University of Virginia-Main Campus Top Questions

What is the stereotype of students at your school?

Jacqueline

They are arrogant and preppy. That we think highly of ourselves. At least those are the negative stereotypes I have heard.

Trisha

Some people may have a misconstrued vision of UVA as a conservative, privileged, traditional, southern school or in layman's terms: snobby, rich kids. I'm sure those people exist somewhere, but they're such a loud minority here. The majority of us are caring, hard-working, and open-minded. It only takes one bad apple to spoil the bunch. What people who believe in those stereotypes don't realize is how much bigger we are than a stereotype. How diverse, merited, and incredible of a student body we are. I have a friend who is on an academic scholarship who wouldn't have been able to attend otherwise due to financial difficulties. I have a friend who seems like the typical jock/frat boy, but he's also the leader of my dorm's relay for life team to fight against cancer. I have a friend who is a sorority sister and a biomedical engineer. I have a friend who is a fullback on the football team and a member of one of UVA's best all male a cappella groups. We're so much more than what outsiders think they see on the surface.

Trisha

Some people may have a misconstrued vision of UVA as a conservative, privileged, traditional, southern school or in layman's terms: snobby, rich kids. I'm sure those people exist somewhere, but they're such a loud minority here. The majority of us are caring, hard-working, and open-minded. It only takes one bad apple to spoil the bunch. What people who believe in those stereotypes don't realize is how much bigger we are than a stereotype. How diverse, merited, and incredible of a student body we are. I have a friend who is on an academic scholarship who wouldn't have been able to attend otherwise due to financial difficulties. I have a friend who seems like the typical jock/frat boy, but he's also the leader of my dorm's relay for life team to fight against cancer. I have a friend who is a sorority sister and a biomedical engineer. I have a friend who is a fullback on the football team and a member of one of UVA's best all male a cappella groups. We're so much more than what outsiders think they see on the surface.

Andy

Rich, cocky, wanna-be Ivy, Greek.

Reese

snobby, preppy, rich southern kids.

Danny

Coming from a small suburban school in New York, aside from that it is a tremendous acadmeic University, Virginia's reputation is not well known around here. But with a little research you quickly discover that UVA is notorious for being a traditional southern school. With "guys in ties, girls in pearls", most of the campus is crawling with well bred upper class white preps, sporting sunglasses and flip flops. Along with all of this comes a certain air of elitism.

Jake

Preppy, smart, cultured

Kate

They are all the same, they are all southern ladies and gents who wear pearls and fancy clothes.

Ashley

The stereotypical UVA student is a rich white kid from NOVA (Northern Virginia) running around in a Northface, two or three polos with popped collars, and $50 flip flops. Their weekends start on Thirsty Thursdays and end when they switch from Solo cups to Red Bull six hours before class in order to finish that big paper due Monday. The phrase that comes to mind is work hard, party hard.

Reed

UVA students probably have the stereotype of being too 'fratty' or 'fake socialites.'

kate

preppy, white, rich, smart

Emmerson

UVA students are rich and preppy snobs.

Bobby

The prevailing stereotype of UVA students is that of the blood blooded, conservative, lily white, holier-than-thou Southerner, exasperated with a touch of Valley Girl for the ladies and dumb jock for the gentlemen.

Rachel

A lot of people think UVA is full of preps and jocks and stuck-up rich people. Sometimes I hear people think UVA is racist.

Patrick

Preppy, always wear nice clothing, party with wine and cheese, rich

Casey

One stereotype is that UVA is filled with a bunch of snobby people. Another is that if you don't have some kind of scholarship or grant, then you must be rich.

Alex

That we are all rich, snobby preps. This stereotype especially surrounds those involved in Greek life.

Tina

Preppy, pretentious rich kids.

Reese

Preppy, Stuck-Up, Racist, Rich, Self-Segregated, Artsy, Southern

Nico

That it's full of preppy wealthy students.

