<p>I have been admitted to Davidson, UVA, University of Chicago, and Johns Hopkins. I have pretty much narrowed it down to Hopkins or UVA. I am certain that i want to double major in English Literature and Political Science and proceed to law school. Both schools seem to have their respective merits but the debate is plaguing me. Any help or advice would be appreciated.</p>
<p>As a Charlottesville resident and member of the Hopkins Class of '09, I feel uniquely qualified to answer this question. :)</p>
<p>JHU has an excellent political science department (mainly centered around International Relations) and a very solid English department.
Class size is small and the professors are super-involved and approachable. For example, in my summer class on 19th century British Literature, there were 6 people in the class, which was taught by a very capable graduate student. For the last few years, Hopkins has enjoyed an 100% acceptance rate for students participating in Pre-Law advising. </p>
<p>UVA also has solid departments in both these fields. However, UVA is much larger and you are more likely to get huge lectures with grad students teaching the sections. I took a political science (International Relations) course one summer, and while the section size wasn't unmanageable - about 24 students, of which maybe 10 showed up regularly, lol - the grad student who taught it seemed unsure and unprepared to handle the class. An isolated example, but not uncommon from what I've seen / heard. I'm not sure of the numbers on UVA Law admissions. </p>
<p>I think that Hopkins is generally better academically than UVA, especially in the departments youre interested in, as well as anything science. </p>
<p>However, in terms of quality of life, I think UVA is better than Hopkins. There are more students, and the "city" of Charlottesville, though diminutive, is centered almost entirely around them. Social life is more vibrant and active, particularly if you're interested in the greek scene. The weather and surroundings are beautiful, and you're minutes away from some of the most gorgeous mountains in the country - and with that comes the opportunity for hiking, climbing, etc.</p>
<p>Hopkins is located in a much bigger city, but that city is Baltimore, and it's not exactly a college town. There is more going on culturally than in Charlottesville - the Baltimore Museum of Art is huge and located adjacent to campus, the Meyerhoff is home to the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (and offers cheap student rush tickets,) etc. There are a lot of entertainment venues, like the aquarium, other Inner Harbor stuff, and Camden Yards / wherever the Ravens play. If you want to get out of the city and actually see the stars, the recreation department offers $10 weekend trips, which is pretty neat. So theres a lot to do, but it takes some initiative to enjoy it, and the surrounding areas are certainly not as friendly as Charlottesville. </p>
<p>I was torn between applying early decision to UVA or to Hopkins. Eventually, the fact that I've lived in Charlottesville for a long time, and the academic superiority of Hopkins clinched it for me.</p>
<p>Other factors to consider:</p>
<p>If youre instate for UVA, youll pay ¼ of what youll pay to go to Hopkins.</p>
<p>If youre Echols, the academic differences might even out.</p>
<p>If youre interested in the law school, it might be a good idea to check whether they accept a lot of UVA students. Its an excellent school, and relatively cheap if youre instate.</p>
<p>Both schools are great good luck with your decision!</p>
<p>I'd say U.Va.'s English department is probably as good or better than Hopkins, though our faculty in Politics probably lags by a good margin (this hurts to say as a Government-Foreign Affairs major!) However, I also think it's all what you make of it. Go to office hours, make the effort to get to know professors, and it'll be as good and challenging as you could ever like. From what I hear from my friends at Hopkins and Chicago (and silver may be able to correct me here), the competition is vicious. I think the main place where this favors U.Va. is in access to professors and research positions as an undergrad. </p>
<p>Quality of life in Cville, as silver mentions, is probably a step above Hopkins, but you're also further from all of the big-city culture. </p>
<p>U.Va. Law accepts more students from U.Va. than anywhere else... but it's also their greatest source of applicants. I hear quite a bit that it's harder to get into U.Va. Law coming from U.Va. undergrad, but the numbers don't quite pan out that way. Average GPA getting into U.Va. law out of U.Va. last year was below a 3.65 and 170 LSAT, and I think overall it was more like 3.7 GPA along with ~170 LSAT.</p>