I toured both and fell in love with BC. I have been told that UVA is more prestigious though so i “should go to UVA if i get in instead of BC”. Is that true in your opinions?
Don’t worry about it until you get accepted to both. If you are a VA resident then UVA has a clear price advantage. Other than that, if you get in to both, go to the one you prefer – they are both fine schools.
Agree with above. UVA is a better school academically for sure, but BC has its location advantages and campus as well. (Trust me when I say it has its advantages location wise. BC is a five minute walk from my house.)
+1 to @Happy1.
Boston College’s SAT scores are slightly higher. This settles nothing with respect to prestige or the more important issue of academic quality, nor should it. But it does indicate to me that those who make statements regarding prestige often do so without knowledge of all the relevant facts.
@merc81 If SAT scores are irrelevant to deciding the issue of academic quality, then why would you consider it a relevant fact?
@jarret211: I don’t think they’re irrelevant entirely; if you reread my post, you will see that I referred to “[slight]” SAT score differences not “[settling]” anything. However, I would say that, when comparing two colleges, especially two with general similarities, the school with lower SAT scores, even if by only a small amount, has a tougher claim to make when it comes to academic quality – that’s if someone really felt inclined to press the point.
UVa is “better academiclly for sure”? This isn’t LeBron James vs. a bench warmer. One is a few slots ahead in U.S. News’ ranking. The other has slightly higher SATs. Any difference in prestige or academic quality (real or imagined) is insignificant compared to the very real differences in location, weather, off-campus activities, architecture, attitude, price, and Greek life. Consider them a tie.in prestige and academic quality, and make your choice based.on actual tangible differences.
imo, UVA has more academic prestige and stronger graduate school programs. UVA is also better known across the country.
Choose based on fit not on prestige. All else equal, go to the place where you can see yourself fitting in and thriving
All caveats about not choosing school solely on prestige aside, UVA carries more prestige nationally than BC.
It depends on the location. BC has more prestige in the northeast, while UVA has more prestige in the mid-atlantic region. Outside of those areas, they are pretty equal.
If you are in-state, wouldn’t UVA be significantly cheaper? Boston College is a great school, but it is a pretty expensive school that caters to the wealthy. UVA is a standard state school with a corresponding pricing structure.
So you visited both, fell in love with one, and are willing to forsake that love for a sliver more prestige? I don’t think you know what love is. Would you chose a.car you don’t love that goes 150 m.p.h. over a car you do love that goes 145 mph? What is the tangible impact of that extra 5 mph?