<p>Alright I realize asking this question in the William and Mary forum might not bring the most unbiased opinions but I'm doing it anyway! I was accepted to UVA as an Echol's scholar and was accepted to William and Mary, but not as a Monroe scholar. What should I do?</p>
<p>@whitemountain, we’ll let other posters respond as we’re guessing you’re looking to hear more from current students or alumni but we wanted to let you know that there is a process by which W&M freshmen can be invited to join the Monroe program at the end of their freshmen year. A select group of students, based primarily on GPA, are invited to apply to the program at the end of their freshmen year and then become Monroe Scholars as sophomores. Plus there are a lot of research initiatives on campus available to any interested student.</p>
<p>does one of the schools “feel” better to you? if so, you should probably choose that one.</p>
<p>I’d echo what soccerguy said - visit, if you haven’t, and see if either place feels “right” to you. Both are excellent schools - we’re very fortunate in VA to have such excellent public colleges - but they’re very different in “feel”, and, in my experience, most students will be distinctly more “at-home” with the atmosphere at one or the other. </p>
<p>There’s no right answer for everyone - but there’s usually a right answer for each person. It’s kind of like “dog people” and “cat people” - UVA and W&M is kinda like that. DD was offered Echol’s, but, visiting, knew within the first half-hour that UVA wasn’t for her, though she couldn’t explain why. Similarly, she knew within minutes that W&M was for her - never even took a tour; just walking around, rubbing elbows with the students, she just felt at-home.</p>
<p>I’d eliminate “Echol’s” from consideration - go where you’ll be happiest, where you’ll be with people you’d rather spend the next 4 years with - if that’s UVA, then Echol’s is a bonus. If it’s W&M, you won’t miss it.</p>
<p>If you’re the sort of person who hates required classes, Echols does matter. But WM’s GER requirements are flexible enough that I always found enjoyable classes to fulfill them.</p>
<p>W&M and UVirginia are very different schools. W&M has a reputation that extends outside the state better. Go visit both and you will know.</p>
<p>“W&M and UVirginia are very different schools. W&M has a reputation that extends outside the state better.”</p>
<p>I don’t believe this to be true at all. And I am a big W&M fan whose children chose W&M over UVa. UVa has an excellent and well known reputation outside the state. These two top schools have big differences , but academic reputation is not one of them. (If that is what you meant by “reputation”…)</p>
<p>We have a son who is considering UVA v WM (as well as WUSTL) and another son currently at UVA as a frosh. We attended admitted student day yesterday at WM. There are obvious differences re size, overall college experience, party culture etc. On things perhaps less obvious, my impression is that WM, like Avis, tries harder than UVA in terms of profs’ accessibility (although UVA solid here too), research, study abroad, and advising, that both have good reputations OOS but UVA’s is slightly better, and that UVA has more resources especially in the sciences. </p>
<p>Son at UVA wanted an all around college experience and is majoring in physics where UVA’s placement in grad programs is better than WM’s. He is happy there, has had no problems getting classes he wanted, but admits advising only average. Younger son is leaning toward WM (or WUSTL) because he wants a smaller school with more personal attention.</p>