<p>So I’ve been admitted to these four schools and am having a tough time trying to decide which one to attend, mostly due to financial reasons but also due to my intended major. UVA is looking probable at this point, but I want to make sure I’ve considered every aspect.</p>
<p>Here’s the financial bit. My family makes enough money that I was not offered any aid money at these schools. This isn’t a big deal at UVA or William and Mary, since I’m in-state and my parents have enough saved up to send me to either. I have two younger siblings who are planning on attending college, though, and my parents have told me that if I choose a private university, they can’t give me any money for grad school. However, UChicago (my first choice if cost had not been a factor) is not only a private school, but very far away from Virginia. I’d have to pay for travel costs as well. NYU is not quite as far away and not quite as expensive, but I’d still have to pay a good deal. Are the privates worth it? Or should I just apply to UChicago again for grad school and spend money then instead?</p>
<p>Another aspect I want to consider is what I intend to study: English, linguistics, and creative writing. Which of these has the best program for those subjects? NYU Gallatin (the school to which I’ve been admitted) would allow me to create my own major and combine my interests at my leisure, which is awesome. I’ve heard fantastic things about the UChicago Linguistics department and the UVA English department. Don’t know much about W&M in these respects, but I really like the feel of the school.</p>
<p>(If current UVA students who are studying Linguistics or English could weigh in on this question, I would really appreciate it, since that’s where I’ll probably go!)</p>
<p>I’m an admitted student too. I know my perspective may not be the one you’re asking for but if I were you I’d strongly consider the in-state schools. UChicago and NYU are (at least) twice as expensive as UVA and W&M; do you really think they’ll give you twice as good an education? Also, a graduate degree is becoming more important; you may be limiting your opportunities if you choose an OOS school over grad school. I’d suggest visiting UVA and W&M and deciding which best fits your major.
Good luck; maybe I’ll see you at UVA in the fall!</p>
<p>I’m a faculty member in the UVA English Department; here’s my perspective.</p>
<p>If you’re thinking about majoring in English or a related field, you’re not going to get a dramatically different academic experience at any of these schools. UVA, Chicago, and NYU all have top-ranked English Departments; William and Mary provides an excellent undergraduate education though the department doesn’t feature in national rankings because there is no PhD program. Creative Writing is also superb at UVA (I think the MFA program is rated 4th or 5th in the nation, behind Iowa and a couple of other places); its faculty are fully integrated into the English Department, an advantage for undergraduates. The real differences here are more on the social/environmental side; NYU and Chicago are in big cities, UVA is in a little city, and William and Mary is a liberal arts college, not a research university. The schools have reputations for having different vibes, but I’d take the blanket stereotypes with a grain of salt, since all of them enroll a wide variety of students and you will tend to gravitate to your kind, whatever your kind is, wherever you go.</p>
<p>Creating your own major sounds cool but I doubt it’s really necessary. English majors at all four schools are pretty flexible and give you plenty of time to do your own thing. </p>
<p>If money is at all an issue, UVA or William and Mary seem like the obvious choice.</p>
<p>My son had a similar choice to make last April. He visited UVA, Chicago, and 2 other big name private schools for overnight trips. When the dust settled he felt that UChicago was the place where the other students were the most interested in learning and the most interesting to interact with.</p>
<p>Fast forward one year and he is thrilled with his choice. Obviously the cost is a factor in your decision, but you shouldn’t deprive yourself of the best undergraduate education in order to save funds for graduate school (as you may find that you don’t want to attend graduate school).</p>
<p>The OP has already indicated finances are a concern and there are younger siblings to consider. Most kids in that position would be staying instate unless a private gave very good merit or need based aid that would make the cost equivalent to or less than the instate options. Or a kid is an only child or money is no object. For this OP-try to find a reasonable “fit” that also takes cost into consideration . Good luck with the decision.</p>
<p>Go in-state. If you are worried about not potentially getting into a great school for a master’s degree, then use that as motivation to do well at the undergraduate level.</p>
<p>And I can sympathize with your position - I am applying as a transfer to both UVA and W&M as well, for English-related fields, ironically. And UVA is a great school for creative writing and English, like jingle said above.</p>
<p>Thank you all very much for your input! I turned down NYU last night, so it’s down to UVA, WM, and UChicago. Chances are even higher now that it’ll be UVA, especially due to jingle’s comments (those were quite helpful, btw).</p>
<p>In the end, as much as I wish I could attend UChicago, it’s not nearly worth all the debt I’d have to shoulder.</p>
<p>Concur with the majority of thought, that being go for the zero debt option. Just this weekend there was another article in our local paper regarding the student loan debt crisis; the article claimed that 1 in 3 will default on their loans, which cannot be forgiven by bankruptcy! If you have the option to get out of college debt free thank your parents profusely and take advantage of one of the in state schools.</p>
<p>As a side bar I have Ds at both UVA and W&M (an English major!) and they are indeed different places. Both love their schools and would not want to trade places. I agree with the advice to visit both schools before deciding and I would go one step further and say try to spend a night at each so you can get the best feel. Do you have any friends at either school? Good luck, you truly are blessed to have such an excellent choice!</p>