<p>I didn't go by admit rate, I went by average stats of those accepted. In Northern Virginia, William and Mary gets students with lower stats then University of Virginia based upon a large sampling.</p>
<p>The average William and Mary accepted student has a 3.9 and roughly a 1350 SAT score. The average University of Virginia student has a 4.0 average and roughly a 1360 SAT score. The difference is very small, but still higher for University of Virginia. This is based from over 160 students. Really there isn't much difference at all.</p>
<p>Also at least in Northern Virginia, college place quotas on each school. This means they will only accept the top x applicants at your school. If a lot of students want to go to William and Mary, its easier to get into UVA. If a majority want UVA, then its easier to get into William and Mary. I know at my school, UVA is the top choice. Therefore the average William and Mary student from my school went there as their second choice.</p>
<p>I think it is so interesting to read the opinions that different people have after they visit prospective schools. The opinions can be as different as night and day! That is why I feel it is so important for these high school students to actually set foot on the campuses and not go by what others think of them. </p>
<p>pats4life, I hope you get into UVA because that seems like it is the place you want to go the most. I disagree with you about VT, though, and hope that people reading this thread do their homework about its admissions criteria and visit it to see the campus (which we think is breathtakingly beautiful :)) for themselves. First of all, the comment: </p>
<p>"it's a joke university..we call it a safety school and everyone knows that around here... </p>
<p>Around here (our part of Va), VT has been the top choice for applications from the last three graduating senior classes (that fact is from our guidance dept.) with JMU coming right in behind at #2. It is far from being considered a "safety". Our brightest graduates matriculate there. Really, with the numbers of graduating kids this June, not many colleges can be considered a "safe" thing, but with these numbers, I don't see how you can call it a "joke university" or a safety: </p>
<p>(from VT's website) </p>
<p>Fall 2007 Freshman Offers at a Glance
Average GPA: 3.82
Mid-50% GPA*: 3.574.04</p>
<p>Average SAT: 1229</p>
<p>I think we are so fortunate in VA to have such great schools; they all have their strengths and qualities that appeal to different people in different ways. Good luck with your admittance.</p>
<p>Wow! you used approximate numbers from a whole 160 people!? You should get the Nobel prize for statistics. Swish is right, W&M has a lower admit rate and higher test scores based on THOUSANDS of applicants and it has been this way for years. </p>
<p>Of course it is a purely academic arguement since the spread is miniscule. Both are great schools that have different missions and strengths/weaknesses. The state is lucky to have arguably the best research public school and the best small, LAC, public school in America. People should decide on the two schools based on numerous other issues. Some kids are great for W&M and would hate UVa and vice versa. Nevertheless your math is supsect and conclusions are in error.</p>
<p>Nice response. As Dean J consistently states there is no quota for any school or region of the state. This is just a NOVA urban myth b/c they cant believe anyone in Danville or Petersburg could possibly be as smart as they are.</p>
<p>Yes, because your guesstimate must be more accurate then any actual data someone could possibly use. You haven't even stated where you are getting your information.</p>
<p>Admit rate means ABSOLUTELY nothing, because it does not matter how many apply. There are only so many slots in each school. If more apply to William and Mary, good for them. Doesn't mean they have better students overall.</p>
<p>The reason I only used the 160 was because it was right in front of me and I didn't care enough to look them up further. I just looked at the common data set for both schools and its a whole 10 points difference at the 75th percentile. Yes, I'm sure thats enough of a reason to act like you did, a whole 10 points at the 75th percentile. You caught me, didn't you! Also William and Mary didn't released their writing scores, and UVA didn't released the ACT scores. So even that data is inconclusive because its possible the UVA students averaged one whole question on the writing portion of the SAT more then the William and Mary kids. Its also possible this is just a difference in rounding.</p>
<p>Deans also say that there is no stats difference between northern Virginian students and southern Virginian students, but sadly if someone looks into it there is a noticeable difference. If they were to say there was a difference there would be all sorts of drama over it. Just because they say its such a way, does not make it any less or more a possibility. How else are they supposed to ensure they have geographic diversity within their own state?</p>
<p>Sure, go ahead and say I'm wrong. I don't care. Honestly. I'm not even considering going to school in state anymore so it doesn't affect me at all.</p>
<p>Kmom-----those stats are 100% off course for UVA and William and Mary and Virginia Tech
anyone who thinks that Tech's average GPA and SAT's scores are that high are crazy....</p>
<p>My list goes....w/ and w/o privates
UVa
William and Mary
Mary Washington
JMU
Piedmont Virginia Community College----haha not really, but that's how I feel
Tech</p>
<p>UVa
William and Mary
Washington and Lee
Richmond University
Mary Washington
JMU
Tech</p>
<p>Call me crazy then :).....I just cut and pasted from their website the stats from last year's incoming freshmen.....</p>
<p>Great academics, great kids, great school spirit...VT is the whole package and is a tremendous Virginia university. Again, I really, really hope you get into UVA! Good luck.</p>
<p>thanks for the good luck!! I appreciate...but there isn't too much going on at Virginia Tech! It's basically in the middle of no where and yes they are a good school compared to other schools in the nation, but not better than UVA, William and Mary, Richmond, Mary Washington, or JMU...</p>
<p>I just felt like I had to add my $.02. I'm a UVA alum, as is one of my siblings. Another of my siblings went to VT. VT certainly has undergraduate departments that rival UVA's, including many of their engineering departments. It is an extremely strong school academically with a loyal student body. I find it telling that my son, currently a high school senior, hasn't spoken to one kid who isn't totally happy at VT. As another Charlottesville resident, let me just say that nobody who lives here (with a level of maturity beyond "teenager") hates VT. There is a healthy, long-standing rivalry between the two schools, but no group showed a greater outpouring of love and support after last April's tragedy than the students, administration, and alumni of UVA. If you're looking for a large state school with loyal students who passionately support their institutions, both UVA and VT are worth a look.</p>
