VA residents - how do you know if UVA is the right fit?

[Anonymous]

First apply and get admitted. then ask this question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Larger schools have a lot of nooks and crannies for kids to find.

A lot of people throw around stereotypes, but you need to go beyond these sweeping generalizations and figure out if your niche is one that excites you at these places.

There are happy kids at all of our state universities. There are unhappy kids at all of our state universities. The research should be personal research, not relying on random bits from strangers on the internet.

Yes, but you must acknowledge large universities have dominant cultures that differ. UVA has a very different dominant culture from VT, W&M, etc.

[Anonymous]

I have a mainstream, very social freshman at UVA who doesn't drink. She tried it in high school but found that it wasn't her thing. She arrived at UVA this fall and it took about a month for her to find her people and she now has a friend group of all lovely, outgoing friends. They'll go out or to a frat maybe once every 2-3 weeks (and then not drink or get one beverage) but the rest of the time they're involved in a million other activities. UVA is a big school: 4100+/year. There are people for everyone once you scratch beneath the surface.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At our NOVA public, UVA is seen as the be-all, end-all.

My kid is already getting subtle pressure from his alumni parent to do early decision next year. He's rebelling a little bit because he feels like it would be like all the teachers' pets, super-striving people from his high school and other northern Virginia high schools in one place (in his words).

At the same time, it's apparently a great school and it's in-state tuition, etc etc. How does a kid figure out if it's the right fit? Go stay overnight with a friend who is there?

We've been on campus plenty over the years and did a formal tour last spring. My son says right now it's below other schools he's toured, including some big west coast schools and east coast Jesuit/Catholic schools like BC and Villanova. But some of that may be normal teen pushback to the conventional wisdom.

FWIW he is a mainstream, extremely extroverted and social person who does well in school but is not a super-academic intellectual. He loves to play and watch sports.

Sounds like it’s not the school for you and your son. Move on.

[Anonymous]

W&L is the school where greek life absolutely dominates the social scene.

UVA has a lot more going on.

[Anonymous]

Please do not allow your spouse to pressure your kid into applying ED. If they get it, resentment may follow. Being stuck attending a school chosen by a parent.

Our kid would have chosen Tech had he stayed in state or W&M (where he did not end up applying in the end) but he nonetheless applied to UVA because he got carried away by all of the UVA talk at his high school here in central VA. In the end, he attends a highly selective private in Massachusetts and I’m so happy he found the right fit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:W&L is the school where greek life absolutely dominates the social scene.

UVA has a lot more going on.

The culture is the same

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a mainstream, very social freshman at UVA who doesn't drink. She tried it in high school but found that it wasn't her thing. She arrived at UVA this fall and it took about a month for her to find her people and she now has a friend group of all lovely, outgoing friends. They'll go out or to a frat maybe once every 2-3 weeks (and then not drink or get one beverage) but the rest of the time they're involved in a million other activities. UVA is a big school: 4100+/year. There are people for everyone once you scratch beneath the surface.

Have you given her a test to check for nicotine usage?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Neither of my sons liked UVA. It kind of surprised me.

Same. One at an Ivy and one at a mid-size private college.

They play sports, social- not drinkers. I think it felt too big. The admitted day sessions were huge and impersonal in comparison to other places they went.

It would have saved me a lot of $$! But, they are really thriving at their chosen schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:W&L is the school where greek life absolutely dominates the social scene.

UVA has a lot more going on.

The culture is the same

It's definitely not. You clearly haven't had experience at either.

30% Greek at UVA
75% Greek at W&L

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:W&L is the school where greek life absolutely dominates the social scene.

UVA has a lot more going on.

The culture is the same

It's definitely not. You clearly haven't had experience at either.

30% Greek at UVA
75% Greek at W&L

So? The dominant culture is the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Greek life at UVA is problematic. No one wants to admit that, but it is. It'd be a much better atmosphere with WAY less greek life. If your kid can pave their own path against pressure to go Greek, great. But it's very hard for mainstream kids to stay out of and then it sort of sucks you up.

I’ve said this before on similar threads and I’ll say it again. I think UVA works best for kids who definitely want to be in the Greek system and already fit that mold, and also for kids who definitely don’t want any part of it and will confidently seek out alternatives.

The kids who come in less sure of themselves and where they fit in might have the hardest time. The social scene really can be brutal.

This is no different than any other school with both smart kids and a party scene - and there are tons of schools that fit that description.

Wrong. VT has smart kids and a party scene and it’s much more chill and inclusive.

And Duke? And Michigan? And Georgia? Please.

[Anonymous]

2 of my 3 don't like UVA either, but neither of those 2 want to stay in VA for school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Greek life at UVA is problematic. No one wants to admit that, but it is. It'd be a much better atmosphere with WAY less greek life. If your kid can pave their own path against pressure to go Greek, great. But it's very hard for mainstream kids to stay out of and then it sort of sucks you up.

I’ve said this before on similar threads and I’ll say it again. I think UVA works best for kids who definitely want to be in the Greek system and already fit that mold, and also for kids who definitely don’t want any part of it and will confidently seek out alternatives.

The kids who come in less sure of themselves and where they fit in might have the hardest time. The social scene really can be brutal.

This is no different than any other school with both smart kids and a party scene - and there are tons of schools that fit that description.

Wrong. VT has smart kids and a party scene and it’s much more chill and inclusive.

And Duke? And Michigan? And Georgia? Please.

Each of those places is different too. Michigan and Georgia actually offer the best aspects of UVA and VT in one place. They have the prestige of UVA and the spirit of VT. Michigan is cold and UGA isn’t. Duke is private so irrelevant to a state school discussion.

[Anonymous]

A little scary as every post from parents whose child attends references drinking and frats.