University of Richmond Top Questions

NO! There is so much financial aid and admission is need blind.

yes

A sizeable portion of the students attending do come from very economically comfortable families and areas. And, because it is a smaller school, the majority of the kids do happen to be caucasian. However the stereotope of being snobby or exclusive is completely untrue, and in fact there is a welcoming atmosphere to the more diversity on campus (diversity in every sense, not just cultural). Therefore, the stereotypes are not accurate, as one will soon find when attending the school, as the vast majority of students are very openminded and extremely friendly.

Yes but we work hard for our playtime.

The stereotype that everyone is rich and snobby is definitely inaccurate. Because we are a private school, there is bound to be rich and preppy people who are able to pay the ridiculous high tuition (although URichmond offers a lot of grants and scholarship). Not all "rich" students are not snobby but they may be ignorance or a bit close-minded. Of course, there are many great people at Richmond who are fun and quirky (like me!). Many are also brilliantly smart. Yes, some people dress up for classes and football games (sundresses and collared shirts, not me though).

I think the stereotypes are fairly accurate, however there are always exceptions. While I think a large majority of students are very preppy and wealthy, there are certainly people who do not fit a stereotypical mold.

For the most part.

To be quite honest, it's mostly true. A lot of the students here, like me, are here on a scholarship--but if you aren't able to keep up the pretense that you have a lot of money, expect to be ostracized and miss out on a lot of off-campus social get-togethers. The surrounding area, Carytown, is full of really neat places to shop and eat: but only if you are pulling in some serious cash. There is also a lack of diversity on the Richmond campus--whether that diversity is socio-economic, racial, or religious, there is a lack of it here. Most of the students here are white, very well off, and christian. (The campus tries to give off the impression it's accepting to all cultures and religions, but the pretense is constantly being unshrouded with a huge christmas tree in the dining hall in December, or the fact that a lot you never see the international students mingling with any students native to the US)

Partly

Yes, though the majority of students tend to be quite affable. A lot of them are realistic and down to earth despite their mostly sheltered and priveleged upbringings.

for the most part, they're not. the school is comprised of a lot of well-off people, but more than half the people i know on campus have some kind of financial aid. it is preppy, but there's no pressure to dress like everyone else. my roommate and i are in love with our richmond sweatpants and wear them as much as humanly possible. it's also not as conservative as you'd think either. i've met a few zealots leaning left and right, but most people fall into the middle.

Richmond does have a lot of students nowadays from the Northeast, but for me that's not an issue being from New Jersey. There is an effort underway to increase racial diversity, as many view this as an issue. I would point out that there is a great international program in which students from other countries come and spend a semester or more at Richmond. Also, while you'll find a lot of preppiness and there is plenty of wealth, Richmond is surprisingly affordable when you factor in financial aid. Don't be scared by the sticker price. Few people are paying $50k a year; most students receive one or more types of financial aid, often including grants and scholarships that don't have to be paid back.

YES!!

Sometimes it can be true, but for the most part, most of the people on campus are cool.

Mostly. The student body is very homogeneous, and the cafateria especially is split into subsections of where students usually choose to sit with the same races. For example, most of the white kids sit together, most of the black kids sit together, and most of the international students sit together. Many students in the university do lack the ability to think creatively and analytically and choose to memorize material. This is not very different from any other school though.

They are somewhat true, but not to a fault. Yes, there are a lot of people with a lot of money, but there are also plenty of people who are not, and a good amount of people of regular economic standard. Because it's a small school, it might take a few trials to find your perfect group of friends, but there is no real exclusiveness prevalent, and most people and parties are open to any and all who wish to come.

Sometimes, but not always

Of course some people fit into those categories, but I've met so many different people and personalities at Richmond that the majority stereotypes don't bother me. But let's be honest, its a 50 grand a year school, many of us are well off financially, but many of us, myself included, have worked my ass off to get and stay in this school.

YES VERY TRUE

There are a lot of rich students, but not everyone is. The preppy stereotype isn't really true-of course there are people who are preppy, but a lot of people just dress really well. They are stylish and fashionable.

Richmond is making an effort to be culturally diverse, however, some of the students and falculty do not embrace color skin. The students are not perfect and the campus can be fun if you want it to be. Yet, Richmond is the perfect place for individuals who just want to concentrate on getting a good education. Richmond has many resources and at least one supportive staff member for every student.

Often times, yes.

Yes

Yes

Yes, but there are some poorer people and a little bit of ethnic and racial diversity. If you look hard enough you can find the people with personality.

For the most part the stereotype is pretty accurate, but there are definetly people that are genuinely nice here too.

Every stereotype has a hint of truth hidden in it, but most people here are really nice and very approachable.

