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I applied as a transfer student after two years at University of North Carolina at Wilmington because my two best friends left and I was afraid that I wouldn't like UNCW as much without them. I just found out I've been accepted by UVA, but I'm much happier now and I can't figure out what to do. I love UNCW, and I'm very involved with the Honors Program and the Writing Center, but I know that UVA is a better school and I'm nervous that I'll turn down what might be an amazing opportunity. I love UNCW and have great friends here, but there is a general atmosphere of not caring very much about academics that sometimes gets on my nerves, and school spirit is not particularly apparent.
I am a Creative Writing (Nonfiction) and Psychology double-major. UNCW has the 2nd best Nonfiction master's program in the nation, and I figure that prestige must trickle down to the bachelor program as well. Our Psychology program is nothing compared to UVA's, but UVA doesn't have a Creative Writing major at all. However, Psychology is my first major, and I will be doing an honors project in it my senior year.
Here's what's really making the decision hard for me: if I stay at UNCW, I will be an Honors Mentor (like a teacher's assistant to an honors freshman seminar class), a Writing Tutor, a lab assistant to a great psych professor, a University Learning Center Mentor, and the secretary of the Student Honors Advisory Council.
If I transfer to UVA, I know I won't be able to become so involved right away (actually, I may never be because those positions are probably a lot more competitive at UVA). I would really miss being so involved.
Basically, what looks better to graduate schools and jobs--graduating from a top-tier university (UVA), or being extremely involved and getting good grades (3.9 GPA) at a lesser-known university?
Last edited by rebeccadumaurier; 05-06-2011 at 12:11 AM..
Reason: made it shorter
Stay where you are. The extracurriculars that you are involved in will look a lot better to grad schools and prospective employers than a degree from a bigger-nam school. Besides, you really won't be able to double-major at UVA, and it sounds like that is really important to you and is part of the reason why you are getting all of these great, extracurricular opportunities as an undergrad.
And think of it this way: if UVA has accepted you as an undergrad, it means that they will also, most likely, accept you as a grad student as well. I would save UVA for grad school, which is where the big name school will help you more anyway.
Hi, Rebecca. I apologize for writing a year late and therefore offering irrelevant advice, but I still want to weigh-in for others who may be considering a similar dilemma.
First, congrats on the extracurricular work you've done. That's great and you should be proud. Having said that, I hope you transferred. It doesn't make up for the school's brand and recognition. Employers/Recruiters that are reviewing hundreds of candidates are looking for any reason NOT to pass your CV to the next round; when you're juxtaposed with a candidate from an Ivy or top-tier school like UVA, your "branding" has given them an easily justifiable reason to pass. I'm not saying all UNCW students are sub-par, but it's riskier for a hiring manager to give one a shot; it's that simple.
I graduated from UNCW in 2005. I applied only to schools where I thought I could play in the starting 11 (men's soccer). That was short-sighted to be sure, but at 16/17, it made sense. However, that decision still haunts me.
First of all, top-tier businesses do not recruit from UNCW's undergraduate programs. There simply isn't a volume/value proposition. And I don't mean sheer numbers; I'm talking about the quality of applicants. While the school may be improving, it's not even in the top 100 undergraduate institutions on the country. Obviously in your case, being a writer (an excellent one, I'm sure!), this may be less of a concern. Fair enough. But anyone considering consulting, government relations or post-grad professional schools needs to consider such things.
So, by now my obvious advice: get out and get branded by a top-tier school (like UVA). It matters. I've had to work much harder to get hired and accepted than those who have had less substance to offer but went to better schools. Ultimately I got into a top-5 international relations masters program (the Fletcher School), but in addition to the requisite hard work, it has taken a great deal of rationalizing and justifying to compete with the ivies, etc. I didn't make the rules, still don't like them, but have learned to reluctantly play by them. And I'm now proud to say that I can compete with anyone...just want to save others from an uphill battle.
I applied as a transfer student after two years at University of North Carolina at Wilmington because my two best friends left and I was afraid that I wouldn't like UNCW as much without them. I just found out I've been accepted by UVA, but I'm much happier now and I can't figure out what to do. I love UNCW, and I'm very involved with the Honors Program and the Writing Center, but I know that UVA is a better school and I'm nervous that I'll turn down what might be an amazing opportunity. I love UNCW and have great friends here, but there is a general atmosphere of not caring very much about academics that sometimes gets on my nerves, and school spirit is not particularly apparent.
I am a Creative Writing (Nonfiction) and Psychology double-major. UNCW has the 2nd best Nonfiction master's program in the nation, and I figure that prestige must trickle down to the bachelor program as well. Our Psychology program is nothing compared to UVA's, but UVA doesn't have a Creative Writing major at all. However, Psychology is my first major, and I will be doing an honors project in it my senior year.
Here's what's really making the decision hard for me: if I stay at UNCW, I will be an Honors Mentor (like a teacher's assistant to an honors freshman seminar class), a Writing Tutor, a lab assistant to a great psych professor, a University Learning Center Mentor, and the secretary of the Student Honors Advisory Council.
If I transfer to UVA, I know I won't be able to become so involved right away (actually, I may never be because those positions are probably a lot more competitive at UVA). I would really miss being so involved.
Basically, what looks better to graduate schools and jobs--graduating from a top-tier university (UVA), or being extremely involved and getting good grades (3.9 GPA) at a lesser-known university?
