<p>I was admitted to both with the aforementioned scholarships, and I'm a bit torn where to attend next year, along with Williams College and Middlebury College. I've pretty much ruled those two out because I really don't think I could handle the cold. I wouldn't consider myself very liberal, more socialist than anything. I also like the small feel that UR offers with less than 3K undergrads. I got about the same amount of money from each school, so that can't aid in my decision. I don't necessarily know what I want to major in as undergrad but I am absolutely certain I want to go to law school and study Environmental Law. I want a school with a good amount of school spirit and hopefully some sort of night life. So, UR or W&M?</p>
<p>As others have posted in similar threads, visit each campus. We have a Monroe Scholar weekend following Day for Admitted Students so we recommend you attend that weekend to see how you feel about W&M. No doubt Richmond has a similar visit opportunity.</p>
<p>@ W&M Admission- Yes Richmond does have a smiliar program, but they are flying me up for it. I would love to attend the Monroe Scholar weekend but I actually can’t afford the plane ticket. I have a twin sister who also needs to pay for school and she already used the little bit of extra money my mother had to buy a plane ticket to visit JHU. Plane tickets from my home are very very expensive.</p>
<p>I’ll hazard an opinion here, though there are surely some better qualified to do so - but it seems to me, I’d give the edge to W&M in your academic interests - W&M is well-known as a very successful “feeder” school for Law, and has an excellent Biology department and Ecology and Conservation resources, such as the Keck center and the Center for Conservation Biology, so if you want to get your hands dirty, so to speak, W&M would be a good place to do so. </p>
<p>But that’s not to say Richmond is somehow deficient - they have some very sharp kids there and a good reputation for academic quality. And with a Law school, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to think that there are some benefits felt in the undergraduate curriculum.</p>
<p>Nightlife, I’d give the edge to Richmond, simply being in Richmond offers you some additional opportunities, and Williamsburg remains pretty much a tourist-y town (though there have been positive developments in providing additional student-friendly establishments.) And compared to Williamstown, Williamsburg looks positively Manhattan-esque … 
(Personally, I find Williams to be a dream college -but its location in the middle of nowhere would be too much to take.)</p>
<p>Of course, both Richmond and Norfolk are relatively close-by, but generally are reserved for weekends - and since most freshman don’t have cars, there are limits to road trips, first-year. Some complain that the Greek and drinking culture at UR is a bit too prevalent, but those things are all a matter of personal preference and perspective. Greek life is less noticeable at W&M, and while there are parties to be found, it tends to be of the Thursday-Saturday variety. </p>
<p>W&M will likely be a bit more amenable to your political outlook, and the student body tends to be a bit more activist than UR - not that W&M is some hotbed of militant activism - it’s not “Brown.” Politically, the student body runs the gamut, left-of-center but not dramatically so, and the students collectively pride themselves as being accepting of other people’s viewpoints and backgrounds.</p>
<p>W&M <em>is</em> very community-focused as a rule - you might look at the Sharpe Community Scholars program to see if that appeals to you. </p>
<p>Sports, I think they’re probably comparable - both have sports programs with reasonable levels of enthusiasm, but nothing like the intensity of, say, Alabama football. And both offer significant participation in intramural sports - and I’d strongly recommend finding some intramurals to participate in, whether it’s soccer or ballroom dancing or ultimate frisbee - I think the ones who don’t find W&M a happy place are either looking for a 7-day-a-week party scene, and those who simply don’t engage - you have to find some non-classroom activities and passions to bring some balance to your life. W&M is academically rigorous, but if you spend 4 years in Swem, you’re going to miss out …</p>
<p>I don’t know if any of this helps you in your decision - but you have good choices available to you - good luck, whatever you decide.</p>
<p>Richmond has a much preppier vibe than W&M (could be a positive or negative for either school, depending on what the student is looking for).</p>
<p>Also, if you havent’ visited W&M at all, you can probably squeeze it in to your Richmond trip. The Greyhound (and Amtrak) is walking distance to W&M campus.</p>
<p>and fwiw, my impression is not many kids from VA would choose Richmond over W&M (or UVA). I have one friend that chose it over both, but he had a full-ride.</p>