<p>I was accepted to both UVA and VT for engineering last Friday! I'm looking to keep college costs down, so I am probably staying instate and will decide between these two schools. I have visited both and I liked both, and unfortunately did not have any gut feelings or love-at-first-sight for either school. I know VT is ahead of UVA in engineering rankings and is considered the more traditional engineering school, but in context, both are fantastic engineering programs and both produce very successful and knowledgeable engineers, so I'm not really worried about the ranking difference. Does anyone have any advice? I've talked to engineering students from both schools and they all seem quite intelligent and down to earth people. I'd be happy at either, probably.</p>
<p>Congratulations! What a wonderful decision/problem you have! Honestly I think you need to make the decision yourself based on what you know about the programs and your gut feeling. Deep down you probably know where you want to go. You are obviously a high achiever and you will probably be successful where ever you go to college. A student at my son’s school chose Tech over UVA last spring because he felt the engineering specialty that interests him is stronger at Tech. He made a very mature decision in my opinion and his parents supported it.
I guess I’m no help except to bump your post.</p>
<p>My son (Engineering, UVA) had someone explain it to him this way: Do you want to learn how to solve engineering problems, or to solve problems with engineering? While this is a vast over-simplification, it speaks a bit to the perceived difference between traditional tech programs and others we looked at (such as UVA, Stanford, Princeton, etc.). Nothing wrong, or “better or worse,” about either style program - but one may fit you personally better. We did not look at VT, but of the schools he did look at (for example, he looked at GaTech) he preferred the curriculum flexibility and programs of the non-Tech schools. You’ve got a month to figure out which program, and student body, feels right to you. Best of luck - it’s a great decision to have!</p>
<p>Va. Tech so much better for engineering and much harder to get into</p>
<p>I came to UVa from a highly selective engineering school and am keenly interested in our School of Engineering. I’ll share my general thoughts…</p>
<p>You can study rankings and read posts on here about what is better, but in the end, you need to figure out which style of school is better for you. There is no right way to teach or learn engineering. You need to understand what the polytechnic style is like and understand what UVa’s more “rounded” style is like and then do an honest inventory of your style to figure out which environment is best for you. </p>
<p>“Va. Tech so much better for engineering and much harder to get into”</p>
<p>It’s unfortunate that those who are disappointed by recently being denied admission to UVA find it necessary to blow off steam in other’s threads with misleading nonsense such as this. </p>
<p>@Apalapa, as has been said here, you will need to investigate the two programs a bit to find the one that has a better feel for you personally. Both are excellent engineering schools (and both are highly regarded in the actual job market), but they are different - as is the school itself. Remember that you won’t spend 100% of your time in Engineering either, so the school as a whole also has to be a good fit for you. Best of luck. </p>
<p>The two schools have a completely different atmosphere. I would definitely take that into consideration when you’re deciding where to attend. It might seem like the curricular choices are the most important aspects, but you should give some weighty thought to where you want to be for the next four years and who you want to be surrounded by as you develop as a person.</p>
<p>Sorry for the late reply! I still have not made a decision, and it’s becoming extremely difficult to make up my mind. I have done a lot of research on both schools, and they both are truly amazing for engineering, in different ways. I have talked to students from both schools, and they all were nice, smart people with good insight on their respective programs. I am really having a tough time deciding…I am interested in nearly all engineering disciplines, with a particular eye for CS/EE/CpE. I want to receive the best engineering education I can and get an engineering job after graduating (I do not think I want to go to graduate school unless my work requires it). I like that VT puts a huge focus on its engineering programs with its budget, but, I also like that UVA has a smaller engineering school and pushes for a well-rounded education. VT and UVA tied on Payscale this year for starting and mid-year salaries (university wide, I didn’t see engineering comparisons). I don’t have a preference for one school or another yet. The non-academic aspects of both schools are not a huge factor in my decision, as I liked both environments and I believe I will fit in fine at either. I have three weeks left to decide, and the more I think about it, the more lost I feel. :/</p>
<p>Not sleeping at night? Which school is closer to your home? Did you attend any accepted student programs? How was the food? How’d you like the dorms? These are all superficial concerns but might help you see where you want to be. I think navy blue and orange go well together. I’ve never been fond of maroon. </p>
<p>“I think navy blue and orange go well together. I’ve never been fond of maroon.”</p>
<p>LOL. And what exactly is a Hokie?</p>
<p>In all seriousness, @Apalapa it’s good to see if researched, and I believe you also visited the schools. So you know they’re both good places - you’re fortunate to have such a choice to make. I think you are aware now of the differences in the programs, and how the campuses feel, so I won’t go there. But, from what I see in your profile there a few additional questions I’d tell you to consider. </p>
<p>Do you want to continue with your involvement in band? Both schools have programs, but I can tell you from our experience (and our son’s) that UVA’s program is simply outstanding. Do you want to specialize in robotics? If robotics is your thing, VT is the place to be - their program and research is world class. You can continue with robotics at UVa, it’s just not at the same level. I believe you also said social scene wasn’t as important to you, but UVa can be a bit more formal. Our S who was never formal or concerned much with appearances requested nothing but clothes (suit jacket, ties, overcoat, shoes) for Christmas this year. That doesn’t mean it’s stuffy or everyone dresses up for everything, but I doubt that was a coincidence. </p>
<p>The last thing to think about of course is finances. If either one is a significant cost over the other for you, then that’s something to be heavily weighed - especially since both schools are very good schools. If cost is the same, then this isn’t an issue, but don’t downplay the impact a heavy debt could put on you after you graduate. </p>
<p>Good luck with your decision, it looks like you’re doing all the right things. </p>
<p>…you also need to consider the personality type of the average student at each school…and frankly there is a huge difference. The ego level at UVA is quite astounding…</p>
<p>For a Grad degree, which should be easier to get into (Assuming both take in similar number of students/ class)? </p>
<p>@lopeztlo7 No way. At our small private school (~60 kids per class), about 10 get into Tech for engineering, and 4 get into UVa PERIOD (for any major). </p>
<p>Game: I would guess grad engineering program admissions would vary with the type of engineering you want to study. For example, a bioengineering program at moderately selective colleges might be harder for admission than a civil engineering program at an otherwise very selective college. However, that is just a guess - I have no first-hand knowledge. </p>