Neuroscience at Pittsburgh or UVA?

<p>Trying to decide between these two school. I am already in the program at University of Pittsburgh and in the honors program. I would have to apply to the program at the University of Virginia as a rising junior but I am pretty sure that I can get in. Opinions on where the go?</p>

<p>What is the cost differential between these two schools. I don’t know that much about UVA, but Pitt would be a great place for neuroscience. It just depends on the money.</p>

<p>They are both going to be relatively the same for me. Virginia will meet my financial need so I am not too worried about there. Right now I am estimating that Pitt will be the same but I may get another scholarship to Pitt that would dramatically reduce the cost. I am worried though that if I don’t get this scholarship that the cost of Pitt will rise from year to year and will be too expensive</p>

<p>In my experience, over the last three years, Pitt’s costs have not increased significantly. This year, the governor of PA asked all state institutions, and Pitt is a state related institution, to keep tuition costs down for students.</p>

<p>When will you find out about the additional scholarship to Pitt?</p>

<p>I think beginning of April because it is an outside scholarship. They told me that if I got it that I would have to accept it by the fourteenth</p>

<p>Maybe what you want to do is wait to find out if you receive the outside scholarship. But in terms of a good program, you can’t go wrong with Pitt.</p>

<p>Have you visited both? Which campus felt like the better fit?</p>

<p>I have but did not take an official tour of either. I liked them both but they re very different in terms of setting so it is very hard to compare.</p>

<p>Yes, the settings are very different. I like them both for different reasons. UVA has more of a campus, Pitt is more a part of the city. You can’t go wrong with either choice.</p>

<p>UVA doesn’t really have undergrad neuroscience in a traditional sense.</p>

<p>It has a very limited program that only admits 25 students per year from the student body and it is brand new. That means it has little dedicated faculty and [very</a> few dedicated courses](<a href=“http://faculty.virginia.edu/neuroscience/currentcourses.html]very”>http://faculty.virginia.edu/neuroscience/currentcourses.html). Compare that to Pitt’s [undergrad</a> department](<a href=“http://www.neuroscience.pitt.edu/programs/undergraduate/]undergrad”>Undergraduate | Neuroscience | University of Pittsburgh).</p>

<p>In contrast, Pitt’s undergrad neuroscience department (not just a program, but a full fledged academic department) is one of the oldest and largest in the country. It has a plethora of dedicated faculty and courses to choose from. And the university itself has one of the largest neuroscience communities in the world which means you have way more variety and opportunity to get seriously involved in a research project that interests you. Simply put it absolutely one of the best undergrad neuroscience programs that exist.</p>

<p>No doubt, UVA is a great school, but if you are serious about Neuroscience at the undergrad level (not that UVA doesn’t have a good grad level program), Pitt is the choice here and it isn’t even remotely close.</p>

<p>And I will disclose that I have my PhD in Neuroscience, but not from Pitt.</p>