So winding down my college search and not getting into some schools i thought i had a good chance at I’m down to Michigan and UVA as a physics major. I’ve visited both and they seem totally equal in every way albeit in opposites i.e. they both have pretty campuses just in different ways. So what should i look towards for a tiebreaker? Does one have an especially better reputation or program for physics?
Michigan has a stronger reputation in STEM, but this is only really significant at a graduate level. I don’t think it should be relevant for majors outside of engineering. Assuming other things like cost are equal, I would recommend looking at where you would feel most comfortable and will thrive.
As you know, Michigan is quite a bit bigger, and Ann Arbor is larger than Charlottesville. I think both are nice options for college towns.
Michigan has the better reputation for physics. If all else is equal in your mind, go to the better school for your area of interest.
What is the distance of each school from your home? Is the cost the same for both?