3: I am making this up.

Anonymous wrote:Why didn't you ask for more details? That would have been my first instinct. You too?

I didn't ask for more details because:

1) We were in a big group and my asking for more details would have derailed the tour. I didn't want to be THAT person.

2) I thought it would have been the one and only time I would have heard it. I would not have thought about it more if I didn't hear about it again. But as said, I've seen it mentioned enough times here at DCUM that I thought I'd ask for details here.

Since that tour, we do make it a point to ask about advising, which would include- are professors helpful in helping you select your classes, explore your interests, help you select a major, help with setting up internships, job connections etc.

well in fairness, the guide could have said "advising here sucks so make sure you take a COLA so at least you get to know your advisor in the first year rather than just being assigned". We don't know the context.

Anonymous wrote:Didn’t happen. Being an official tour guide at UVA is a big deal. My DS competed for it and didn’t get it. Students take great pride in it. Give me the details and I’m reporting it (date/time/description) or it didn’t happen … just like a similar story someone who was bitter about not getting in tried posting right after RD came out.

This. If you want to hear a negative about UVA it's that all of the clubs are incredibly competitive. UVA Guides insanely so. I tried out twice and didn't get it. So I find it hard to believe that this happened, at least the way you said it did. But if someone did make that comment, why didn't you ask what they meant?

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.

+100 Students need to be sure they understand this tradeoff

Didn’t happen. Being an official tour guide at UVA is a big deal. My DS competed for it and didn’t get it. Students take great pride in it. Give me the details and I’m reporting it (date/time/description) or it didn’t happen … just like a similar story someone who was bitter about not getting in tried posting right after RD came out.

Do they have academic advising or professor advising? Or both?

I can't believe you are all feeding this troll. Go back to College Confidential, son.

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…

Why didn't you ask for more details? That would have been my first instinct. You too?

The fact is that first years are kinda on their own to figure out what to do. My kids were completely clueless and my DD signed up for a very tough slate of classes. When she got her advisor at the end of the first semester, they said “why did you take all those hard classes?”

She got a prof advisor end of the first semester who she absolutely loves her and got great advise from her. She even changed her major as a result of their advising and is pursuing a very cool minor she had never even heard of.

So yes, first years will be lost but once they have an actual advisor, it’s good.

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.

Advising about what ? Course selection,majors, internships, research, careers, one's love life ???

Liar.

"Advising here sucks," said the UVA tour guide

I thought maybe the tour guide was just having an off day.
But I've seen this type of comment in numerous threads here at DCUM, and also at College Confidential.

For those of you who have had direct experience with UVA's advising being "hit or miss" etc,
what exactly are the issues?

- professors don't spend enough time with the student?
- the courses are always full?
- the curriculum is hard to navigate?

Thank you in advance for sharing!