University of Virginia-Main Campus Top Questions

What is your overall opinion of this school?

Kelly

UVA is absolutely amazing. the best part about it is just the people. there are so many great people that go to UVA. so many different kinds of people, all of them smart and motivated, and you can tell that so many of them are really going places in life. going to UVA is a stepping stone for them. one thing i'd change? cost of attendance for sure! i'm an out of state student and i'll admit its pretty expensive to go to UVA, but ABSOLUTELY worth every penny. plus the financial aid program is REALLY good. they've helped me out a lot. UVA is just the right size, at least for me. i came from a high school of about 2000 and wanted to go to a pretty big state school, but small enough that i felt like i could know a lot of people and not be overwhelmed. i cannot walk to class without seeing at least 5 people i know. and i have a short walk to class! charlottesville is the perfect college town. so many cute shops and cheap restaurants. the city is in love with the university. one of my favorites? TRADITIONS! we streak, dress up for football games (guys in ties, girls in pearls), tailgate on the Lawn built by Thomas Jefferson himself. there are SO many great traditions at the University. we call our students 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th years instead of freshman, sophomore, junior, seniors. we call our professors by mr, mrs, and ms, instead of dr. unless they're an MD. it's just absolutely rich with history and tradition and we as a student body are so proud of that. in a nutshell, UVA really is the perfect, romantic ideal of what college should be.

Vanessa

I love our campus. It's just gorgeous. I love having to walk 10-15 minutes to class, enjoying the beat of my I-pod as the sun warms you up in the morning; I love calling my friends on the walk home, knowing that I'm not interrupting my work or Top Chef by calling them then. My brother went to William and Mary and it took all of 10 minutes to walk around the entire perimeter of campus, and I thought, wow, I could never do that. You walk up into the lawn, see the Rotunda in all its glory, and you can't help but smile-you're here, you know? Home.

Madison

There isn't one best thing. I can't think of a single thing I would change. The size of the school is perfect for the size of the campus. When I tell people I go to UVA, I always get a "wow", especially as an out of state student. It's an unbelievable college town. The relations with the Charlottesville community are unrivaled and so important to maintain. UVA has a wonderful administration. Juicycampus.com was a recent controversy. I think whether I attended UVA or not, I would be able to recognize the deep school pride that is instilled in its current students, the families of students, as well as alumni. I'm not really one to appreciate my surroundings but UVA is a place where I truly wake up every single day and I'm like Wow, I'm so lucky to be here.

Molly

Charlottesville is cool, but UVA isn't fun. It's not a place for people who felt like they didn't fit in in high school. UVA is high school amplified.

Sara

UVA is the perfect size - it's not too big and not too small. Just from walking around grounds, you will recognize people, but might not necessarily know their name. And UVA is a well-known school, so when people ask where I attend, the response is positive. Most people are impressed. Even if someone is in-state, that kid is not a complete idiot and had to have done something right in high school to get in. I would say there is a lot of school pride. Since UVA is an ACC team, the sporting events are always broadcast well to the students. And even if the teams haven't done well in the past, there is still plenty of support by the student body. 'Hoo Crew also helps with promoting events and making students participate in school pride. Plus, UVA is filled with crazy, yet fun traditions such as, streaking the lawn, paiting Beta Bridge, the lingo in general (its grounds, not campus and first-fourth year instead of freshman-senior), etc.

Steven

I would not want to go to college anywhere else. Size-wise, it is perfect: big enough to give yourself a wide variety of possible friends and social circles, but small enough that you actually recognize people when you're walking to class or going out at night. The city of Charlottesville is ideal too. The corner bar scene is incredible, and if you want to go out to eat somewhere nicer, downtown is just a short drive (or long walk) away. Overall, the students always make you feel welcome wherever you go, and there's always something fun to do.

Lawrence

Good size, good teachers (usually, always check ratemyprofessor.com as a rule of thumb). Charlottesville is a great place to go to school, it's the quintessential college town. School pride is really big and is seen in the entire community. Controversies usually involve articles in the Cavalier Daily, the student run news paper. They are usually followed by an increased discussion by the student body about the issue, though.

