<p>i received a likely letter (i know it doesn't mean i'm def in) and the letter prompted me to do some more research about uva. i applied because i knew it was one of the best public schools in the country (although many people around here bunch it with penn state and maryland for some reason) and because i thought it would be a great fit for me i.e. good sports team/social scene, not too far or too close, warmer weather, great academics/professors, and having students like myself. </p>
<p>i haven't visited yet, and i know i have to, but i was just wondering how it is for OOS kids. easy to blend in, make friends, or kind of alienated from the in-staters and hard to adjust? also, how strong is the engineering program? i know if i wanted a really good engineering program i could've applied to va tech, but the academic atmosphere at uva seems to fit me better. finally, what makes uva one of the top public schools and essentially better than penn state, maryland, and pitt? </p>
<p>You need to visit Penn State, MD and UVa to really see for yourself. My daughter is OOS (NJ). Before she applied, she visited UVa, MD and Penn State. After the visits, she did not even bother to apply to Md. Penn State was her safety. She turned down Penn State Honors program for UVa’s Echol. She is very happy now at UVa.</p>
<p>UVa, by every measure, is far superior to Maryland and Penn State. They are good state schools, but Virginia is a great school period. I don’t want to disparage Maryland or Penn State, but they are very different.</p>
<p>yeah i’ve visited maryland and penn state already. didn’t like maryland at all and i really liked psu until i didn’t get into shreyers haha. i need to visit uva. i know i’m going to love it. i’m thinking about doing an overnight… good idea? </p>
<p>How can you even compare UVA’s academic reputation with that of Penn State and Maryland? UVA is far superior and is very hard to get in as an OOS. It’s virtually like getting into Ivies, and there are a bunch of kids who turn down Cornell and Duke to go here.</p>
<p>I visited as an OOSer and felt very welcome. Being from Southern California, the atmosphere felt a LOT different though, much more southern/preppy. But the people were really friendly and it’s a great school. I definitely plan on applying to grad school there.</p>
<p>Beware though that OOS financial aid is mediocre at best, and don’t expect to receive any $ unless you’re on a merit scholarship or have a very poor financial situation.</p>
<p>As for your last question, I’d start with the fact that it was founded by T. Jefferson, and his presence is still very strongly felt on campus. It’s really a special feeling, but as with all schools, you should visit before deciding to go there to determine if it’s the right fit for you. </p>
<p>Feel free to message me with any questions, as I also considered PSU/UMD. Good luck!</p>
<p>yeah i’m going to visit soon. and i wasn’t comparing uva to umd or psu, but was trying to say that a lot of my friends and even parents don’t know how great of a school it is.</p>
<p>My mom was an OOS’er (NJ). Things might’ve changed since she was there, but I’ve heard nothing but great things about the social atmosphere, and everyone I’ve met who attended/attends UVa has been really friendly.</p>
<p>And yeah, people don’t know how great it is and tend to lump it in with every other state flagship… when people who are applying hear that it’s one of my top choices, they look excited and talk about what a good school it is, while people who aren’t applying sort of stare and imply that I should be looking somewhere better than a public. (mm, yeah, that’s my high school.)</p>
<p>btw vc08 - there are no UVa-sponsored merit scholarships. (Jefferson Scholars are selected and funded by the alumni association, and that’s pretty much it.)</p>
<p>That’s what I was referring to…at UCLA our Alumni Assoc. scholarships are considered merit-based. Thank you for the correction though, if they’re referred to something else at UVA.</p>
<p>Congrats on your OOS likely admission. Another thing that makes UVA diff is not only that 30% of the student body is high stat OOS from “all over”…but a significant segment of the student body was raised in NoVa…Northern VA with the influence of DC and they are used to a very international outlook and peer group. I speak from living in the quieter regions of VA which also sends great students there, but it is a very unique community with lots of school spirit and an open, vibrant social world with many paths in it for students who are quite diverse. There are more traditions perhaps than at other schools and a tradition that you will find at several other universities of dressing up a bit for football…that has a southern flair, but that is only one of the visible traditions on campus. Add to that…Albemarle County is stunningly serene and gorgeous, yet not really cut-off from the jobs and internships of the East Coast.</p>
