater.

The other selling point to me for NU was the proximity to Chicago and the ease of getting into Chicago if you wanted; you could easily choose never to go into the city or you could pop in just a few times a year. Students were not dashing down there to drink and party but were more going to plays and museums, and that was terrific. You never felt you "had" to go into the city to have fun but it was there if you wanted it. NU does not feel like an urban school yet has access to urban activities as desired. Charlottesville is a very nice town in a lovely area but you do need a car to get beyond downtown Charlottesville to explore the countryside and the pretty country towns.

Academically both are great. Your DD might get smaller class sizes sooner at NU. A lot depends too on what courses she wants--both have very solid political science departments. She might want to delve into the specfic course sequences at each university and see which best fits her and which professors are doing work and research that most interests her. That kind of detail can be a deciding factor re: academics.

We you north campus or south campus?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UVA would be a real pain to get to from Ct. There is no decent airport anywhere close. Washington Dulles is hours away.

There are quick connections via NY from Westchester to Charlottesville and from Hartford to Charlottesville. NBD.

OP, they are very different schools. If I had the money not to care, I'd pick NU. I really like Chicago, and I find UVA too Southern in feeling for my taste. YMMV.

Two good schools.