<p>I recently got off the waitlist at UVa that used to be my dream school along with Duke. I think I would benefit from W&M's small classes and easy access to professors. But, W&M is new to disability service to deaf students, so I am worried that it would not provide skilled interpreters. UVa is better feeder school and has grade inflation. It is very close to my family and friends, and 2 deaf UVa students attend it. However, it has huge classes. What should I do?</p>
<p>I would say WM is a better feeder school...</p>
<p>hairypotty, first off, not every W&M class is going to be small, but I'm not sure how large the classes at UVA are. It does seem to me that communication is the key to just about everything and if you think UVA can provide that better for you then you should give it a lot of consideration. W&M is a great school, but so is UVA and you might not want to be the possible guinea pig for W&M newer services to deaf students. I guess there are advantages to both schools and you just need to decide which are more important. Good luck with your decision!</p>
<p>hairypotty, I don't know if I'd say that UVA is a "better" feeder school than W&M. Maybe in some areas, like business, but not across the board. And it certainly doesn't have grade inflation. In fact, the average grade point average at UVA is about the same as at W&M.</p>
<p>Bjcdb, I wouldn't go that far, either.</p>
<p>the services for being deaf are very important. If UVA has an established program (how established it can be from helping just 2 students, I don't know), then that is definitely an important thing to consider.</p>
<p>The schools are essentially the same academically. You should really decide based on where you feel you will enjoy yourself the best, where you will fit in the best, including the services the schools can provide for you.</p>
<p>you cannot compare average GPA's. There have been statistics produced to standardize GPA's, most of which find WM to have higher grade deflation than UVa. WM, statistically, is a good feeder school for law, medical, and business school-despite what cavalier might say.</p>
<p>I think you should choose the school that best compliments your personality. That's why I chose WM. And you should also talk to each school about their resources for the deaf. Also, regarding the grade deflation, I believe that most graduate schools are aware of the rigours of WM and it won't be held against you as much.</p>
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Also, regarding the grade deflation, I believe that most graduate schools are aware of the rigours of WM and it won't be held against you as much.
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<p>That's the thing, though - there's no more grade deflation or inflation at W&M than there is at UVA. The average GPA's of the two institutions are very similar.</p>
<p>What are the average GPA's btw?</p>
<p>According to the Virginia Pilot, it was 3.18 at UVA and at W&M in 2001. The whole thing about UVA having grade inflation, W&M having grade deflation and W&M being super rigorous is a bit of a myth, IMO.</p>
<p>you can rant about average GPA all day long; however, factually, UVA tends to have higher grade inflation. I've had professors who have stated not only that based on their experiences at UVA but other institutions such as Wharton that WM is more demanding and grades are harder to obtain. This is not just one professor either...</p>
<p>Who's ranting? </p>
<p>It's true, though. You're in high school. You don't know what grades are. I'm in college. Everyone I know goes to UVA and I'd need three hands to count the number of people who go to William & Mary. I do not believe that the grading is harsher at either or that the work is particularly more difficult at either. And I have real evidence to back it up. The whole thing about w&m being so difficult relative to other top schools is some yarn spun by PTA moms.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.gradeinflation.com/virginia.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.gradeinflation.com/virginia.html</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.gradeinflation.com/w%26m.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.gradeinflation.com/w%26m.html</a></p>
<p>I think part of the "W&M being so difficult" thing comes from the stress level at W&M, if you will. I think that the average W&M student is more stressed than the average UVA student. That said, I have a lot of friends at UVA, and they all work hard. Maybe you have to work harder at W&M to get the same grades as UVA, so that makes W&M students more stressed, but really, there's no way to measure that.</p>
<p>I don't know why the thread turned into this, UVA and W&M are both very good, very respected schools that you will put you on the path to go where you want to go. The OP should choose based on which school they get the feeling that "this is the place for me" when they step on campus (or "grounds" =P).</p>
<p>I would go to W&M. It's nicknames are "The College of Knowledge" and "Boot Camp of Academia." It has an amazing intellectual environment and is the most selective public US university.</p>
<p>It's not the most selective public US university.</p>
<p>With exception to maybe Berkley it is</p>
<p>Definitely Berkeley and UCLA, and it's not much more competitive than UVA, if at all.</p>
<p>Look up the history of my posts Re: "UVA vs W&M" and about W&M in general. I like to think that my tone is along the lines of soccerguy315's tone when he talks about UVA.</p>
<p>Berkeley has a slight advantage over W&M in terms of HS class rank but W&M blows them away on the SAT metric. W&M has a higher per capita valedictorian count, though.</p>
<p>Big deal. As if the prestige and quality of a school depended solely on selectivity...</p>