Go to VCU Engineering WITHOUT debt or UVA Engineering? (Class of 2022)

College Search & Selection
1

Hi all!

I recently got accepted to both VCU Engineering and Honors College with a Provost Scholarship (14k/year). I was also accepted into UVA Engineering with virtually no offers. I’m still waiting on Virginia Tech, UC Berkeley, and Johns Hopkins.

Currently thinking about going to VCU to get my undergrad in chemical and life science engineering and then potentially pursuing grad school afterward? I know UVA is supposedly the better school but people have been telling me undergrad doesn’t really matter and that it’s important to get through it with as little debt as possible. I would go to UVA if I were to stop after getting my bachelor’s but I am really interested in going to grad school to potentially do research. On the other hand, I really enjoy urban life?? Any advice for an aspiring engineer?

Is there anybody out there in a similar position who can share their thoughts? Or has anybody gone through VCU Engineering and can speak for the program?

Thank You!!!

2

Providing information on IS/OOS might help.

3

VCU: great school and scholarship is a huge honor. Undergrad for your discipline doesnt matter. I know the schools well. UVA engineering isnt really anything special. The school is better known for humanities.

4

I’m a Virginia resident and if I went for the VCU I would be only shelling out about 40k for all four years, only about 10k more than for ONE year at UVA.

5

UVA meets full financial need, so if they are not offering any grants, then you likely have a higher EFC.

If you are in-state for Virginia, then UC Berkeley will be very unaffordable.

I believe Johns Hopkins also considers your EFC, so again, if it is high, it will likely be unaffordable as well.

6

Like UVA, VCU is an ABET school for engineering, with ABET accredited engineering schools there is little advantage to attend UVA for $120K and lots of debt. Take VCU with 40K for all 4 years and run. Forget about UCB and JHU, they will even more expensive than UVA.UCB will not give a penny to OOS students.

7

I’m in the same situation and leaning towards VCU. Thanks for the help!

8

If your program at VCU is ABET accredited, you like the urban vibe, ans are in the honors college (which offers nice perks), I’d consider VCU a very strong contender at the very least.
Can you email admissions and honors and ask for an overnight? This way you’d get to attend classes, go to the library and the gym, stay in a dorm, eat the food…
Do the same at VCU. If you didn’t like it, ask the same at UVA (and elsewhere where you got in.)

9

Thank you all for the great advice! This was very helpful!