<p>This is my first post in these forums. I'm from Boise, ID and have been accepted to 3 schools in 3 very different locations. I am having much difficulty in deciding which school to attend. My main beef is that I have visited all 3 schools and I feel like I would not fit into any of the schools, for everybody seemed to be the preppy abercrombie and polo types with shaggy hair driving mommy and daddys SUV's and BMW's. Seriously. The amount of money I saw at these schools was sickening. However, I am going to attend one of the schools, but I cannot decide which one. I am leaning towards Michigan because I got the best scholarship package at that school and Ann Arbor was a really neat town; however, I loved Austin- all the hills, lakes, nice weather, team sports, and 6th street. Oh yeah, did I mention 6th street. As for Virginia, I have 2 friends who are going to be attending their so I am kind of being persuaded to go their; but, then again I don't want college to be high school all over again. </p>
<p>This all sounds so silly, but I am sure somebody on here has good advice.</p>
<p>For every kid driving an SUV another is waitressing at a 6th St club or on the Corner in Cville or State Street in AA. All those schools have the broadest range of students imaginable. Any of those is a good choice. For undergrad I might favor UVa a little.</p>
<p>You have a great choice of schools. They ARE very different. If I were you I would pick between Texas and Michigan. If your financial package is better at Michigan, that could seal the deal. One of the parents on this board raised some concerns about UVA (she is a grad) and I think the other two schools might be better right now. I am a Texan, and Austin is an awesome place. Michigan has the academic edge, though.</p>
<p>I definitely wouldn't say UT is "filled" with A&F types. Many many many people from my school go there, and many aren't of that type. There are 40,000+ people there. You'll find your niche for sure. Plus, it's a great school in a great city. So is UMich, but I like UT better so I'm biased ;) UVa's a great school too. Very pretty. But I'd go with UT just for the awesome experience of living in Austin. Rock.</p>
<p>I would go to UVa--it's a fantastic school with an amazingly beautiful campus. But all three schools are fantastic.
Not all students who go to those schools have SUV's or BMWs or cars at all! At schools with so many people you WILL be able to find a crowd that you fit into.</p>
<p>i went to UVA and have a son there now....has all types as do Texas and Michigan...since you've have seen them all go with your gut instinct. Money will not be an issue in the long run.</p>
<p>All three are very large schools. You will find a crowd to fit in with fairly quickly. I am sure that all three colleges have at least one, and maybe dozens, of student clubs or organizations, religious or political action groups, that will have people that you will find agreeable.</p>
<p>And by the way, it might not be such a bad thing for you to make some friends outside of your comfort zone. I know that this is hard to believe, but people are not always defined by their cars.</p>
<p>I'm surprised at those who say Texas; although it is a very good school, it's probably not even the best school in Texas. Moreover, with Texas now having to accept everybody in the 10th decile in Texas, I would be very concerned about where Texas is headed academically.</p>
<p>Virginia is a great school, with a great history and academics. It's located in a beautiful area; but Michigan is the obvious choice amongst these three if you are not in-state at the other two.</p>
<p>1-Michigan
2-Virginia (a close 2nd)</p>
<p>Texas a distant third (although it is a very good school, its no Michigan or Virginia). 40,000+ whew</p>
<p>I'd like to congratulate you on getting into three fine schools that are pretty selective with their non-resident admissions! A nice feather in your cap.</p>
<p>I'm here at Michigan and am very familiar with UVa. I know both student bodies look affluent but as someone else said, there are plenty of students of more modest means. They just don't stand out as much on a brief visit. You will find a niche at any of these schools--they are each large enough to accommodate a lot of different kinds of students.</p>
<p>I'm kind of sentimental about the Idaho people who were in my grad program here at Michigan, so I want you to come here, but what kind of reason is that? LOL</p>
<p>That's a toughy! All three offer great undergraduate experiences. Ann Arbor, Austin and Charlottesville are, in my opinion, 3 of the top 10 college towns in the country. School spirit is strong at all three schools and the students are lively and diverse on all three campuses. You will have a tough decision to make. What do you want to major in?</p>
<p>Hi:
Please don't be put off by the segment of khaki wearing preppy looking kids at UVa. There may be some traditional students there but that is why you are invited in...to stir things up and make everything more representative of America. REALLY there is diversity in Charlottesville. The size of UVa is more intimate than the others. The town of Charlottesville is rolling hills gorgeous and OUTSIDE magazine named it the number two college town right behind Boulder. If this is your style..eclectic, arty, and you want the beauty of the Albemarle area there to sooth your eye for four years and you don't want to be in an Urban setting...then consider UVa. The weather and manner of the people are gentle. If you want one-third of the student body to be from all over the USA pick UVa...and keep in mind that those kids (that means You) are the cream of the crop in test scores and what makes UVa more interesting for the rest of the gentler SW Virginians and the uber super students of Northern (NOVA) and heavily populated coastal Virginia. Ann Arbor has a lot to offer as a college town but sunshine and gentle winters is not on their asset list. Sun is good for one's mental health. UVa feels like a private college even with the size of the student body because of its historic campus and charms for the eye.<br>
I do agree that you have three wonderful options. Best wishes when you make up your mind. Give your heart to your school is always my mantra, and you will be surprised at what riches in friendship and learning comes back to you.</p>
<p>Faline, Michigan and UVA are almost identical in what you are saying. Both have private school feel thanks to their huge endowments, old and traditional campuses, talented student bodies and out-of-state populations (35% of Michigan undergrads also come from out-of-state). And Ann Arbor is as charming as Charlottesville and its Midwestern warmth and hospitality is certainly hard to match. But I think the OPO realizes that all three schools have great things to offer. I do not think it is going to be easy to decide.</p>
<p>One thing you might consider is where you want to live afterwards. Michigan and UVA will be tickets to the east coast, whereas UT will more likely keep you in Texas if you get a job after graduation instead of going to grad school.</p>
<p>...depending on what you major in. I know McCombs Business, for one, has excellent placement into some of the nation's top corporations. The schools of communications and architecture are also well known through the country.</p>
<p>And UT is certainly not going downhill academically. If anything, it's going uphill. It continues to attract some of the nation's brightest students, if the Honors Colloquium I attended there this past summer is any indication of what the applicant pool is like. It has excellent professors, great resources in the booming city of Austin, and an energetic and enthusiastic student body that contribute to an amazing undergraduate experience. True, it's not considered to be the overall best school in TX (Rice gets that honor), but it certainly is a strong second.</p>
<p>Also, its not just about where you will find a job. Most of your friends will be likely to situate themselves around areas where they graduate. That means primarily Texas or Southwest for UT, Chicago or East Coast for Michigan, or DC and East Coast for UVA.</p>
<p>Oh yeah, that's definitely true. But that's not to say that you're necessarily limited to those areas. A degree from any of those schools carries weight throughout the country (although its strength fluctuates as you move away from their respective locations).</p>
<p>Alexandre makes a good point from my experience. Midwesterners are very hospitable and warm, although I have never personally seen the famous college town of Ann Arbor. And Austin is exciting, in the way that a city that I have lived in, Atlanta, is always new, young and exciting. Sometimes I think the many charms of Atlanta overwhelmed student intimacy and cohesion on campus at Emory and Georgia Tech. Three unique campuses.<br>
You can't make a bad decision here. Perhaps others are correctly pointing you to look closely at your potential major and weigh department offerings/standings as key. Good luck!</p>
<p>Can we assume that you are a candidate for Echols or Rodman Scholar at UVA? I didn't think anyone else has heard from UVA without that distinction.</p>