i can’t answer on behalf of VCU but I do currently attend ODU as a graduate student. I hear it’s a lot of fun for undergrads (there’s plenty to do around here) because it’s got that campus-y feel AND the small-city feel. the academics are challenging and there is tons of support for ODU basketball, which is always a blast! ODU, from what I understand, has a little bit of a better academic reputation, and it doesn’t matter if you don’t know what you want to study yet, because it’s centered around a liberal arts education – which means you take classes in a “little of everything” until you find what interests you the most. ODU is a pretty big school, that is to say, there are a lot of students here. but don’t be scared off by the size – you’ll be able to find a “niche” because there is a lot of diversity, which is awesome because you’ll have the op to experience different cultures, background, and the likes. my vote goes to ODU.

I had a cousin graduate from ODU in civil engineering. Several of my high school friends went to VCU for liberal arts.

It comes down to what you want to study. So you need to work on that. When I visited colleges I didn’t do the campus tour. I visited the Geology departments. That’s how I made my decision. Richmond and Norfolk can both be rough places to live, so if you live off campus, choose wisely.