<p>Haha you don’t have to be from NY/NJ and I don’t know who you heard that from but especially if you go to school around Philadelphia if you are from New Jersey you will be relentlessly harassed just for being from Jersey. Also, there may be a lack of parties at Nova, which I find hard to believe but there are so many nearby colleges (USP, Penn, Drexel, Temple, Eastern, Haverford, Bryn Mawr, West Chester) that there will never be a lack of a good time. Also, I know many people who go there as strict atheists and do fine and I don’t think I know any really Irish people. As a religious institute it may be slightly strict but it is only to keep you safe. If you don’t do REALLY stupid things you should be a- okay.</p>
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<p>Wow,… just… wow.</p>
<p>I can’t belive how many people who live near here are dissing SMU. Big disclaimer: my kids didn’t apply, didn’t want to go there, so I have no interest in the school’s rep. But my H’s business hires LOTS of highly qualified SMU kids, I have met all of the interns and new grads and have been uniformly impressed. Smart, articulate, well-prepared men and women.<br>
Any school with a lot of rich kids will get a bad rap. In my day it was USC (University of Spoiled Children). Some of the bad rap will be deserved, most will not. You have to decide.</p>
<p>Im sure both schools have excellent job placement since both are well connected, now it’s primarily down to Philly vs Dallas. And even though many people have assured me that someone like me can fit in, I’m still daunted. I know I can fit in at SMU because I spent a weekend there when I was interviewing for the Hunt Scholarship and the people were really kind and social. I’m sure villanova is like this too though. Ahh this is so tough.</p>
<p>Have you had an overnight at Villanova to see if you feel like you can fit in? I wanted to visit the campus. I am unsure if a nebraska kid can fit in… What are your thoughts?</p>
<p>I might try to arrange an overnight visit. I’m from Hawaii so I have to convince my parents first, but I honestly have no idea what to do now since SMU offered me a full ride. I visited the campus last summer but there was no one there so I couldn’t really see if it was the place for me.</p>
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<p>I’m hoping that the economy will be a lot better when you graduate than it is now, but “a ton of job potential” may be important to you in five years or so. Dallas really is a great place to make a living.</p>
<p>One thing about going to a rich kids’ school is that you meet a lot of rich kids…as in kids whose parents are very well connected, are CEOs of companies you’ve heard of, etc. If you’re going into business, it’s nice if your college friends become wealthy, well-connected contacts.</p>
<p>Oh you’re from Hawaii? Cross Nova out, you would hate the “cold”.</p>
<p>No, I actually don’t mind the cold. I really want a different environment, which is why I crossed Miami (Fl) off my list. It really comes down to fun at this point.</p>
<p>Any other opinions? Can anyone comment on villanovas job placement? Is it mostly Philly? Do some get offers from wall st?</p>
<p>Nova grads are all over, but most of their placement is in NYC and Philly. They certainly have grads on Wall Street, but Nova is not really a target school for Wall Street (neither is SMU). You realize Nova is not actually in Philly, but is in the suburbs, right? Just making sure you know that.</p>
<p>yeah i do, i visited the school last summer. i just say its philly because i dont want to type out suburb of philly. its like boston college’s proximity to boston.</p>
<p>anyways, i haven’t come any closer to making a decision because i haven’t found a dealbreaker. it has basically come down to this: being elite at a good school versus being a normal student at a great school. both have their pros and cons. the only deal breaker i can really find is villanova basketball but i really don’t want that to be the dealbreaker for college haha.</p>
<p>Well Villanova isn’t as close to Philly as Chestnut Hill is to Boston, but it’s still one of the closer suburbs to Philly.
Think about the weather. Our weather in Philly isn’t that bad, but the winters in Texas are much better, although it’s more humid towards the end of the year in Texas.
Sports should definitely be important. Basketball is the sport at Nova. Football is the sport at SMU.
Both are going to have student bodies comprised of private school educated students; Nova from NY, NJ, PA, MA, CT, and SMU from TX and the surrounding states.</p>
<p>basketball is by far my favorite sport, which is why i fell in love with nova in the first place. i wanted a school with a great business program and great basketball program. but on the other hand, SMU has offered me the hunt scholarship, entrance into the university honors program, and entrance into the bba scholars program, while i got deferred EA from nova. i realize nova is the superior school academically, but at SMU, i’d be one of the elite students, while at Nova, i’d just be another average joe. like i definitely think i’d have more opportunities at SMU. but then again, recruiting is limited to Dallas and I want to end up on the east coast after. </p>
<p>other than that, both schools are almost carbon copies of each other in terms of campus and student body, so i can’t really find a deal breaker there.</p>
<p>I think you’re selling yourself short with regards to Nova. Nova is a great school, but it’s not some intellectual mecca akin to nearby Swarthmore. The majority of the kids are smart, hard workers from privileged backgrounds; they’re not rocket scientists, for the most part.</p>
<p>I agree, I would not put it past you being able to be an elite student at Nova. You may be giving the student body a little too much credit. Don’t get me wrong they are overall very smart, but they aren’t all necessarily the most academically competitive at times.</p>
<p>there are few neighborhoods more affluent than that surrounding Villanova, so you’re among a monied crowd at either school.</p>
<p>I agree with those who recommend Villanova unless you prefer to work and live in Texas, which you say your don’t.</p>
<p>Well not too many people from the Villanova area (where I live) go to Villanova, so you’re not going to be around a ton of Philadelphia area people. Mostly NY, NJ, CT, MA.</p>
<p>I am from the Main Line as well and that is true, they want to leave.</p>
<p>What HS are you from?</p>
<p>Great Valley</p>