UNC vs UVA

i’m really interested in both schools! I believe they’re both match schools for me but I’m trying to get a feel for which school is stronger. can you say which is stronger for the following:
academics
prestige
student life
clubs and sports
greek life
dorms and food.
Thanks!

If you are out of state they are not match schools. What do you mean by “stronger” in student life?

@twogirls more friendly atmosphere- kinder people and a better environment overall

Are you in state for either? Have you visited? To me, UNC feels a bit more liberal than UVA, but that’s just me. The academics will be strong at both schools, and both schools have clubs/sports and Greek life. Both schools have friendly students, however it is hard to say which environment is better because that is subjective.

@twogirls i’ve visited unc and absolutely fell in love but i’ve heard uva is amazing too. also do you know which college town is better

Yes UVA is also an amazing school with a great town. You are out of state for at least one, maybe both? I would apply and if you get into both, then you could visit and compare the two.

I’ve visited UVA and adore it completely!

UVA is just a liiiiitttle better than UNC, but both are bonafide excellent 5-star public universities and you can’t go wrong with either.

is it true that uva is really preppy though? i’m not sure i’d fit in in that environment

They are both excellent schools, and very big. You will find preppy students at both schools, and you will find students at both schools who are not preppy. Again- you are out of state for at least one of these schools. I would apply and compare the details if you are accepted to both. Getting in as an OOS student is not easy. Were you planning to apply to both or are you trying to narrow it down and apply to one?

@twogirls i’m oos for both. i’m not applying for schools yet so i’ll probably visit uva asap and next year ED to the school i like more

Neither school has ED. If you like both schools you can apply EA.

UVA is very preppy. Years ago, I was in both Charlottesville and Chapel Hill. I liked Chapel Hill better. You can’t go wrong with either academically, but if you don’t like preppy, you might not like UVA

@citymama9 i’m also not a fan of greek life… which university has a more prominent greek life

Both schools have Greek life. At UNC it does not take over the campus and if you don’t want it, you don’t have to see it.

As others have noted, both have caps on OOS students, which means that you can’t take the stats profiles the same way- if your school has Naviance & enough student who have applied to both/either that will give you a better idea as to whether they are a match or a reach.

There isn’t a lot between the two in terms of friendliness of academic potential. UVa has a slightly better overall ‘name’, but the difference is tiny. Both have strong greek systems, and both have strong non-greek social options. Charlottesville is a smaller town than Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill which can be good (most things are pretty central) or not so good (choices are more limited) depending on your point of view.

Both schools meet need for OOS students. UNC is less expensive than UVA if a family does not receive FA. I am not sure if cost is an issue.

One difference is that the bar/restaurant /little shops district in Chapel Hill is right next to the campus. UVa doesn’t seem to have much adjacent to its campus…a few stores, not much else. At least that’s the way it looked to me.

@moooop, There are plenty of bars, restaurants, and shops adjacent to Grounds. Google “The Corner.” Not sure how you missed it.

I saw the corner… Looked like a couple T-shirt shops & some places to get coffee. I guess I under-perceived its size