I have been admitted to the College of LSA/LAS at both UVA and UMich and am deciding which school to attend. UMich is on the pricier side for me, and I would have to take out federal loans and get a work-study job in order to afford the costs. UVA is less expensive and more financially feasible. My question is, for both schools, how much is the wealth gap between students felt? I’ve read online that UMich has many costs for Greek life and how those costs can really place a burden on one’s social life. Is it the same at UVA?
After visiting UVA and seeing the campus and overall vibe of CVille, I have to say that the more rural, small-town vibe of CVille is not for me. When I visited UofM, I fell in love with the enthusiasm of its class and with Ann Arbor’s environment and surrounding area.
I also acknowledge how UVA has better weather and UofM’s weather is, to put it nicely, subpar at best. But, I simply cannot see myself living in a rural place like CVille. My question for current Michigan students is what is it like to endure the weather at Michigan? Did the weather have a significant impact on your experience as a student?
As for their academics, I’ve seen that Michigan’s huge research program would be beneficial, as I want to continue pursuing research in my field, and Michigan is higher ranked than UVA for their physics program. After college, I’d like to either pursue grad school (maybe majoring in engineering?) or work as a researcher.
What school would be best, all of these things considered?
If you don’t have to take loans nor have a work study at UVA, there’s really no question here.
When you go Greek, yes, you’ll be in an arms raise most likely - no matter where you go to school. From membership to formals, etc., it adds up.
If UVA isn’t for you and U of M is, then find a U of M sub - that’s less expensive. Don’t forget, the price of U of M goes up significantly ( another $4K or so) the last two years. There’s still schools taking apps.
Given if you are studying physics, you might find U of Arizona a suitable sub and a top program.
Michigan ranks four and Arizona eight per college factual. They are both top PhD feeders per college transitions. You may not get merit at this point but it would still be less.
This I know - you shouldn’t go where you cannot afford - and when you go greek, your costs will be much higher than you expect.
You can study physics at many, many schools. U of M doesn’t sound right for you. If UVA isn’t either, I get it - but it’s more right for you. Being in debt ,being stressed all the time - is not a good way to live and it causes you more hardship when you start life, taking your options away.
From an academic point of view, these two universities are both excellent. You will get a very good undergraduate education from either of them. There are not a lot of physics secrets that either school is hiding from everyone else in the world. You will find a lot of very academically strong students, and lot of strong professors, and plenty of research opportunities at either of these schools.
Physics is an area where some form of graduate school is likely. You can get into very good graduate programs with a degree from either of these very good universities (assuming you do very well wherever you go for your undergraduate education).
I would avoid loans if you possibly can. I do not think that U of M is going to make any difference in terms of the quality of education that you get, but the loans that you have to take to attend U of M could restrict you for a while. It is not unheard of for a “first job” after getting a bachelor’s degree to not pay all that well. Actually my first job after getting a bachelor’s degree did not pay all that well, and was at a physics research facility (specifically at a cyclotron). Knowing multi-variate calculus, E&M, special relativity, probability theory, an appropriate programming language and some algorithms mattered. Either of these universities can teach you this much. However, having no debt was also very helpful.
My first trip to Ann Arbor was in a December many years ago. We were there for one week, but it happened to be a particularly cold week. The temperature never got up to zero (F). Among 10 or 12 participants one was originally from Russia, one originally from Montreal, one from Wisconsin, and one who was local, and the four of us felt it was just too cold. Everyone else agreed.
However, if the price were the same, I do not think that I would let the weather scare me away.
When choosing between two very good universities for a bachelor’s degree, I would let avoiding debt point me to the more affordable choice.
Both UVA and Michigan are outstanding universities - among the best in our country - so you can’t really go wrong with either in terms of education. Greek life will add costs to your experience at either school so you may want to go with UVA as it is cheaper to begin with - especially since you are planning on graduate school.
Agree with everything others have said and would add that you should keep your mind open about Charlottesville. It’s a really lively, sophisticated small city—great restaurants, lots of culture, really beautiful. I suspect you’ll like it more than you think.
This statement didn’t jive with federal loans and work study. And don’t forget, Michigan costs shoot up the last two years.
I’m typing you from the Courtyard Marriott in Asheville NC. It’s being renovated. For that, it’s $107 tonight. The hotel I normally stay at was $180. Out of budget for the company. I couldn’t even consider it.
When you have to take loans and work, that’s a huge impact on your day to day. Why would you do that if you needn’t do either?
