University of Richmond thoughts

[Anonymous]

DD was accepted today early action. Would love to hear thoughts. Can't seem to get a good read on the school besides it's pretty. FYI: DD is not a sorority type...more outdoorsy, funny, band kid.

[Anonymous]

My DD was also accepted. Have you visited? What led her to apply?

[Anonymous]

We visited last spring. DC had a visceral negative reaction, as did my DH. We called it the Stepford school. Beautiful campus, no heart. Kind of a bland, UMC, ick.

[Anonymous]

Great school!! Beautiful camps and great professors. Away from Dc but not too far.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We visited last spring. DC had a visceral negative reaction, as did my DH. We called it the Stepford school. Beautiful campus, no heart. Kind of a bland, UMC, ick.

We felt the same way about Wake Forest but it's many of my kid's friends' dream school. You either like this vibe or you don't!

[Anonymous]

I loved Richmond and applied myself back in the day. My kids wanted to apply but ended up not doing so. That being said, it's very much a rich northeastern kid vibe and I don't really see an outdoorsy, band kid there but maybe that's just me? If you haven't visited, visit.

[Anonymous]

Have you checked out Univ of Vermont or Middlebury for outdoorsy kid?

[Anonymous]

Have you visited the school? It is an excellent school and a lovely campus with amazing amenities because it has such a high endowment (they have more money than they know what to do with). They have significant on campus housing and many students live on campus all 4 years (they have an apartment village on campus for jrs/srs). They have a greek system but I don't know how much they control the social scene as they only have frat lodges (no real frat or sorority houses).

The students have always skewed from Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. The location is in the suburbs near Richmond/Henrico line but it's close to downtown, the Fan, and Shockoe Bottom where kids like to go out. I was in Richmond a few weeks ago and was way out in western Henrico and saw a UR shuttle dropping students off at a bowling alley and movie theaters, so they do provide transportation for social activities if she doesn't have a car.

As for outdoorsy stuff, Richmond has a ton of things like that to do, many activities involving the James River and surrounding areas. What specifically does she like to do? Does the school have clubs for things like hiking, kayaking, etc?

You really would need to visit and if she knows someone there as a current student maybe even ask if she can do an overnight with them in the dorms. I went there for grad school but grew up in that neighborhood so I was around that school for almost 3 decades.

[Anonymous]

What other schools are on the table? I wouldn’t necessarily peg an outdoorsy band girl as a University of Richmond type. I associate the school with wealthy kids, Greek life, preppy students, etc.

[Anonymous]

Yes-country club set is how it is often described.

[Anonymous]

it was a solid choice when we toured with our Ds. It reminds me a lot of Bucknell, but with an address in a city.

[Anonymous]

It will be important for your dd to try to figure out how to connect with people at the school that have similar interests to figure out if there is a likely chance she could find her people there. Some things of the top of my head - they have a first year living learning program - Endeavor, that had a topic around music and a topic around the environment. There is also a pre-orientation program that was a few days hiking in the Appalachian. There are also clubs (though I don’t know how many members or how active) around outdoors, music etc. Definitely go to admitted student weekend and have your dd try to connect ahead of time to someone involved in environmental studies, hiking/outdoor clubs, music class and clubs, and first year living learning groups around those things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What other schools are on the table? I wouldn’t necessarily peg an outdoorsy band girl as a University of Richmond type. I associate the school with wealthy kids, Greek life, preppy students, etc.

OP: so far Villanova, Tulane, Georgia Tech, st Olaf. Deferred ND and Georgetown. We visited when no students around. Pretty campus but hard to get the vibe. Just worried as she is not a sorority type. Thought she'd fit in better at higher ranked school but it's looking like even with good stats/ECs not to be this year.

[Anonymous]

Good women’s soccer program. They have a nice club team too.

[Anonymous]

I may be misremembering but I believe Richmond does have an outdoors club and provides camping equipment to interested students. I am having trouble reconciling your dd’s list of acceptances and where she applied— Richmond, Tulane and Villanova all have decent size Greek life. Does she want an urban location?