<p>I also got into UNC and UVA and I’m in state for UVA. I honestly like the campus vibe of UNC more, but I still have to make a similar decision-- go to an in state school for cheaper, or an out of state school that I like more but costs more too! Any advice is appreciated</p>
<p>Lago - if the price difference is greater than 50k, then it’s significant. Sit down with your parents and figure out your plan for how you’ll pay the debt off. If you’re interested in grad school (like med/mba/law) then you’ll probably be taking on a significant amount of debt after school. Academic grad programs pay you so that’s not as big of a commitment.</p>
<p>I am not saying that Carolina isn’t worth tuition, but if you have an offer as wonderful as UVA and you’re fortunate to be a resident of Virginia, then you are not making a huge mistake by turning down UNC. I went to Carolina because frankly it would have been silly for me not to take advantage of the school in my back yard. I’m so glad I did and I know I would regret going elsewhere.</p>
<p>You aren’t going to make the “wrong” choice, so be glad! But if you think you could be happy at UVA (and if you like Carolina you probably could) by all means, take that money and run.</p>
<p>A related question–UNC (with yet to be determined “special opportunities”) or UVA Echols, both OOS tuition? I want to write fiction, and I know I have to find a real job some day as well, but not entirely sure about a teaching career. UVA is costs more, but Echols is tempting. Any input on creative writing at either is welcomed.</p>
<p>GeorgiaMommy is right. At a school as big as UVa, you’ll be able to see your classmates that you’ve grown up with and attended high school with as little or as frequently as possible (this is also what several people I have talked to who attend larger universities have told me). At a school as big as UVa, you’ll have no problem avoiding or having as little contact with your old classmates. </p>
<p>And in the long run, if you’re looking to attain a graduate degree in whatever field, the school that you go to for GRADUATE SCHOOL is the one that counts and that really, really matters. I’d suggest saving the money by going to UVa for in-state tuition, and using the money to finance your graduate or postgraduate education.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>UNC has better sports, UVA is probably a superior education. Why would you pay $70,000 more on at best a break-even proposition?</p>
<p>To echo what everyone else has said, there are probably not two more similar schools in the country. It’s definitely not worth paying significantly more money to attend one over the other unless you know for sure you want to do some particular program that doesn’t exist or is much weaker at the other (e.g. if you want to do journalism, go to UNC, if engineering, UVA.) </p>
<p>If you’re undecided or interested in something more generic, absolutely save yourself the money.</p>
<p>I have been reading this thread with interest. The difference is that I am out of state and these are my top choices. I haven’t gotten my aid package for unc yet. So that may help me decide. I am trying to avoid my instate option. Too big and nit the same caliber.</p>
<p>DaVinci92</p>
<p>UNC has an outstanding creative writing program that is very highly regarded.</p>
<p>EAdad,</p>
<p>UNC does have a good creative writing program, but UVa’s is just as good or better. In fact, in rankings of graduate creative writing MFA programs, UVa consistently ranks in the top 5 in the country. See: <a href=“http://www.pw.org/files/2011rankings_0.pdf[/url]”>http://www.pw.org/files/2011rankings_0.pdf</a> and [The</a> Best of the Best - Magazine - The Atlantic](<a href=“http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2007/08/the-best-of-the-best/6049/]The”>The Best of the Best - The Atlantic)</p>
<p>Granted, these are graduate rankings, but it’s the same faculty teaching undergrads. I think UNC doesn’t actually have an MFA program in creative writing though, so maybe one advantage is that there will be less competition with grad students for faculty attention.</p>
<p>Funny enough, I do know two people in the undergrad creative writing program at UNC who are starting the MFA program at UVa next year. So, if UVa is one of the top programs, UNC seems to be good enough to get people into the top programs. </p>
<p>All of this is to say that I think creative writing, like business for example, is one of the programs where you can’t go wrong at either place. Again, if one or the other has a significant financial advantage, that’s the one that probably makes the most sense.</p>
<p>So if you are an undecided science major (maybe physics or some variety of physics maybe something else-but not premed biological sciences) is one school better than another? Or are they both on par? Looking for options for possibly switching among science majors as I find my passion.</p>
<p>UNC is far better in the sciences…if you look through the UNC archives here on CC for past UNC vs UVA discussions you’ll find the actual in house UVA white paper that discusses the short falls of their science offerings and the associated research dollars that they are missing out on.</p>
<p>I can only really judge chemistry; UNC is FAR better than UVA. </p>
<p>On my visits (twice to UVA, once to UNC) I saw multiple signs that this ranking is true! If you’re interested in Chemistry, visit their labs and check the labs & instruments that are available to the undergrad students, also to graduate students - honestly, it’s no comparison! UNC >> UVA! I would have sent my son to UNC and paid the difference in tuition (as VA resident - he got into both UNC and UVA) … but then he decided on an engineering career.</p>