I was accepted EA to UVa and JMU Honors college. I applied for a full tuition to JMU because I just wanted to know if I could get it. I didn’t, but I was awarded 3/4 tuition for 4 years.
Talking to UVa and JMU students, JMU students say the Honors College at JMU has the same caliber of student as UVa, and that I will definitely be challenged. However, UVa has been my dream (not dream as in unattainable, dream as in my top) school since I moved to VA, and I don’t think I want to give it up. At the same time, my mom can’t pay 32k a year out of pocket for me to attend UVa. I am still waiting on financial aid from UVa, but am having a LOT of trouble trying to come close to making a decision.
I want to study speech language pathology, and both UVa and JMU have great five-year programs. To add more input from what others say… everyone says where you go for undergrad doesn’t really matter. I completely understand that, but wherever I go I will definitely pursue a five-year masters program, making my undergraduate school matter, in a sense. Finally, I have a sister who is a third year at UVa, so I have seen grounds and love it. I have informally toured JMU twice and have a good feeling about it, but I’m obviously not as comfortable there as I am at UVa, only because I have visited UVa so many times.
Any suggestions to aid my decision are welcome 
Go to UVA. The 5 year program really justifies it; in the long run, it is worth it.
Uva is about $26,000 in state, not $32,000. Your mind is already made up but If it’s your dream, do what you have to to go there. Work 20 hours a week until you graduate from high school; work full time in the summer; work 10-15 hours a week during college, be an RA to get free room and partial board/food and take out a loan if you’re still short. Keep working full time in the summers. A sibling in school will help your financial aid case too.
You need to wait to see what FA you’ll be offered at UVA in order to make the decision.
I don’t believe it’s a five year program at either school unless I’m missing something. My daughter was interested in SLP and I did some research and I believe the master’s is a five semester program (Fall, Spring, Summer, Fall, Spring) at both UVA and JMU. So you’ll need to factor the cost of 2+ years of grad school (6.5 years total) into your decision.
Do some more research on the cost, curriculum requirements, and job placement rates for each school and go from there.
@seniormom2021 The projected tuition for the coming school year 2018-19 shows COA increase that puts UVA @ approx. 32,000
Talk to some people in your prospective profession (always a good idea) and ask about student debt. It’s really tough to start out in life with a huge burden like that. I think @LeastComplicated has several important points, above.
Here is the chart with tuition and fees for next year https://sfs.virginia.edu/cost/18-19
For people who are eligible for UVa’s financial aid, it typically increases with increasing tuition.
I’m sure nobody wanted an update on this, but I chose UVA for a multitude of reasons, but the one that pushed me over the edge was seeing pictures of my friends who already go to either university out on a snow day. I said to myself “I want to be with my friends on the Lawn on a snow day like this,” and that was that, my decision was made. Little did I know that I did receive financial aid making both schools the exact same price. So I definitely feel like I made the right choice in my heart and from a practical perspective.
Congratulations! Thank you for the update. Wishing you a wonderful 5 years there. My son loves it and has never regretted transferring to UVA.