Hi! I’m currently trying to decide between the three schools above, I’m interested in pursuing a biology/neuroscience major with either a double major or minor in public health. I am torn between these three schools.
Davidson is very close to my favorite choice. It has amazing academics and professors, and I loved the campus and environment, as well as an amazing acceptance rate into med schools. I am a little scared of it being too small, and not being able to participate in meaningful research there. It is also my most expensive option, and although we are able to afford it I am worried ab the cost being impractical specially if I decide to move on to med school.
William & Mary is my in-between option. I loved the campus vibe and the size of the school. The professors and research opportunities seem to be amazing as well. However, I am concerned about the food/dorm situation, and I’m not entirely sure how I feel about going to a school of mostly people from Virginia who may already know each other as someone from out of state ¶.
Pitt is my most practical choice, especially for neuroscience and premed they have so many amazing resources, but I just didn’t enjoy the campus vibe when I visited. I know they’ve had some issues as far as active shooter communication recently. Especially being in the Honors college is a great opportunity because I would get priority registration, but I am also unsure about the size, it feels a little too big for me.
I can’t speak of Davidson, but I’d choose W&M campus over Pitt campus anyday!
This is coming from a mom of 2 Pitt students currently (in-state)
Love W&M, great school. Lucky VA residents who have such a beautiful school.
I agree with @caz0743. I have a Pitt student and think it’s a fantastic school, but if you didn’t like the campus then wipe it from your list completely. You have two other options that you like better and that are great academically, too.
Is Pitt significantly cheaper for you? Is there any other reason it’s still on your list?
Davidson being too small - I get. Pitt, you don’t enjoy.
I don’t think research is an issue - you can do at all three.
And while W&M is a Virginia School, it’s 40% OOS and international - so you’re far from the only coming from OOS - and it’s not like the student from Richmond knows the kid from Norfolk or Roanoke. So I think that’s an unnecessary worry.
Talk to kids there about housing and food. It is certainly important - and those who don’t look at it will realize - they eat out a lot, etc. But hopefully they’ll have things on the menu you can live with - salads, grilled chicken, etc. Neither Pitt nor Davidson rate highly in food either (per Niche).
It’s just based on what you wrote - W&M is your best fit - and not sure of their residency requirement, but you’d likely be off campus soon enough.
Good luck to you - three wonderful schools. But clearly not all are of comfort to you.
PS - Pitt is the choice if in-state and med school is a possibility - purely for monetary reasons…but that you didn’t like it says a lot about why it’s not right.
Congrats on having terrific choices! What a good problem to have!
I wanted to address your worry about W&M being 60% Virginians. I have a senior and a sophomore at W&M, and we are from NY. They have never had the slightest issue not being from VA. VA is a large and diverse state, and Virginians are not at all homogeneous. For example, my daughters have friends from small mountain towns in VA, from Virginia Beach which is a big Navy town, and from Arlington which is inside the Capital Beltway. They also have plenty of friends from out of state. Often, if I ask where one of their friends is from, they don’t know! Nor do they know students who have friends at college from their hometown.
(If you have any questions about the school, feel free to ask. Between the two of them, my daughters are involved in the Tribe Adventure Program, archery, community service, DnD, creative writing, and quiz bowl.)
My son was at the WM Day for Admitted Students this past weekend. He also is OOS from NC and was worried about not being able to meet people. While he was there, he ate lunch at a table with an OOS student from NJ. They hit it off and are thinking about rooming together. They went to another session and started talking with two other nice guys-one from PA and another from GA. It won’t be hard to meet new people. And VA is a big state. There will be students from all over VA who may not know anyone either.
The food I think is ok now and getting better. They are renegotiating the food contract, so hope the improvement will continue. There will be two freshmen dorm complexes that are only air conditioned in the lounges. While not ideal, it’s only an issue for a few weeks out of the school year. I was a student in the 80s where no dorms except for one were air conditioned. It wasn’t a huge issue for us although a few weeks were quite warm.
My son also felt Davidson would be too small for him, and he wasn’t interested in an urban environment. While he hasn’t committed yet, it looks like WM will be the choice.
Davidson is a great school and if you can afford it and you like it best I wouldn’t worry about it being too small. It is right next to Charlotte, the 15th largest city in the country. There is plenty to do in the area.
Congrats on the wonderful choices for the next 4 years! If all options are truly affordable to your family (and also keeping in mind future med school expenses), then I’d say go with your gut!
My son also considered William & Mary and chose Davidson. Davidson was one of the more expensive schools for us but after seeing how he is thriving and how happy he is there, it clearly was the right choice for him. As parents, we’ve been impressed with the college and its singular focus on the student experience. And as a Williams grad, I find that Davidson academically compares favorably to any of the NESCACs (but with much nicer weather!). Like Williams, Davidson has a strong alumni network (aka the Davidson Mafia) that is a great resource for internships and professional opportunities.
The campus itself is lovely, safe and very well integrated with the Town of Davidson. During last year’s Cake Race for first years at the beginning of fall semester, my son was amazed how many Town residents and families had baked cakes (there were several hundred cakes) and came out to cheer the first year class. During basketball season, Town residents come out in force to Belk Arena to support Davidson’s men’s and women’s teams. And with the climate, the 100+ acre Lake Campus w/beach on Lake Norman is a fun resource open to the entire college community for those warm spring days. That said, it is helpful to have a car (or have friends who do). When they want to take a break or get away, my son and his friends often explore greater Charlotte which itself is about 30 minutes away. Also, many students do take advantage and take a semester or two abroad even those who are pre-med. My son just told me that he is beginning to think that 4 years at Davidson is not enough and wishes he could be a student there longer.
Sounds like it’s really down to Davidson and William & Mary.
Both are outstanding academically, so I would choose on (precise) academic fit, as well as the other usual things like cost, environment/setting, vibe, etc.
What a good problem to have!