University of Virginia

[Anonymous]

Look, I’m not gonna say everybody is jealous and annoyed when your in state kid gets into UVA and theirs doesn’t. But many are. It’s just a fact. I’ve experienced it first hand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.instagram.com/reel/DP6fztKjiW9/?igsh=OThlaWx0cmV2emMz

Polished and switched-on people like this are at UVA more than almost any other public schools.

Lol. Undergrads got highlights and put on makeup to film Finance 101 definition videos because why?

I'm still waiting for a business world in which women don't have to put black petrochemical yuck on their eyelashes to be considered polished by men.

I used to joke that I should put "wear mascara" in my annual performance goals. Never could bring myself to do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a UVA kid and I literally don't understand this uproar. I have another kid at Michigan and there you have $$$$$ monied kids from NJ and NY. Insane money and snobbery. No, they will never fully accept my kid. My kid will never run in their circles. And IT'S OKAY.

My kids have their own friends and their own lives. These are both large schools. My kids (at both places) are very happy. End of story.

Could you give a breakdown between the schools, is it worth oos to go to Michigan and why your kids picked one over the other (and vice versa)?

I'm not PP but I also have two FCPS DCs who went to Michigan OOS and UVA instate. The choice wasn't theirs to make: each had 4.3 wGPA, 1500 SAT, 9-10 APs, but one was admitted Michigan RD/rejected UVA and the other was admitted UVA EA/waitlisted Michigan. Both are liberal arts, e.g., CAS and LSA.

Michigan is much bigger, so it can get overwhelming. Undergraduates have to manage the Michigan bureaucracy by themselves, without much institutional support. There is a noticeable instate/OOS socioeconomic gap, particularly noticeable from the wealthy California and East Coast OOS students. However, there are in-state wealthy students and poorer OOS students, so the gap is not always evident in daily life, even though the instate/OOS split is 51/49. The Michigan DC was very happy in Ann Arbor, graduated this year and has an economic consulting job in DC.

UVA feels smaller to us, even though it is still much larger than a SLAC. The institution seems more supportive of both students and their parents, and acts more like a private institution sometimes. There is less of an instate/OOS gap than at Michigan, which IMHO is because of the 67/33 instate/OOS split, but also because the majority of undergraduates are from NOVA (53.8%) and many of them and of the Richmond students (and definitely more of the OOS students) are from UMC families. As a result, we felt the students had more disposable income and give grounds a more "posh" atmosphere. It doesn't matter what they dress as, they can afford the types of restaurants and bars in Charlottesville for which most Michigan students couldn't afford if they were in Ann Arbor. Academically, both schools appear to be comparable to our DCs, although that might not be the case for STEM. The UVA DC is very happy in Charlottesville.

So as a value proposition, Michigan OOS was worth it to us. As compared to UVA instate? Probably not, but for the Michigan DC it was worth the $ as Michigan was the dream school. As compared to a SLAC? That depends on your DC. I went to a SLAC and we knew the Michigan DC would not have fit in at a SLAC. As compared to an Ivy? Again, probably not except for Cornell, which seems comparable to us, but again Michigan was the Michigan DC's dream school and DC wouldn't have been as happy at an Ivy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a UVA kid and I literally don't understand this uproar. I have another kid at Michigan and there you have $$$$$ monied kids from NJ and NY. Insane money and snobbery. No, they will never fully accept my kid. My kid will never run in their circles. And IT'S OKAY.

My kids have their own friends and their own lives. These are both large schools. My kids (at both places) are very happy. End of story.

Could you give a breakdown between the schools, is it worth oos to go to Michigan and why your kids picked one over the other (and vice versa)?

I'm not PP but I also have two FCPS DCs who went to Michigan OOS and UVA instate. The choice wasn't theirs to make: each had 4.3 wGPA, 1500 SAT, 9-10 APs, but one was admitted Michigan RD/rejected UVA and the other was admitted UVA EA/waitlisted Michigan. Both are liberal arts, e.g., CAS and LSA.

Michigan is much bigger, so it can get overwhelming. Undergraduates have to manage the Michigan bureaucracy by themselves, without much institutional support. There is a noticeable instate/OOS socioeconomic gap, particularly noticeable from the wealthy California and East Coast OOS students. However, there are in-state wealthy students and poorer OOS students, so the gap is not always evident in daily life, even though the instate/OOS split is 51/49. The Michigan DC was very happy in Ann Arbor, graduated this year and has an economic consulting job in DC.

UVA feels smaller to us, even though it is still much larger than a SLAC. The institution seems more supportive of both students and their parents, and acts more like a private institution sometimes. There is less of an instate/OOS gap than at Michigan, which IMHO is because of the 67/33 instate/OOS split, but also because the majority of undergraduates are from NOVA (53.8%) and many of them and of the Richmond students (and definitely more of the OOS students) are from UMC families. As a result, we felt the students had more disposable income and give grounds a more "posh" atmosphere. It doesn't matter what they dress as, they can afford the types of restaurants and bars in Charlottesville for which most Michigan students couldn't afford if they were in Ann Arbor. Academically, both schools appear to be comparable to our DCs, although that might not be the case for STEM. The UVA DC is very happy in Charlottesville.

