UVA saw one of the smallest increases in applicants this year

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04/07/2018 18:16

Subject: UVA saw one of the smallest increases in applicants this year

quote

Anonymous

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So this is a one time thing, right? Nothing to be concerned over regarding reputation?

Unfortunately I think this may continue. The push for STEM over the last decade plus is leading people to other schools. A lot of kids and parents don’t want s school with frats. The Rolling Stone debacle did not help. A number of high profile murders and crimes in Charlottesville give concern. The basketball team was an exciting ride while it lasted, but people seemed really happy when UVa lost. My kids don’t want to go there.

- UVa grad

That was 2014 and Rolling Stone had to pay $1.65 to the fraternity due to the false story. STEM is fine and healthy. I know a number of excellent students in the engineering departments, astronomy, aerospace engineering and other STEM fields. No one cares about the frats at UVA. My DC has never set foot inside any of them. Like UVA's other 300 clubs you can choose to join or just decide never to walk over there. There haven't been "a number of high profile murders and crimes in Charlottesville". Even if you count the one woman she was not killed in Charlottesville. All students enjoy walking Main street. As a UVA grad (which I don't think you are), why would you write re the basketball team, "people seemed really happy when UVA lost?" That's just a weird statement to make. UVA grads were happy? That wasn't true. They wanted to win and came so close. The opposition were happy? Well, of course. the winning team runs in the streets and celebrates. What are you trying to say? I'm sorry your children don't want to go there but we felt extremely fortunate when one of our children did get in. If you are in-state Virginia, you are letting a marvelous opportunity go by. Or send them to Va Tech, I love that school, too. But I don't think you really have children. From your comments I think you are someone who didn't get in, like OP, and wants to stir the pot. Alums wouldn't post what you did.

You can believe whatever you want to believe. I'm a UVa grad as is my spouse, and my sibling. We had mixed experiences while there. One of us had a STEM major and is frequently asked even so many years later, "why UVa?" There were racial issues when we were at UVa, I believe there still are many unresolved issues. Over the years perceptions of UVa have become less favorable in my opinion. Regardless of the outcome of the Rolling Stone story, it affected whether people want to send their daughters there. I fully believed that something like that could happen at UVa as did all my friends. Morgan Harrington, Hannah Graham, Yeardley Love have been high profile tragic cases associated with Charlottesville, in addition to the horrific incidents of last summer. As for the basketball, my phrasing could have been better but many people not affiliated with UVa or UMBC seemed happy to see UVa go down - not just happy for the underdog Cinderella story, but actually disliking UVa like some people dislike Duke or the Patriots. It surprised me to see that vitriol for UVa. I thought my teens would consider applying when the time comes, but other than Bodo's they just don't care for the school. Also, it wasn't just Jason Kessler - Richard Spencer went to UVa too.

I hope your child has a wonderful experience there, and that he/she will be more open to different opinions than you are. Feel free to keep your head in the sand.

1) I don't think you are a UVA grad. STEM is fine and in well-regarded at UVA. DD is in aerospace engineering. She could have picked Ga Tech, Purdue or Cal Tech but liked the feel of the department and the woman astronaut heading it. No one says STEM is not important at UVA. No one. The scores for entering engineers at UVA are higher than VaTech. I think you have some other gripe or are not a grad.
2) What are the unresolved issues? I don't know of any. Don't try racism. 35% of the accepted students are URM and the new monument to the slaves who worked to build UVA is in progress.
3) UVA has nothing to do "with the horrific incidents of last summer" and you know those incidents took place off campus at the park near the mall
4) The Rolling Stone story is old and the magazine had to pay money because it was libel. No one even talks about it today.
5) If you don't want the Greek scene, you just don't walk over to fraternity row. Worked for my kids.
6) Your comments about basketball still don't make any sense, proving further that you just are some person who wants to bash UVA for their own reason. Didn't get in? Child didn't get in? I'm not even into basketball and I watched it. It was a thrilling game. No one "wants to see the University go down". There was no "vitriol" after the game.
Perhaps you are someone who didn't get in or are OOS. Virginians are very proud of UVA. I'm assuming based upon your comments about your kids that you are OOS. Fine, go to your own state's university and leave some slots for more Virginians. You WOULD care if your children wanted to go to UVA because you get the same education for $26K (including room and board) than $81K elsewhere
7) I didn't even know Spencer went there. I had to look it up. That's how little a role the press put on the tie-in to UVA. He graduated in 2001 and went on to Chicago and Duke, too. Does that make those institutions beds of hatred? How many 100 thousand students have passed through UVAs doors since then? There was no link between UVA and the "horrifying events" on the mall. Teresa Sullivan got the alt.-ringers (brought in from out of state as you know) off the lawn in record time so the movement shifted to the park and the statue. UVA is a public school so if alt.-right want to march there they have every right too.
8) You have some ugly need inside you to try and make a negative story out of thin air about UVA. This was another record year for UVA. 93% of those accepted were in the top ten percent of their class. 35% URM. 7% international. 10% first generation -- think of that 10% of the entering class had parents who didn't attend college! Record test scores as well. And also a big hike in UVA's reach-out to bring in children of low-income families. That all should be applauded, not torn down because of some old Rolling Stone story, or some weird perception of the result of a basketball game, or some alt.right protest off campus that had nothing to do with the University.