Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are using USNWR as your standard, then either UVA is overrated or W&M is underrated. UVA and WM have almost identical GPA and SAT/ ACT scores at 25%/50%/75%. In some cases WM has higher stats. There used to be about 10 spots difference between the two in USNWR. But when USNWR started emphasizing things like FGLI/pell grant %, and stopped considering things like the quality of undergrad teaching, the spread went from 10 places to 30 places— in one year.

Maybe UVA is overrated by USNWR. Maybe WM is underrated. But, these school attract the same caliber students. And IMO the quality of undergrad teaching is very important for undergrad students. They should have a similar ranking. Up to you to decide if that ranking should be in the 20s, early 40s or mid 50s.

I love how the insecure W&M booster ALWAYS pushes their way into these discussions to make sure they're not left out.

So true. Most kids at UVA didn’t even apply to W&M. It is such a different vibe. Very, very nerdy at W&M.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:it is overrated for 2 reasons:

1) STEM staff and curriculum is like any other T50-100 school

2) Outcomes - lack of fortune 500 companies in and around DMV makes hiring very hard.

No idea what you are talking about on 2. UVA is on every list of banking and consulting placement, plus placement at top law schools, med schools, etc.

I hear Capitol One is a main recruiter there. How impressive.

Anonymous wrote:People. Most Americans don’t go to college and therefore rely on things like college football to inform them about higher education. It should be of no concern that the average person in California doesn’t know UVA. The average person is not going to be recruiting these students to work at their company.

Educated people know UVA.

anyone who lives in Virginia should be darn proud that we have some top name colleges in this state because other states only have one recognizable name.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:it is overrated for 2 reasons:

1) STEM staff and curriculum is like any other T50-100 school

2) Outcomes - lack of fortune 500 companies in and around DMV makes hiring very hard.

No idea what you are talking about on 2. UVA is on every list of banking and consulting placement, plus placement at top law schools, med schools, etc.

I hear Capitol One is a main recruiter there. How impressive.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are using USNWR as your standard, then either UVA is overrated or W&M is underrated. UVA and WM have almost identical GPA and SAT/ ACT scores at 25%/50%/75%. In some cases WM has higher stats. There used to be about 10 spots difference between the two in USNWR. But when USNWR started emphasizing things like FGLI/pell grant %, and stopped considering things like the quality of undergrad teaching, the spread went from 10 places to 30 places— in one year.

Maybe UVA is overrated by USNWR. Maybe WM is underrated. But, these school attract the same caliber students. And IMO the quality of undergrad teaching is very important for undergrad students. They should have a similar ranking. Up to you to decide if that ranking should be in the 20s, early 40s or mid 50s.

I love how the insecure W&M booster ALWAYS pushes their way into these discussions to make sure they're not left out.

So true. Most kids at UVA didn’t even apply to W&M. It is such a different vibe. Very, very nerdy at W&M.

Anonymous wrote:Top grad schools:
UVA
Columbia
VCU
Duke
Johns Hopkins
Georgetown
Harvard
Penn
BU
GW

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are using USNWR as your standard, then either UVA is overrated or W&M is underrated. UVA and WM have almost identical GPA and SAT/ ACT scores at 25%/50%/75%. In some cases WM has higher stats. There used to be about 10 spots difference between the two in USNWR. But when USNWR started emphasizing things like FGLI/pell grant %, and stopped considering things like the quality of undergrad teaching, the spread went from 10 places to 30 places— in one year.

Maybe UVA is overrated by USNWR. Maybe WM is underrated. But, these school attract the same caliber students. And IMO the quality of undergrad teaching is very important for undergrad students. They should have a similar ranking. Up to you to decide if that ranking should be in the 20s, early 40s or mid 50s.

I love how the insecure W&M booster ALWAYS pushes their way into these discussions to make sure they're not left out.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:it is overrated for 2 reasons:

1) STEM staff and curriculum is like any other T50-100 school

2) Outcomes - lack of fortune 500 companies in and around DMV makes hiring very hard.

No idea what you are talking about on 2. UVA is on every list of banking and consulting placement, plus placement at top law schools, med schools, etc.

Anonymous wrote:it is overrated for 2 reasons:

1) STEM staff and curriculum is like any other T50-100 school

2) Outcomes - lack of fortune 500 companies in and around DMV makes hiring very hard.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Lots of classes taught by grad students.

DD is a 1st Yr and hasn't had a single class taught by a TA. They lead discussion sections for large classes, offer study sessions, proctor and grade exams. But, professors teach the classes and have been easy to communicate with via office hours or email. Flame UVA all you want, but at least post the truth for people genuinely doing their research.

Same is true for my first year student.

My kid at UVA has also experienced large classes with TA taught sections. But let’s be a real, the TAs are doing the grading and teaching the discussion sections. The profs are just lecturing. My DD had a prof who said any questions about the class or material should go to the TA. He will
Meet with kids in office hours to discuss only the general topic (not related to the class coverage) and careers in that subject area. The TAs have a significant impact on the teaching (and one of my kid’s TAs got a D+ in the class when the TA took it—ridiculous!). That said, I think that is the experience at any large university. My other kid is a grad student and TA at another university and it sounds very similar.

I do have issues with class sizes. Last semester my kid had a 400 and a 500 person lecture class and a 700 person online class!! The o line one is being changed next year, though, to smaller in person sections, so the school realizes that was a disaster.

I would also say cheating is rampant, but I also think that is not unique to UVA. My TA kid has also seen a bit of that at their university. I think some of these kids cheat in high school because the expectations are insane and they never stop.

Overall, UVA has been really good for my kid (who has found it challenging and does not have a perfect record there). I would not say it is overrated. It’s not perfect, but for the most part, what we expected.

weird since they don’t have a lecture hall with 500 seats.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Lots of classes taught by grad students.

DD is a 1st Yr and hasn't had a single class taught by a TA. They lead discussion sections for large classes, offer study sessions, proctor and grade exams. But, professors teach the classes and have been easy to communicate with via office hours or email. Flame UVA all you want, but at least post the truth for people genuinely doing their research.

Same is true for my first year student.

My kid at UVA has also experienced large classes with TA taught sections. But let’s be a real, the TAs are doing the grading and teaching the discussion sections. The profs are just lecturing. My DD had a prof who said any questions about the class or material should go to the TA. He will
Meet with kids in office hours to discuss only the general topic (not related to the class coverage) and careers in that subject area. The TAs have a significant impact on the teaching (and one of my kid’s TAs got a D+ in the class when the TA took it—ridiculous!). That said, I think that is the experience at any large university. My other kid is a grad student and TA at another university and it sounds very similar.

I do have issues with class sizes. Last semester my kid had a 400 and a 500 person lecture class and a 700 person online class!! The o line one is being changed next year, though, to smaller in person sections, so the school realizes that was a disaster.

I would also say cheating is rampant, but I also think that is not unique to UVA. My TA kid has also seen a bit of that at their university. I think some of these kids cheat in high school because the expectations are insane and they never stop.

Overall, UVA has been really good for my kid (who has found it challenging and does not have a perfect record there). I would not say it is overrated. It’s not perfect, but for the most part, what we expected.