I got into both as a transfer from NVCC. I put my deposits down for both schools. I have to move into UVA by the end of the week.

cj Wrote:
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> UVA or Mason. I've got less than a week to
> decide.
>
> I can graduate in 2 semesters & a summer at GMU,
> but I will have to comment 40 minutes a day. UVA
> will require 2 years

Why the discrepancy? I assume you're looking at the same program at both. Don't assume anything about transfer credits from NVCC, despite what the counselors there may tell you. There is an online transfer evaluator that can help you determine what really transfers.

and their average GPA is a
> 3.1 whereas GMU's is a 3.7.

I don't know what you mean by that. That a lower GPA at UVA looks bad on a transcript? Unless you are going to graduate school, nobody in the real world cares about your GPA after your first job.

> I want a good GPA and I don't want to to waste
> time but I'm afraid GMU's reputation will kill me

What does that mean? GMU is a respectable school, and is above average in some areas. What degree are you going for?

> and I'll regret going to UVA.

Why would you regret it?

> Thoughts?

You really need to provide more information if you want useful advice. Also, your financial situation may need to be be a factor in your decision.

Employer Wrote:
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> W&M best school in the state. UVA second. VT
> third. GMU fourth. Obviously some of you
> commenting know absolutely nothing about these
> schools. VCU above W&M? Are you insane? Let me
> break it down for you all even more:
>
> W&M-Hardest working kids with good to great
> grades, very well rounded
> UVA-Kids with great grades, but little else
> VT-Lots of legacy, tech people
> GMU-Kids with good grades, pretty well rounded
> VCU-Kids with money, decent grades, definately not
> the brightest
> Radford-Kids who had decent/average grades

They are wery well rounded indeed. Just look at Darren Sharper, William and Mary class of 1997: student, 6x Pro Bowl football player, and 6x accused rapist. http://www.si.com/nfl/2014/06/25/darren-sharper

didn't read page one so this might have already been said, but if you are a guy go to UVA, a girl go to Mason.

University rankings are universally recognized as bogus. The schools try to game the system to get more applicants. The ranking agencies use subjective standards that have nothing to do with the student experience or mastery of subject matter at graduation. Decide first what you want to do. If you don't know, aren't sure, or lack enough knowledge to decide, you'd be better off spending the next year working, preferably doing something that gives you a chance to study your target career field at close range. Once you know your target career field, look for 2-4 universities that have reputable programs, WRITE DOWN information on total cost to attend, scholarship availability, proximity to home, or any other factors that are important to you. Talk to alumni if possible. Think about campus sociology. If you aren't a joiner, you might not want to be on a campus that revolves around Greek life. List the pros and cons for each school and the best choice for you will emerge.

If you're even considering going to UVA then you love rape. Rape rape rape. Rape rapity raper rape. Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaapppppe. UVrApe. Rope, ripe, rape. Rip rap rape. Drapes, grapes, apes, tapes and rapes.

Whatever. They are both state schools.

UVA, Mason is one step of NOVA and a community college.

If I had an opening for someone with a background in classical literature, I'd certainly go recruit at W&M. If I needed to hire a lawyer or doctor, I'd go recruit at UVA. If I needed someone who could help me build The Next Big Thing, I'd go to Va Tech.

PAced Wrote:
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> UVA, Mason is one step of NOVA and a community
> college.


Funny. Lots of NOVA grads enter UVA as juniors. It can't be that special.

I thought I’d pass along my family’s experience with both schools. My father used to teach in the Chemistry departments of various schools: University of California, MIT, Harvard and UVA and briefly in retirement at NOVA.

My oldest brother attended GMU back when it wasn’t even an accredited university. He later earned an MBA, CPA and CFA. He’s been steadily ascending the corporate ladder and is nowadays one of the vice presidents at Citibank. Suffered a huge professional setback during the recession and was out of work for a while.

Older sis went to UVA, back in ’87-90 I believe, and ended up going to medical school too right there in C’ville.

Youngest sis went through the accounting department at Mason and does the stay-at-home mom thing after getting her CPA. She had an income of 90K-ish before leaving the workforce.

Younger brother went through Mason’s computer science department (very smart kid but sorta fell in with the wrong crowd in high school), finished with a great GPA at Mason, and was subsequently admitted directly to the PhD. computer science programs at both Carnegie Mellon and MIT. Adjunctly had a teaching gig at USC (Cal not South Carolina) and now works for a defense contractor pulling down some major bank.

I would have to say that one’s application to their studies and work ethic will carry will ultimately be the deciding factor in what they want to achieve as lifelong goals. UVA is known as one of the Public Ivies, and it’s considered one of the best bangs for the buck in terms of tuition cost and quality of the overall faculty.

UVA, Mason and VaTech among others, would be some of the local schools I would consider based on what major I was considering.

Good Luck!

No one in my family attended TJHS either.

Go to UVA, best 4 years of my life! Don't ask what I do for a living now though!

A lot has changed since the last entry on this thread. Have opinions of Mason:UVA/other VA schools changed?

go to mason. employers can’t stand arrogance of uva grads.

Depends on what you plan on pursuing - and you should NOT go to college unless you have a very specific career in mind. If your career goal depends on also attending grad school, then it doesn't matter where you go for your undergraduate degree, as long as you do well while you're there. If you career is grad-school dependent, then the quality of your grad school is what matters, not your undergrad, and you should do everything you can to be a top undergrad student AND sufficiently prepare to outperform on whatever graduate entrance exam you will have to take.

If your career isn't grad school dependent, then go to UVA - it's reputation is on another tier compared to GMU, and your job prospects will be on an order of magnitude greater having gone to it.

grn Wrote:
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> go to mason. employers can’t stand arrogance of
> uva grads.

I work for a small company in the DC area. We have never sent a recruiter to conduct job searches at universities outside the area. We find most of our candidates on websites. We hired one uva graduate in our history. He laughed at us and quit. Uva sucks.