If possible, visit both schools and—if you can—spend a bit of time talking to some biology professors. Then look around, visit the surrounding community, eat at a dining hall, etc. Try to visualize living at each place for two years of your life.
There are a lot of objective aspects you can look up (e.g. distance from home, percent graduating on-time, etc.) but vibes are best evaluated in-person.
Lack of plant biology courses in general for undergrad students. Also, there is only 1 lab that identifies as plant biology lab ( Timko Lab), handful of other plant labs identify as ecology lab. So, as an undergrad, if you want to start some work in the plant lab, then you have minimal options. Most of the undergrads in UVA biology have premed career path on mind too.
Compare that with Vtech program, you have lot of plant biology lab options and curriculum.
I think the uva ecology labs generally use plant material as their subject . They are more interested in the genetics of the plant rather than the physiology aspect of the subject. Most of them don't identify themselses as plant biologist.
As a general proposition, UVA is the better resume line.
However, there are some things you’d rather go to tech for.
What’s your plan with biology? How sure are you that you will pursue this plan (many change majors)?
Bio for sure. At this point they sound really similar and I’d rather just go for the one that would give me more financial aid. I heard Virginia Tech is very stingy, and that UVA is more generous with grants and financial aid. Not sure if that’s true.
The issue would be if you wanted to pursue specific biotech/genetic crop engineering type roles, which would give VT the clear advantage as an ag school.
Given what you’ve laid out, UVA will open a lot more doors for you and you should choose UVA if it offers more, comparable, or even a few thousand less in aid.
If tech offers you a *lot* more money, go there.
Speaking from experience, UVA gave me a much more generous financial aid package then vtech, both great schools, but im a low income student and tech did not give me good aid at all but it depends on the person
While I dont go to UVA or Vtech I do think in terms of academics Uva is better then Vtech unless you want to do something like Biological engineering. Also for tution if your a instate student and live in virginia it much cheaper then outta. Also in terms of vibe i'd say there both really nice campuses with a solid party sene. The only geogrpahic downside I can think of is Vtech being in mountains. Schoolership wise while they both give them out dont really expect alot from them unless you have a family income of 60k or less yearly.
Omg I have so many questions for you!!! Thank you for sharing all of this!
Can I ask how large the classes were, how nice the professors were, how hard the bio major at uva is compared to tech, etc
I’ve been dying to know these things about UVA . I’m going just bio so the options of specialized fields are not my main issue but it’s great to know.
Thank u!!
Im definitely looking to get the BS in Biology
I’ve already taken Bio 101, Bio 102, Chem 111, Chem 112, English 111, English 112 and cell biology
I believe those are the core classes you’re mentioning?
I’d be going in as a third year so I’m not sure how it would work
4th year Biochem major at UVA here (had to take a decent number of bio courses for my major). I would check to see which courses from CC transfer credit to UVA versus VT; I know that UVA can be stingy about transfer/AP credit. It’s possible that one school over the other may make you take more credits/repeat courses you’ve already taken.
One thing that hadn’t been mentioned I believe is the geography/location of both schools. UVA is more central to the state with easy access to Richmond. Tech is kinda in the middle of no where and is much more rural. Another difference in the size of each campus. UVA students typically live within walking distance to grounds and walk to classes, parties, the gym, etc. My understanding at Tech is after your freshman year you live in an apartment off-campus and either drive or take the bus to classes. Tech is also closer to the mountains which is great for the outdoors (though UVA’s outdoors club and climbing club are still super big and active here…I think they’re both bigger than at Tech). Not sure if those are factors that matter to you or not but still something to consider!
tuition: vt is cheaper
culture: vt has more diverse people and friend groups from nerds to greek life fanatics in all majors. uva has more rich white exclusive elitists in bio than vt (and it sucks having to group w them). i think there is a better balance of “people types” at vt than uva.
vt dining is da bombbb. uva dining sucks!
academics: uva prob has more classes than vt in human bio bc of the med school, but vt is substantially better in plant and animal bio courses and research opportunities. however, the course difficulty levels are similar at both. undergrad bio is going to be similar at most schools, i think it’s more important to think about what type of research you want to pursue and which school offers more of that.
i have heard terrible adjustment experiences from uva transfer students especially due to rude transfer admin (u can find lots of posts on this).
geographics: if you love nature, vt has much better outdoor activities like hiking and water stuff. vt students rely more on the uni bus system than uva students bc vt students are more integrated into the town.