<p>Guarantee you will be even more excited…when you see it in person. For a state flagship college, it has grounds that are as lovely as many privates, the Lawn is breath-taking and the history of American political thought is very present. The campus manages to feel like it is “half its size” due to the warmth of the student body and genial air of the place…so it feels like a large private school instead of a state flagship.</p>
<p>My daughter applied regular decision and is waiting to hear but she did get into Georgetown, Notre Dame and Boston College EA. Those of you attending as OOS students, would you pick UVA over Gtown or ND? If so, why?</p>
<p>AKittka: I will not say that quality or reputation-wise UVa ENGINEERING is necessarily superior to Penn State or MD. Some lists and ratiings will actually tell you that Penn State, MD, or VaTech rank higher (based on the engineering discipline you are talking about). Frankly I don’t know how much faith you can have in such ratings at the undergraduate level. But UVa’s clear advantages for engineering are the relatively small size of SEAS as compared to most state schools, and the extraordinary amount of focus on the undergraduate programs. I also feel the overall intellectual environment outside the engineering school is better than what you’d find at most state schools. These are the main reasons why (more years ago than I’d care to admit to) I chose UVa for engineering over VaTech.
I don’t believe that an OOS student would feel alienated or left out. I was in-state, but my son (who is now OOS) says UVa is one of his top-choice schools and I have no reservations about that at all. The Northern Virginia factor mentioned above is a valid one, many of the students from that part of the state are pretty cosmopolitan. I think it is fair to say that some in-staters, for whatever reason, liked to put on ol’ southern gentleman or preppy airs. I always found this amusing because I actually was a “preppy” (who preferred t-shirt, jeams and sneakers). But this is still a large school, and you will run into all kinds of people, just like anywhere else.</p>
<p>ArmoMom: I would pick UVA over G’town/ND because of the school’s great combination between academics and athletics. UVA was ranked as high as 13th in the Director’s Cup Standings, which is a measure of collegiate athletic strength across the nation based on NCAA performance. What does your daughter intend to study? Are you out-of-state? Good luck with her admission decision from UVA.</p>
<p>She wants to study business (probably accounting). Although she is a varsity athlete, the sports scene is strong at all three schools and she does not intend to play except for club. The main fear is although UVA business is strong, she would have to apply after her second year where she is already accepted in the business program at Gtown and ND because you apple directly to the business school at those schools and if you get accepted, you are in. Additionally, Gtown is internationally known (thanks to CNN) while UVA is not so if she decides to go into international business, her chances to get a job overseas would be better with a degree from Gtown.</p>
<p>UVA is definitely unique because indeed you have to apply to the commerce school. For international business, I would argue that companies look for a business-related degree from a prestigious school. This is where UVA has the edge, as there are plenty of econ and commerce majors that end up at big financial firms. That being said, if the commerce school does not work out, she can end up majoring in economics. Networking is essential in the business world and UVA definitely holds the edge over G’town and ND.</p>
<p>The vast majority of college students change their major at least once. For the biz major, several levels of calculus and econ are required, and trust me it’s a lot easier said than done. At UCLA, for example, over 80% of students have changed their major at least once by the time they graduate.</p>
<p>So, I would ask yourselves what school gives your D the best overall opportunity to succeed. If she was smart enough to get into ND and UVA, then she’s smart enough to get into UVA’s biz program her second year. I would also wonder what ND’s major-transfer policy is, as at many schools you basically have to re-apply in order to switch into another college (letters and science, engineering, etc).</p>
<p>ArmoMom, if your daughter gets into UVA, you should let her visit all three schools. Let her speak to students at these schools and professors in the business department. Hopefully, this will make it easier to decide which school is best for her.</p>