University of Virginia

[Anonymous]

The "eating alone" thing is laughable and only shows that the poster doesn't understand college life. Students are busy and have different schedules. They eat when they can. End of story.

[Anonymous]

When you're on a campus of thousands and thousands of kids and many dining halls (UVA 4 main, Michigan 7 main---plus each have many other options) you have to plan the meals you want to have with friends. You can't count on just running them as everyone's class schedule varies every day. Somedays you may have to eat at 5pm, some days it's 8pm.

My kid has an awesome group of friends and several times a week they all eat together. Many other days they're just running in and out solo on their way to/from classes or clubs.

--->Just wanted to clear that up. You can't compare this to a liberal arts college which has one dining hall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When we visit in admitted students day last spring, we saw so many kid eating alone in the dining hall. It was really depressing. My kid declined admission and loves the school she’s chose so far. She has heard many of her uva friends are struggling to find friends or a community so far. But it’s still early.

Yea, that's why UVA has the far and away the highest first year retention rate among state schools and four year graduation rates that rival top private schools in the country--everybody just hates it and is miserable but they stick around because they have no options or love to suffer.

LOL

UVA highly encourages graduating in 4 years. There's a reason their 4 year rate is so high.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When you're on a campus of thousands and thousands of kids and many dining halls (UVA 4 main, Michigan 7 main---plus each have many other options) you have to plan the meals you want to have with friends. You can't count on just running them as everyone's class schedule varies every day. Somedays you may have to eat at 5pm, some days it's 8pm.

My kid has an awesome group of friends and several times a week they all eat together. Many other days they're just running in and out solo on their way to/from classes or clubs.

--->Just wanted to clear that up. You can't compare this to a liberal arts college which has one dining hall.

Okay, you actually made me think about my experience at a SLAC. Dinner was 5-8 PM at the one, big dining hall or you grabbed something at a late-night grill/cafe.

You're so right...if you went to the main dining hall between 5:30 and 7:30, you were assured of seeing some of your friends. The campus was small enough that everyone ate in the same place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[i]Ugly brick buildings look like a prison[b]
There is a distinct upper untouchable tier of legacy kids who know it
Limited STEM


Cheap
Name brand

a) it’s a world UNESCO known for the beauty of the rotunda;
b) UVA stopped looking at legacy several years ago
c) STEM is excellent, especially for management-level positions. A lot of money and development has been done in the stem departments. My kid was an aerospace engineer there. Now with NASA

Maybe you should go and tour

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When we visit in admitted students day last spring, we saw so many kid eating alone in the dining hall. It was really depressing. My kid declined admission and loves the school she’s chose so far. She has heard many of her uva friends are struggling to find friends or a community so far. But it’s still early.

Yea, that's why UVA has the far and away the highest first year retention rate among state schools and four year graduation rates that rival top private schools in the country--everybody just hates it and is miserable but they stick around because they have no options or love to suffer.

LOL

UVA highly encourages graduating in 4 years. There's a reason their 4 year rate is so high.

Uh huh. But it can't stop unhappy students from transferring, right? 98 percent of first year students return for their second year . . .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am genuinely curious how UVA maintains this elitist reputation when predominant in-state kids are only paying about $25k tuition? UMD does not even begin to have the same cache as the best in-state option. Great academics, of course, but never elitist.

UMD wasn’t founded by Mr. Jefferson. Because UVa was founded by Mr. Jefferson, the most elite Virginians have sought his University for generations. It’s where the wealthy and connected families want to be and have always wanted to be. In many wants it’s more like a private college in that regard. That’s why you have a wealthy, snobby group at UVa that is different from top students at other flagships.

So is it the OOS students who bring the “snobbishness”?

DP. The most elite of the Greek houses are a combo of wealthy, connected Virginians and wealthy OOS kids.

True, and those kids are a very small fraction of the total student body. My kid is in a “diverse-ish” sorority at UVA. They have a good time, study hard, and are involved in campus life outside of the Greek system. Most come from in-state and OOS public high schools.