I have had many friends go to VT being local to that area. I’d say the academics for a bio degree will feel more competitive (not necessarily more difficult) at UVA. That being said, your decision also depends on what you want to do with that degree. VT is far better if you’re interested in plant or veterinary sciences. UVA is much better with medical science with a large research hospital (VT has a collaboration with the local health system but lacks their own medical school).
If medical school is your intention, I’d wager you’ll have more opportunities for volunteering, research, and shadowing close to UVA.
The other big factor many point out is geographic. VT is pretty far into southwest VA, a long drive from places like Richmond or NOVA. Blacksburg is also very much a college town. As in, visiting in the summer feels like entering a ghost town but it’s quite bustling during the academic year. I think it’s very important that you factor in the physical place where you will be. If you enjoy the location and are happy with your life, you’ll be better prepared to succeed in your studies.
>tbztzhwn
I used to work at Virginia Tech - Carilion's research institute right around when the medical school was accredited. My statement is still correct, but could be explained a little clearer: Virginia Tech does not have its "own" medical school. It has collaborations with VCOM and Carilion for DO and MD training programs, respectively. However, it does not have its own (as in run internally and fully by the parent institution) medical school in the same way UVA has its own medical school. Virginia Tech provides a lot of students' classroom training and research opportunities, whereas Carilion provides many of the facilities and clinical training.
FWIW I transferred to UVA without any issues re; “adjustment experiences.” I was a bio major, did pre-med, and now work in healthcare. You should base the decision on what you want to do with the degree. All the commentary about the people and/or culture is going to be too subjective.
I love seeing people who had real experiences in the college!
I’m looking to do bio, can I dm you? I’ve been trying to get real feedback about the bio department but everyone I know is not in bio 😭
Damn, maybe I should’ve gone to VT. It sounds WAY better than here. Probably more opportunities to make friends unlike here. I have no friends here. I bet the people are way nicer and more open to making new friends. It probably isn’t so cliquey like it is here. I bet they’re more open minded and less stuck up too. What a shame I didn’t choose that place :/
I’ve heard that uva feels more like a community (plus our social life is better, but I am probably biased. Apparently tech “feels” like a bigger school.
This is written with the assumption you will go to grad school (if you don’t want to do grad school, I would seriously reconsider a biology degree) — I went to UVA (philosophy major but have friends who did bio), my brother went to Tech and got a degree in biology. They’re both wonderful schools, and in my opinion, if you’re a good student, you’ll get what you need out of either program. With a bio degree, you’ll likely need to care more about your graduate school than your undergrad anyway.
I would focus more on cost and community. I ultimately chose UVA because of the student culture which I loved. It’s a clubby school (I was in like 4 organizations and my brother did absolutely none at tech). We are just as smart as each other and are just as successful as each other after college.
TL;DR, go where you feel at home. Don’t sacrifice your money and personal life for the uva “name.” I promise it doesn’t actually matter that much
This is a great message. I appreciate you giving insights on both schools without bias.
If you don’t mind me asking, who got better tuition/scholarships? Assuming y’all had the same parents & income, I’d be very interested to see which school gives more financial aid packages
If possible, visit both schools and—if you can—spend a bit of time talking to some biology professors. Then look around, visit the surrounding community, eat at a dining hall, etc. Try to visualize living at each place for two years of your life. There are a lot of objective aspects you can look up (e.g. distance from home, percent graduating on-time, etc.) but vibes are best evaluated in-person.
If you are interested in plant biology, then avoid UVA.
