<p>I could see why UVa would be so high on a lot of people's lists. The campus is drop-dead gorgeous, but minus the overly academic feel you get an Ivy. The sports are really good. The kids are really, really friendly and coincidentally also pretty good-looking. The classes are great, especially history, poli sci, etc. and its location in the Mid-Atlantic affords great connections with DC-area firms. The whole thing with secret societies is really fun and mysterious.</p>
<p>When I visited, the vibe was just amazing; kids were out on the lawn tanning, shouting at us in the tour groups to come to UVa, or stopping to talk to us and see what's up. Kids at other schools definitely were not so open with the tour groups...it was really neat. Even forgetting that for OOS it is still cheaper than most of the other schools on that list, UVa is an awesome school, and I would choose it over many of the more "prestigious" options.</p>
<p>You really should look at those colleges and pick the ones <em>you</em> want to go to. You have quite a list of schools to choose from- other people's preferences probably aren't going to make you happy as you would be if you did some research and picked your own.</p>
<p>Where should you go? The place that will provide you four years of experiences in the classroom and out of it to make you look back fondly of your college years as the best in your life. Where that is? up to you. </p>
<p>As I told mine, it's a four year relationship, the first long term anything you'll have. Go where you'll be happy. Everything is easier if your happy. How many kids make choices that don't really fit them and are miserable, which then effects their studies. So even the best university if it's not a good fit, will drag a smart person down.</p>
<ol>
<li>Dartmouth great all-around college experience</li>
<li>Williams: Great sports; everybody looks good in purple; learn to ski.</li>
<li>Brown Ivy, nice size. </li>
<li>VA: Beautiful, nice size (not too big, not too small). Not wild about the colors blue and orange together.</li>
<li>Bowdoin: Unlike most prestigious LACs, it is not dominated by the obnoxious NY/NJ crowd; great location; Maine is cool; Lobster.</li>
<li>Middlebury: Beautiful location; a little bigger than most LACs.; learn to ski.</li>
<li>Amherst: Great LAC, but a little small. UMass coeds are probably easy pickens if you're wearing an Amherst sweatshirt.</li>
<li>Vanderbilt: beautiful, interesting city, mid-sized, Southeast Conference sports...what's not to like?</li>
<li>Cornell: Grade deflation, 20,000 people with a well-at-least-it's-an-IVY chip on their shoulders.</li>
<li>Penn:One of those "It's not dangerous, you just have to be careful" schools; You went to Penn State?</li>
<li>Texas: Good price, good sports, nice town, there are advantages to huge schools that everyone has heard of.</li>
<li>Wash U.: You'll be saying "No, not the one in Seattle" the rest of your life.</li>
</ol>
<p>How are people from MA any better than those from NY/NJ? With the rise of Boston sports teams in the last five years, I find MA people more annoying than ever. </p>
<p>Cornell is only 13,000 UG and it's only the ones on CC would have that type of ship on their shoulder. The people I've met from Cornell could care less about stuff like that. Granted, there was that NYT article on the topic a little while back, so perhaps Cornell has changed since my time.</p>
[quote]
The place that will provide you four years of experiences in the classroom and out of it to make you look back fondly of your college years as the best in your life.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>This notion always bothered me... So it's all downhill after college?? </p>
<p>I spent 10 years in college and grad school and they were wonderful years. But I've had wonderful years since, too. YMMV of course ;)</p>
<p>"This notion always bothered me... So it's all downhill after college?? "</p>
<p>There called "children"... :)</p>
<p>No, of course it's not downhill after college, after 30, after 40 or even 50. It's just a part of your life experiences. IF you don't fondly remember your college years....:(</p>
Go where you'll be happy. Everything is easier if your happy. How many kids make choices that don't really fit them and are miserable, which then effects their studies. So even the best university if it's not a good fit, will drag a smart person down.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Also, worth noting: it's possible to transfer. In fact, it's done a lot these days. So if you end up at the 'wrong fit' it isn't the end of the world. </p>
<p>I transferred after my freshman year and it is one of the best things I ever did :)</p>
<p>"How are people from MA any better than those from NY/NJ?"</p>
<p>Massachusetts people are capable of seeing something outside of their state without voicing their opinion that in NYC there is something that is bigger, faster, better, whaterver. NY/NJ are apparently incapable of this.</p>
<p>Amherst: My school! Great town, fantastic school. I love it here.
Williams: My second choice. Beautiful village, a little too rural for me. Another great school.
Bowdoin: Beautiful location, the food is apparently fantastic.
Brown: I like the open curriculum (afterall, I am going to Amherst!) and Providence is a fun place.
Middlebury: I wouldn't want to be in rural Vermont, but the language programs are apparently fantastic.
Cornell: Too big, isolated, unhappy, but apparently great architecture program and Ithaca is beautiful.
Dartmouth: I hate New Hampshire, hate the frat culture, and strongly dislike a few students there. Still, it's a great school.
Penn: Too big, wouldn't want to be in Philadelphia.
University of Virginia: Seems way too preppy and old-school for me. Again, architecture program is apparently fabulous. I'll consider it for graduate school.
University of Texas: Massive, but Austin is apparently very cool.
Vanderbilt: Waay too preppy and southern.
WashU: St. Louis, Missouri. Blech.</p>