<p>I'm not sure which college to go to. I have declared to be a biology major. Also, good food and nice dorms are really important to me.</p>
<p>From what I have read on their site and other rating sites VA Tech has one of the best food places in the country. Plus I know Blacksburg is probably a little bit in the OL country, but why would you want to live around some of the nasty areas of Richmond?</p>
<p>if you’re gonna do premed, vcu has a guaranteed program which could lessen your grad school worries;Vcu has a good medical school. But overall Tech is definitely superior in academics, food and probably dorms(sources?) too.</p>
<p>Just to throw in another option… VaTech has partnered w/ Carilion to create a jointly operated private medical school, located in downtown Roanoke, adjacent to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital. It will be small and focussed on physician researchers. It should be up and running by 2010.</p>
<p>If good food and nice dorms are very important to you (isn’t it interesting what things students find important in making their respective decisions? :)) I think VT would probably be given the nod. Their food services department just received a national award:
[News</a> Story | Virginia Tech News | Virginia Tech](<a href=“http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/story.php?relyear=2009&itemno=152]News”>http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/story.php?relyear=2009&itemno=152). </p>
<p>From what we have seen and heard, the dorms aren’t too bad at VT either. You aren’t guaranteed housing except for your freshman year. You go through a lottery sophomore year on, but my s didn’t have any problem getting on campus housing for this upcoming year. </p>
<p>marcusf329 is right about the guaranteed med school route. It all depends on what you want out of your college experience. Biology is strong at both schools, but VT and VCU offer two totally different college environments. Personally, I don’t care for downtown Richmond and the “campus” of VCU wouldn’t be my choice, but to each his or her own. Good luck to you!</p>
<p>The food is exceptional at VT as has been mentioned. The dorms aren’t, for the most part, but I don’t know if VCUs are any better. They are decent, depending on where you get put, and some of them are really good but you’re unlikely to get those as a freshman. After your freshman year there are relatively cheap off-campus apartments though.</p>
<p>I would absolutely not count on the Carilion thing being up and running by 2010/11/12/etc. If they’re saying 2010 I’d expect it to be going by 2012. Maybe. You know how deadlines go…</p>
<p>What is being a student at VCU like? Is Richmond that dangerous?</p>
<p>Like any inner city Richmond has some nasty areas. </p>
<p>Probably the equiv. of North Philly (Nasty) by Temple. I don’t think it is Camden (Goodness would rather go to Philly) by any means, but it has some nasty areas.</p>
<p>A guy from my D’s high school was killed by a car jacker last year at Richmond. I think he was going to VCU. I don’t think you want to go out and have a “nice” walk at night around there.</p>
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<p>I wouldn’t describe our location as ‘nasty’, thank you very much…</p>
<p>I would, no offense, but it is what it is</p>
<p>Not the school though just the surrounding area of Philly, I might have been out that way a time or two in my time!!</p>
<p>dorms: VCU and cheaper off campus housing
city: VCU (keithb25 is bias imo, richmond is an urban city. there is more crime but a better nightlife and more things to do)
food: VT on campus but if you plan to live off campus housing a meal plan is expensive atop of rent and groceries
people: VCU is diverse. VT is not really diverse but its getting better.
academics: if you’re doing pre-med, according to my roommate who’s a bio major with a pre-med track and generally knows his stuff, VCU has a stronger program but doesn’t really matter as long as you have a high gpa and solid mcats with good extracurriculars.</p>
<p>honestly you’ll be happy if you come to VT as long as your somewhat social. College is really what you make out of it. But yeah Richmond isnt that bad and you’ll be fine as long as you have some street senses. In other words dont go walking alone late at night, rocking your iphone. </p>
<p>btw dorms at tech are crap. You can argue with me if you want but seeing pee or people peeing in elevators, stairs do not suprise any more. my hall is being charged 600 dollars because ■■■■■■■ keep breaking light fixtures and kicking in elevator buttons. i’ve gotten sick a bunch. the dorm rooms are tiny and get dirty quick if you’re not clean. I live in Pritchard so i’m a bit bias and next year Pritch will be co-ed.</p>
<p>Hyun how am I biased? I said that Blacksburg was in the country. Clearly there will be more to do in Richmond, wasn’t that the point of my statement about Blacksburg? I am also throwing out the very real concern for one’s safety that exist by going to a school in an area that has serious crime! </p>
<p>BTW very true about having street sense, but not everyone does. Not everyone has been in areas like that. Even with having some sense you can not prevent crime, you can only hope to minimize the possibilities. If you reside around Human filth the threat is always there. </p>
<p>I apologize to anyone I offended, but I have a bad habit of being candid.</p>
<p>keith, do everyone a favor, and stay in your suburban bubble. Thanks.</p>
<p>Lol, bro I grew up going over the bridge. You should do yourself a favor, and allow the honesty of life to penetrate that Utopian world of BS you have apparently taken residence in.</p>
<p>Yeah, because my ideal utopian world would be North Philly, rrrrrright…</p>
<p>Touch</p>
<p>I am longing for a pizza steak with fried onions and hot peppers cooked in!!!</p>
<p>Hopefully, since I’m going…</p>