Claire

rich, organized, intelligent, like to drink, beautiful, demanding classes, excellent professors

Ben

southern and preppy

Kelly

we have a stereotype of being preppy and stuck up. there's also an ENTIRELY untrue racist stereotype.

Vanessa

U.Va. students have a reputation of being snooty and a little on the richer end of living. They wear sundresses, pop their collars and go shopping for therapy-all of which their parents appear to understand, giving them money at moment's whim.

Madison

Rich, snobby

Molly

There are 2 main groups at UVA - preps and hipsters. The hipsters formed a group because they hate the "good ole boy" mentality and don't fit into the preppy mold. But they're just as snobby as your typical frat guy or sorority girl. Instead of caring about horse races and polos, they care about liking the right music and american apparel tees.

Jesse

The most common stereotype is that UVA students are preppy and the girls are stuck-up. Just take, for example, the things we give our own special names to: campus is called "grounds," a freshman is a "first-year," and so on.

Sara

school in va w/ southern flair that rich, preppy kids attend.

Steven

UVA students are stuck up, preppy, and think that they're better than everyone else

Lawrence

preppy, stuck up, know it alls

Sammy

UVA is an ALL white school!

Sara

People love to say that UVA students are pretentious...like we're all guys in ties and girls in pearls and that even if we all did dress like that it means we must all have the same pretentious souls.

Sean

Students of the University often are cast as prudes or elitists. There is also one belief that students at the University do not engage in anything outside of classes; if they do, then the outside world thinks that we are all involved with Greek life.

cam

uva kids are infamous for coming from well-to-do families, generally financially secure. uva kids work hard and play hard--we toil for hours in the library and party every weekend. There's diversity to be sure, but a strong Greek scene makes for a very preppy student body

Justin

The stereotypes about UVa is that it is an elitist school who thinks they are better than everyone else. The students are believed to embody this stereotype.

John

Preppy, smart, athletic, well rounded

Isabel

UVa students are stuck-up, self-centered, ungrateful, ignorant

Lauren

I think a lot of non-UVA students see UVA as one of two things: nerds or stuck-up rich kids.

Andy

One stereotype about UVA is that everyone is dresses very preppy and is stuck up.

Michael

Some stereotypes of UVA students are that we are rich, white, preppy students from Virginia private schools. While there is some truth to that, that reputation was built mostly in the 70s and early 80s. These days, UVA is making a bigger effort to promote diversity as my class is registered as the most diverse in UVA history.

Alex

UVA students are supposedly very preppy, wealthy and often arrogant rich kids

Rob

People think UVA is snobby, full of rich private school kids. People also think that UVA people think UVA/UVA students are better than any other schools/students at those schools. People also think UVA students are weirdly obsessed with tradition and Thomas Jefferson.

Charlie

The biggest stereotype you are going to here is that all UVA students are extremely snobby, they all come from wealthy, upper-class backgrounds, and they all participate in Greek life (AKA Frats and Sororities).

Blake

that everyone goes out and parties every night, people do study and it is not all drunkin debokery

Mason

Some sterotypes are that we are awesomer than most other schools, which is true. Another is that we are a pretty fratty school, which is also true.

josh

that they're preppy and really stuck up

MJ

That they party a lot

John

The general consensus in Virginia is that UVA students are really stuck up. This is somewhat true. We are all a little snobby because we work our asses off to get into school, work hard here and involve ourselves in activities all around grounds. We plan on making something of ourselves, and know that we are on the right path. So, yeah, UVA kids can come off as snobby, but really its just a lot of self-confidence. There's a lot of competition for grades and membership in certain organizations. You are expected to be involved in everything, and yet there is always one student who seems more involved than yourself. If you are coming to UVA, you will work your ass off. Going to private Ivy League schools, I feel like theres a sense that students are already successful and don't really have to work all that hard (hence the intense grade inflation). I guess it's the public school state-of-mind; we all work our hardest to get the good grades. Thats not to say people are cutthroat or devious or anything. It's competition, but in good spirit.

KC

Preppy frat guys.

Bradley

Rich, snobby sorority girls who dress like sluts but don't put out.