UVA vs Early Decision Vanderbilt

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Having a really tough time deciding if I should apply to Vanderbilt ED or not. </p>

<p>UVA has been my top school for years, but I really loved Vanderbilt when I visited. Basically, Im worried that I wont get into either RD, so I should atleast give myself a shot at getting into one. I think I like both equally, but like I said, UVA has been my dream school for years and only now am I putting Vanderbilt on an equal level to it. </p>

<p>Quick Stats:
4.07 Weighted GPA (3.79 unwtd)
Rigorous Public High School, Northern VA (in state at UVA)
33 ACT
8 AP Classes (4, 4, and 5 on test), 6 Honors Classes
Art all 4 years w/ portfolio (not looking to major in art, though)
Boys State
Camp Counselor all 4 summers
Global Aid Club Pres. 2 years
9th-Crew (JV), 11th-Volleyball (Varsity)
Self-Started Business all 4 years
Legacy at UVA</p>

<p>Was looking to major in Business/Marketing. I know the UVA Comm. School is great, but also hard to get into. Vanderbilt has Human Organizational Development, which is really more on the management/people skills side of Business, but also may be an interesting major. </p>

<p>What school would you consider to have better job placement or prospects?
Should I hold out for UVA (do you think I have a high enough chance getting in) or do ED to Vanderbilt (probably a pretty low chance of getting in RD)?</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

2

<p>Also, forgot to mention that parents are willing to pay for grad school if I go to UVA, but not Vanderbilt. I was planning on getting a Graduate Business Degree, after a few years of work experience (I heard some companies pay for their employees to attend).</p>

3

<p>You’re a legacy at UVA. I’ve read that they apply in-state criteria to OOS students who are legacies; if that’s so, I’d say you have a realistic chance of being accepted there RD. From thier admissions blog (by DeanJ, who is also a CC poster):

</p>

<p>My middle d graduated from Vanderbilt this year, and all of us love the school. If you’re accepted ED, you’ll be obligated to attend regardless of the financial aid package you receive (limited exceptions to this rule). Vandy’s need-based aid is excellent, and they also have a fine merit aid program, which has become very difficult to qualify for. Are you hoping for aid? Also - how will you pay for grad school if you choose Vanderbilt?</p>

4

<p>I would go with UVA</p>

5

<p>In this day and age grad school is massively important. You could have a wonderful time at Vandy but still be kicking yourself down the road when you’re paying your own grad school loans.</p>

6

<p>I’m a big fan of Vanderbilt; my son attends. However, there is no guarantee that a future employer will pay for your MBA. If attending Vanderbilt rather than UVA means you will be incurring big debt for an MBA, that is a good reason to consider sticking with your original plan.</p>

<p>Each school at Vanderbilt awards its own big merit scholarships. I don’t know how tough the competition has become for the merit awards in Peabody (home to the HOD major). I definitely don’t think you can bank on a merit offer, though (sorry).</p>

7

<p>UVA
Advantages
[ul][<em>]Cheap (in-state tuition)
[</em>]Dream school for years
[<em>]Extremely strong business program
[</em>]Parents will help pay for MBA[/ul]</p>

<p>Disadvantages
[ul][li]None[/ul]</p>[/li]
<p>Vanderbilt
Advantages
[ul][li]I’m sure there is one; I just can’t think of it.[/ul]</p>[/li]
<p>Disadvantages
[ul][<em>]More expensive
[</em>]Parents won’t help pay for MBA
[li]Weaker in business?[/ul]</p>[/li]
<p>It seems a pretty easy decision to me.</p>

8

<p>UVA’s Darden School Of Business is in my opinion the best business graduate school at a public university</p>

9

<p>Basically where im at now is:</p>

<p>UVA Positives:
-Majors
-Price (im not too worried though about grad school loans)</p>

<p>Vanderbilt Positives:
-Size
-Social Aspect</p>

<p>I want a well balanced social/acedemic school, and am worried that if i do go to UVA, its going to be a little big and im going to have to work HARD to get into the comm school.I dont know…</p>

10

<p>UVA is not that big of a school compared to other state flagship universities</p>

11

<p>I see three public business schools ranked above UVA at USNWR for 2010. </p>

<p>Top 30 MBA Programs:
1 Harvard
2 Stanford
3 Northwestern
3 U of Pennsylvania
5 MIT
6 Chicago
7 Berkeley
8 Dartmouth
9 Columbia
10 Yale
11 NYU
12 Duke
13 Michigan
14 UCLA
15 Carnegie Mellon
15 UVA</p>

