<p>Help! D just cleared waitlist at UVA. She accepted BC Honors College. Now what? BC advantage is Honors College, easy flights from PA hometown, no greek drama. Downside is $50K T/R/B, no AP credit accepted, weather. Upside for UVA is $37K vs. $50K, AP credit accepted, 6 hour drive instead of flight, greek life. Downside is no honors college offered to her so may be hard to register for preferred classes, drama of greek life (that’s an upside and downside). I think they are equal for academics, campus life, sports, right? Major is international studies or related, and desires study abroad with eye toward law school. </p>
<p>She emotionally connected to BC over the last 6 weeks. Should she reconsider? Thoughts?
Thank you very much.</p>
<p>It’s clear that UVA is a far superior school academically than BC. And on top of that, it will cost you less? What’s the drama? Run to C’ville as fast as your legs can take you. UVA places very nicely at the country’s top law schools, including its own (UVA Law–Top 10).</p>
<p>I feel the need to address the whole concern of “Greek drama”. Only about 1/3 of the school is Greek. That means that the majority of the school does not participate in Greek life. If you’re worried about drinking, I guarantee you that the absence of Greek life at BC does not mean the absence of alcohol. I personally am not involved in Greek life and I do not drink (never have) and I definitely do not find myself lacking a social life. I really wouldn’t characterize UVA as a school with “Greek drama”. Most people that I know who are involved in the Greek system really love it and are dedicated to it. Of course, it’s just as easy to become dedicated to any of hundreds of other activities at the school.</p>
<p>“Downside is no honors college offered to her so may be hard to register for preferred classes”</p>
<p>Most people aren’t Echol Scholars and they register for most of the classes that they want. If your daughter wants to feel special and outshine everyone at BC, then she should go there. UVA is filled with brilliant people, so I guess that would be a “downside”.</p>
<p>This might not exactly be helpful but I reckon you and your daughter check out UVA’s orientation website:
[University</a> of Virginia | Summer Orientation](<a href=“http://www.virginia.edu/orientation/summer/index.html]University”>http://www.virginia.edu/orientation/summer/index.html)
As stupid as it sounds, I think you can get a feel of the college from browsing through the website which I feel really represents UVA’s friendly vibe. Also, since you both have never been there - look through the blue book Lots of nice photos.</p>
<p>As a parent, I see the financial difference you are faced with between the two schools as very significant. Remember also that you are not choosing between your first-choice school and a “back-up” school which represents a financial compromise; in your case you are picking between two desirable schools, one of which just happens to be thousands cheaper to attend. My advice would be to choose UVa. By the way I am a UVa graduate myself, and my son will be attending in the fall- for us, UVa actually represented a slight financial DISadvantage as compared to some other great offers he had (though not of the magnitude of the disparity you face). However, he (and I) still believe he made the right choice. I wouldn’t worry too much about getting the classes you want. I do concede that having priority registration in an honors program can be a good perk but I don’t believe you will face any serious issues in this regard at UVa.</p>
<p>this is one of the easier ones - DEFINITELY UVA!! You didn’t say how many AP credits your daughter will get credit for at UVA vs not get credit for at BC, but that alone could be enough to sway the decision if significant. I would not say they are equal schools - UVA is definitely better and there will be more students of your daughter’s caliber at UVA than BC. Plus that is a really big difference in cost - so pay less to go to a better school - for sure!!!</p>
<p>Not sure where in PA you are from, but Charlottesville does have an airport and the amtrak is accessible – plus much less chance of getting stranded due to snow when commuting from UVA than at BC.</p>
<p>Have you visited UVA? It is a really amazing place!</p>
<p>I like BC. I consider it to have fantastic departments and nobody would be losing out by going to BC, especially honors. However, I have to say that UVA is one of the best Universities a kid can attend. The Alumni love it the way they love schools like UNC and USC, and there is something to be said for that kind of quintessential American college experience that is the college age equivalent of the “american dream” I would send any kid off to UVA or BC pretty confident that they would get an excellent education. And a few kids might leave BC in love with it forever. No doubt about it. But the majority of kids leave UVA as UVA-for-life, and I think that really says something about a campus. FWIW.</p>
<p>Thank you a million times for all of the fast responses. We have visited UVA, and loved it. but after being waitilisted on a list of 4000 you naturally look the other way. I did not mean to offend with the comment about Greek drama. I was Greek myself, but just the notion of rushing, will you get in, will you get cut, etc… adds drama, you have to admit. Again thanks to everyone.</p>
<p>Thanks for making me almost cry in the middle of a public place.<br>
I could go on and on here about why you should pick UVa over BC here, and BC’s pros but how UVa beats every one of the pros, etc. But I’m not going to, it’s a waste of time and everyone has already done so. So I’m just going to put it out there: tell your D UVa is the better choice. There is no way she cannot enjoy UVA, no matter how “attached” to BC she is. That seems to be her big mountain in the way of making the switch. For you, you have the opposite of mountains in the way of making the switch: cheaper tuition, probably a better education, possibly more credit receieved, a BEAUTIFUL setting, a smaller town (less crime…i’m going to get slaughtered over this though i’m sure), a chance to spend 6 hours together with your D in the car (my mom used to make my trips an excuse to miss work when in fact it was a joyride for us), a fabulous reputation, and a greek life that is VERY avoidable.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t recommend “telling” your daughter that UVA is the better choice! I agree that UVA is probably more highly regarded in general but BC is a very solid school and until this week you were prepared to pay for it. This is the student’s decision and needs to be up to her. </p>
