Thoughts on U Richmond

[Anonymous]

There are only two liberal arts schools in the South that NYC kids would go to, Richmond and Davidson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know kids from Elon and UR. Very similar. Nice. Smart. Pre-professional. Not seeing a difference.

You probably didn't look at their test scores, then.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:When you look at actual academic outcomes, the difference becomes even clearer. Richmond doesn’t produce many Rhodes Scholars, Fulbright winners, or top-tier grad school placements at the same rate as truly elite schools. The alumni network is more regional than national, and while some grads do fine in business or consulting, you don’t see them leading cutting-edge research, founding major startups, or influencing national policy in large numbers. It’s a respectable, comfortable degree—but it doesn’t carry the weight or cachet of the schools it’s sometimes grouped with.

Even in Northern Virginia or D.C.—a region where high-achieving students and ambitious parents track college reputations closely—Richmond rarely enters the conversation as a top choice. You hear about UVA, William & Mary, etc.

where can you find stats on rhodes, fulbright or top tier grad school placement please?

They're mostly BSing. Richmond and William & Mary almost have the same number of Rhodes scholars (5 vs 6), but William and Mary is twice the size [source: https://www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/media2/b5jh4wvv/2023-rs-number-of-winners-by-institution.pdf]. Richmond is a Fulbright top producing institution, meanwhile William and Mary is not [source: https://www.fulbrightprogram.org/tpi/]. This is why we shouldn't trust random internet talking points with no sources. People here are obsessed with their own fiction.

William and Mary is even not on the list of Rhodes scholars you provided.

Yes it is. Under its official name College of William and Mary. Look in the Cs.

Thanks. Found it.

In the Cs, I saw Colorado College has 12. What a surprise.
DC will be applying to Colorado as a target/safety this year.

Why is that a surprise? Other LACs have more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love how all the UR backers crap on Elon (a fantastic school with talented kids) and then clutch their pearls anytime someone says something negative about Richmond.

People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

That’s because Richmond has an extremely overinflated opinion of itself that doesn’t square with reality. It’s a Richmond thing.

I’m not a UR person and I’ve raised this point before, but I do think the level of criticism it receives is unwarranted. The NoVa people seem to be offended that the school even exists. And I don’t even think UR people over value the school. They just bristle when people say things like it’s comparable to Elon. No shade against Elon but that’s just simply not true unless we’re talking about anything other than vibes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are only two liberal arts schools in the South that NYC kids would go to, Richmond and Davidson.

This is not a positive thing. Reason to avoid UR and Davidson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love how all the UR backers crap on Elon (a fantastic school with talented kids) and then clutch their pearls anytime someone says something negative about Richmond.

People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

That’s because Richmond has an extremely overinflated opinion of itself that doesn’t square with reality. It’s a Richmond thing.

I’m not a UR person and I’ve raised this point before, but I do think the level of criticism it receives is unwarranted. The NoVa people seem to be offended that the school even exists. And I don’t even think UR people over value the school. They just bristle when people say things like it’s comparable to Elon. No shade against Elon but that’s just simply not true unless we’re talking about anything other than vibes.

Why isn’t it true? Both are good not great schools. Both have excellent business schools. Both have a pre professional party vibe. UR isn’t all that. It’s fine. So is Elon. No one in the real world distinguishes between these two schools.

[Anonymous]

No one is hating on UR. It is what it is. Some people want to make it out to be more this. It is. Their prerogative. But others also are free to respond accordingly.

[Anonymous]

I’d hire the Elon kid. Less entitled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love how all the UR backers crap on Elon (a fantastic school with talented kids) and then clutch their pearls anytime someone says something negative about Richmond.

People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

That’s because Richmond has an extremely overinflated opinion of itself that doesn’t square with reality. It’s a Richmond thing.

I’m not a UR person and I’ve raised this point before, but I do think the level of criticism it receives is unwarranted. The NoVa people seem to be offended that the school even exists. And I don’t even think UR people over value the school. They just bristle when people say things like it’s comparable to Elon. No shade against Elon but that’s just simply not true unless we’re talking about anything other than vibes.

Why isn’t it true? Both are good not great schools. Both have excellent business schools. Both have a pre professional party vibe. UR isn’t all that. It’s fine. So is Elon. No one in the real world distinguishes between these two schools.

I am from the Northeast, went to an Ivy, and had not heard of either Elon or Richmond growing up. I became aware of them somewhere along the way when I moved to the mid Atlantic and heard of kids going to them. But I don't think it's accurate that no one distinguishes between them. There are real differences in the rankings and UR is a lot harder to get into.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Very pretty campus, extremely well kept. Small student population. Most of the students seem affluent and preppy. Fairly homogenous. That said, I liked it. Would 100% pick W&M over it however.

Why? Honest question. Just curious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Very pretty campus, extremely well kept. Small student population. Most of the students seem affluent and preppy. Fairly homogenous. That said, I liked it. Would 100% pick W&M over it however.

Why? Honest question. Just curious.

I would guess this is a person who lives in the Commonwealth and the W&M in state tuition would make this a no brainer. That said, I think it’s fair to say that while the students who chose these schools are comparable academically, the cultures are very different. Everything else being equal, I would think kids would have a strong lean one way or the other if choosing between the two.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love how all the UR backers crap on Elon (a fantastic school with talented kids) and then clutch their pearls anytime someone says something negative about Richmond.

People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

That’s because Richmond has an extremely overinflated opinion of itself that doesn’t square with reality. It’s a Richmond thing.

I’m not a UR person and I’ve raised this point before, but I do think the level of criticism it receives is unwarranted. The NoVa people seem to be offended that the school even exists. And I don’t even think UR people over value the school. They just bristle when people say things like it’s comparable to Elon. No shade against Elon but that’s just simply not true unless we’re talking about anything other than vibes.

Why isn’t it true? Both are good not great schools. Both have excellent business schools. Both have a pre professional party vibe. UR isn’t all that. It’s fine. So is Elon. No one in the real world distinguishes between these two schools.

Agree, Elon has a lot going on right now. Humble beginnings as a regional
school, but major upward trajectory over years in business, communications, theatre, engineering and now accredited with nursing. UR has a much more privileged past, endowment great marketing, but strip it all away and they are a lot more similar than some think.

[Anonymous]

My son visited. Not a fan. Strange “niche” school. Nothing nearby.

[Anonymous]

I’ve lived in the dmv for 20 years and have never met a Richmond grad. Where do these people go after college? Not here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve lived in the dmv for 20 years and have never met a Richmond grad. Where do these people go after college? Not here.

I've never met a Mary Washington grad. And?