would a kid who is quiet and academic like UVa

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child, specifically. She is the opposite of a sorority girl. Very sophistocated in my personal opinion and has a lot of experiences kids her age haven't (and vice versa, as she grew up outside of the US). She seems to think it would be a big party with very kids who are very "Virginian," which she finds distainful. Doesn't everyone find their tribe?

Is she sophisticated enough to realize that 1/3 of UVAs students aren’t from Virginia?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, you all are pretty mean.
But yes, I do mean distaste. She's not interested in something that is centered around Viriginian culture.

Haha what is Virginian culture?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are a few "Virginian" cultures that intersect at UVA.
-NOVA (and other parts of VA too) top academic kids who are heavily Asian, South Asian.
-Old money Virginians-white, preppy people who hang out with the (also white) boarding school and private school kids, many of whom are from the south. A very large percentage of the OOS kids are private school/boarding school.

My OOS, public school daughter has found that there aren't a great deal of kids who aren't in either group.

Apparently wearing a quarter neck at UVA is considered preppy. Discussed here:
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1302782.page

[Anonymous]

OP, you can’t apply to public university and then complain that there are too many kids from the state there. Just go elsewhere. She sounds insufferable, so maybe work on her attitude too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, you can’t apply to public university and then complain that there are too many kids from the state there. Just go elsewhere. She sounds insufferable, so maybe work on her attitude too.

Well, that is a good point.

[Anonymous]

If you want in-state public tuition, but with a more culturally diverse vibe, consider VCU or George Mason.

[Anonymous]

I felt a bit like this at Penn State main campus. Only the vibe was "PA/NJ suburbanites at sleepaway camp".

I transferred to an urban school where there was a whole city to explore and more people I met were focused on life beyond drinking parties.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child, specifically. She is the opposite of a sorority girl. Very sophistocated in my personal opinion and has a lot of experiences kids her age haven't (and vice versa, as she grew up outside of the US). She seems to think it would be a big party with very kids who are very "Virginian," which she finds distainful. Doesn't everyone find their tribe?

OP, ignore the haters. I was worried about my very academic, intellectual (and totally uninterested in Greek scene) kid "finding his tribe" but of course so many kids at UVA don't fit the stereotype of the dominant culture. It seems to me like a lot of kids at UVA find their friends through activities. Mine found his through a debate society and has had a great experience.

But was your son disdainful of Virginians? That attitude is going to make things more difficult for OP’s daughter.

If you don’t like Virginians, it doesn’t make sense to go to school in Virginia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What does it mean that kids are too “Virginian” a how does it differ from the dominant culture of largely suburban and UMC kids from other parts of this country?

We moved to NoVA from the Midwest when the kids were little and this is all they’ve ever known. It does feel a little bit like there is maybe a dominant shared experience here that shapes kids, but I can’t put my finger on it. What is it, exactly? I remember talking to another transplant familiar with NoVA, and I was telling them about our kids’ activities and he commented on how we are totally living the NoVA life. My kids do well in school, are social, and sports are a big part of their lives. But that is the dominant culture pretty much everywhere with college-bound kids.

I am from the Midwest too, and we moved here when our girls were 8, 5, and 2. I think because I was raised and lived somewhere else for most of my life, I have noticed a difference too. I don't think it is the sports, because all American kids have sports and travel teams. IMO, kids (especially girls, but I may think this because I have only girls) are raised and possess a level of self-confidence and assertiveness that I didn't see as much of in the Midwest. I noticed it to the level that I could go into a Doctor's office and tell which of the female PA/nurses were raised here (I used to ask to confirm my guess).

I think the many different cultures in the area combine to make an amazing place to raise kids. I used to joke that my kids grew up on Sesame Street. We love it and are very grateful we moved here.

Yes, there are subtle differences but they are here. We didn't have Cotillion where I grew up or PE uniforms. My undergrad didn't have Foxfield and we didn't dress up for football games. And we definitely didn't have anything named after Robert E Lee around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child, specifically. She is the opposite of a sorority girl. Very sophistocated in my personal opinion and has a lot of experiences kids her age haven't (and vice versa, as she grew up outside of the US). She seems to think it would be a big party with very kids who are very "Virginian," which she finds distainful. Doesn't everyone find their tribe?

Is she sophisticated enough to realize that 1/3 of UVAs students aren’t from Virginia?

Are you sophisticated enough to realize that 2/3 of UVA students do come from VA and that's going to impact the culture?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child, specifically. She is the opposite of a sorority girl. Very sophistocated in my personal opinion and has a lot of experiences kids her age haven't (and vice versa, as she grew up outside of the US). She seems to think it would be a big party with very kids who are very "Virginian," which she finds distainful. Doesn't everyone find their tribe?

Is she sophisticated enough to realize that 1/3 of UVAs students aren’t from
Are you sophisticated enough to realize that 2/3 of UVA students do come from VA and that's going to impact the culture?

Again. 30% are OOS and hail from all 50 stats. 6% are international. Of the remaining 64%, 60% hail from the very urbane diverse NOVA publics and privates - made so by people seeking roles in the federal government and Dulles job corridor. I can’t imagine what more you want. And challenge you to go on campus and find a kid with a southern accent. If anything, you’ll find New Yorkers and Bostonians because UVA is very popular with that preppy crowd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child, specifically. She is the opposite of a sorority girl. Very sophistocated in my personal opinion and has a lot of experiences kids her age haven't (and vice versa, as she grew up outside of the US). She seems to think it would be a big party with very kids who are very "Virginian," which she finds distainful. Doesn't everyone find their tribe?

Is she sophisticated enough to realize that 1/3 of UVAs students aren’t from Virginia?

Are you sophisticated enough to realize that 2/3 of UVA students do come from VA and that's going to impact the culture?

But maybe half of that in-state 2/3 are from NoVA (including PW and Fauquier counties). NoVA is mostly transplants and has little "Virginia culture". My work colleagues who live down in Warrenton are all transplants from OOS, for example.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow, you all are pretty mean.
But yes, I do mean distaste. She's not interested in something that is centered around Viriginian culture.

Haha what is Virginian culture?

It's fascinating to me that there is so little perspective on oneself that you don't even realize different places have different cultures. Yes, including Virginia EVEN THOUGH YOU RAISED YOUR KIDS HERE. These are the same people who would trash U Alabama or whatever.

[Anonymous]

This is the oddest thread, even for DCUM. UVA is a public university in VIRGINIA. If your daughter doesn’t like “Virginian” culture, she’s probably trying to tell you that she doesn’t want to go to college in Virginia. It’s not that deep. Too sophisticated? Find a more urbane atmosphere in a more urban setting. Likely not a state flagship. Or head overseas like a previous poster has suggested.

[Anonymous]

Distasteful
Disdainful

Distainful is not a word.

XO,
Sorority girl