Sammy

UVA has a beautiful campus. The students are focused determined and driven. Football is pretty big (even though we may not be a football school, we DEF have spirit WAHOOO!) The town of charl, is peacfull pretty quite. However, the people in char. are really divided racially, so the sense of racial equality around town is pretty off (esp. the cops- they tend to be slightly racist at times and frequently racially profile.) Juicycampus is a really skeewed website that became a slight problem on grounds a couple of months ago, it does not reflect the school and is a terrible site. People are often at the libraries studying, however work hard play hard, people are also often at parties on the weekend letting loose. Frats and Sor. are big at UVA, personally i dont like them because they tend to add a materialistic frenzy among the student body, and they tend to very selective and exclusive. None the less, they are big and pretty popular around grounds.

Sara

UVA is a great place to be. period.

Sean

I find the University of Virginia to be just right for me. Having visited several college campuses, I have at none of them felt what I feel here. I view the Grounds of the University more like a village of diverse peoples working towards a common goal. Generally when I inform people that I attend the University, they look at me with new eyes of respect. There is a lot of school pride for which the students are often criticized for. Other universities like to say that we think we are superior to their selves. There may be students here who share that line of thought, but there are students here who do not. There is nothing wrong with having tremendous pride in one's school.One of the first unusual things one experiences at the University is the almost overwhelming use of unique lingo. Do not be frightened because it is quite easy to learn. One will find two things odd about the University: students are called by their year in school (e.g. First year, Second year, etc.) and the campus is called "The Grounds." We are called by our year because Mr. Jefferson believed that one never truly finishes the learning process and to say "senior" implies that one has ceased to learn. It is an ideal that the University holds very highly.

cam

Uva is tremendous. It is the perfect college experience--a mix of challenging academics, ACC sports, phenomenal people, and a great party scene. I wouldn't change a thing.`

Justin

The best thing about UVA is the tradition. Many aspects of UVA life is full of tradition that has been set in the many years it has been an institution. It has a large student body and a huge campus. Overall, UVA is well respected and most people react positively to my studying here, unless they are my brothers, who went to Virginia Tech. The school has a great atmosphere which includes "The Corner," the night spot for most upperclassmen. All of the students here are very proud of their school and many chose to go here over Ivy League schools. The only complaint I have had since I have gone here is that the on campus food is terrible, but the amazing restaurants around the town make up for this.

John

The best thing about UVA is the well rounded students. The school is the perfect size: combination of big and small- it has a small school feel. I spend most of my time in my fraternity house, at classes, in the gym, and at bars. When I tell people I go to UVA, they usually tend to think I may be too good for them or something along that lines. There is a lot of school pride, however probably less than most state schools. UVA is the perfect combination of a work hard/play hard atmosphere.

Lauren

I think UVA, and Charlottesville, really has a lot to offer. Not only are there a wide variety of individuals with whom you can befriend...but the campus is stunning, the class selection is generally good, the Corner and the Downtown Mall have great food, shops, bars, etc., and Charlottesville in general has so many things to do--whether you want to hike, tube, layout, play sports, swim, whatever. I'm sure each and every student that graduates from UVA feels like they have not taken full advantage of UVA or Charlottesville--and that's a good thing!

Andy

As someone who transferred into UVA from another public 4 year college for my second year the difference is night and day. For my freshman year I went to a smaller school and didn't even apply to UVA. Now I regret not applying here my senior year. Charlottesville is definately a college town and one that supports the university and vise versa. The people around Charlottesville show immense support of UVA, from the town flocking to our football games and supporting our philanthropy efforts. When you go out into the community almost every car seems to have a UVA decal of some sort. In return UVA gives back to the community through students working with children, the elderly, the sick and mush more. Philanthropy is a big and important thing here. I came from a school that had no school spirit whatsoever to UVA which has such a dedicated student body. Football and basketball games are big things with people decked out in the school colors or sundresses for football games. UVA is might be a big school with about 13,500 undergrads when you first see it. But once you get used to the campus, it doesn't feel big at all. Yes, there are some people that you will never see in you 4 years here, but there are people that you will see constantly too. Another thing that impressed me about UVA and still does is how personable and well mannered everyone is. Just the simple act of holding the door open for someone or saying please and thank you is a constant here on campus. Most people are very personable and kind and will talk to you even if you don't know them. Overall UVA is just a great place to be!!!

