<p>DD is deciding between UNC and UVA, both OOS. We'll be re-visiting over the next week. Spanish/pre-med intended areas of study. Any particular items you would flag for her consideration? Thanks.</p>
<p>I know nothing about UNC, but I do know that U-Va has a top-5 rated Spanish program where courses have become so popular that the department no longer allows undergraduates to minor in Spanish because the minors were crowding the majors out of required classes.</p>
<p>Spanish at UVA has some marvellous teaching faculty, very involved with undergraduates, as well as a strong PhD program(I teach in another humanities department, and have audited major-level classes in Spanish). The presence of PhD students in a department can be very energizing to an ambitious upper-level undergraduate. UNC may well be excellent too; I’m not qualified to make the comparison.</p>
<p>Considered both schools also, and they are similar in a number of respects – similar sized upper-tier state schools, with strong academics and national reputations; both have historic central campuses; both located in lovely college towns; both in southern states (decent weather), but not so Southern to be off-putting to those from other areas. Both offer D-1 sports, and while UNC is probably more famous for sports because of it’s storied men’s basketball program, UVA out shines UNC in many non-revenue sports. In fact UVa defeated UNC in football, men’s basketball, and in women’s basketball this year. The two school’s men’s lacrosse teams face off this weekend while ranked no. 1 (UVa) and 2 (UNC) in the country.</p>
<p>The differences we noticed include – the towns: CH is suburban and C’ville is a mid-sized city with it’s own economy, etc., which gives the area a different vibe than CH. C’ville has a wider variety of great restaurants, numerous hotels, and terrific shopping in town. The array of restaurants and shops in CH don’t compare to what is in C’ville, but I will say what there is in CH is closer to campus than those in C’ville, and since CH is part of a larger metropolitan area, there are options outside of CH, but near by there. CH is closer to a major airport, but C’ville does have an airport with numerous flights, has AMTRAK service, and there is reasonably convenient access to Washington Dulles and Richmond Int’l airports. For those interested in outdoor activities, C’ville is close to world-class hiking trails, decent skiing, water, etc. If your daughter enjoys history, she would be steeped in it in C’ville and the surrounding areas. </p>
<p>Campus vibe – both schools have large enough student populations that one can find peers of all stripes – which is the beauty of a larger university. That said, we found the feeling on the two campuses different. UVa has a slightly more “formal” feel, while UNC has more of a “shorts and T-shirts” feel. I am not sure why – maybe it has to do with the very different appearances of the main gathering places on the two campuses, The 18th-century Lawn vs. The 1960’s Pit area. </p>
<p>When you visit, your daughter should go with her gut on where she feels more comfortable. Academically, she can’t go wrong either place. FWIW, my child ended up at UVa and has loved the first year there. Hard to believe it is almost over! Good luck to your daughter.</p>
<p>I was accepted in state UNC and OOS UVA. My heart says UVA but is it really worth the difference in tuition costs?? Also, I want to study pre med…</p>
<p>UNC should be ur first choice</p>
<p>^^^^^^Why?</p>
<p>with med school in your future, i agree that tuition is a big factor in deciding which school to go to.</p>
<p>UVa is weaker in the sciences than UNC. If it’s cheaper too it’s a no-brainer. Everything else is a wash.</p>
<p>Barron’s, aren’t you going to whip out and post the same old tired and irrelevant report of deficiencies in certain of U-Va’s GRADUATE SCHOOL science programs that you post every time anyone dares to say anything good about studying anything having to do with science in the undergraduate school? </p>
<p>In fact, according to the most recent NRC rankings, neither U-Va or UNC have particularly distinguished science programs, but the same is not true with Spanish. U-Va ranks fourth in the country, after Yale, Harvard and Berkeley. UNC isn’t in the top 30. </p>
<p>I agree with Barron’s that it’s a wash if money is at all a factor, but not if it isn’t.</p>
<p>Barrons and his UVA hating is pretty hilarious.</p>
<p>I’m sorry, I gave the wrong NRC rankings for Spanish. U-Va is fifth, not fourth, and after Columbia, Duke, Brown and Princeton. UNC is 31st. (The rankings I gave were for English.)</p>