<p>I really would argue that UVA belongs to the same academic tier as the Ivies and the rest of the top 30 schools, who in my opinion really all offer about the same level of academics. The reason I choose UVA over any Ivy League school is because I wanted to get a great education in a college town while still being able to party and watch my sports teams in the stadium AND on ESPN. I’m sorry, but very few other top 25 schools (and none of the Ivies) offer the same balance of fun social life and academic quality.</p>