+1. UVA is only 26% Greek - so most students are doing their own thing in the 700 clubs and activities. My own kid worked on The Cavalier, the student paper, Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball, and the Jefferson Society debate team. She never once set foot in a frat/siririty, which are all off-campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When we visit in admitted students day last spring, we saw so many kid eating alone in the dining hall. It was really depressing. My kid declined admission and loves the school she’s chose so far. She has heard many of her uva friends are struggling to find friends or a community so far. But it’s still early.

Yea, that's why UVA has the far and away the highest first year retention rate among state schools and four year graduation rates that rival top private schools in the country--everybody just hates it and is miserable but they stick around because they have no options or love to suffer.

LOL

It’s a great school with a great reputation so kids stick it out even though they may not be happy there.

[Anonymous]

How is housing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When we visit in admitted students day last spring, we saw so many kid eating alone in the dining hall. It was really depressing. My kid declined admission and loves the school she’s chose so far. She has heard many of her uva friends are struggling to find friends or a community so far. But it’s still early.

Yea, that's why UVA has the far and away the highest first year retention rate among state schools and four year graduation rates that rival top private schools in the country--everybody just hates it and is miserable but they stick around because they have no options or love to suffer.

LOL

UVA highly encourages graduating in 4 years. There's a reason their 4 year rate is so high.

Uh huh. But it can't stop unhappy students from transferring, right? 98 percent of first year students return for their second year . . .

Where are in-state kids going to go that's better than UVA for the same tuition rate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The "eating alone" thing is laughable and only shows that the poster doesn't understand college life. Students are busy and have different schedules. They eat when they can. End of story.

I have three kids in college so I understand college life at least as well as you. The culture of schools varies. UVA is a school where many eat alone and community isn’t the biggest focus. Many colleges are different and there are groups of kids enjoying each other’s company at dining halls and elsewhere during the day (not just at parties). It doesn’t matter to some but it matters to others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The "eating alone" thing is laughable and only shows that the poster doesn't understand college life. Students are busy and have different schedules. They eat when they can. End of story.

I have three kids in college so I understand college life at least as well as you. The culture of schools varies. UVA is a school where many eat alone and community isn’t the biggest focus. Many colleges are different and there are groups of kids enjoying each other’s company at dining halls and elsewhere during the day (not just at parties). It doesn’t matter to some but it matters to others.

LOL well I actually have four kids and two went to UVA so by your own definition I know more than you, weirdo

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The "eating alone" thing is laughable and only shows that the poster doesn't understand college life. Students are busy and have different schedules. They eat when they can. End of story.

I have three kids in college so I understand college life at least as well as you. The culture of schools varies. UVA is a school where many eat alone and community isn’t the biggest focus. Many colleges are different and there are groups of kids enjoying each other’s company at dining halls and elsewhere during the day (not just at parties). It doesn’t matter to some but it matters to others.

LOL well I actually have four kids and two went to UVA so by your own definition I know more than you, weirdo

You really sound immature.

[Anonymous]

Is it the school’s responsibility to have their students make friends? I am glad UVA doesn’t do a lot of handholding. I expect my adult child to figure that out for themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The "eating alone" thing is laughable and only shows that the poster doesn't understand college life. Students are busy and have different schedules. They eat when they can. End of story.

I have three kids in college so I understand college life at least as well as you. The culture of schools varies. UVA is a school where many eat alone and community isn’t the biggest focus. Many colleges are different and there are groups of kids enjoying each other’s company at dining halls and elsewhere during the day (not just at parties). It doesn’t matter to some but it matters to others.

LOL well I actually have four kids and two went to UVA so by your own definition I know more than you, weirdo

You really sound immature.

Well, she's a weirdo. Her kids don't/didn't go to UVA and the decision was made because her kid saw busy kids eating alone in the cafeteria? And that and having kids going to different colleges gives her the knowledge to proclaim that "community isn't the biggest focus" at UVA? What a joke. She deserves to be called out by somebody who actually knows something.