<p>I felt the need to highlight UVA grad achievements to dispel the rumor that they are weak in that category. But even so, UVA+WM are both better for undergrad, plus they are both better feeder schools.
So the choice is clear: If I could go to UVA, William and Mary, UCLA, or UC Berkley (only accounting for academics) it would be a toss up between WM and UVA. The fact that I will get a better undergrad and be in prime position to apply to Columbia, Harvard, Yale, Penn, and other top grad schools would be the deciding factors. You can boast about grad school or PhDs, but when the UCs dominate in grad school (which only about 25% of the students are in), you know you’re grasping at straws.</p>
<p>No doubt in some fields in which the UCs are better. But overall the undergrad dominance of VA reigns supreme.</p>