In the end, you never go where you can’t afford - and you can’t afford UM - so surprised it made the list - but it sounds like you’re not paying full rate.
Greek - is another entire expense.
Are there any other options that are cheaper than UVA or Michigan? I don’t really think it matters much where you go for an undergrad Physics degree.
When you graduate, you want financial wiggle room - so you can call the shots and your degree doesn’t.
What if you’re one of the 11% of UVA physics grads, at last report (2023), that couldn’t find a job - and you had debt?
If UVA is busting your budget and you can’t afford it, it’s not right for you either.
My inclination would be to go with UVA. I don’t think Charlottesville is as big of a negative as you’re making it out to be, if in fact it’s a negative at all. And the quality of education, overall and for undergrad physics in particular, is not meaningfully different between UMich and UVA.
If, for whatever reason, you do decide to stretch the budget for UMich, you may want to look into how difficult it would be to switch into the Engineering Physics major. That’s at least something UVA doesn’t have, and it would facilitate an engineering path after graduation, which you say is of interest.
But my opinion is still that I don’t see value-added at UMich over UVA that would justify financial strain.
I don’t know your cost but if you were full pay this year, UM would be $84,164 the first two years. But the last two $88,646. You might want to ensure your financial aid covers the surcharge of the last two years.
I’d say UofM has a lot of additional costs, such as upperclassman tuition increases, off-campus housing that sits empty during the summer, and transport. One plus for us was that UofM took a lot of NoVa CC credits for our student, which greatly reduced prerequisite classes and therefore time to graduation. However, I suspect UVa also takes Virginia CC credits generously.
UMich LSA has a two year language requirement that may be difficult to place out of since it’s controlled by a department test. Some departments are stingy with credits. You may be stuck with two full years of foreign language.
Like others here, I’d choose UVA, too. These schools offer such similar opportunities and experiences that it’s difficult to justify taking loans for one of them.
One thing that may not have been mentioned is that both of these schools attract a fair amount of wealthy, full-pay OOS students (UMich’s OOS population is nearly half and UVA’s is a third (in-state population mandate keeps this number steady).
This does have an impact on school culture, where many of your friends may be spending more than you can afford on everything from going out on Friday night to spring break trips to clothing hauls. Being in Greek life may make these differences even more noticeable. UVA will not only be affordable for you without loans, but you can spend your money on other things that might make your college experience more enjoyable (even if it’s not fancy break trips or the latest fashion trends).
As far as Charlottesville vs Ann Arbor, I just don’t think it’s a strong enough differentiation to be worth the expense and hassle. Your life will be lived primarily on campus, you may get to study abroad (taking you off campus and usually into a city), and it’s highly unlikely you’d remain in either city post-graduation.
I know this may not be what you want to hear since you prefer UM, but your overall quality of life is going to be better at UVA, in the near term and long term.
That’s true, but probably the tip of the iceberg as far as expenses go. There’s the travel costs to go home to VA, increasing tuition over 4 years, Greek life and associated costs. If those feel doable for the OP via summer jobs or other means, and it’s important enough to them to go to UM, I agree it’s not an insurmountable amount of debt. And only OP can decide if it is worth it. I’m typically not that financially conservative about money and I agree that someone should be happy where they spend 4 years… but this one seems clear to me. Why pay more for 60k more people in a town? It’s not like the choices are between a major city like Boston or Chicago or NYC… I get these are different schools, but they have way more in common than not. Just my 2 cents, probably worth half that
OP, if you think the $6k extra for UM is doable, then by all means, go for it. Take out the federal loan, do work study, get a summer job and save – others have gone this route.
I’d pocket the $6k and go to a relative peer, but I wouldn’t mind Charlottesville. If it’s an insurmountable issue for you – and that’s what matters – then go ahead and make Michigan work.
OR, find a less expensive (yet still quality) alternative.
ETA: You asked about winter weather. Ann Arbor is not nearly as cold as northern Wisconsin – where, on a cold day, nostrils and wet hair freeze nearly instantly – so rest assured, you will survive! Just dress sensibly – coat, hat, gloves, maybe a scarf for the windier days. You might find that, once acclimated, you can have some fun in the snow: snowball fights, skiing, snowmobiling, etc. And Virginia’s winters are no picnic, or so I’ve heard. If they are similar to Nashville’s, you’re in for a roller coaster: 25 one day, 60 the next, freezing rain after that. (freezing rain is far worse than snow, imo…)