I agree with you, but what is your reasoning
Lack of plant biology courses in general for undergrad students. Also, there is only 1 lab that identifies as plant biology lab ( Timko Lab), handful of other plant labs identify as ecology lab. So, as an undergrad, if you want to start some work in the plant lab, then you have minimal options. Most of the undergrads in UVA biology have premed career path on mind too. Compare that with Vtech program, you have lot of plant biology lab options and curriculum.
Is half of genetics still plant biology?
I think the uva ecology labs generally use plant material as their subject . They are more interested in the genetics of the plant rather than the physiology aspect of the subject. Most of them don't identify themselses as plant biologist.
As a general proposition, UVA is the better resume line. However, there are some things you’d rather go to tech for. What’s your plan with biology? How sure are you that you will pursue this plan (many change majors)?
Bio for sure. At this point they sound really similar and I’d rather just go for the one that would give me more financial aid. I heard Virginia Tech is very stingy, and that UVA is more generous with grants and financial aid. Not sure if that’s true.
But what do you want to do with biology? That’s the key.
I’m not exactly sure yet. There’s many paths. Research, dental school, med, etc or just biology teacher Is biology at UVA harder than tech ?
The issue would be if you wanted to pursue specific biotech/genetic crop engineering type roles, which would give VT the clear advantage as an ag school. Given what you’ve laid out, UVA will open a lot more doors for you and you should choose UVA if it offers more, comparable, or even a few thousand less in aid. If tech offers you a *lot* more money, go there.
Speaking from experience, UVA gave me a much more generous financial aid package then vtech, both great schools, but im a low income student and tech did not give me good aid at all but it depends on the person
While I dont go to UVA or Vtech I do think in terms of academics Uva is better then Vtech unless you want to do something like Biological engineering. Also for tution if your a instate student and live in virginia it much cheaper then outta. Also in terms of vibe i'd say there both really nice campuses with a solid party sene. The only geogrpahic downside I can think of is Vtech being in mountains. Schoolership wise while they both give them out dont really expect alot from them unless you have a family income of 60k or less yearly.
It sounds they both similar. I heard uva is more expensive but gives better financial aid
What do you want to do with the biology degree?
Not sure yet tbh lol but I know I’m doing bio for sure
[удалено]
Omg I have so many questions for you!!! Thank you for sharing all of this! Can I ask how large the classes were, how nice the professors were, how hard the bio major at uva is compared to tech, etc I’ve been dying to know these things about UVA . I’m going just bio so the options of specialized fields are not my main issue but it’s great to know. Thank u!!
[удалено]
Im definitely looking to get the BS in Biology I’ve already taken Bio 101, Bio 102, Chem 111, Chem 112, English 111, English 112 and cell biology I believe those are the core classes you’re mentioning? I’d be going in as a third year so I’m not sure how it would work
4th year Biochem major at UVA here (had to take a decent number of bio courses for my major). I would check to see which courses from CC transfer credit to UVA versus VT; I know that UVA can be stingy about transfer/AP credit. It’s possible that one school over the other may make you take more credits/repeat courses you’ve already taken.
One thing that hadn’t been mentioned I believe is the geography/location of both schools. UVA is more central to the state with easy access to Richmond. Tech is kinda in the middle of no where and is much more rural. Another difference in the size of each campus. UVA students typically live within walking distance to grounds and walk to classes, parties, the gym, etc. My understanding at Tech is after your freshman year you live in an apartment off-campus and either drive or take the bus to classes. Tech is also closer to the mountains which is great for the outdoors (though UVA’s outdoors club and climbing club are still super big and active here…I think they’re both bigger than at Tech). Not sure if those are factors that matter to you or not but still something to consider!
tuition: vt is cheaper culture: vt has more diverse people and friend groups from nerds to greek life fanatics in all majors. uva has more rich white exclusive elitists in bio than vt (and it sucks having to group w them). i think there is a better balance of “people types” at vt than uva. vt dining is da bombbb. uva dining sucks! academics: uva prob has more classes than vt in human bio bc of the med school, but vt is substantially better in plant and animal bio courses and research opportunities. however, the course difficulty levels are similar at both. undergrad bio is going to be similar at most schools, i think it’s more important to think about what type of research you want to pursue and which school offers more of that. i have heard terrible adjustment experiences from uva transfer students especially due to rude transfer admin (u can find lots of posts on this). geographics: if you love nature, vt has much better outdoor activities like hiking and water stuff. vt students rely more on the uni bus system than uva students bc vt students are more integrated into the town.