So as a value proposition, Michigan OOS was worth it to us. As compared to UVA instate? Probably not, but for the Michigan DC it was worth the $ as Michigan was the dream school. As compared to a SLAC? That depends on your DC. I went to a SLAC and we knew the Michigan DC would not have fit in at a SLAC. As compared to an Ivy? Again, probably not except for Cornell, which seems comparable to us, but again Michigan was the Michigan DC's dream school and DC wouldn't have been as happy at an Ivy.

👏🏼 excellent post. Thanks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a UVA kid and I literally don't understand this uproar. I have another kid at Michigan and there you have $$$$$ monied kids from NJ and NY. Insane money and snobbery. No, they will never fully accept my kid. My kid will never run in their circles. And IT'S OKAY.

My kids have their own friends and their own lives. These are both large schools. My kids (at both places) are very happy. End of story.

Could you give a breakdown between the schools, is it worth oos to go to Michigan and why your kids picked one over the other (and vice versa)?

I'm not PP but I also have two FCPS DCs who went to Michigan OOS and UVA instate. The choice wasn't theirs to make: each had 4.3 wGPA, 1500 SAT, 9-10 APs, but one was admitted Michigan RD/rejected UVA and the other was admitted UVA EA/waitlisted Michigan. Both are liberal arts, e.g., CAS and LSA.

Michigan is much bigger, so it can get overwhelming. Undergraduates have to manage the Michigan bureaucracy by themselves, without much institutional support. There is a noticeable instate/OOS socioeconomic gap, particularly noticeable from the wealthy California and East Coast OOS students. However, there are in-state wealthy students and poorer OOS students, so the gap is not always evident in daily life, even though the instate/OOS split is 51/49. The Michigan DC was very happy in Ann Arbor, graduated this year and has an economic consulting job in DC.

UVA feels smaller to us, even though it is still much larger than a SLAC. The institution seems more supportive of both students and their parents, and acts more like a private institution sometimes. There is less of an instate/OOS gap than at Michigan, which IMHO is because of the 67/33 instate/OOS split, but also because the majority of undergraduates are from NOVA (53.8%) and many of them and of the Richmond students (and definitely more of the OOS students) are from UMC families. As a result, we felt the students had more disposable income and give grounds a more "posh" atmosphere. It doesn't matter what they dress as, they can afford the types of restaurants and bars in Charlottesville for which most Michigan students couldn't afford if they were in Ann Arbor. Academically, both schools appear to be comparable to our DCs, although that might not be the case for STEM. The UVA DC is very happy in Charlottesville.

So as a value proposition, Michigan OOS was worth it to us. As compared to UVA instate? Probably not, but for the Michigan DC it was worth the $ as Michigan was the dream school. As compared to a SLAC? That depends on your DC. I went to a SLAC and we knew the Michigan DC would not have fit in at a SLAC. As compared to an Ivy? Again, probably not except for Cornell, which seems comparable to us, but again Michigan was the Michigan DC's dream school and DC wouldn't have been as happy at an Ivy.

👏🏼 excellent post. Thanks

This is not an “excellent post” at all. That the only actual piece of verifiable data offered—that 53.8 percent of undergrads are from NOVA—is flatly wrong and easily proven wrong calls into question the entire post.

[Anonymous]

PP here. To clarify that poster’s error, the majority of IN STATE students are from NOVA, not the majority of UNDERGRADUATES. There are as many out of state students at UVA as there are students from NOVA. The actual split is 1/3 OOS, 1/3 NOVA, 1/3 elsewhere in Virginia.

[Anonymous]

According to SCHEV, NOVA accounted for 1419 students out of 4113 incoming first years for the 2025-26 academic year. That's 53.8%.

https://research.schev.edu/enrollment/e19_report.asp

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:According to SCHEV, NOVA accounted for 1419 students out of 4113 incoming first years for the 2025-26 academic year. That's 53.8%.

https://research.schev.edu/enrollment/e19_report.asp

Yes, that 53.8% of the instate students. As a % of the total first years, it would be 35%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:According to SCHEV, NOVA accounted for 1419 students out of 4113 incoming first years for the 2025-26 academic year. That's 53.8%.

https://research.schev.edu/enrollment/e19_report.asp

1419 out of 4113 is not 53.8 percent, moron. It’s just over 1/3. The 53.8 percent number is for percent of IN STATE from NOVA.

6th grade math, bro.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:According to SCHEV, NOVA accounted for 1419 students out of 4113 incoming first years for the 2025-26 academic year. That's 53.8%.

https://research.schev.edu/enrollment/e19_report.asp

1419 out of 4113 is not 53.8 percent, moron. It’s just over 1/3. The 53.8 percent number is for percent of IN STATE from NOVA.

6th grade math, bro.

