Hi, I was accepted into GMU Honors and UVA. I don’t know which one to pick! Can someone please name the pros and cons of both?
Help us by telling us what you intend to major in, what your family can afford, what your net costs are at each school, what you want from a college education, how comfortable you are with the size of GMU and its reputation as a commuter school, and anything else that would suggest where you would better “fit.”
That commuter school reputation is old news and out of date. There are several relatively new residential communities on campus at GMU. Be forewarned, however, about GMU’s reputation for financial aid; meager pickins.
It really does depend on what you are looking for in your education. UVA as you know, is well known & prestigious . It will probably look better on a résumé. On the other hand, GMU which started out as a branch of UVA is on the rise. It’s location makes career opportunities & internships much easier to find then most state schools in Va. Are sports important to you? If so, UVA is a better fit because aside from basketball, there isn’t a lot of excitement at GMU. Are you looking for diversity? if so, my vote would go to GMU. If you want a good social life on weekends, UVA has a much bigger party reputation then GMU which has a much smaller number of students living on campus. If all things are equal & you are within driving distance of both schools, head to the campuses, put on your backpack & walk around. Talk to the students & see which school you could imagine yourself living at for four years. My vote is GMU but that’s only because right now there appears to be a 50/50 chance that my money will be going there along with my kid, next fall. 
^What jkeil911 said. How much will they cost and what do you want out of college?
Assuming that you are a Virginian applicant (which seems likely considering you applied to UVA and GMU):
UVA: ~24k
-prestigious and recognized for “public ivy” status
-pretty charming town (but very much a college town)
-HUGE greek presence (and I mean huge; pro or con, depending on you)
GMU: ~25k
-less prestigious
-among the biggest schools in VA (3rd largest– 1st, not counting community college and huge Christian Liberty)
-really (really) close to DC, benefit of internships
-you’ll be really overqualified (i.e., they’ll really want you)
I live about 25 minutes from GMU and I can tell you it’s a pretty (but very large) campus. Nice, new facilities, and in a pretty cool area. You will, however, soon realize that much of Northern Virginia is just a DC suburb, so be prepared for that.
It’s all up to you. Definitely consider the size of the school, the frat influence, and the activities you want to participate in there.