"Advising here sucks," said the UVA tour guide

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We found UVA didn't even have its act together arranging a campus visit. They were very confused, and disorganized. That was a big warning sign. My kid chose VT, which had its act together, no problem scheduling a campus tour. Like clockwork. Kid couldn't be happier there.

hahaha
well we could arrange our tour online and had absolutely no problems, or lack of organization. I think maybe your kid chose VT because that's where they got in.

+1. Toured uva twice. The routine is well known you sign up for the large “get to know you” in the large hall where you are greeted by Dean J or someone else from admissions, after which you are assigned to smaller groups for the tour. Never deviates. Every one on campus knows the drill. No one at UVA is “very confused”. It’s such a well organized team that my DS wanted to be a tour guide after acceptance and applied but wasn’t picked. UVA does it much better than my own slac and certainly better than Virginia Tech which we toured three times.

[Anonymous]

Just moved our kid into UVA. The process is a bit of a mess if you ask me. I expect this to be the same for other aspects of the school: there are great resources available for the self-motivated types, but no one is going to come to you with a 1-2-3 plan.

We told our kid that this would be the case and to be prepared to act accordingly. Figure things out yourself, go seek advice, don't depend on others to offer their advice to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:there are similar complaints at my DS's small private, s it's not just publics. First year advisers are just "general" and don't reach out at all. Since they actually do the registration for the first semester courses for the student (in July), it would have been nice to actually have a conversation with them once. Luckily, DS is on top of his courses and was able to adjust his schedule to his liking. Supposedly the major advisors are better.

I don't recall meeting with an advisor more than once in college. I had the catalog, it was up to me to take the right classes. it's not that difficult. with social media today it is a lot easier for college students to find out information, even what professors are good, etc.

I studied overseas. Never had an advisor and I was a first generation student. I read the instructions and worked it out and knew what I need to take and pass. My kid in the US had an advisor, which stopped him paying enough attention. Our second kid studied abroad and quickly had a handle on the graduation requirements - no advisor.

[Anonymous]

If UVA is not good at something it either doesn't matter or the person with that opinion is misinformed or bears a grudge. If UVA is good at something, then that thing is all that matters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We found UVA didn't even have its act together arranging a campus visit. They were very confused, and disorganized. That was a big warning sign. My kid chose VT, which had its act together, no problem scheduling a campus tour. Like clockwork. Kid couldn't be happier there.

hahaha
well we could arrange our tour online and had absolutely no problems, or lack of organization. I think maybe your kid chose VT because that's where they got in.

+1. Toured uva twice. The routine is well known you sign up for the large “get to know you” in the large hall where you are greeted by Dean J or someone else from admissions, after which you are assigned to smaller groups for the tour. Never deviates. Every one on campus knows the drill. No one at UVA is “very confused”. It’s such a well organized team that my DS wanted to be a tour guide after acceptance and applied but wasn’t picked. UVA does it much better than my own slac and certainly better than Virginia Tech which we toured three times.

+1 here
Ours was w/Greg
Great stuff, amazing UGuide (thank you, Risha, wherever you are, you were an impressive young woman and I bet you’ve already graduated and become successful)

In contrast, our Michigan tour leader was awful this past week. Very surprised. Our previous tour guide in 2018 was outstanding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just moved our kid into UVA. The process is a bit of a mess if you ask me. I expect this to be the same for other aspects of the school: there are great resources available for the self-motivated types, but no one is going to come to you with a 1-2-3 plan.

We told our kid that this would be the case and to be prepared to act accordingly. Figure things out yourself, go seek advice, don't depend on others to offer their advice to you.

+1 on the advice! Make sure they attend the Club days when the 900 clubs and organizations set up tables for students to come and ask questions. When our DC moved into UVA it was smooth as butter but that was pre-covid. Very well organized. much better than another child's experience at a larger Virginia campus

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
That's normal in a large university, OP. You can't expect the same level of hand-holding as in a small college. That's why the large uni tour guides usually don't mention it, and small college tour guides insist on it.

I think its more a function of UVA being public. My DC goes to a large private, about the same size as UVA, and the advising is outstanding. The counselors are on top of the course selections for the students, the incoming credits already earned, the remaining GE credits needed per student etc… and if anything is off after the student registers for classes, they are in touch with the student immediately. They are also extremely responsive, have given advice on how to track and gain access to classes that are ‘full’ etc/.

Curious where this is. I’ve heard repeatedly of advising (and course availability) problems at SLACs I would never have expected it from.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had two kids attend UVA and both say that they were happy with their advisors whenever they called upon them. Which wasn’t very often. Not everyone needs hand holding. Except, that is, the parents of CTCL students whose kids couldn’t get into UVA and who are obsessed with justifying their insistence on going the second and third tier private school route.

You’d look better with your insecurity tucked in.

[Anonymous]

What you think about a recourse or service is really related to what your expectations were before using it.

If you expected a larger public school to hold your hand and create a personalized plan for you, you were setting yourself up for a disappointment. It sounds like the people who had reasonable expectations weren’t surprised or upset.

[Anonymous]

*resource

[Anonymous]

UVA Is no different in this regard than any other mid to large size state school. The resources are there but the kids have to take advantage. No one is going to hand hold them. There is a very good and active pre growth advising group as well as many others that offer peer assistance for quick questions as well as more professional advising. They also lay out the typical requirements of various programs but again, your kid has to contact them.

[Anonymous]

^pre health - typing on my phone

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t solely rely on an advisor at any school. Ive heard lots of stories of that one class missed. Advisors are good to supplement the students own research into programs and requirements.

[Anonymous]

I went to UVa and advising did suck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
That's normal in a large university, OP. You can't expect the same level of hand-holding as in a small college. That's why the large uni tour guides usually don't mention it, and small college tour guides insist on it.

+1. It’s a large state school. Kids who need more hand holding should look at smaller private schools…

This is such a stupid response please ignore.

Advising is a huge problem at a lot of schools. What the idiot above doesn't understand is that some majors allow a lot of options with a lot of confusing prerequisites. My kid went to a very large state school and got stuck with the worst advisor. Kid needed to talk to professors in the specialty but had a hard time getting their time. My kid is on top of this and is going to graduate a year early. Kid's advisor has been such a huge problem because she will never approve things she needs to get done and this jeopardized graduation. My spouse actually contacted the dean of the kid's department, which we would never do, because of a crucial deadline she missed and it affected kids ability to go to grad school. The idiot above doesn't understand advisors do more than just help set a schedule of classes. The art major advisor my kid had in his cs related department has to approve special projects kid has been asked to do by professors. She has caused many problems for many students.