<p>Warblers, the point was the one ak72 just made. The quality and diversity of her peers at UVA would just not be comparable to that of her Yale classmates. That matters.</p>
<p>I wonder. Personally, I haven't seen any great difference between students at Duke and students at UNC. </p>
<p>On the other hand, everyone knows Yale students are much smarter than Duke students, so the comparison undoubtedly doesn't hold.</p>
<p>^Interesting. It's somewhat relevant, so could you elaborate? I'm choosing between Duke and Carolina Honors in-state. I would only choose Duke because of the quality of students/academics (parents are against sending me to Carolina despite the 40K/year cost disparity). You don't see much difference? Really?</p>
<p>I live in Charlottesville, and know a LOT of UVa students. I have several great friends attending UVa, and they like it a lot. They also feel, however, that while they have great groups of friends there, they are sometimes hard to find, because the atmosphere is not generally particularly intellectual. I don't want anyone on this board to be offended, but UVa truly does have a lot of people who are preppy, and who can be VERY smart, but are not necessarily intellectually curious or original in ideas. The atmosphere at Yale seems to be the polar opposite, so it's something worth considering. I think you would probably be a big fish in a small pond at UVa, but a lot of people love that position. Good luck, and congratulations on having to decide between two amazing opportunitites!</p>
<p>,.... I think the point of the OP is that, as we can all agree I think... Yale is not $150-$200,000 worth of "better" than UVa Jefferson.</p>
<p>^Probably true. But even if Yale isn't worth that much, if you're still willing and able to pay that much for it, why not follow your dream and make yourself happy?</p>
<p>Some people are lucky enough to be able to go to college for the experience, fulfillment, happiness, and all those other non-quantifiable, irrational things...the OP is entitled and perhaps "correct" to seek more than a degree and the "common-sense" choice.</p>
<p>well... you have to put it into perspective. it depends on how much ~$150,000 means to you. some people spend much more than that just on their children's elementary school. and if you have enough money, education is a good place to put it, rather than, say a couple new cars or something.</p>
<p>^Well she's already visited UVA for the Jefferson Scholars selection process.</p>
<p>UVA is one of the best schools in the nation. People in VA work their entire lives to attend UVA (I'm not kidding, 10% of my friends have been taking the most difficult classees since the third grade to go to UVA). Pick UVA. It's an amazing school, beautiful campus, and some of the top proffs int he country teach there. Yale is Yale, yes, but you'll love the money you save later on in life (I'm assuming that your rents have been saving for some time now, as mine have).</p>
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I live in Charlottesville, and know a LOT of UVa students. I have several great friends attending UVa, and they like it a lot. They also feel, however, that while they have great groups of friends there, they are sometimes hard to find, because the atmosphere is not generally particularly intellectual. I don't want anyone on this board to be offended, but UVa truly does have a lot of people who are preppy, and who can be VERY smart, but are not necessarily intellectually curious or original in ideas. The atmosphere at Yale seems to be the polar opposite, so it's something worth considering. I think you would probably be a big fish in a small pond at UVa, but a lot of people love that position. Good luck, and congratulations on having to decide between two amazing opportunitites!
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<p>That is so true! I have friends, friends' friends, who went to UVa and found that it is difficult to find very many friends outside of their high school circle because the general atmosphere is very preppy and snobby. I'm sure most students there are smart, but learning just doesn't stand out as a priority. I know their Greek life is bad, their parties are corrupting C'ville kids by the masses... the students don't look like approachable people outside the classroom and they tend to separate into homogeneous groups. But I don't know. That's what I've observed for 7 years.</p>
<p>You get a Homogenous population in almost any good school. Everyone seperates. In fact, its not exclusive to good schools, any school. Just to point that out.</p>
<p>yeah UVa is a huge party school. i was just talking to one of my teachers who went there and hated the party scene because it was so dominant on campus.
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People in VA work their entire lives to attend UVA
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i'm sure that is true, but i live in virginia and let me tell you it is not comparable at ALL to yale in terms of admissions. a lot of people i know who have gone there have not been even NEAR to yale caliber. at least 15 will go there from my school and more will get in, but only maybe 1 will get into yale. they are on completely different levels academically. out of state it's a different story of course, but 70% are in state students.</p>
<p>IMO, UVa is the closest to being the best school in Virginia, of course Virginians would want to go there! Especially with a lot of my more conservative, Southern-rooted friends... they do not want to go to an Ivy even if they can get in because they like their home.</p>
<p>It all depends on the person. Who here is going to/went to BOTH Yale and UVa for undergrad? Nobody here I'm guessing. Depends on what kind of traits are most important to you. The location/atmosphere at UVa really turns me off, but I value education more, so I would choose Yale if I could.</p>
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Remember that the OP isn't just comparing UVA and Yale with a price difference. The comparison is between a highly selective program at a top-notch university and regular student status at another top-notch university.
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<p>This would be a good argument, except that at Yale, <em>all</em> students are treated very well. Internships and study abroad (full funded) are quite common. You have to apply for them, but they aren't hard to get. Even though my D was a full pay student, she received over 3K for each of 2 summers for travel to South America. Another student I know went to China for the summer on Yale's dime. It's also easy to find faculty in your department who are willing to mentor, advise and provide good letters for grad school, if you're motivated.
There certainly is a financial advantage to a full ride at UVA, but I don't think the opportunities available would be superior to what you would find at Yale.</p>
<p>oh yeah UVa is definitely up there as one of the best schools in VA, and yes a lot of people in VA want to go there. but the truly smart and intellectually curious people i've know have not gone there. that's just my experience of course, but i go to a school that sends many many students to UVa. i agree with you feeneeneeny (haha that is fun to type), the atmosphere there turns me off too.</p>
<p>one of my good friends last year was in the same situation: SCEA Yale and Jefferson at UVA and he ended up choosing UVA and is loving it there.
I personally would definately choose UVA with Jefferson because of the full ride. Yale and UVA are really about the same caliber in terms of curriculum and faculty. Prestige really shouldn't matter because UVA has a great name in the US, but internationally its not as well known. The students at UVA are also incredibly smart, and since you are a Jefferson, you are going to be living with other Jeffersons and Echols scholars who are the most intellectual students at the university and they are all ivy league caliber students.</p>
<p>^Yeah I know a UVA Jefferson too. He loves it at UVA and doesn't look back at his other acceptances (and other full rides!). But he is the type who always knew he would go for the scholarship...</p>
<p>Thanks Three6. I've been to UVA, I like it there. It just depends on what kind to person you are and what you're looking for in a campus. If you want a lot of diversity, UVA probably isn't it. I don't know about the preppy thing because, fyi, preppy people are everywhere. But all of the people I know who have been accepted (many early decision) are not those types. In fact, they are really hard working but not increadibly well off kids. Maybe thats because I'm from Northern VA, and to many, that makes a difference, for some reason.</p>
<p>Good point, ASAP. I think I'm just surprised that anyone would pay that much, although it's not uncommon. Call me Jack Benny. :cool:</p>
<p>I think this ultimately boils down to a monetary situation. If OP can afford to go to Yale without true financial burden, then he/she should go if that is the #1 choice.</p>
<p>That said, comon guys. UVA and Yale are not of the same quality. Don't kid yourself into saying that they are the same "caliber". </p>
<p>There are opportunities here that exist only because of prestige, power, and money. Don't kid yoruself otherwise.</p>