Michael

Best thing about UVA- balance. We have a great academic school with a fun social scene. Charlottesville is a great town and the athletic teams here are fun to follow. UVA is a college town. Most of the businesses and restaurants in Charlottesville are centered around the school and there is a lot to do. There are malls, movie theaters, bars, etc. We have a sizeable amount of school pride because we have good sports teams (ACC), but we certainly aren't known as a 'football/b-ball school' because most students don't care too much.

Alex

UVA is in Charlottesville VA which is great. I thought I'd miss the city coming from one of the bigget urban areas in the world, but UVA's location is perfect. Grounds itself is tranquil and relaively quiet, but downtown Charlottesville is a hub of activity with the buzz and momentum of any urban area. All students that I've met are happy and proud to be Wahoos, especially when football season comes around - that's something I love about UVA, there are die hard Wahoos, but also people who are much more mellow about the whole thing so no matter how you feel about school spirit, there is always someone who will share your opinon. I never thought I'd streak the Lawn (a proud and time-honored UVA tradition), but here I am at the end of my first year and I can say that I've done it. That, in a sense, is what UVA does, not get you naked and running, rather it gets you out of your shell.

Rob

Trying to compare UVA to other schools misses the point. UVA is not like other schools. We're different - better, many would say - but it's hard to explain unless you are a part of it. I don't know if it's the beauty of the school, the tradition, the history, the experience of student self-governance, or just the common experience, but you share something with other UVA students and alumni that you don't share with anyone else, and I daresay that other students don't share with their own student and alumni bodies. I've talked about it with other students, alumni, and administrators, and they all agree that this intangible that no one can describe but everyone feels.

Blake

The best thing about uva are the people everyone is so helpful. there is tons of school pride. I am honored to tell people i go to Uva it is such an honor to go here.

Mason

So many hot girls, so little time.

MJ

UVA is pretty excellent. The social scene is wild enough, academically it is tough, and financially it is reasonable. It is just the right size, and students who go here are proud of it.

John

UVA is a good size campus. There's a slight southern feel, but you can certainly avoid it if you try (aka avoid the Greek system). We've got a lot of school pride. It's not all related to big sports, but people in Virginia and in the South know UVA and respect it, so we are happy to call ourselves Wahoos. Charlottesville is more or less a college town, but isn't so small as to be boring. You can always find things to do off grounds and people frequently do (head to the downtown mall, or restaurants down 29) The administration does a pretty good job balancing their role with the role of student self-governance. People say race is a big issue, but mainly I think thats whistle-blowers who will not be happy until UVA transplants itself into suburban New York. I think most students are pretty racially tolerant, and anyone who isn't is an idiot and should be ignored. Overall, UVA is a great place to go to school. We know how to study and be successful, but we also know how to have kick ass parties and get wasted.

KC

I love the size of the school, and the entire atmosphere about it. It's nice to have a good athletics program (defiantly not great) because you can enjoy going to games and never have a problem getting a ticket. I'm glad we are not a school that holds its football team above everything else. I definitely like the town too, lots of stuff to do like concerts and a good night life.

Bradley

It's fun but you have to watch out for douchebags. There's a lot of traditions that are fun to take part in whether no matter what you're into (Like Foxfield, Beach Week...etc.) Classes are much more difficult than you've had in high school but you'll actually graduate knowing what to do in your job.

Parker

Fuck the police.

Bruce

This is the perfect University for someone who wants a great education but also loves to party.

Bennett

id make out of state tuition cheaper. school is good size. people seem impressed. at the bar. college town. huh? b of a robbery. yes. the poped collars are weird. pledging. herpies. the best part are the people.

