I was wondering if you all could give me some advice on which school you think would be a better fit. I know that it is a bit of a weird comparison but I think that is what makes CC a great resources so that I can hear many opinions from a lot of people.
I know that both have campuses basically in the middle of nowhere. The University of Virginia is very far from Richmond which appears to be the closest center of civilization around the area. But I suppose that is kind of the point of the campus. To have it be like Jefferson wanted. A quiet place to get work done and study. Quite southern of them.
The other one is UNC Chapel Hill which has pretty good name recognition, I think more so than Virginia. However, the location is in Durham, North Carolina. Which, while it is close to Raleigh, I mean, it is not like that city in and out of itself has many things to do such as internships or the other. So in terms of cities I think that both are pretty equal in that term (though I hear Virginia has better weather, maybe somebody who has been to both can help me out here, I am from SoCal so I am used to heat if that helps).
I will be studying political sciences regardless of where I go and I think that both are a great choice. Aid is basically the same thing for both so that is of no issue. Just wanted to hear some opinions. Thanks guys.
Both campuses and locations are comparable, Chapel Hill is a little closer to civilization than Virginia is. You really have to visit to get a feel for the campuses, they’re very similar but I really like Chapel Hill and Franklin street, where there are a ton of restaurants and bars and it’s where all the basketball celebrations take place. I think UVA might have better poly sci however
They are both outstanding state universities, generally thought of as best of the best (including UCB, Mich in that conversation). WIlliam and Mary is also in that category but is a much smaller (feels like an LAC) school. I mention W&M because it is known for history and polisci with lots of alums headed to Wash DC after college.
If you are OOS, all are very difficult for admissions. They have state statutes that require student body to be comprised of residence in large #s (NC = 82% and VA is something like 70%). So, it gets even tighter when you make room for recruited D1 athletes, legacies and other hooks. For an OOS unhooked kid, admissions is much more similar to getting in to the Duke’s of the world.
Both are fantastic places. Charlottsville, VA is an awesome small city / college town full of things to do. DC is not far (2 hours). Chapel Hill is unique, an incredible college town. From our experience, UVA is generally considered a tad more scholarly and has exit ops across the board, but they are both truly outstanding. UNC is a bit larger and feels much larger (to me).
UVA might seem more diverse because they accept more OOS AND many kids in state come form northern VA (serving DC) which is quite transient. A lot of job transfers to the area, so many kids from other places.
@Skipper18542 , UNC Chapel Hill is in Chapel Hill and not Durham (Duke is in Durham). I wouldn’t say either campus is particularly “in the middle of nowhere”. That said, there are a lot more people in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina than Charlottesville.
UNC may have more name recognition than UVA, but that probably comes from a bit more athletics exposure, specifically basketball. That isn’t the most relevant criteria for choosing an undergraduate school. They are roughly comparable in recognition in business and academia. I’d perhaps give the slight edge to UVA.
The weather isn’t going to be that different. UNC will be a tad milder in winter. UVA, however, is considerably closer to the mountains. Both are pretty large schools, and UNC definitely does feel larger as the previous post indicates. You might want to look at other sized schools for fit as well.
They are both very good schools that are difficult to get into OOS.
UVA can accept more OOS students than UNC… about 27% vs 18%. The cap does not apply to transfer students at UNC… So the OOS population is actually closer to 25%. Not sure about UVA with regard to transfer students.
UNC has a lower cost ( not considering FA) and both meet full need
Both have great college towns
UNC is in the Research Triangle and you can take classes at Duke. Not sure if that matters or not
In my opinion UNC has a more liberal vibe than UVA- not sure if that matters to you
UNC is economically diverse…can’t speak for UVA
Both have a bustling and energetic campus
You will meet loyal alumni all over the country from both schools
I would not consider either school to be in the middle of nowhere. UNC is in one of the biggest research areas in the country…
UVA is closer to DC, but political science majors at UNC do get internships within NC and in DC as well as in other cities throughout the country. I am sure that is true for UVA as well.
UNC is a college town that is part of a larger metro area of 2 million people with a pretty big airport. Charlottesville is lovely but def. more remote as it’s a stand alone college town in the middle of the mountains. But it’s a very cute town.
Getting to UNC is easier from from the west coast. RDU, the airport that serves UNC, has a nonstop flight to LAX (and San Diego, San Fran, etc.) while Charlottesville has a small airport and you’ll always have to change planes to get home.
Charlottesville has a bit cooler weather wise which you’ll esp. notice when winter arrives earlier.
UVA has more of an elite vibe. Lots of references to being Jefferson’s University, lots of secret societies that go around and tag campus walls, etc. I think the Greek system is a little bigger at UVA too – or at least seems that way when you’re walking around.
Both are pretty preppy overall, but UNC feels more down to earth and inclusive – a bit more of a ‘one community’ vibe is the best way I can describe it.
As someone said, both have very loyal and extensive alums all over the country.
I think both UVA and UNC have pretty compact campuses for their size making them feel smaller than they are.
Both excellent schools and I hope this helps – good luck!
Aa a Virginian, my biased view is that UNC s a way nicer environment. To me, Chapel Hill is the best college town, or at least right there with Ann Arbor and one or two others, with Franklin Street, a great student spot, immediately adjacent to campus, and Carrboro just up Franklin. Raleigh/Durham is a terrific urban center. Charlottesville is fine. UVA campus is fine. The school is excellent. Maybe I’d be more impressed if I didn’t usually come into C-ville from the north on Rt. 29, which is a nightmare of bad traffic and chain store/restaurant he double toothpicks. Also, UVA was one of the last all-male public institutions, and I think that is still an impactful legacy.
I would also heavily consider William & Mary if you are considering UVA and UNC, although it is in more of a remote location than either of those (ex: not a major city). It has an excellent political science and alumni network in DC though. I would imagine that if working in DC was in the cards, UVA might be better and have better connections in those respects and it is pretty close to the mountains so hiking could be a good option. I know less about UNC, but if it is true that it has a more of a down to earth vibe, I would consider that a plus. Both are competitive to get into from out of state, and as I understand it UNC receives much more of its students from instate.
Thank you everyone for your comments and recommendations. I really appreciate it. I get the feeling, as many of you said, that they are practically equals and it would really come down to personal preference which is a fair assumption to make. I will also take your recommendations about the College of William and Mary and look further into it. I might make a separate post about it later. Thank you so much.
You asked for opinions about fit but did not describe what you are looking for. If you can provide that, there may be better points of comparison that can be made here.
My parents, cousins, aunts and uncles live scattered around Charlottesville. It may be a pretty small town, but they never seem to lack for things to do. Even when the college isn’t in session it’s a pretty lively town, with lots of quirky restaurants and coffee shops. And Bodo’s Bagels are awesome.
As others have pointed out, UNC is in Chapel Hill, 7 miles to Durham (Duke) and 20 miles to Raleigh (NCSU). RTP is in between the 3 schools, which is one of the largest and best research areas in the country. Plenty of opportunity. Between the three, there are over 50000 undergrads. The Triangles population is over $2million, so not in the middle of nowhere.