<p>"Virginia Tech ranked 29th among national public universities and 71st among all national universities.[4] Its College of Engineering undergraduate program was ranked 8th among public engineering schools and 14th in the nation among all accredited engineering schools that offer doctorates. Seven different undergraduate programs in the College of Engineering are ranked in the top 20 among peer programs nationally - the industrial engineering program is ranked 9th; engineering science and mechanics, 8th; civil engineering, 11th; environmental engineering, 14th; mechanical engineering, 14th; aerospace engineering, 14th; and electrical engineering, 17th. Its Pamplin College of Business undergraduate program is ranked 24th among the nation's public institutions and 41st overall.[5] The architecture and landscape architecture programs in Virginia Tech's College of Architecture and Urban Studies are ranked among the very best in America. In its 2008 report, DesignIntelligence (the only national college ranking survey focused exclusively on design) ranked the undergraduate architecture program 1st nationally among both public and private universities. The graduate architecture program ranked 5th in the nation and 1st among public universities.[6] In its 2007 report, DesignIntelligence ranked the university’s undergraduate and graduate interior design programs 7th and 5th respectively.[7]</p>
<p>Programs in the College of Natural Resources consistently rank among the top of their type in the nation. The college's wildlife program is ranked first by its peers, and the fisheries program is ranked second. In a recently published study of the research impact of North American forestry programs, the Journal of Forestry ranked Virginia Tech's programs second on the perceptions-based composite score and third on the citations- and publications-based index."</p>
<p>WOW!!! That's great...but their engineering school is so different than UVA's..They rank them for Technical Engineering. UVa engineering students have a much better business background and make a **** load of more money...It's not even a comparison in overall school</p>
<p>I just went on a tour of the science facilities, which are recently built, so here's my input on that front.<br>
Their science equipment and buildings are impressive for the size of university that they are, especially because their size means that these are open to undergraduates, which isn't the case even at UVA, where the expensive equipment is reserved for graduate students and research faculty (I also work in a UVA lab). GMU, on the other hand, didn't even have that level of equipment. Science majors are treated very well. One caveat: the science buildings are distanced from the others because they are new.<br>
The old buildings are also very nice. THe bluestone ones in particular are pretty. </p>
<p>Given the choice between JMU and UVA, prices being equal, I'd lean heavily JMU for science. Partly because of what I've said already, and partly because UVA is full of cliques, rather preppy, and does not have a defined campus hardly at all...it's mixed in with Charlottesville. UVA might have a better science reputation, but keep in mind that it has graduate statistics skewing the picture. </p>
<p>On the downside with JMU, I really disagree with their course requirements. </p>
<p>In general, VA state schools are awesome. JMU is no exception.</p>
<p>you might want to research a bit more pats because the school you attend does not have that much of an effect on what kind of job you get or how much money you make. NASA yes NASA has hired two friends of mine who graduated from mechanical engineering at VT.Obviously they're doing something right.</p>
<p>Hi, I am going to JMU this upcoming fall. I also got accepted to VT, GMU and UMW. I live in N. VA and schools in order of their difficulty to get in are: </p>
<p>W & M
UVA
VT
JMU
UMW</p>
<p>I liked VT but as I am going into the teaching field, JMU had a better program. I know several people who choose VT over UVA b/c VT had the better program for what they wanted to study.
I didn't like how small UMW was and GMU was too close to home. I also applied to UVA but didn't get in. :( </p>
<p>Either way, most every public or private school in VA are great schools and really you need to make the decision on a school based on many different aspects!</p>
<p>I don't want everyone yelling at me for saying this, but just my two cents here...</p>
<p>Does it really matter where each school ranks? All of the schools listed here are good schools. Sure, UVA and WM may be harder schools to get in to and have a more difficult curriculum. But why go to UVA or WM (even if you are extremely intelligent, college life can be difficult for some) and get a sub par or just par GPA when you could go to VT, JMU, or UMW and excel. Also, within a few years, I'm sure statistics will show that most college grads are making about equivelant salaries (from these schools at least). Of course beginning salaries may vary (mainly due to luck), but after a few years, they will all even out. </p>
<p>I agree with Taysel!
I turned down UVa, VT, UNC, and others for that very reason- I knew I could go to JMU and have a phenomenal GPA and be one of the top students or go to UVa and be another smart UVa student.</p>
<p>JMU also has very strong undergraduate research opportunities in the sciences, as opposed to UVa, where graduate students get most of the research. And, they are really pushing new science facilities- the new CISAT library will open beginning this next year and I believe they were approved to build a new biology building. Not to mention the fact that SRI is sharing the biology building with the faculty and will leave behind all the scientific instruments they use as payment for JMU letting them use campus while SRI headquarters is being built.</p>
<p>I didn't get into UVA but if I had, I would have had a tough decision to make...Like VT is not known for its education program, JMU is and UVA has a good program but over all I've heard better things about JMU's program than UVA's. However, if I was majoring in engineering I would have gone to Tech but of their great reputation in engineering!</p>
<p>Like I said before, you need to find the college where you feel most at home and the one that fits your needs the best.</p>