<p>I plan on visiting both for the frist time in the next couple of weeks. Just looking for opinions. I may major in physics but I love historyso am not ready to let that go yet.
Anybody else looking at these two??</p>
<p>Class size is superior at Vanderbilt by far. I will also say I think lab instruction is much better and more personal at Vandy in general. Physics departments are often small so perhaps you should meet up with majors on both campuses to evaluate. Sorry…to say…we are Virginians and we value UVA very much. Housing is not guaranteed on campus all four years at UVA I don’t believe…either…if that matters to you. Just throwing out the big differences that are easy to pick out. I don’t know any UVA students who aren’t quite happy living off campus though…Charlottesville is a great and happy, upbeat college town. It is not a seat of government like Nashville is nor is it a great major American city with all the bells and whistles, cultural institutions, and major sports venues, lists of festivals, places to shop and eat galore and hopping economy…that Nashville is. You can do internships and work exploration in Nashville itself in many fields.</p>
<p>I really think this one is a no brainer, but UVa is a good school and you should decide based on fit. The demographics are one of the bigger differences.</p>
<p>Also, it’s tough to overestimate the significance of Nashville. It’s a cultural, economic, and political hotbed.</p>
<p>Hopefully my visits will let me figure out the fit. Thanks for the advice - I’d like to hear from more - parents opinions welcome as well.</p>
<p>My son had that choice but not in your field. But we visited both schools and it was down to one of these two schools for his choice. The two other things for him besides the size of the school that ended up mattering to him. One is Vandy is a balanced school, by that I mean the students are from everywhere. They dont go home on the weekends because it is to far away and they are not half Va.; they are diverse throughout the country. Second is everyone has the same smarts. At UVa they are a public school and have to take mostly Va. no matter how smart they are. Thus he felt there was more stimulating enviroment at Vandy. But this is just him and you have to make up your own mind and what makes you feel comfortable. You will see and feel the difference when you visit. Good Luck and congrats. You are doing the right thing by visiting. Remember education is only part of your college experience.</p>
<p>Your thoughts are just what has gone through my mind. However, I didn’t factor in the “going home” thing. Does the UVa campus empty out on weekends?</p>
<p>NO…UVA does not empty out at all on the weekends, sorry to disagree but scores of our friends have children there and we are only two hours away…and they can’t pry their kids out of UVA on weekends–plus they all usually “make-up” ways to live in Charlottesville in the summers as well. Virginia has a policy of also making everyone leave Charlottesville after four years of study…no foot dragging and making up ways to hang around another year in undergrad because UVA is so incredibly popular and beloved and students ADORE Charlottesville. The Dean informed us of this policy on Echols Day…too many other worthy students are waiting impatiently in line to get a seat at UVA. Mary Washington in Fredericksburg does have some rep as emptying on weekends…if kids can hack the horrible traffic outside of their lovely college town…they are indeed quite close to home in NoVa.</p>
<p>The student body at UVA this year is likely to exceed any other UVA class in quality and stats. Why? the recession has made many many students who would have cobbled together the cash for private colleges choose UVA. UVA numbers are waaaaay up in every category and selectivity is up. UVA also admits a very large number of brilliant students each year from the best performing high school in the USA> Thomas Jefferson Gov School in Fairfax. Everyone at UVA refers to the “TJ” kids…who are a strong presence and in some cases will be your lab assistants. I think the Cavalier Daily is the best college newspaper ever…UVA has the best undergrad business school in the USA and arguably many other great pathways academically.</p>
<p>The problem is you are a future Physics major. Here is where the comparisons all are clearly in Vanderbilt’s favor, unless you are also recruited perhaps as a College Science Scholar at UVA which might help matters.</p>
<p>It is fair to say that UVA has one of the smartest, strongest student bodies in the USA but it is only reality to point out that the Vanderbilt student body is strong throughout from top to bottom. The stats from the classes of 2012 and 2013 will demonstrate that the bottom quartiles at UVA and Vandy are quite different…Vandy classrooms are very very rigorous and Vanderbilt is more selective. </p>
<p>I am not familiar with the realities of Physics at UVA so by all means ask to meet someone in that major and I am sure if you are talented you can make it work. I read a science study commisioned by UVA online where they were setting major goals… and I know that they want to find the money to upgrade their science facilities and programs. </p>
<p>But four years from now, I am pretty certain that a Physics degree from Vanderbilt will signify as a much bigger challenge to have completed than the same at UVA. Vanderbilt has more resources in science in every way.</p>
<p>Vanderbilt wins in hard science…there really is no contest.</p>
<p>^Thank you for taking the time with that post - it helps alot - this will be a difficult decision, all information will help in one way or another.</p>
<p>One more factor to consider is class size. I agree with all the positive things said about UVA generally. My closest friend’s two children both attend(ed) UVA (one graduated last year, one is a junior). The one who graduated was pre-med (biology major) and one is doing engineering (I think it is mechanical or electrical engineering, but not absolutely sure). The only complaint I have heard was huge science class sizes at UVA. There were hundreds in introductory classes, and still sometimes as many as 100 in upper level classes. I don’t think you find that at Vandy. With budget cuts, those kinds of problems will only increase.</p>