Bobby

I love that UVA has so many traditions and random quirky things about it. Like our secret societies...really, who does that? they're so mysterious, but insanely cool. and things like streaking the lawn, or telling a secret on the whispering bench, or steam tunneling. theres so many opportunities for adventures. theres also A LOT that is ALWAYS going on. ppl are really active here and organize sooooooo much ishhhh to do. there's a lot of school pride, and its always fun to go to a football or basketball game. you dont even have to like the sport to have fun and go wahoo crazy. c-ville is a pretty fly town...there's the downtown mall, the corner, and just lots of places to eat and hang out.

Andrew

Going to Virginia is the best decision i've ever made. You might go into the college experience with some assumptions or expectations, but it's an experience that you actively figure out each day. Virginia is a perfect size to have diverse areas of study and plenty of people to meet without being so huge you feel missed. Charlottesville is a great place to live and the immediate university area always gives you something to do. UVa is a great place to find your niche.

Luke

U.Va is a magical place where dreams come true. Pedro protects the students, and everyone gets along. When I tell people I go to U.Va, they get down on one knee and propose to me--man or woman.

Amy

I love that I get the close-knit feeling within the nursing school amidst a much bigger student population. It's awesome that I am still meeting new people as a 3rd year when I go to lectures or new interest meetings, but that I still have the comfort of knowing people very well within my major.

Stefan

There is a lot of school pride. People here are very involved in community service and are also very committed to academics. Still there is a big social scene most nights of the week.

Monica

I love everything about UVa. Charlottesville is the perfect college town - not too big, not too small. The campus is absolutely beautiful, and overall most people are friendly. We're one of the top state schools and who wouldn't want to go to Thomas Jefferson's college?

Gene

UVA is located in Charlottesville which was recently voted number one city to live in in America. UVA students stay at UVA on the weekends, other college's students COME to UVA for the weekends. As a University ANYONE can come here and have a completely different and unique experience. Rarely does anyone come here and not fall in love with the beautiful buildings, libraries, mountains, lawn, and the inspiring historical surroundings. The type of student that comes to UVA is of Ivy League academic calliber but desires the social experience of college as well. UVA students are intense in all aspects of their lives as students--study hard during the week, party hard on the weekends! With the most powerful city in the world (Washington D.C.) there is no opportunity that UVA and its surroundings cannot supply you with!! For beauty, fun, history, the outdoors, connections, and top academics COME TO UVA! WAHOO WAH!

Pat

The best thing about UVA is the Corner, a little strip of restaurants and stores next to campus that has amazing food, social life, and stores. Classes are relatively close to one another and the campus is well organized. Most of the time I spend on campus is in my dorm, which is old dorms, so it is hall style. One day several friends and I decided to drop a few jager bombs(you can cut that out if nessesary) and go on an adventure. We found the best entrance to go steam tunneling, a unofficial tradition of the University. Once down there we ran around for several hours exploring, reading graffetti, and enjoying the awesome friendships that we formed on our hall.

Harper

Best thing about UVA is no matter what your into, you can always find an organization that fits you, even underwater basket weaving! Another thing is the crazy amount of school spirit, for a huge variety of sports.

Daniel

Uva is full of intelligent, helpful people who have ambition and are willing to take action to help themselves. I feel that the level of student organization here is greater than other places. The teachers are for the most part highly competent, or at least highly knowledgeable, so they're a good resource to learn. A devoted student can accomplish great things here, but one who wants to party can also get plenty of that as well.

Wade

UVa has been the greatest choice I ever made in my life. I applied early decision, was accepted, and that was that, and I never turned back. When I tell people I go to UVa, if they are parents they are astonished because it is such a good school -- if it is another college student, sometimes they will look at me funny because they assume that means I'm a snob. Nonetheless, people are very impressed when I say I go to UVa and it is a good feelings to know that the place that I love so much is such an accomplishment for myself and to anyone I may tell.