As a former transfer into UVa, I would stay where you are. I don't really think that UVa offers that much more academically, if anything, especially if you are going to be lost in the crowd vs. standing out at UNCW. It's very hard to stand out at UVa, and it's not only that the competition for everything is intense, but also that many things are just closed to the general populace (i.e. you have to know someone, have a lot of money, etc.). As a transfer student, many more things will be closed to you (as I discovered myself). Even selective academic programs and special majors within departments are sometimes not available to transfers - for example, they may require an application during the first or second year, or two full years of UVa grades and UVa recommendations. As a transfer student, you can end up in all the giant two hundred plus classes because the more desirable ones are competitive and preference is given to students who've been at UVa the year before.
Creative writing classes are hard to get into as well. You probably won't get in until your 4th year, and even that will be iffy as a transfer.
I wouldn't do it (I did and didn't like it much). I can't think of any way in which UVa could offer you more than you already have. The name is nice, but it's not Harvard, and without the networking that you won't get to do I'm not sure it will really open any doors anywhere.
I should also point out that socially you can be very alone as a transfer. Most people make friends first year and it's really hard to meet anyone after that. That was the hardest part for me. It was pretty lonely and not much fun.
Just saw that this post is old - I wonder what the OP did in the end?
I applied as a transfer student after two years at University of North Carolina at Wilmington because my two best friends left and I was afraid that I wouldn't like UNCW as much without them. I just found out I've been accepted by UVA, but I'm much happier now and I can't figure out what to do. I love UNCW, and I'm very involved with the Honors Program and the Writing Center, but I know that UVA is a better school and I'm nervous that I'll turn down what might be an amazing opportunity. I love UNCW and have great friends here, but there is a general atmosphere of not caring very much about academics that sometimes gets on my nerves, and school spirit is not particularly apparent.
I am a Creative Writing (Nonfiction) and Psychology double-major. UNCW has the 2nd best Nonfiction master's program in the nation, and I figure that prestige must trickle down to the bachelor program as well. Our Psychology program is nothing compared to UVA's, but UVA doesn't have a Creative Writing major at all. However, Psychology is my first major, and I will be doing an honors project in it my senior year.
Here's what's really making the decision hard for me: if I stay at UNCW, I will be an Honors Mentor (like a teacher's assistant to an honors freshman seminar class), a Writing Tutor, a lab assistant to a great psych professor, a University Learning Center Mentor, and the secretary of the Student Honors Advisory Council.
If I transfer to UVA, I know I won't be able to become so involved right away (actually, I may never be because those positions are probably a lot more competitive at UVA). I would really miss being so involved.
Basically, what looks better to graduate schools and jobs--graduating from a top-tier university (UVA), or being extremely involved and getting good grades (3.9 GPA) at a lesser-known university?
"First of all, top-tier businesses do not recruit from UNCW's undergraduate programs. There simply isn't a volume/value proposition. And I don't mean sheer numbers; I'm talking about the quality of applicants. While the school may be improving, it's not even in the top 100 undergraduate institutions on the country. Obviously in your case, being a writer (an excellent one, I'm sure!), this may be less of a concern. Fair enough. But anyone considering consulting, government relations or post-grad professional schools needs to consider such things."
tgrana01 - I graduated from UNCW. Got a job at Booz Allen Hamilton shortly thereafter. Quite frankly, I believe you're dead wrong. It's ultimately up to you how far your degree will take you. This is an excuse I read and hear a lot -- Yes, a degree is important but it is far from the only stipulation to why or why not a job is offered. People read too much into the "prestige" of a degree. Drive (GPA) and attitude are far more important to an employer. Its up to you to make the connections that are out there, not a piece of paper. Yes, UVA is a great school, but so is UNCW. In retrospect I hope you can see that...
"First of all, top-tier businesses do not recruit from UNCW's undergraduate programs. There simply isn't a volume/value proposition. And I don't mean sheer numbers; I'm talking about the quality of applicants. While the school may be improving, it's not even in the top 100 undergraduate institutions on the country. Obviously in your case, being a writer (an excellent one, I'm sure!), this may be less of a concern. Fair enough. But anyone considering consulting, government relations or post-grad professional schools needs to consider such things."
tgrana01 - I graduated from UNCW. Got a job at Booz Allen Hamilton shortly thereafter. Quite frankly, I believe you're dead wrong. It's ultimately up to you how far your degree will take you. This is an excuse I read and hear a lot -- Yes, a degree is important but it is far from the only stipulation to why or why not a job is offered. People read too much into a degree. Attitude is just as important.
I'm sure some do and your story is true. That being said you will have a lot more companies recruiting from UVA than UNCW. Just like you would UNC-CH compared to UNCW.
School pedigree is always important, but never more so than in times of recession, or in a tight job market. Go to the highest-ranked school that accepts you and that you can afford without taking on a mountain of debt.
Agreed. Were talking upper tier regional vs. national elite here (UNCW vs UVA). There is most def a gap there between the two, no doubt about it. Pedigree is important, my point was that its not the only factor in the grand scheme of things. GPA, extracurriculars, interviews, internships and internal networking can open those doors and are just as important when finding a job. But the above poster advertised UNCW, granted as a politely as possible, as a handicap -- which is laughable. Plus if your talking top tier firms (Lockheed, Booz Co., McKinsey, BCG, Bain etc) you better be in the top % of even the elite schools. In the end its going to come down to those aformentioned qualities more than merely the brand. Though the brand does help you reach that last pile, its not the end all be all. Don't measure success by the name on your degree, you'd be doing yourself a disservice.
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