Yeah, read the SCHEV data too quickly. I went to a SLAC with a degree in humanities so my math skills are not good, LOL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.instagram.com/reel/DP6fztKjiW9/?igsh=OThlaWx0cmV2emMz

Polished and switched-on people like this are at UVA more than almost any other public schools.

Lol. Undergrads got highlights and put on makeup to film Finance 101 definition videos because why?

I'm still waiting for a business world in which women don't have to put black petrochemical yuck on their eyelashes to be considered polished by men.

I used to joke that I should put "wear mascara" in my annual performance goals. Never could bring myself to do it.

This is a bizarre reaction. You have some baggage to process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous[b wrote:]Look, I’m not gonna say everybody is jealous and annoyed when your in state kid gets into UVA and theirs doesn’t. But many are. It’s just a fact. I’ve experienced it first hand.

[/b]


It's not only that. Imagine not being familiar with the Virginia public system and going in to meet your high school college counselor and asking about UVA for your kid and see them tamp down the laugh and then pull out the Naviance and shev stats to show you that your kid doesn't have a chance in hell. IT is what it is. But some parents never get over that and mock and deride - it's an immature reaction to a face of life: UVA is smaller than most flagships and very tough to get into. My kid was not a contender. But I wish the parents and students on here were more mature.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.instagram.com/reel/DP6fztKjiW9/?igsh=OThlaWx0cmV2emMz

Polished and switched-on people like this are at UVA more than almost any other public schools.

Lol. Undergrads got highlights and put on makeup to film Finance 101 definition videos because why?

I'm still waiting for a business world in which women don't have to put black petrochemical yuck on their eyelashes to be considered polished by men.

I used to joke that I should put "wear mascara" in my annual performance goals. Never could bring myself to do it.

This is a bizarre reaction. You have some baggage to process.

Okay, tell me what's so amazing about the presentation in that video that is specifically only possible from "polished and switched-on" UVA students. I'm not getting the uniqueness that PP claims.

And stop taking people too seriously. My main reaction was geez those girls are wearing a lot of mascara. They look like newscasters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous[b wrote:]Look, I’m not gonna say everybody is jealous and annoyed when your in state kid gets into UVA and theirs doesn’t. But many are. It’s just a fact. I’ve experienced it first hand.

[/b]


It's not only that. Imagine not being familiar with the Virginia public system and going in to meet your high school college counselor and asking about UVA for your kid and see them tamp down the laugh and then pull out the Naviance and shev stats to show you that your kid doesn't have a chance in hell. IT is what it is. But some parents never get over that and mock and deride - it's an immature reaction to a face of life: UVA is smaller than most flagships and very tough to get into. My kid was not a contender. But I wish the parents and students on here were more mature.

+1. All of the mocking, jeering, bashing and really immature observations (“all students are elite! All students are snobs! It’s 13th grade!”) stem from basic human envy. Who wouldn’t want to save $50+ a year for a great school!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These threads about UVA never cease to amaze me. Lots of people bitter it seems..

Anyhoo, if the OP is looking for an honest answer to the vibe at UVA my kid would say out all all the stereotypes out there, the one she sees to be true is work hard, play hard. Everyone takes their studies very seriously and they are also super involved in the community as well whether it be the social scene, club sports, church, volunteering, etc etc….so many things to get involved in and most students are active and involved in something to their liking to balance out the “work hard.”

My kid couldn’t be happier!

It's bitter people who couldn't get in themselves, their children can't get in, their children aren't even a contender in the eyes of the high school college counselor (our situation with one child) or have loved ones who didn't get in. It's a great school at a great price. So people lash out. It's that simple.

And I agree with everything else you said. My one UVA kid there was blissfully happy. I asked her recently if she wants to go back and she said, definitely, hopefully for Law.

DP. I’m an alum and my kid doesn’t know yet whether she got in or not, so I’m definitely not bitter, but I often post in UVA threads to offer a measured opinion. It’s a great school and many, many will have a great experience. But the expectation that you will be “blissfully happy” there is a dangerous way to send your kid off to any school. I went off to UVA thinking I would be blissfully happy, but when it didn’t quite pan out that way, I spiraled a bit.

If it works for your kid, fantastic. But don’t assume everyone who has a less than glowing review got shut out.

No one is assuming that. Sorry you couldn't figure it out with 26,000 students and 700 clubs. That's on you, not on UVA. I didn't have a great SLAC experience but I don't beat up on it - and it got me into a T3 law school. So grow up. Your single experience doesn't matter to those applying who want to save $50K a year.

Especially your experience from 20 years ago. Get over it. To lurk around decades later to provide a “measured opinion” is odd.

I went there, my spouse went there, I worked there within the past five years and my kid has an application there now, so I’ll opine as much as I want on these threads. You get over it.

NP. I went to UVA 30 years and didn’t have a great experience. It’s amazing how much that triggers people. I’ve met many people through the years who felt similarly but you can’t say it because some rabid booster will lose her mind.