Peter

The size is perfect, setting pretty close to perfect. UVA is about 12,000 undergraduates and another 8,000 graduates. I couldn't ask for a better size--not too large like Berkeley or Texas, not too small any of the "small liberal arts colleges". I can walk around grounds without running into the same people, but I'll always know someone at a party. Charlottesville is a great place to live, also. It's not just a college town but something a little better. Some large companies have offices here (strange for being in the middle of Virginia), but it helps keep the city culturally vibrant; the large pedestrian mall in the downtown area is a great place to frequent during the warmer months. School pride is mixed... I'm not too big on it and our football and basketball teams haven't had consistently stellar seasons, but a football game is a great excuse to dress up and sing the good ol' song. A big recent controversy involved trying to raise the minimum wage for the lower paid workers at UVA. At the height of the controversy a few years ago, the Living Wage Campaign staged sit-ins, camp outs and rallies. At one event, police arrested protesters. UVA administration has made some laudable improvements since then, but Aramark contracted employees (the majority of the low wage employees) still haven't seen meaningful improvements.

Kris

The best thing about UVa is that there are so many opportunities here. When I tell people I go to UVa they have an immediate look of approval. One thing i would change about Uva is more diversity. Yes UVa is doing better but we have a long way to go far as race and socio-economic status. There seems to be a lot of racial tension when race issues are in the forefront. But at the end of the day we are ALL UVa students and we love, to band together for sports and arts events.

Jill

the best thing about UVa is the huge sense of community. if i could change one thing about UVa I would want teachers to be reviewed and be held accountable and reprimanded for not being up to par- some of the teachers here suck and should be reviewed. I think the school is just right in terms of size. When i tell ppl i go to UVa a lot of times theyre surprised and impressed because of the reputation UVa has as being such a prestigious school. Most of my time on grounds is spent in my dorm or in the library- but thats just me i think. I would say that c-ville is a college town because other than the university and the shopping and cultural centers associated with the university (the corner, barracks, and the downtown mall) there really isnt a whole lot to c-ville. I dont really know much about the adminisration, im not very involved but i am happy that a ton of UVa stuff is student run. the biggest recent controversy here...hmmm, i guess it would be that in our school song some people would sing "not gay" at a part of the song that describes UVa as gay- the school was pretty divided over that and there were posters and flyers and stuff all over the school asking ppl not to say it. I think theres a ton of school pride- we love our school and especially since we did so well in football this year. the most unusual thing about UVa is the honor system because its reallllly strict and the only punishment for someone convicted by an honor offense (the honor council and court is completely run by students too) is a single sanction which is immediate expulsion from the university. a lot of students complain about the distance of different buildings like dorms to central grounds but really, UVas not that spread out compared to some campuses

Elizabeth

When people find out I go to UVA they say, "Wow, that's great. What is your major?" and when I tell them I'm majoring in Architecture they say, "WOW! You must be a genius! I hear that is really hard!" Then there's an awkward pause because it's really not that big of a deal and I can't really confirm that I am a genius or whatever they are suggesting. I spend most of my time on campus on the north side of Newcomb, at Brooks, Campbell and the IRC. I think just about everyone has some degree of school pride, obviously some more than others. The main complaint I've heard is the lack of updated equipment in certain departments (Where is all our money going?) but other than that, most people are really happy with the school in general.

Lindsay

The best thing about UVa is the strong sense of tradition. It's just the right size. People from home don't know what UVa is but if they do know, they are impressed when I tell them I go here. I spend most of my time in my room. College town. There's a lot of school pride. The student run honor code is unusual.

alyse

The best part about UVA would definately be the people. Everyone is so nice and welcoming and I feel so at home here. I do not think I would change anything at UVA except for maybe the dining hall food. It is just right in size and it is very much a college town. everything revolves around the lawn and all the classes are around it. There is a lot of school pride and for football games with have this saying of "girls in pearls and guys in ties" where both groups dress up in sundresses and khakis shirt and tie.