<p>Our daughter was faced with an identical decision yesterday. We helped her make a list of pros and cons of the school she had previously committed to versus UVA but then left the decision entirely up to her. She chose UVA over the more expensive and slightly less highly regarded other school, but the decision was not as clear cut as you might think. There are real questions about whether the other school might have been a better fit, just as there are real questions here about whether BC is a better fit.</p>
<p>The last thing you want to do is make the decision for your daughter and then have her point the finger at you if she regrets it! Leave this one up to her.</p>
<p>This would be giving 18 year olds too much power. As a parent, you are the one ultimately paying for it and they should be thankful that they are getting a paid education after all. And if she turns around and points a finger at her parents–how dare her…she would be extremely spoiled.</p>
<p>With all due respect you’re (a) biased as a recent UVA graduate and (b) not a parent. You have every reason to be proud of your school, but clearly the choice here isn’t between some no-name school and yours. It’s between your school and an another excellent school where the student has been admitted into the honors program. If a student is smart and mature enough to get accepted into these two fine institutions, then the parent should respect the student enough to let her make the final choice.</p>
<p>I agree with parent2009 IF finances are not an issue and the difference between 37K and 50K is not important. However, for most people that is an awful lot of money and if it will affect the family’s financial situation, the parents certainly should have a say in it.</p>
<p>However, clearly the ideal situation is that the daughter makes the decision with all the facts on the table – and comprehends the difference between $37K and 50K.</p>
<p>However, I also think that “already attached to a school” that one hasn’t even attended yet isn’t a good reason to make such a big, long-term decision and the daughter should re-evaluate her options with an open mind…unless daughter really wants a small school I think UVA is the clear choice…</p>
<p>The fact that she is in the honors program of one school and is getting in off the wait list of another should be pretty telling in terms of the overall caliber of the student at each (not by any stretch saying BC isn’t a good school, it just isn’t UVA!)</p>
<p>I was just giving my opinion as someone who faced a similar situation five years ago. I was accepted at the University of Chicago (my first choice), however, my parents made it very clear that if my financial aid package was not big enough I would have to attend an in-state university (I’m from VA). My financial aid wasn’t big enough and I was forced* to forgo my UChicago dream. Do I hate my parents from keeping me out of my ~dream school? No. Do I point my finger at them now (even though I regretted going to UVA a few times)? No. I thank them both for having paid for my education. I was quick to understand that my life wasn’t over and I certainly didn’t view this as a ~devastating event. I also understand that there are many kids out there who have the luxury of telling mommy and daddy that they refuse to go anywhere but their dream school no matter what the cost is. Lucky them~</p>
<p>PS: I don’t need to convince or persuade anyone to come to UVA, I think the school pretty much speaks for itself.</p>
<p>Wahoomb, your situation five years ago isn’t all that similar to the OP’s. In your case, your parents made clear BEFORE you accepted a spot at UChicago that the school was off the table if the financial aid package didn’t work. Here, the OP had already committed to paying for BC. It would be a real bait-and-switch for her to now say that since the student has a cheaper alternative she won’t pay for BC.</p>
<p>CollegeforME91, I’m not sure we’re really talking about 37 versus 50. The OP is comparing last year’s UVA charges with this year’s BC charges. Also, BC isn’t a small school – it has over 14,600 students including over 9000 undergrads. Finally, the overall caliber of the student bodies aren’t all that different. Remember we’re talking about an out-of-state applicant.</p>
<p>But I do agree that the student needs to step back from the attachment she feels to BC. That’s not a good enough reason to go.</p>
<p>SAT Critical Reading: 610-700
SAT Math: 640-730
SAT Writing: 620-710
Percent Accepted: 26%</p>
<p>UVA -</p>
<p>SAT Critical Reading: 600-700
SAT Math: 620-730
SAT Writing: 610-720
Percent Accepted: 37%</p>
<p>Let’s be realistic, UVA and BC are definitely peer schools in terms of quality of the student body. I used to be a student at BC, also in honors. The kids you’ll meet in honors are some of the most brilliant kids you’ll meet anywhere…many of them chose honors over schools that are undeniably better than UVA, like Harvard, Brown, Columbia, etc. I definitely had problems with BC (as evident by the fact that I’m transferring next year). However, the students there are all bright, motivated and hardworking. Also, the fact that you’re comparing student bodies at a school like BC and a school like Northeastern, as well as a school like UVA and a school like Duke is absurd. That’s not to put down the student bodies at any of these schools, but there has to be some component of realism in your post.</p>
<p>If admission officers felt that your daughter was qualified to be in honors, than she will most likely do extremely well and be at the top of her class at BC. BC alone will take you places but graduating at the top of your class there will essentially allow your daughter to hand pick what she wants to do with her life. With that said, both schools are great options and I don’t think you can go wrong with either choice.</p>
<p>“The kids you’ll meet in honors are some of the most brilliant kids you’ll meet anywhere…many of them chose honors over schools that are undeniably better than UVA”</p>
<p>Says the one who transferred to Cornell b/c BC wasn’t good enough for him~</p>
<p>lolz</p>
<p>PS: Because acceptance rates are obviously pegged to how good school is, BC is clearly better than the academic powerhouses such as the University of Chicago and schools such as Northwestern University, Emory, Vanderbilt, Carnegie Mellon, and lolz the University of Michigan and on par with John Hopkins and Rice. </p>
<p>I never said acceptance rates are pegged to how good a school is because that would imply that BC is much better than UVA…did I ever say that? I think the two schools are very similar with respect to their student bodies. The percentage of students in the top 10% of their classes, as well as average SAT scores, are nearly identical. What else can you go by when comparing two student bodies? And I did not choose Cornell over BC because BC was not “good enough” for me. You shouldn’t be throwing out false assumptions if you have no idea…for me, it was more of a social fit than anything. I’m sorry that my argument rests on facts and yours clearly does not. lolz.</p>
Lots of nice photos.</p>