<p>We are Virginia residents. Our daughter decided on UW-Madison after getting waitlisted at UVA. She wants to major in Spanish. Yesterday -- during SOARs if you can believe it -- she got a call from UVA offering her a place in the class. She loves everything about UW right now (except for maybe the weather). We're not independently wealthy, but finances aren't the overriding consideration.</p>
<p>Thoughts? She has to decide by Friday.</p>
<p>Can you say a little more about your daughter, what she likes and needs in a college setting, what factors she used to make her decisions (where to apply, why U.W.), and so forth?</p>
<p>Well, she’s plenty smart but not really an academic type. She sure likes Spanish, though, and is very good at it. She’s social and adaptable. She’s not an athlete but wants a big school with a big time sports program. In short, she thinks UW is a good fit and was perfectly happy to go there until she heard from UVA. UVA is considered, as you might imagine, the holy grail of Virginia college admissions, and now she’s thinking (as is her guidance counselor) that she’d be foolish to turn it down. </p>
<p>As parents, we prefer UW’s social scene – she could use a dose of midwestern values – but UVA does have a better academic reputation (at least on the East Coast) and at least an equally strong Spanish program.</p>
<p>Wow, lucky kid! Both are such great schools. I’d likely look to the social differences and see what fits better. </p>
<p>UW is one of the largest research u’s anywhere and student independance is required. UVA seems to have a more undergraduate focused program. </p>
<p>Keep in mind it’s not just Spanish that’s stellar, but many languages like French and Italian, as well as associated social science departments like Latin American Studies, Sociology and History that are tops (and I believe all more highly ranked than UVA).</p>
<p>Socially, at UW About 10% of undergrads are in the Greek system (if you aren’t in it you don’t really notice) and at UVA I understand it’s like 1/3 of the students and is a large influence on the social scene.</p>
<p>Yes, you’ll get more midwesterners at UW, but don’t be fooled it’s still a liberal campus with kids from every state and plenty of hedonism (if she is looking for that). </p>
<p>Finally, I doubt there’s a student union serving beer on a lake at UVA!</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>I’m a UW alum hoping my son gets admitted in 2010. Can’t speak to the academic differences as I don’t know UVA beyond it’s general national rep, but I might suggest you look, as Stooge suggest, at the elusive FIT equation. There is very little Green influence at Wisc which means there’s a million social lives for kids outside of that system. You can be anyone at UW - preppy, hippy, goth, Republican, Rastafarian. Whatever you want. It’s hugely liberating to be free of the expectations that many schools have about social/lifestyle choices. You might have her go online to u n i g o . c o m which has great candid “reviews” written by students. She can read them and ask herself “who do I want to study with for the next four years?” I suspect the choice will be obvious.</p>
<p>beastman - very well put! </p>
<p>After high school it felt good to just be me.</p>
<p>Oops… I meant GREEK influence, not green!</p>
<p>Thanks, Stooge. I spent my first year at a certain conservative Big Ten school in a small town in Indiana with a big Greek influence and thought I’d die. UW was like heaven.</p>
<p>It’s looking increasingly like she’ll pick UVA. The decision certainly won’t turn on the reputation of of each school’s various programs, since that would require splitting hairs. Both schools are excellent. Nor is the greek thing such a big deal. I know many UVA students who do not fit the mold and do just fine, and as I said our daughter is pretty social. (Our older daughter was in a sorority at UVA, by the way, and didn’t turn out to be the devil incarnate.) </p>
<p>Thanks for your help.</p>
<p>Uh, excuse me, Beast (maybe an anti-Freudian slip), but there is a huge GREEN influence at Madison, an environment that my D (sigh) will relish beginning in the fall. My brother teases her by saying she’ll have a compost pile outside her dorm room by October.</p>
<p>jnm, I corrected that error 19mins after my post - see it above?. Not fast enough! Just a typo!</p>
<p>I read that and did a double take too. I figured out that beastman meant “Greek” instead of “Green” just based on UW’s reputation as liberal, progressive, and environment friendly. :)</p>
