Yesterday, I was accepted to UVA after my acceptance to Hopkins last week. I’m having trouble figuring out which college I should attend. I am aware that this topic is very subjective, but it would be nice to hear some personal insights on either school.
I’m leaning on Hopkins right now, but UVA is still a possible choice for me. I want to go into business, but Hopkins doesn’t have a u-grad b-school. As for UVA, I’d have to apply to UVA’s b-school, so business is not guaranteed.
So as of now, I’d major in Economics at both schools. I’m mainly curious about the social aspect of Hopkins/UVA. I’m an outgoing person, I love going out/meeting new people, and I love the city. Hopkins has Baltimore, but UVA has a better social scene.
I’m pretty conflicted here. Any comments/personal anecdotes about the social/academic environment will be greatly appreciated.
@happymomof1 For Hopkins, I got a need-based full ride. For UVA, FA has not been released yet, but I’m guessing that the cost difference will only be $2-3K/yr. Both schools are the same driving distances (1.5 hours)!
As for the social scene, I’m willing to make new friends. I also am interested in partying/rushing.
Based on your stated goals and social opportunities it appears UVA is a better fit. Yes JHU is in Baltimore but you won’t be doing much in the city tbh. And the vibe is just a bit more subdued. But totally great too.
UVA meets OOS need, so they should be close. D is first year at UVA and the social scene is wonderful ( and she’s in e-school). Lots of great people, a very friendly atmosphere and loaded with school spirit. C’ville is a great college town with too many good restaurants to count. But I can’t compare it to jhu…just know that the overly cutthroat reputation ( probably more in the premed disciplines) turned my daughter off. Hard for us to get too excited about Baltimore based on the few visits we’ve had there.
@happymomof1 I think my main concern with Hopkins is just how much I’ve been reading that the social scene is very subpar and lackluster. It’s a common stereotype, but I know that everyone has different experiences, so I’m going to make a visit to the school soon.
@jmk518 I’ve heard many people that have a similar experience w/ Baltimore just like you and your daughter. UVA has an amazing academic and social balance… this will be an extremely hard decision to make.
Go visit JHU, see what you think. Parts of Baltimore are less nice than others, but we have always found lots of fun and interesting things to do there. We are only about an hour away. Happykid graduated from Towson, and then worked in the Baltimore area before heading to grad school last fall. If you like quirky, experimental theatre, she knows all the performance groups.
If you truly want to go into business, UVA is the answer. How much do each cost? Do not go into debt too much during undergrad.
If you want a social scene, UVA is the best. Hopkins is in Baltimore, but I think what you really want will be better at UVA. Do you want school spirit and good sports? Definitely UVA.
Another important factor is size. UVA is a lot bigger than Hopkins.
Tour both and figure out which is the best fit. From what you’re saying UVA seems like the one. good luck!
@karlee2510 thanks so much! The thing is, UVA’s financial aid hasn’t come out yet, but I’ll be paying a couple thousand more than Hopkins (based on finaid estimation). Hopkins is $0 for me, which is a huge draw.
I love having a good time and a great social scene, so UVA is the clear winner there.
But I also love smaller classes, an urban environment, and a full ride … so Hopkins is the winner here.
As for business, I’ve heard from people that UVA’s business school is very competitive to get into. The idea of having to “compete” for a spot and not have certainty of whether or not I could even study business doesn’t seem to sit well with me.
Both schools has their pros and cons. I just don’t know which factors are more important to me yet.
A full ride at Hopkins is a no brained. Plus the class sizes and urban environment is what you want. Then I would choose hopkins without a doubt.
The only thing I would say is if the social scene at UVA outweighs the class sizes, location, and cost at Hopkins in your mind. Which from what you said I don’t think it does.
If the business program is really something you want, then go for it. It’s competitive, but seeing that you got a full ride at Hopkins you aren’t giving yourself enough credit here. Also, what do you have to lose? If you don’t get in, you’ll be in economics which you would have at Hopkins. I see what you are saying though, is that the draw to UVA is the social scene and the possibility of business.
I think you just have to determine if you want those factors, but maybe Hopkins is the one now that you said all those things.
OP would be on a very tight budget at either school, but possibly tighter at UVA. Could that cause a student to feel shut out from the social scene at UVA, to some degree?
UVA has a top UG business school. It is competitive but about two thirds of applicants are admitted. If you do well in the prereqs and are active on campus you will likely get in. Many schools without direct admit have weedout classes, specifically accounting (could also be intro finance). These typically are quite challenging so the percent of admitted students is somewhat self selected. Some drop out of the program, others don’t do well and are denied access. If you do well, the odds are higher than two thirds so I wouldn’t worry about it too much.
That said, UVA is heavily recruited by many of the major banks, professional service firms (consulting, advisory, accounting), and leading companies. On campus recruiting is outstanding. Some of it is limited to the B school but much of it is open to other majors. So, in the event you didn’t achieve admission into McIntire, you could still major in econ and do quite well.
C’ville is a great area and fantastic college town. Tons of school spirit and social atmosphere. If D1 sports fandom is important, the Cavaliers are very solid in several sports and are faithfully followed by the community.
JHU is a great school but will have a very different vibe. Not bad, but different. A visit to both would clearly highlight a different experience.
I hope you receive the aid you are expecting in order to be able to make a choice.
Best of luck and congrats on two outstanding achievements.