I was accepted to Davidson and UVA as a transfer student, and I am having a hard time deciding which school I should go to. Both schools have their pros and cons, but I am leaning towards Davidson. I think I would really like the smaller size of Davidson, and I overall prefer attending a liberal arts college. However, Davidson costs significantly more than UVA. That being said, I can still afford to go to Davidson, but I would have absolutely no money left over for anything like grad school. I’m instate for UVA and they gave me a lot of aid, so I am really conflicted. I think UVA has a lot of pros too, such as way more course offerings and major options, but I am concerned about the culture there. I go to a medium sized school right now, and I am worried that I might be overwhelmed by UVA’s size. Ultimately, I am wondering if the fit of the school outweighs the cost. By attending UVA, I will have a significant amount of money left over (around 45k) from my college savings account which I could utilize for graduate school. I also want to have a relatively enjoyable college experience though, and I think Davidson suits me more. This is a really hard decision, and I’m wondering if anyone has input to offer.
Price is a very important component of fit for most college students.
What kind of graduate school? PhD programs worth attending are typically funded, so you may not need much, but having some extra cash can help if the stipend is only barely enough to live on. Professional programs (e.g. law, medicine, most master’s degrees) can be expensive.
I don’t have intensions on pursuing a PhD, but I am considering law school or getting a masters related to the field I go into for work. I will be a sophomore in the fall, so I still don’t really know what I want to do. I still have a week to decide, but I’m thinking of committing to UVA just because it seems like a better choice with it being cheaper and the resources there. I am just bummed I will miss out on attending Davidson because I think I’d like the intimacy it offers, but then again, I’ve read lots of bad things about Davidson’s harsh grading which makes me apprehensive.
You can make UVA smaller by your choice of major, courses, and even professors. The price is good (which is really important in this time of world financial uncertainty), and it has more resources than the other option. If you choose UVA, choose it fully, and don’t look back.
Have you asked Davidson for more aid? It may be worth a try, especially considering the environment.
But if that doesn’t work, or you don’t want to try it, I agree with happymom’s UVA observations.
Why are you transferring from your original school? Vocalizing those concerns in print here could help us help you better.
if I am understanding you correctly and the total difference at the end of college will only be 45K, I know that’s not insignificant, but it’s not an insane amount. I would go where your heart tells you and choose Davidson.
But if the money worries you, I don’t think you will find UVA overwhelmingly large.
I would save the 45K for grad school especially since UVa is at or above Davidson’s caliber in almost every way even if it is much bigger. As @happymomof1 said, you can make a big school smaller by various ways (but you can’t make a small school bigger or have it offer more opportunities).
40 year-old you would thank you for that decision.
What would your major be? Do you know how many students major in that area at UVA?
Your major doesn’t matter for law school so you could pick one with perhaps 15 or 20 majors a year.
In addition, is there a Living Learning Community for transfers?