<p>We live in VA so completely understand the total focus on UVA as the ultimate (and in some minds, the only) choice. UVA is an awesome school, and we know tons of great kids there or going there in the fall. We have been down there on a number of occasions for sports, concerts and for younger son to attend the enrichment program there. It was also my graduating son’s first choice as we started the college search last year. </p>
<p>Nonetheless, given how competitive it is to get into even for VA’s best students, we told him to “fall in love with some other schools…” We started visiting, and he did what we said. He fell in love with some other schools. And, in the 11th hour, decided not to apply to UVA at all. His reasoning was that he really wanted to spread his wings and use college as an opportunity to expand upon his experiences up until this point in his life and really go out of his comfort zone - I don’t know if I am explaining it well. He will be a freshman at UW this fall. Going to SOAR on Sunday and living in Sellery. He is extremely excited!</p>
<p>When acceptances came out and it looked like he might have had a good shot at being accepted or waitlisted at UVA (based on both his own acceptances as well as some of the other kids who got in from our school), I asked if he was sorry he did not apply. While I think he might always wonder IF he would have been admitted, he shook his head “no.” He said that he believed that if had gotten in to UVA, he would have felt like he HAD to go - both because of the cost difference and because “he and everyone else would think he was foolish for turning it down.” However, I think he believes that Wisconsin is the better FIT for him and he is “going for the adventure - choosing the path less traveled…” It does get tiring, when answering someone’s college query, to hear the response, “Wisconsin…why Wisconsin? What is in Wisconsin?” etc… People who know about academics, grad school and jobs know what an exceptional school it is, but it is not that well known here. He would get a much more “impressed” response if he answered any of the other “middling” schools from VA (you know the ones). Luckily, it is not about impressing others, but there is a certain “pressure” and “prestige” about getting into UVA here. </p>
<p>Sorry for the very long winded response- I just think we may have gone through a similar thought process without having to make the tough decision at the end of the day… I think the bottom line is that both are excellent schools. If finances play heavily into the decision, it is a no brainer. Go to UVA. Otherwise, where does she really see herself? What feels like the place to spend the next four years learning and growing both in and out of the classroom? Son really liked the environment in Madison… it felt more diverse/multi-dimensional and less intense to him, but that was just his “impression.” He would have been super happy at UVA, too, but somehow he just feels UW is right for him. What feels “right” to her?
I hope this helps in some small way. The good news is this is a great “problem” and she can’t go wrong. Good luck!!</p>
<p>Travelfun-</p>
<p>Thanks for your thoughtful post. Our daughter has decided to go to UVA and will be withdrawing her acceptance of UW’s offer. Truth be told, we are ambivalent about the decision for all of the reasons that you described, but in the end it’s her decision, we let her make it, and we can’t look back. </p>
<p>It’s funny. The day before she left for SOARS I suggested she take her name off of UVA’s waitlist. She said she didn’t want to. I think UVA was always her first choice but she didn’t want to admit it because she didn’t think she’d get in. Cannot believe UVA called her in the middle of UW’s orientation. Terrible timing and a stressful week.</p>
<p>Good for you for trusting her to make her own decision and honoring it. You are good parents. I have no doubt that all will work out well in the end, for all of you.</p>
<p>travelfun, I also enjoyed your post. Very insightful.</p>
<p>parent2009, best wishes to your daughter. A twisted route to what will hopefully be a great destination.</p>
<p>Well, then… Go Wahoos! Congratulations. </p>
<p>While I would have loved to have another VA parent at UW :-), it sounds like she is happy with her decision. Choices in life are rarely 100% one way or another. Were I in your shoes, I would have some ambivalence as well as there are pros/cons to either path. It sounds like you have done a great job supporting her, and I am sure she will be happy and successful at UVA (and also would have been at UW). Best of luck in the journey ahead.</p>
<p>Oh, and thank you, Beastman. I am glad you liked my post. :-)</p>