<p>As an undecided major, I'm really torn at this point about which school to choose.</p>
<p>I really love the feel of UCLA, especially how it is a big school with a lot of different people and a lot of opportunities. It would also be a good distance away from home, close but not too close. I also got into the Honors Program, though I'm not sure how much weight this has.</p>
<p>But, my parents are really pressuring me to go to UVa, especially because I got in as an Echols Scholar and they think it is more prestigious. Even though I would be an OOS student there, the tuition there would be only a bit more expensive because of financial aid. I do like a lot of things about that school and trying something completely new, but I'm just a little concerned that it would be a major transition to make to living in a smaller city in the South.</p>
<p>Can anyone give me reasons to help convince my parents that UCLA is just as prestigious and as UVa? Or should I make the big transition and see what happens?</p>
<p>Virginia is hardly the "South", just so you know. Charlottesville is a nice place if you've never been there...though i guess not comparable to Westwood in the college student-friendliness department.</p>
<p>PhD, your link is so misleading.
**
It ranks DOCTORATE programs from 1993. **</p>
<p>"In 1993, the National Research Council studied universities granting doctorates in each of the following 41 areas."</p>
<p>So tinydancer, I wouldn't show that list to my parents; if they looked it up and found that I was provided them data that was 15 years old, they would think I'm stupid.</p>
<p>EDIT:
Someone else pointed out the flaws with your link about a month ago so you can't claim that you didn't know it was based on PEER evaluations in 1993.</p>
<p>The NRC rankings are not misleading. Those who say this have no clue about how university rankings should be done. Of course in the world of instant gratification, yearly rankings are great money makers for news rags. Faculty turnover rates are not high at all. It takes 5 years to get tenure and tenure track positions are at a premium. Many professors stay more than a decade at campuses and once a program is highly ranked the departments do everything they can maintain their levels. So exactly what would be the basis for year to year change for majors? Answer: there is none. When the NRC ranking come out again this fall, THAT is what is going to matter to people in our profession, not those from some profit rag like US News.</p>
<p>Personally, I'd go to UVa. It seems like there's an amazing history there. I mean, it was founded by Thomas Jefferson, how can you beat that(except maybe UPenn).</p>
<p>Pros for UCLA:
-UVA is heavily Greek-oriented, and was way preppier than what I was used to.
-I'd be paying in-state tuition at UCLA vs OOS tuition at UVA
-UCLA has a wider array of majors
-The weather is better at UCLA
-There is MUCH more diversity at UCLA, and I felt that people were more open to that at UCLA than UVA
-I love sports, and UCLA is the #1 sports school in the country
-less racial tension (there's debate about this on the UVA boards; how big a problem it is depends on who you ask, but the fact that the debate exists at all was a concern of mine).
-15% Greek as opposed to 30% at UVA; felt this was a good, but not overwhelming amount at UCLA</p>
<p>Pros for UVA:
-Excellent history/tradition
-honors code
-slightly smaller (though with over 13k students, I don't think it's a big enough difference to really matter)
-gorgeous campus
-different location/weather/atmosphere (assuming you're from the west coast)
-very friendly people, if also generally quite affluent.</p>
<p>I think UVA is like an intelligent version of USC, and with a nicer surrounding area and campus.</p>
<p>As others said, it should really come down to fit. Do what YOU want to do; next year, if you're having a good time at UCLA, your parents really aren't going to care where you didn't go. The main reason I turned down UVA was outta state tuition though, otherwise it would have been a nice change of pace (I've lived in SoCal my whole life).</p>
<p>Either choice is logical and will produce a positive result. Good luck!</p>