<p>I don't know which to pick... upenn CAS or UVA (echols scholar program). Thoughts??
I'm going to visit and stay a night at both next week... both my parents work at uPenn (which is a turn-off).
The echols scholar program means I have no course requirements and priority course registration, and UVA is in itself a great school... however upenn is an ivy league and #5 in the country!! What to do???</p>
<p>I hear echols is amazing. If you want to really stand out in your class, go to UVA. At Penn, it will be more difficult.</p>
<p>bump.............</p>
<p>UVA - not for Echols though, just because it's a great school.</p>
<p>I'd say Penn. The breadth of opportunities is simply incredible. And Philly is more fun than Charlottesville...</p>
<p>ilovebagels... charlottesville is far superior! Philly can get VERY sketchy at times. </p>
<p>I would personally go for UVA, but only because so many of my classmates matriculate at UPenn and I want a change. My sister was an echols scholar and you get priority in registration (which meant she could take some really cool upper level courses that are even hard for seniors to get). However, she is a very good student and yet the classes are so large that she doesn't have professors that know her very well. This may be a similar issue at UPenn, I don't know. Also, take a look at housing. She's had some issues because UVA chooses housing in the fall, and so in October of freshman year, she had to pick who she wanted to live with the next year and where! No one except freshmen or students who get their housing paid for live on campus, but Charlottesville apartments are often closer to classes than the actual dorms.</p>
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ilovebagels... charlottesville is far superior! Philly can get VERY sketchy at times.
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<p>Yes, at times like 1978.</p>
<p>Unless you're in northeast philadephia (where all the actual murders and stuff have been going down, and its several miles from university city), you're going to be fine.</p>
<p>Penn has better student body as far as geographic diversity and challenging peer group. Better to be in the middle than than top looking down.</p>
<p>^^^ Obvious regarding geographic diversity - public versus private. But UVA's is sufficient. As far as more challenging peer group and middle versus top looking down, I'm not sure what that's supposed to mean.</p>
<p>UVa has to offer incentives to compete with Penn. Basic supply and demand. OP should compare his stats with school avgs and my statement becomes self evident.</p>
<p>Are you in-state for UVA? If so, there's also a huge cost difference.</p>
<p>UVa definitely</p>
<p>im out of state
im thinking UVA... It's just hard to give up on the prestige of an ivy.. it's not like it's HYP, but still...</p>
<p>Ivy comes in handy. </p>
<p>Unless you're from HYPSM, you will run into people who haven't heard of your school. But everyone's heard of Ivy League.</p>
<p>Granted, that's the absolute wrong reason to pick a school. But Penn is a spectacular school in its own right.</p>