Anonymous wrote:There’s a number of medium-sized privates that offer what you want, but note that they’re all private. Do you want to pay an additional $30-40k year for sport spirit?

W&M is the most expensive state college in the country, especially if you are OOS.

OP is right, Wake Forest checks all the boxes.

Your question kinda gets at why UVA is popular with the VA crowd: you get great academics and sport spirit at a public school price. UVA is larger than WM, but way smaller than Michigan or similar selective publics.

There’s a number of medium-sized privates that offer what you want, but note that they’re all private. Do you want to pay an additional $30-40k year for sport spirit?

Duke

Rice and Tulane don’t have much sports culture from the students I know at those colleges.

Vanderbilt doesn't either. Kids dress up and go to the tailgate parties for football, but skip the game.

TCU

Anonymous wrote:Rice, Duke, Vanderbilt, Tulane, SMU

Rice and Tulane don’t have much sports culture from the students I know at those colleges. The Tulane students lament it and the Rice student is happy about it.

Villanova has a good basketball team.

Notre Dame

Rice, Duke, Vanderbilt, Tulane, SMU

UVA

Stanford

Well Davidson is smaller but their basketball team is a top div 1 contender.
Richmond seems to have more of a sports culture too.

DC likes the size/feel of W&M and is a fit for their stats but wants someplace with a stronger sports program (where football/basketball are big events on campus, not an afterthought). Wake Forest comes to mind but looking for other suggestions.