<p>How does William and Mary compare to UVA? I see that UVA is listed as one of CC's top schools but not W&M. Why is W&M left off the list? Most in Virginia think that W&M is just as good as UVA and equally selective. Harvard and William and Mary are the oldest colleges in America. Why is W&M not considered one of the best?</p>
<p>I've often wondered that myself!
Actually WM is more selective than UVa...34 % accept rate at WM, 39.5% at UVa...1260-1440 vs. 1230-1430.
I think it has to do with bigtime sports and numbers and the national recognition that goes with that - at WM most kids are actively involved with fitness and intramurals, but you won't see too many of them at the football or BB games.
Add to that the designation of UVa as one of Kaplan's " America's 25 hottest schools" and it seems to have zoomed in popularity amongst kids.
Talk to the kids at WM and they'll tell you UVa is a party school - UVa kids will say all they do at WM is study!</p>
<p>my d. looked at both. UVA just too big for her. She liked W&M a lot and would have applied if her top e.d. school hadn't come through. both are tough for out-of-staters.</p>
<p>some of it may also be based on the grad schools at UVA such as Med, Law, MBA......that influences overall rep</p>
<p>Schools are often considered in terms of their complete package, namely undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools. UVA has a vastly superior graduate program and highly ranked professional schools. It can attract better faculty. It also offers a broader course selection for undergraduates because of its larger and more talented faculty. If you are a graduate or professional student and you choose William and Mary over UVA, you will likely be viewed as a fool. If you are an undergraduate, however, you can get an excellent education from both schools, so it really comes down to preference. If you plan on working on the West coast, UVA is more widely known than is William and Mary.</p>
<p>William & Mary is really a great school, but it's had a lot more problems w/ money than UVa. W&M's endowment is close to $500 million while UVa's combined endowment & foundations are worth $2.8 billion. Thus, UVa is able to offer better facilities and more opportunities for its students, and it has a much better financial aid program. Virginia is also able to keep its professors from jumping ship, which has been a huge problem at W&M - so much so that students have even voluntarily raised their student fees to give their professors bonuses.</p>
<p>My son was accepted to W&M ED this week! Although I am excited for him - he is out of state and fell solidly in love with W&M - I am worried about what I am reading regarding finances. What do Virginians think about funding these schools - are there many other competing priorities? What do Virginians think about the Charter initiative?</p>