For most of the students yes. There are some cool cats there. Just have to try to find them.

No.

Some, but regarding the stereotypes there are people who match and people who don't.

Yes, but no. Many people are preppy conformists, but there is a good mix of those who dress uniquely, those who don't really stand out and dress "normally" and those who have a good sense of style. People are intelligent and hard-working, definitely. Everyone I work with on Student Government and class projects is reliable and independently motivated.

Well there a significant amount of northern kids, and kids from wealthy backgrounds, but there are an increasingly large amount of kids receiving financial aid, and there are kids from all over. There is also increasing diversity, but yeah kids are still all out of J. Crew and Vineyard Vines magazines.

yes and no. Most of them are superficial stereotypes (as usual) however, underneath and in reality, Richmond students have a great deal of variety in personalities, preferences, and experiences.

yes

Not all the white students feel that way, but a large portion of the white student population feels that way. Contrary to their beliefs the black people here are just as intelligent as them or they would not be there and as far as athletics, most of them are mad because they cannot play them anymore

This is not accurate at all. Richmond is not the most diversified school out there; the student population is 10% not white. But students come from a variety of different backgrounds: from upper to lower class families, students from the city to students from rural areas, and even students from different countries. You really do not have to worry about not fitting in. Walking to class you'll find pass a Goth girl, a punk kid, a preppy boy, and a jock. Since the student population is so small, you get to know a lot of different people. It's nice to be about to walk to class and see a few smiling familiar faces.

In some sense. The bulk of the students here do come from the Northeast and New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and yes many of them are very "bro-tastic," but if that's not what you're into, there are people here of every type, race, background and they're all very intelligent and fun to hang out with

To a certain extent, yes. When looking around campus, it seems as though the sorority sisters and frat bros dressed in J.Crew are everywhere. When you look a bit closer, however, there are people who don't feel the need to join in the Greek life or dress as though they've stepped out of a Polo catalog. There's also a big divide between those who can afford the school and those who can't: You either come here on an amazing grant or scholarship, or your family can afford $45,000+ every year. Those in the middle generally complain that the school's formula finds their family's finances to be more than what's really there, leaving the family in debt.

For about 7/8th's of the population, yes.

Not by any means. The school has made diverisity an important factor and has been very succesful. The students are also very friendly.

For a lot of students they are. I'd say about 85% of students wear preppy clothes pretty much year round (especially in warm weather). It's not stuck up though. I think most kids come here getting some assistance in paying and the ones that don't are smart enough to realize that they're lucky to have enough money to do that. It's not like people don't understand what an opportunity they've got.

They are some what accurate.

Students at the University of Richmond come from all over ther nation and all over the world. My apartment next year will have people from Kansas, Delaware, Illinois, West Virginia, and California. In addition 8% of the student population is comprised of International students, who really add a whole different dimension to our education. Although students here tend to dress preppy, that does not mean we all have the money to afford J.Crew. We come from unique backgrounds from all over the nation and the world and bring to the table many different cultures and new insights.

Most of the campus definitely dresses preppy. I mean, go to one of the football games and you're surrounded by sundresses, khaki shorts, and button down shirts. However, I feel like any type of person with an open mind can come here and feel comfortable. You don't need to know the difference between Vineyard Vines and J.Crew to have an amazing Richmond experience (though you'll learn soon enough). And as far as the "rich kids" stereotype: false. Because of the high tuition and preppy clothes, I guess a lot of people get the vibe that Richmond is swarming with stuck-up rich kids. Nope. The majority of my friends have a comfortable financial situation at home, but none of them fly home on a private jet. Though maybe a little higher, I doubt that the average financial status of Richmond kids is extraordinarily different than any other liberal arts university in America.

many students do come from very fortunate backgrounds, but not everyone (I don't!), and people are really much nicer than they might appear upon first glance... we do like to party as well, but we definitely live by the philosophy "work hard, play harder"

Most of these stereotypes recall a past that The University of Richmond is constantly working to correct. Like all colleges, Richmond was once an all white school and, like most private schools, still is predominately white. Though Richmond gives HUGE scholarships to allow for a diverse student body in the economic sense, many people associate white skin with privilege and that is simply not fair. There are certainly many wealthy people that attend the University of Richmond, but they are the visible minority. True to the stereotype, Richmond is full of very driven students that work hard to succeed, but we are also driven in many directions in addition to academics.

yes, to say the least.

There are a lot of northern kids but everyone is pretty nice.

Not really, most people are really donw to earth and there is room for anyone with any personality on this campus. People generally are pretty smart, but not in a superior way.

generally. most students are white and come from upper middle class backgrounds. seeing students driving beamers are not uncommon. but not everybody is loaded and most people are down to earth