Tori

There's so much pride at UVA...just go to football game! That's one of the things I love about UVA. One of the things I HATE about UVA is the amount of pressure there is to be involved in about a million different organizations while simultaneously earning a 4.0. Everyone at UVA is a self-starter, go-getter (with, of course, a few exceptions), which means it can get a little crazy. It's not competitive in a malicious way at all though--it's more like everyone is encouraging you to help out with their cause all the time, and you start to feel guilty if you're not out there doing good, passing out flyers on the Lawn. It can be exhausting. I love how pretty the UVA campus is, but I absolutely hate that 60{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of it is always under construction. Charlottesville is a great place to live: there's lots of concert halls, fabulous restaurants (some would even do well in a place like DC or NYC), fun bars, art galleries, ect. Once you step off Grounds, there's a whole other world to discover outside the UVA community.

Monty

The best thing about UVa? Where to I start?! Let me start by first saying that I came to UVa for financial reasons only, initially. My parents wanted me to get an excellent education but did not want to put a second mortgage on the house to do it, which I guess is understandable. I went to UVa because going to Dartmouth, Duke, Harvard, or MIT was not financially feasible. You'd be surprised how many students were in the same boat. I didn't think I'd end up liking UVa as much as I do now. UVa makes a strong effort to compete with the best-of-the-best. I don't think that we've stopped building a new building since the 1980s. The administration's efforts have paid off; we're considered the number two best public university in the United States by US News and World Report. Our sense of community is something that I haven't seen at any other university. At any other top university, students compete to be the best in their class, creating this agressive and cutthroat environment. At UVa, our friendships supercede the extracurricular. It's not by any means uncommon to go to the library with a bunch of friends and do homework together. Even if your group of friends isn't in your major, going to the library and studying or doing homework together is still popular. Either way, pizza is typically ordered and delivered directly to the library. Many of our libraries are open until 2am or 24-hours on weekdays, providing a study space whenever students need it. When I tell someone I go to UVa, especially when out-of-state, it typically yields an impressed expression. It's difficult to get in to our school, so you must be pretty smart if you're just attending UVa. I have a love-hate relationship with Charlottesville. The love part is that they do try to accommodate students' hours. Many businesses are open until 2am, especially restaurants, grocery stores, and student-oriented retail stores. The location of businesses is key, too; the farthest I ever need to travel from grounds is to Best Buy, which is only a mile or so away. Bus lines are set up by the Charlottesville Transit System around students. We have our own Trolley line designed for first-year students so they can visit the downtown historic district, which has a variety of restaurants and shops. The town itself is set in a beautiful backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and any landscaping around the City is pristine. For those who love to hike or ski, we have plenty of opportunities nearby for that. Charlottesville has it's own airport, Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport (CHO), which has daily departures to major hubs on the East Coast and in the Midwest. The airport is in a brand-new building, too. Word of advice: take a door-to-door shuttle service and not a cab from the airport. Cabs can cost upwards of $40 one-way to or from the airport because it's located twenty minutes from grounds. Charlottesville is irritating in a few aspects, too. If you're like me (I'm from the Northern Virginia area), you'll be a little irritated by the isolation of Charlottesville. Outside of the City of Charlottesville and the County of Alblemarle, there's trees, trees, and more trees. We have a few nightclubs, here, too, but they're visited by almost exclusively graduate students because it costs money to get in -- money that often undergraduates don't have. Because the City is incredibly old by American standards, the roads around the University are extremely inefficient. It can take up to fifteen minutes to get past the Emmet Street/Ivy Road/University Avenue intersection during rush hour. First-years are not allowed to drive cars except under special circumstances approved by the Department Parking and Transportation of UVa. They claim that bus routes solve this dilemma, but carrying a pack of Deer Park bottles in addition to all your other groceries on the bus isn't exactly easy. It's illegal for first-years to operate cars in Albemarle County, but I don't know how they can enforce that unless the first-year actually says he's a UVa student to the police officer. Some first-years have parked off-grounds on the street and drive their cars only when they need to, usually to back to their hometown. UVa's administration is very receptive to student concerns. It's not impossible to see a dean if you have a concern. Many of the University committees have student members so they can keep an even perspective of the student body. Student self-governance is strictly enforced at UVa: there are no "advisors" or faculty position in any of the UVa student clubs or groups. Many people wonder if this causes more problems than benefits, but I've never heard of a student group "getting out of hand" before. Like I said before, if you were admitted to UVa to begin with, you're already considered both smart and mature. School pride is ABUNDANT at UVa. Any student car you see (heck, any car you see in Charlottesville) has about five UVa bumper stickers and window decals. Student pride is extremely strong, and everyone's happy to be a Wahoo. The biggest experience I'll ever remember is when I went out on one balmy night with a bunch of friends. We didn't do anything in particular. We ate at Little John's (a popular deli on the Corner), made our way to Starbucks, then sat at the Rotunda and watched people streak. A little weird, yeah, but streaking the Lawn at the Rotunda is a tradition of UVa; I know very few alumni who haven't done it at least once. The quality of on-grounds housing has always been a big complaint. Many buildings are old and most first-year housing is without air conditioning. I know that UVa has addressed this by launching a huge housing revamping project. It will include replacing most of the first-year dormitories and remodeling older upperclassmen apartments. Of course, living on-grounds isn't always the best financial decision either. The cost of a dorm is often very close to that of an apartment off-grounds, and many people choose the former because of the convenience of always having access to your room (UVa closes dorms during Christmas Break) and not needing to move in and out at the beginning and end of every semester. Those who are lucky enough to get a newer dorm, however, are usually very happy where they live. We have a few "commerical student housing developments" that have recently taken off, like the Woodlands of Charlottesville. The people who I know that live there seem to like the relaxed atmosphere, but it's a little farther away than most apartments. A few administrators said that because of these other housing developments, the push for revamping on-grounds housing hasn't been as strong.