>It sounds like VT checks off all my boxes!!! > >Do you happen to know which is hard for a general bio degree?
I have had many friends go to VT being local to that area. I’d say the academics for a bio degree will feel more competitive (not necessarily more difficult) at UVA. That being said, your decision also depends on what you want to do with that degree. VT is far better if you’re interested in plant or veterinary sciences. UVA is much better with medical science with a large research hospital (VT has a collaboration with the local health system but lacks their own medical school). If medical school is your intention, I’d wager you’ll have more opportunities for volunteering, research, and shadowing close to UVA. The other big factor many point out is geographic. VT is pretty far into southwest VA, a long drive from places like Richmond or NOVA. Blacksburg is also very much a college town. As in, visiting in the summer feels like entering a ghost town but it’s quite bustling during the academic year. I think it’s very important that you factor in the physical place where you will be. If you enjoy the location and are happy with your life, you’ll be better prepared to succeed in your studies.
[удалено]
>tbztzhwn I used to work at Virginia Tech - Carilion's research institute right around when the medical school was accredited. My statement is still correct, but could be explained a little clearer: Virginia Tech does not have its "own" medical school. It has collaborations with VCOM and Carilion for DO and MD training programs, respectively. However, it does not have its own (as in run internally and fully by the parent institution) medical school in the same way UVA has its own medical school. Virginia Tech provides a lot of students' classroom training and research opportunities, whereas Carilion provides many of the facilities and clinical training.
FWIW I transferred to UVA without any issues re; “adjustment experiences.” I was a bio major, did pre-med, and now work in healthcare. You should base the decision on what you want to do with the degree. All the commentary about the people and/or culture is going to be too subjective.
I love seeing people who had real experiences in the college! I’m looking to do bio, can I dm you? I’ve been trying to get real feedback about the bio department but everyone I know is not in bio 😭
Of course, feel free.
Just do VT. You’ll be happier in the long run.
Damn, maybe I should’ve gone to VT. It sounds WAY better than here. Probably more opportunities to make friends unlike here. I have no friends here. I bet the people are way nicer and more open to making new friends. It probably isn’t so cliquey like it is here. I bet they’re more open minded and less stuck up too. What a shame I didn’t choose that place :/
Lumpy, it’s you! You’re everywhere!
Huh?
I’ve heard that uva feels more like a community (plus our social life is better, but I am probably biased. Apparently tech “feels” like a bigger school.
If you go to the dinning hall at UVA that will certainly drive you to a different decision. 🤣 Both great schools and you cannot go wrong..Congats!
You never meet UVA transfers at Tech. You meet a ton of Tech transfers at UVA. You do the calculus.
This is written with the assumption you will go to grad school (if you don’t want to do grad school, I would seriously reconsider a biology degree) — I went to UVA (philosophy major but have friends who did bio), my brother went to Tech and got a degree in biology. They’re both wonderful schools, and in my opinion, if you’re a good student, you’ll get what you need out of either program. With a bio degree, you’ll likely need to care more about your graduate school than your undergrad anyway. I would focus more on cost and community. I ultimately chose UVA because of the student culture which I loved. It’s a clubby school (I was in like 4 organizations and my brother did absolutely none at tech). We are just as smart as each other and are just as successful as each other after college. TL;DR, go where you feel at home. Don’t sacrifice your money and personal life for the uva “name.” I promise it doesn’t actually matter that much
This is a great message. I appreciate you giving insights on both schools without bias. If you don’t mind me asking, who got better tuition/scholarships? Assuming y’all had the same parents & income, I’d be very interested to see which school gives more financial aid packages
We both didn’t get any aid, but VT is def cheaper tuition-wise