<p>caseyatbat-</p>
<p>How far is the closest airport??? Not that I think that would sway my son's decision if he were accepted</p>
<p>jjcddg - the cville airport isn't too far away, 10 minutes would be my guess. The problem is that they don't have too many flights and the prices are usually more expensive. Richmond is a little over an hour away so that is one option. Lastly when your son makes friends at UVA many will be from northern VA. I know lots of people that take friends up to Dulles airport and that would get you anywhere.</p>
<p>We also have an amtrak station close by that many living in the northeast will take.</p>
<p>powderpuff, i agree with you thoughts about uva and unc. I would be so thrilled if my s got accepted to uva. so many times the people on the unc thread get very rude and angry if you say anything bad about unc so it is hard to get a true and real pic of it. this thread is so open and honest. it is just like all of va. i personally think that uva is the best public university out there. I too like that there are so many oos students and feel strongly that a degree from uva takes you more places after college. I also think that degree is a leaping stone to grad school. I want him to get accepted to uva more than any other school that he applied to....even more than an ivy!</p>
<p>My son got accepted last year to both UVa and Vandy plus a few others. Even though no scholly dollars from either, we had saved properly so he had his choice of schools without economic considerations. He was from Atl. and he chose Vandy. His reasons were as follows.
1: More Kids were just like him, in that all kids have the same SAT scores.
I believe it is a more of a public vs a private situation.
2: Student body was more diverse, not all from say Va. thus less friendships
that had already been made before attending School. At Vandy their were
1000 different HS represented out of 1600 students.
3: Smaller school thus more personalized attention. My son had one on one
lunches with all of his profs during his first semester. And smaller classes.
4: Vandy is in a larger city thus more things to do.
5: Vandy was more service oriented. </p>
<p>Those were his reasons for chosing somewhere other than UVa. But UVa was his second choice over full rides to both VaTech and Auburn. He is a biomedical engineering major with the idea of going to Med School when he graduates.</p>
<p>Got into UNC in-state. not worth the extra $ for me.</p>
<p>--C'ville is too small or too big
--Food isn't that special (i'd say B-), and every review book gives it a D+
--Some say dorms suck, and even though they're not bad, they're not special (although the new New Dorms will alleviate some of this, as they're air conditioned, hall style, and have elevators)
--capped academic programs (BmE, SyE)
--New Cabell Hall: one look and even us students go running! Jk
--the construction...I heard a HS kid on a tour today mention that it really makes everything feel crunched and too many loud noises on what should be a beautiful, peaceful campus
-slightly pretentious attitude that generally creeps up on most students without them knowing. Phrases like "The Lawn", "___-years", TJ references, etc, are normal to us, but they confuse some people and make them think we think we're too cool for the normal college terms.</p>
<p>"Maybe you want to major in Quantitative Finance as an undergrad. So you can get a real job on wall street instead of being an analyst and hoping you move up in the company."</p>
<p>Not many people can get jobs in private equity or hedge fund out of undergraduate.</p>
<p>
[quote]
the construction
[/quote]
</p>
<p>There has been construction on every college campus that i visited. I don't think this is anything unique to UVA. Construction is definitely there at UNC.</p>
<p>At most schools it seems like they finish one project, and move to the next. Something I plan on getting used to, but I think that the renovations and new buildings are something to be happy about, not a good reason to not want to attend a school.</p>
<p>Here's another one
--On-grounds housing for upperclassmen pretty much sucks, almost all are off by third year, and off-grounds housing can be reaalllyyy expensive (i'm sucking wind at grandmarc next year, but totally excited)</p>
<p>Grandmarc is really pricey, but pretty decent except for the continuing construction and parking problems for those who aren't residents. They've done a lot of towing ovwer there lately also. Make sure you test your cell phone reception over there as well. Not all networks operate in their buildings.</p>
<p>I got nearly a full ride at an LAC I really like--plus it's near (12 miles away) a larger city with tons to do and a major airport, small classes--no TA's, and beautiful weather and new (built 2007) dorms. It's going to be hard to turn that down, even for UVa.</p>
<p>Aren't the "Bad Dorms" a reason to go to UVa. I mean different people have differing opinions on them. I think that the old dorms have a lot of history (the ones on the lawn), and it would be cool to live in them.</p>
<p>Listen, enough with the dorm stuff already. I've been to a lot of different schools. UVa's dorms are average--I would say just as good if not better than most schools of its size and larger, and worse than many smaller schools I've been to. If you come to UVa, expect cinder block walls, coed by floor or by suite, single sex communal bathrooms, and that 12" by 12" tile on the floors that lots of high schools had on their floors. Believe me, based on where some kids live AFTER they get out of dorms (read: the overwhelming majority of frat houses) the dorms are pretty nice. The dorms aren't a reason not to come.</p>
<p>As for the rooms on the lawn, I'm sure they are much less appealing the first time you have to take a twozie and its either 2 degrees outside or raining.</p>
<p>I totally agree on the dorm thing. But, it's still an issue, somehow, with incoming kids. I didn't give a hoot about dorms when I was entering college, as I figured if it was a roof over my head, clean, and well-maintained, I didn't care. But with colleges building new, huge, nice and shiny and squeaky dorms, students are looking more at differences, and it might just add a tidbit to one school over another. Frankly, I wish I could have lived in Old Dorms. And, I happen to like Lambeth for this year, it's doing me well. But housing I think is becoming an influence, and it's important to point out some may not like the housing at UVA. I know plenty of people who curse about it now, and I know plenty who say "eh, whatever i'm fine". Some just always want bigger and better, but some say "hey, it's college, woot!" and make do.</p>
<p>What another major state U is doing about old dorms.</p>
<p>Education</a> | UW has a huge plan for housing | Seattle Times Newspaper</p>
<p>i think some people just "don't get it"...about what UVA is! bad dorms, not an ivy....then they shouldn't be applying. perhaps they don't deserve to be there.</p>
<p>Some people on this blog are so defensive lol!</p>
<p>This is a message board, not a blog, guillaume. Big difference.</p>
<p>Ooops! I'm too old to know the difference, I guess. I stand corrected.</p>
<p>The only reason I could see not to attend UVA is the money! But really that is the case with most colleges when not offered scholarships or financial aid...</p>
<p>So has anyone had any luck with scholarships? My guidance office has a bunch and I have applied for several but have been rejected! It is frustrating because I really need the money. Let's hope the financial aid packages are nice :-/</p>