12

<p>I should have said “besides UC-Berkeley” but I think UVA is #2 personally, that’s my ranking haha</p>

13

<p>x5,
The choice that you’re posing is very difficult. I think that it also is representative of the dilemma that many students in VA, CA, NC, MI face as they chose between a topflight IS flagship with a very attractive price tag and a highly ranked private that they might prefer but which, barring merit/need aid, probably costs a lot more. </p>

<p>IMO, these two schools also represent the shifting fortunes of the public and private world of national universities. Publics undeniably are under a lot of pressure with declining state contributions, smaller (and sometimes much smaller) endowments, increasing class sizes, shrinking or frozen services to students, etc. Such pressures also exist at many privates, but the degree will vary from campus to campus. </p>

<p>As it relates to these two schools, U Virginia is a pretty compelling choice for IS students. It is pretty unique among publics due to its smallish undergraduate size (14k) and large OOS population (32%). For students seeking the combination of a premier academic environment, excellent social life and nationally competitive/relevant athletic life, U Virginia is probably the best public university option in the USA (particularly for non-science/engineering fields). </p>

<p>Meanwhile, over the last decade, Vanderbilt has remade itself and is possibly the most improved (and most underrated) top private in the USA. Its student quality is now competitive with the non-HYP Ivies and Vanderbilt, like U Virginia, offers a total package of great academics, great social life and great athletic life in a way that the Ivies can only dream of. For more detail on how the school has evolved, I suggest you check the posts of parents knowledgeable about Vandy (midmo, frazzled1, momofwildchild, evilasiandictator). </p>

<p>When I look at colleges, I frequently refer to four questions:</p>

<ol>
<li> How good is the student body?</li>
<li> How big is the classroom that you learn in?</li>
<li> What is the quality and nature of the instruction?</li>
<li> How wealthy is the school and how inclined is it to spend on services to support undergraduate education?</li>
</ol>

<p>My sense is that Vanderbilt probably gives a better answer on each of these questions, but I’m not sure if it’s enough to make up for the material cost advantage that UVA provides for IS students. But if you get a financial package that makes it close, then….well, not sure. Two very good choices.</p>

14

<p>I see two public schools after Berkeley ranked above UVA. :-)</p>

15

<p>really? I don’t see them :)</p>

16

<p>Vandy is absolutely amazing. My visit here last year changed everything, I can’t imagine having a better experience that I am here. I don’t know much about UVA but I do know that it is extremely difficult to not love your time at Vanderbilt.</p>

17

<p>UVa and Vanderbilt are both excellent schools. I have friends and colleagues from both of them. Emory needs to be considered as their equals; if not their better.</p>

<p>My daughter rejected UVa, Vandy, Emory, Duke, Wake Forest, etc., etc. on the basis of students’ appearance on schools’ websites.</p>

<p>She chose New College of Florida as academically the superior of those schools. I think she made the right choice.</p>

18

<p>Senior’s Dad, Not clear what you mean by rejecting schools “on the basis of student’s appearance on schools’ websites.” If you are a Florida resident, I would imagine New College is a wonderful choice . It is very hard to turn down great public schools in your own state unless there is significant financial help from private or public out of state choices. Are you saying your daughter was accepted at all these other schools like UVa,Duke, Wake Forest, Vandy,etc and chose New College instead or did not even bother to apply to these other schools because she had good instate options?</p>

19

<p>My daughter loved Vandy in particular in the abstract and everyone we know advocated Vandy, from people from our Christian church to our Jewish friends. But, one look at Vandy’s website soured her. Everyone was dressed to the tees (similarly, everyone was clad in orange and blue at UF).</p>

<p>At NCF, folks dress all kinds of ways. She’s really happy at NCF, despite challenging coursework there. Challenging coursework is the more important consideration anyway.</p>

20

<p>Senior’s Dad,</p>

<p>I’m happy your daughter is pleased with NCF. For the record, though, not all students are dressed “to the tees” at Vanderbilt. I can only wish my son would take a bit of interest in putting on something other than 5 yr old cargo shorts, ratty T-shirts and the sandals I remember buying in 2006.</p>

<p>Maybe that is why I have never seen him on any of the web site photos!</p>