Uva vs. Bowdoin vs. Vanderbilt

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Virginia
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<p>I'm an asian/white girl who grew up in Asia. I want to major in Public Policy/Economics and want to eventually work in the East coast and maybe go to graduate school. I like studying but I also like to go out and have fun and party. Like, I want to be able to go to a school that knows how to let loose and have fun as well. Going to a "fun" school is really one of my top priorities. I love debating and doing scholarly things but I also love pop culture. I want a balance between these two. I also want to go to a school that has really good sports and really good academics. I also want a school that fosters really good relationships between teachers and students. I'm thinking that I want to join a sorority in college, but I'm not so sure though. How hard would it be for a US citizen who grew up abroad to join one? I'm also really looking for the traditional, American college experience with the beautiful campus and quirky campus traditions, with the college green and everything. I also want to go to a school with all 4 seasons and a great college town. I love the thought of being immersed in a school's "bubble" wherein most students stay on campus (and not go to a "commuter" school). I also want a school with a strong alumni base in the East coast.</p>

<p>Cost is not a factor. Please let me know where you think I'll have the best college experience among these 3 schools.</p>

<p>VANDERBILT
Pros:
- Big academics
- Liberal arts feel
- SEC Sports
- School spirit
- Ingram living and learning communities
- “Preppy” campus
- Research opportunities, large funding per student
- Good study abroad
- Greek life. Not sure about rushing though.
- Food
- Weather
- Fun campus!!
- Southern culture that I haven’t been exposed to
- Fun school
- Campus in the middle of a great city like Nashville
- School is expanding</p>

<p>Cons:
- Not sure about going Greek at this point, how will not being in a sorority affect me
- Alumni base and internships: is it just me or are they not as strong as the other two on the East coast? I plan on working in the East coast so I’m not sure
- Nashville: how hard will it be to adjust</p>

<p>UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
Pros
- Very well known in my country
- School spirit
- Traditions!! What I really looked for in a college
- Poli Sci department good
- Alumni base in the East coast
- Fun school as well (but not as fun as Vandy, I’ve heard)</p>

<p>Cons:
- Heard that everything is super competitive here
- State funding. USA’s recession means that UVA will definitely spend less than the other two schools
- Super big size. I don’t want to have classes with over 100 or 200 people
- Study abroad is difficult?
- Food
- Freshmen dorms (no a/c)</p>

<p>BOWDOIN</p>

<p>Pros:
- Best undergraduate teaching of the 3
- FOOD!!!
- Great relationships between teachers and professors
- Graduate placement
- Hot guys
- In the east coast, so very good alumni connections</p>

<p>Cons:
- Being in a class of just 300 ish will make me feel suffocated
- Monotonous after being around the same people?
- Not much to do in Maine compared to other schools
- Seems a lot less fun than the other schools
- Weather…</p>

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<p>As a student at UVA, that is really the only school I can comment on given that I don’t know that much about Vandy or Bowdoin. But to address the cons you have about UVA.</p>

<p>Competitiveness - Everything is competitive in the sense that everyone here is bright and driven, but it in no way is a cut-throat like environment. Everyone is pulling for everyone else to succeed. So while competitive yes, I don’t really think that’s a negative as much as it is a positive, as it pushes everyone to succeed and doesn’t take away from the sense of community and togetherness around grounds…which there is a TON of. The one downside about being a place where everyone wants to participate in things and is driven and I guess “competitive,” is that getting involved in select extra-curricular activities is competitive, especially in getting leadership positions just because everyone at UVA does stuff outside of school and is super involved.</p>

<p>State funding - I mean yeah, we’re a public school and the other two you’re considering are private. That being said, as far as public schools go, we’re doing quite well. Still a lot of construction going around on grounds, which means we have the budget to do so, and everyone I know will be graduating in 4 years or less, which shows that necessary classes to graduate on time aren’t being cut.</p>

<p>Super big size - You will have a few classes of 100 or 200 students, particularly first and second years. Then, after you go further into your major requirements, those class sizes will dwindle significantly. UVA doesn’t feel like a huge school though, or at least not to me. The sense of community really helps that I think. And when you have those larger classes, the professors are really really great about office hours and wanting to get to know you.</p>

<p>Study abroad is difficult? - I’m guessing you mean you studying abroad in the US from Asia is difficult? If so, I don’t think that is ANY more difficult than it would be anywhere. My best friend and roomie here is from Asia, and while paperwork is annoying, that would be standard anywhere. Also, on my first year hall I had 3 international students. </p>

<p>Food - It’s not good, it’s not bad. It’s just kinda meh. But there are tons of options, so that’s a plus. </p>

<p>Freshman dorms - This shouldn’t be a con at all. No AC only matters for maybe the first month of school, and if I could go back to no-ac and living in old dorms I would in a heartbeat. It was hands down one of the best experiences, and I met some of my best friends to this day in first year dorms. </p>

<p>Lastly, I know you mentioned UVA may not be as fun as Vandy. While I can’t speak to Vandy, I can assure you that UVA is plenty of fun. We pretty much fit the whole quintessential American college experience, with sports and fun and everything that you were describing. Hope I was able to help at least a little, Good luck with your choice!</p>

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<p>State funding for UVa actually increased recently. However, the state makes up a very small part of the budget at UVa. Recessions affect all schools because their endowments are invested and they operate off the money made through those investments. </p>

<p>Regarding competitiveness, I think @carolinabeeh‌ is right on. </p>

<p>I’m just going to leave these here and hope that you cut and paste them into a new tab (I broke the links). This is a pretty special place with some pretty special people. :slight_smile:
youtube .com/watch?v=Q01lkCCPLSY
youtube .com/watch?v=D_CeYzfnmwA</p>

<p>Good luck with the decision!</p>