<p>I’ll try to make this short and sweet. I’ve been accepted as a transfer into both universities as a polisci major and have a to make a decision pretty soon. </p>
<p>Here are my pros for USC:</p>
<li>Great alumni network, strong school spirit</li>
<li>Football</li>
<li>Close to home, although I’m not much of a SoCal person</li>
<li>I’m pretty familiar with the surrounding area and have many friends at UCLA</li>
</ol>
<p>And here are my pros for attending UVA:</p>
<li>From what I’ve heard, it’s academically superior to USC</li>
<li>I love east coast weather and east coast scenery</li>
<li>I don’t know anyone in Virginia, which means I get a fresh start as a person</li>
<li>I’m planning on law school and UVA has a great one</li>
</ol>
<p>I’d appreciate as much input and insight as anyone can give me on my present dilemma.</p>
<p>I am a USC alum with a daughter enrolling there as a freshman in the fall. However, I have spent a great deal of time in Charlottesville, VA and my former roomate is a graduate. If you are interested in pursuing a career in law ( I am also an attorney), I recommend that you consider UVA. It is highly regarded, you are near D.C. with all of its opportunities and since you love the East Coast, it would be an adventure for you. Charlottesville and the UVA campus are absolutely gorgeous. The students there are top notch and friendly. If you are not "tied to So Cal", consider UVA. It is a great university.</p>
<p>Thanks for your input, it's much appreciated.</p>
<p>I also have one more question for you if you wouldn't mind. Considering the fact that you're an attorney, would you say that it'd be easier for me to enter into UVA law if I attended it's undergraduate program? I know that law school is a completely separate admission process, but would I gain any advantage by having earned a bachelors at UVA?</p>
<p>You would also need to consider where you would be a better fit. It sounds to me that you like the East Coast and making friends here is not hard. Plus, you've only got two more years (or three) to go, so I'd highly recommend UVA.</p>
<p>IMHO, college should be based partially on the academic experience, but a large emphasis should be put on the life experience as well. Coming from out west also, I think the experience of living on the east coast will be very different, but also much more of an experience. You'll take much more out of the college if you try something new and exciting.</p>
<p>Also, do you think your UCLA friends will still be there if you enroll at USC? :D</p>
<p>I chose UVA over USC for three main reasons: 1) There was a sense of community and students felt genuinely happy and accepting here, 2) I liked the interesting mix of respecting history and traditions yet moving forward with modern times and 3) I didn't like the kids that were going there from my high school. I had no wish to spend another four years with similar folks.</p>
<p>I think UVA would be a nice change (I'm going to assume they're similar in cost, private vs OOS), being from CA or the west coast. I chose a UC only after being offered a scholarship and many other incentives, otherwise I would have ended up at UVA or Michigan (though I'm very happy with my choice). College is the only 4 years of your life where you have no responsibilities except to go to school and have fun. So choose somewhere unique, bc you might not be able to have that experience again.</p>
<p>USC has better weather (though UVA offers a change of seasons), a more suburban city, and yes, a football team that will probably go to the Rose Bowl next year. UVA has a better law school, a more renowned academic reputation, a historic (and most gorgeous) campus, and tight-knit feel (more so than SC, from my visits to both schools). Also, it is in the ACC conference, so although SC might have a better football team, UVA has its share of basketball success. </p>
<p>Personally, I think UVA is by far one of the most unique universities in the world. You simply can't find a replica of it, anywhere. So more than "can I go there," perhaps ask yourself, "can I pass that up?"</p>
<p>Good luck, you've been admitted to two fantastic universities. :)</p>
<p>Hey thanks guys, great input from all of you. </p>
<p>So the count so far is UVA - 5 and USC - 0. I've been leaning towards UVA myself and am now a lot of more confident in my decision to go there. </p>
<p>If anyone else has any other bits of advice, I'd be happy to hear them. Despite leaning UVA, USC has been my dream school ever since the age of 7.</p>
<p>I like your reasons for going to UVA, better than your USC reasons. So I vote UVA and echo what vc08 said, UVA is "one of the most unique universities in the world".
Four years could turn into 8 years if you go to Law school at UVA..not bad??!</p>
<p>Ive been accepted to both too. Both are really great schools. I honestly feel that you couldn't go wrong with either. Ive heard a lot of good arguments regarding these two but personally I think both overall are pretty equal. </p>
<p>Ive basically narrowed it down to who gives me the best financial aid package. (I'm still waiting to hear what UVa offers.)</p>
<p>barboza: Well, I guess its a regional thing. My friends as well as my parent's friends have always been involved in the UCLA-USC rivalry because so many of them have attended one or the other. It's a big deal here in SoCal. I've always been a staunch supporter of USC and considered it as part of my social identity. That's probably the main reason it's so hard for me to turn down SC even though I know it's not quite on par with UVA.</p>
<p>Tony Stark: Good stuff bro, thanks for the links. And yeah, if I end up going UVA and you end up going to SC, we'll definitely figure out a way to give each other high fives at 36,000 ft. =)</p>