For years, Michael was in no doubt about his university of choice. A high-flier with top grades, exceptional SAT scores and a stellar extracurricular portfolio, he was working his way towards that coveted acceptance letter from Harvard. But now, the 17-year-old has had a change of heart. Instead Cambridge, Massachusetts, when Michael sends off his applications this fall he will be looking south to Charlottesville and the University of Virginia. Michael, an American citizen who lives in Singapore, is part of a growing trend of talented students snubbing the politically-riven and left-leaning campuses of the northeast in favor of the...