Kathleen

The atmosphere makes the UVA experience. Charlottesville is a college town whose location makes one of the most ideal places in Virginia to spend 4 or more years. There's any number of hiking trails, shopping, recreation clubs at UVA that make the most of the greater Charlottesville community. Most people I talk to outside the University community are highly impressed that I attend UVA as it's one of the top 2 public schools in the nation. At UVA, we take time for work and for fun here. The sports here may not be #1 in the ACC but we do have one of the top division 1 athletic programs around. All the sports including football, baseball, basketball and soccer are very exciting games to watch.

cathy

Honor system, comm-school, diversity State school too large good school, but not well known internationally comm school, dorm, library college town good yes no

Joanna

I love UVA more than I expected to. I grew up in Charlottesville and I love the town. I thought I'd be too fed up of c'ville to go to uva, and thought I would transfer after a year or so, but this place is great. Everything I could dream of wanting is right here. For example, I took Fire-dancing (poi) lessons at the McGuffey Art Center last semester. The busses are a great (FREE) way to get around town. The university itself is great. I think it is just the right size. People are pretty impressed when I say that I go to UVA, but it's not as prestigious as Harvard (which is nice, in some ways). The students are all incredibly hard-working and hard-partying. Everything you want is really easy to get for free.

Lindsey

It's usually pretty funny when I tell people I go to UVA because I'm from Blacksburg, Virginia Tech town. They usually make a face and jokingly ask what I was thinking. But almost always they follow it with a smile and say in a more serious manner that UVA is a good school. I guess I get the opposite reaction at UVA. "You're from Blacksburg? Way to pick the right school! Why did you come here?" I think that you can find the root of many rumors about UVA like insane school pride. Then you realize that it's not so negative after all. I'm not the most school-spirited student ever (I still cheer for Tech because I'm from Blacksburg), but I am proud to say that I'm a UVA student. I may not feel that I fit with all of the implications of that statement because I don't drink or party; but since I've been here, I've had good classes and a great group of friends. For what more could I ask? Overall, I've loved my years at UVA and I feel that I picked the right school for me. One of the major factors in choosing to which college I would go was where I was going to live. Charlottesville is a special town full of uniqueness. I love the community here; there is always something going on.