<p>The OP is not being discouraged from travelling out of state. She just needs to visit her final choices and decide for herself what is best for her. It may or may not be Penn. My kid that went to UVa is from Virginia but now lives and works in DC and is currently interviewing for a job in NY. Staying instate for college does not preclude a person from living elsewhere after college. And many people want to stay in their state for college and return to their state after college. There is nothing wrong with that choice either. Personal development is achieved in many ways.</p>
<p>sevmom, I agree that personal development can be achieved in many ways and college WILL be a time of growth no matter what when the student lives on campus. I’m just concerned OP’s worry about “fitting in”
is keeping her from looking at all three equally.
I hope OP can visit. She’s already visited Charlottesville apparently so I hope she gets to visit the other two (if there’s a lack of finances, these two universities may help pay for the plane ticket for Admitted Students Days.) If she “feels at home” at UVA more so than at Penn or Brown, then no biggie - the three choices really are all good. But it’d be too bad if OP didn’t dare and try to see if either of these two “Ivy” schools could “feel like home”, too. </p>
<p>Here is a link to UVA’s 2012 Arts and Science Career Survey: <a href=“http://www.career.virginia.edu/download/First_Destinations_2012.pdf”>http://www.career.virginia.edu/download/First_Destinations_2012.pdf</a></p>
<p>The Penn info seems to lump Wharton and engineering in with the regular arts and sciences figures. That will increase the average salaries. Geographic location influences salary as well. Penn and UVa students are getting jobs. I don’t think the OP has to worry about that. I’m sure Brown kids are getting jobs too. I did look at the average Penn engineering salary for 2009 out of curiosity (as my son was an 09’ engineering grad ). The average Penn grad got 61,884. My son got thousands more than that so going to UVa does not seem to have disadvantaged him. UVa kids are recruited by major companies and many end up going to great graduate schools. Here is the McInire info : <a href=“http://www.commerce.virginia.edu/about/careerdevelopment/Pages/default.aspx”>http://www.commerce.virginia.edu/about/careerdevelopment/Pages/default.aspx</a> VAgirl will have good opportunities at any of her final choices. </p>
<p>This was Arts & Sciences <a href=“http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/files/2013CASFinalReport.pdf”>http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/files/2013CASFinalReport.pdf</a></p>
<p>Arts & Sciences graduates at Penn get hired by employers that you would expect to hire just business students:</p>
<p>African Studies major at Bain, Anthropology at J.P. Morgan Chase, Biological Basis of Behavior at Accenture and American Express, Biology at Boston Consulting Group, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs…</p>
<p>quakerstate, that kind of thing happens at most good schools. VAgirl, go with your gut. Hope you have a wonderful four years at whichever school you choose!</p>
<p>I agree, you can see some of those employers on UVA’s list. I think Penn might be stronger because of Wharton. Wharton attracts all of those employers and they do also interview and hire Arts & Sciences students. I really was just pointing out that the Penn survey was for Arts & Sciences. There are separate surveys for Wharton and Engineering. </p>
<p>Penn is ranked higher and might have some more opportunities than UVA but the difference isn’t so extreme to turn down UVA if the OP would be happier there.</p>
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<p>No, you have to look further down the page I linked, where the reports for the last several years for both full-time jobs and summer internships are separated out by schools (College, Engineering, Nursing, and Wharton):</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/reports.php”>http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/reports.php</a></p>
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<p>Agreed (after visiting all three schools and gathering as much information as possible).</p>
<p>45 Percenter, Yes, I saw that. I should have clarified. I meant that the report initially lumped everything together. You have to go further down to see the arts and sciences and Wharton and engineering separate.</p>
<p>I just received my financial aid package from Brown, and I definitely can’t afford it. I also just received another scholarship from UVA, $4,000 a year this time. I don’t think I can pass up the opportunity to go to an amazing school like UVA completely free (my financial aid covers everything the scholarship doesn’t). I couldn’t work and go to college at Penn. I just don’t think I could juggle all of that, so it would be roughly $5,000 a year for four years vs. $0.</p>
<p>Congrats VAgirl! Enjoy UVA! </p>
<p>Congratulations!</p>
<p>One last thing you might try if you still have any interest in Penn and/or Brown, is to see if they will increase their aid to match the no-cost of UVA. You have nothing to lose by asking. Just a suggestion if either or both still interest you.</p>
<p>^good idea :)))
nothing to lose for you there…</p>
<p>Congratulations! It might be worth a shot if you’re interested to contact Penn and Brown. A free ride at UVA would be tough to decline if they don’t.</p>