Hello, everyone. I have recently been accepted into both Uva and Virginia Tech under the intended major of chemistry. UVa has offered me a slot in the Echols program (honors program), I’m in a tight spot. I hear that the chemistry program is better at Tech, but I also hear that it’s better at UVa. According to rankings, Tech makes it higher on the list than UVa, which didn’t make the list at all. I am extremely intelligent and intrinsically motivated, but I really want to learn how to slow down and enjoy life and college while studying. I also prefer smaller town or middle-of-nowhere scene. I’m also paying for my own college, and Tech is about $30,000 cheaper over the course of four years of study. For those reason I prefer Tech. But I also realize that UVa is a more prestigious school, and I don’t want to feel as though my effort to do well has been in vain, because I’m at the top of the accepted statistics if I were to go to Tech. That’s not necessarily a bad thing and I know Tech is full of intelligent people, but I guess I just want opinions on everyone’s experience at either school? I am going to visit Tech in a couple weeks as well.
Sounds like Va Tech is a no brainer here. Student loan debt can be such a difficult burden to bear, so the less of a burden you have the better. Also, don’t get so caught up in prestige. Ultimately, your success will come from who you are and not the name of the school you graduated from. I chose Va Tech over an ivy league education back in 1981 and have never regretted it for a second. The atmosphere, the friendliness of the people, it just all felt right to me, and being in a place where it felt right allowed me to excel. Have you visited both campuses? smaller town and middle of nowhere scene sounds more like Blacksburg than Charlottesville.
What are your postgrad plans? If it’s medical school, you certainly don’t want additional debt! Plus, the prestige factor is far less important in med school admissions than your grades/MCAT scores. In that case Va Tech makes more sense.
If it’s graduate school (PhD) then consider undergrad research opportunities and stats on where past grads have gone as much as rankings. Also, consider the type of chemistry each school specializes in: it could be that Va Tech is more practical in orientation, and U VA more theoretical (that’s often the case in two nearby schools offering the same field.)
Honestly, if I were you, I’d make an effort to reach out to the chemistry department at each school, and get an appointment with a faculty member/advisor. You sound like you know pretty much what you want, and asking direct questions to those deeply involved in the school/department may give you tremendous insight.
Congratulations. You’ve got two great choices.
Hello, I second katliamom’s thoughts. You may also consider sitting in some classes ( same class, different campus) to compare the experience. 75 or 300 in the class? Prof or TA? Interactive or didactic? It shapes your experience and can lead to a change in major. Also just look at the departmental course offerings to see if the department suits your perceived needs. These will give you thoughts to discuss during your interview.