<p>I’m dying to get my decision over…
UVa vs. Univ. of Michigan.
I know both are great schools, but it seems like UVa
has a bit more name value and reputation, as the 2nd best
public school.
But I cant ignore Ann Arbor’s great science department and
its great alumni network too.
Here are the things i value</p>
<li>GOOD GUIDANCE** in college through graduate. (basically
a school that sends me to good medical school*)</li>
<li>good name value/reputation</li>
<li>Some number of Korean students?
(I know U-M has a bunch of Koreans, but how about UVa? Are
there some* Koreans at UVa? I personally think 50 or 200 is the same,
both huge)</li>
</ol>
<p>So…where should I go? Dean J, I would appreciate so much if u could
give a little comment…</p>
<p>I'm facing the exact same dilemma. Well, between the schools at least. I'm planning on doing business so Ross and McIntire are both amazing options. Ulitimately I hope to come back to the midwest so Michigan wins there, but UVA's campus is amazing and the atmosphere seems like it would fit me better. I guess it's not a bad problem to have, though. Choosing between two great schools, that is.</p>
<p>I'd go to UVA if I were you. Of course I'm biased. Although U of M is a great school, it is too large IMO. I, personally, do not consider it as prestigious as UVA however, please don't take offense. I didn't even apply to U of M due to it's size, the cold weather, lack of geographic interest. Also, I found the campus to be only so-so in beauty. Sorry, but Michigan did not appeal to me at all.</p>
<p>If you are just considering undergraduate education, I would say UVa.
As someone already mentioned, size matters here. At UMich you can easily be lost, while UVa is more personal and easier access to professors.
Weather can also be another factor, warm vs cold... well I mean, in general.
Surrounding area near C'ville is so nice with rolling hills and mountains, beaches are couple hours away, DC is two hours to the north, and etc.
UMich is a great school, make no mistake about it, with great sports teams and all that, and it has many strong graduate programs. But if you like rather cozy, friendly, personal, semi-private like atmosphere, UVa has 'em all.</p>
<p>PS: UVa has quite a large number of Korean student population due to many IS students from NOVA where huge Korean immigrant presence there.</p>
<p>Hey, I'll assume you're Korean based on your question.
I'm also Korean and I was in pretty much same position as you are.
In my case, engineering with pre-med(you seem to be considering science with pre-med).</p>
<p>So... I'll answer your question as far as my knowledge reaches.
1. medical school: I do not know how good either's pre-med is, but it seems UVa's premed has higher medical school acceptance rate. (UVa: 67%, UM: 50%). So I guess you can think that UVa would be better for medical school.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>In Korea, and to Korean who live in Korea, UMich seems to have higher name value. Of course, i'm pretty sure large companies or universities are well aware of UVa's prestige. On the other hand, in engineering(not sure about science), most Koreans think UMich's is better. But in US, UVa is considered more prestigious. I mean many people actually turn ivies down and come to UVa.</p></li>
<li><p>UMich has really strong and large korean alumni especially in engineering. However, there are still many koreans in UVa, and there are few korean clubs and numerous asian clubs. But, most koreans at UVa are supposedly Korean American.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>These info are what i picked up in last month or so trying to decide which university to attend. So yeah,,, I did pick UVa and already sent the deposit.
(although it was pretty much no brainer since I got into rodman program).</p>
<p>There are few things i'd really like to mention. As others above mentioned before, the weather is one of important factor you should consider. I've never been in michigan, but I've lived in Quebec, Canada for last four years. I thought I liked cold weather, but cold weather could be really irritating and somewhat depressing. The other thing is... you should consider where you are gonna work or pursue your graduate studies. If you are going back Korea, I would pick UMich since there are many Umich alumni in Korea. However, if you are gonna stay in US, come to UVa.</p>
<p>Why do you want to hang out with Koreans when you are in America? If you want to hang out with Koreans, I think studying in South Korea would be a better idea. Then you don't have to deal with those weird-looking white and black kids. (sarcasm)</p>
<p>I think it's more important that people are understanding and accepting of other races than there simply being more people of your own race. International students who only have friends of their own race and only speak English when they have to are just as bad as intolerant American racists.</p>
<p>vincent: I totally agree with you. On the other hand, it seems Maniac is looking for Korean alumni rather than korean friends. As a Korean, I understands his dilema because most international students from korea come to study in US to get better job back in Korea. Therefore, availability of korean alumni who actually live in korea is pretty important for them.</p>
<p>dreamer: I founds those stats from their websites. You can find them at pre-professional sections I guess... although just believe me that those stats are from their websites although I kinda agree with powderpuff that "these kinds of stats are not really what they may appear to be on the surface. "</p>
<p>Yeah, I do agree that these kinds of stats aren't exactly profound or, for that matter, reliable in many cases. But in deciding among schools, it's an additional factor I'd like to at least look at. Thanks for the link!</p>
<p>UMich is about 25% Asian, much higher than UVa</p>
<p>UM has more internationally "prestige," to use your words.</p>
<p>UVa has more historical "prestige"</p>
<p>Don't go by USNWR rankings (which is where you got the #2 from?)....to say there is a difference academically between Michigan and Virginia is to say Harvard is more prestigious than Yale. It's all relative. For powderpuff, for example, UVA was the perfect fit bc the size was more tailored to her needs. Others will prefer a school where Greek life isn't as prevalent. Many science majors will prefer UM because is is more highly acclaimed than UVa in the research fields, and is known as an academic powerhouse in that area. Likewise, UVa has the edge in the humanities and social sciences.</p>
<p>Both are great schools. Go with your gut feeling, that's normally a good measure. And if all else fails, pick a bright and shiny quarter to flip ;)</p>
<p>You just can't expect to find a good job in Korea with Bachelor's degree from any school. You can only go so far with UG degree. If you really want to succeed and get a social status there, you will need an advanced degree, PhD preferably. One of the reasons why UMich is well known there is due to its many Korean alumni mostly from engineering and science field. They are mostly who went to UMich for graduate degrees and came back to Korea to get high-class positions either in industries or in academia. You can't get these jobs with just Bachelor's. </p>
<p>If you are ever thinking of going back to Korea for your career, then do this: go to UVa for your UG education and good college experience, and get your graduate degree(s) if you can, PhD I recommend, at a better-known school (in Korea) such as Stanford, MIT, UCBerkeley, UMich, UTA, an Ivy, or UCLA.</p>