<p>Hi I am from New Jersey and looking at going to a school in VA. I am trying to get other peoples opinions on schools in VA. I have been asking people from NJ what they think of the schools in VA and here is what they have to say:</p>
<ol>
<li> William and Mary </li>
<li> UVA</li>
<li> Washington and Lee</li>
<li> UofR</li>
<li> JMU</li>
<li> Virginia Tech</li>
<li> Hampton Sydney</li>
</ol>
<p>What do you think of this listing, is it a par with what other people think? The list is based on the perceived reputations of the schools by friends and family.</p>
<p>I want to study business and my list looks like this:</p>
<ol>
<li> UVA</li>
<li> UofR</li>
<li> William and Mary </li>
<li> JMU</li>
<li> Washington and Lee</li>
<li> Virginia Tech </li>
<li> Hampton Sydney</li>
</ol>
<p>This is based on rankings I have seen, with the exception of Washington and Lee but I think its reputation as a school brings it up over Virginia Tech. What do you think of this list? What should move up and what should move down and why?</p>
<p>njcollege, Seeing that you are pretty set on what you want to major in, I think you are wise in looking at the schools based on their strength in business. The overall reputation of schools can be very subjective to geographical tastes/opinions. </p>
<p>Based on what (somewhat limited) information I have about the b-school programs, I would say UVA and UR have the strongest Business schools in the state. My brother majored in business at W&M and found that program to be terrific in terms of preparation for his job(s). I would say VT and JMU are pretty equivalent- I would put them above W&L just for their sizes and potential networking possibilities. Hampden Sydney isn’t in the same league with the others on your list. UVA and WM are very tough to get into OOS and will probably continue to be as more and more Virginia kids are staying in state with the economy. Good luck in your quest!</p>
<p>I agree with what KandKsmom said and would add that you should make a point of visiting all the schools if possible. Sometimes, no matter where a school falls on your “ranking” list, as soon as you walk on campus, you know that’s where you want to be. You are fortunate to have such good schools to choose from - good luck!</p>
<p>As a senior finance major at Virginia Tech, here’s what I’d say: if you want to study accounting or finance, you HAVE to come to VT if you want the best education possible. The accounting program is consistently ranked top 10, and finance consistently in the top 20. Furthermore, the Certified Financial Planner program has been in the TOP 3 nationwide for almost a decade. Both of these programs outrank every other Virginia school by a huge margin.</p>
<p>As a finance major, I’ve already had the opportunity to do internships at 3 Fortune 500 companies and a Big 4 accounting firm, and already have 2 offers for full-time employment waiting for me (with 9 months to find more). And there are a TON of my peers that are far better students, with significantly better opportunities than mine.</p>
<p>If you’re looking to focus on another aspect of business (marketing, management, IT, etc.) than I might recommend that you consider other schools as well. Certainly in those non-financial fields UVA and U of R will likely give you a better education, but I would argue that Virginia Tech should place at least 3rd on your list for those majors.</p>
<p>Hope that helps.</p>