Thoughts on U Richmond

I am not from the DMV area, so the emotions aren't that high for me. First, the campus seems stunning and the opportunities are no different from similar top lacs. The name doesn't travel as far, but many people make it across the country from URichmond and it's a great place to start if you like liberal arts colleges.

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08/15/2025 00:49

Subject: Thoughts on U Richmond

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Anonymous

I don't know. Whenever DCUM hates a school, it typically means that school is worthy enough to get the hate. Cornell, Chicago, Emory.

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08/15/2025 20:10

Subject: Thoughts on U Richmond

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Anonymous

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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 listed as a top Fulbright producing institution on the link you provided.

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08/16/2025 18:01

Subject: Thoughts on U Richmond

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Anonymous

No name recognition. Education very mid. Lots of far better SLACs.

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08/17/2025 21:23

Subject: Thoughts on U Richmond

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Anonymous

Ask someone outside the East Coast if they’ve heard of the University of Richmond. Odds are they haven’t. Elite schools have national and even global reputations. Richmond’s name just doesn’t carry the same weight, particularly outside the Mid-Atlantic.

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08/17/2025 21:25

Subject: Thoughts on U Richmond

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Anonymous

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a little surprised they don’t give better merit. They have a fairly substantial endowment.

+1

Yes this is a big strike on them. By comparison, Grinnell is a similarly rated LAC (#19 vs. #22), also has a substantial endowment, is more selective (13% acceptance rate vs. 23%), yet gives great merit awards, including automatic $20K/year merit awards for those accepted Early Decision.

Agree that UR seems like a really bad deal, unless you are getting aid. Grinnell, Denison, Kenyon and Macalester are all far better schools and you are likely to get $80-120k in merit. At Richmond you won’t get anything close to that and Richmond isn’t in the same league academically as the others.