Darden is known (from what I can remember) for lots of case-study and group work.

Not sure about specific undergrad programs.

A few reasons why someone might think UVA is a desirable school:

UVA has the highest 6-year graduation rate of any public university in the nation. Among all colleges and universities (public and private) only the following have higher 6-year graduation rates: Harvard, Yale, Notre Dame, Princeton, Brown, Penn, Dartmouth, Williams, Stanford, Wesleyan, Northwestern, Duke, Wash U, Holy Cross, Vassar, Chicago, MIT, Cornell.

UVA has the second highest median SAT score of any public university in the nation. Only William and Mary's is higher.

UVA ranks #20 among colleges/universities that produce the most science & engineering PhDs.

UVA regularly ranks as one of the most beautiful colleges in the US.

Charlottesville is often listed as one of the best college towns in the US.

signed,

W&M grad

Anonymous wrote:Thomas Jefferson, William Faulkner, Dr. Seuss, and countless others whose legacies and history still grace this University.

nk

And that sort of comment is why people find UVa boosters hard to take.

Thomas Jefferson, William Faulkner, Dr. Seuss, and countless others whose legacies and history still grace this University.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:8 pages and nobody can tell me something good about UVA besides the campus and the sports?

PP who doesn't want her kids going there: There are some great professors and many of the students are smart, engaged, interesting people.

You can say that about JMU too.

What makes UVA stand out? Does it have some special programs that anybody can talk about?

I would say that there isn't a magic answer that is going to resonate with you. What's special about any school, save very narrow ones, is often a mishmash of the people, the facilities, and the offerings. UVa is no exception (nor is it somehow special): it has a wonderful reputation for being a place where serious students work hard and play hard. Many kids there (obviously not all) are passionate about what they're studying, are extroverts, and end up getting in to great jobs and grad schools. Sure, a bunch of it's programs are very highly ranked and its a well-ranked school, but there isn't anything that's going to be tangible enough for you to show why people like it. Maybe different things appeal to different people? Can't you accept that?

Well said and hopefully the last word.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:8 pages and nobody can tell me something good about UVA besides the campus and the sports?

PP who doesn't want her kids going there: There are some great professors and many of the students are smart, engaged, interesting people.

You can say that about JMU too.

What makes UVA stand out? Does it have some special programs that anybody can talk about?

I would say that there isn't a magic answer that is going to resonate with you. What's special about any school, save very narrow ones, is often a mishmash of the people, the facilities, and the offerings. UVa is no exception (nor is it somehow special): it has a wonderful reputation for being a place where serious students work hard and play hard. Many kids there (obviously not all) are passionate about what they're studying, are extroverts, and end up getting in to great jobs and grad schools. Sure, a bunch of it's programs are very highly ranked and its a well-ranked school, but there isn't anything that's going to be tangible enough for you to show why people like it. Maybe different things appeal to different people? Can't you accept that?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:8 pages and nobody can tell me something good about UVA besides the campus and the sports?

PP who doesn't want her kids going there: There are some great professors and many of the students are smart, engaged, interesting people.

You can say that about JMU too.

What makes UVA stand out? Does it have some special programs that anybody can talk about?

Anonymous wrote:8 pages and nobody can tell me something good about UVA besides the campus and the sports?

PP who doesn't want her kids going there: There are some great professors and many of the students are smart, engaged, interesting people.

8 pages and nobody can tell me something good about UVA besides the campus and the sports?

Sigh you are missing the point. Elite admissions can be random. Apply broadly.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I would bet there are frequently kids who apply to both schools and get into Cornell, but not U. Va., and vice versa. Cornell is a large, land-grant Ivy, not HYP.

Part is land grant, part is not. It is not HYP, but only HYP are HYP, and aside from selectivity, I don't think P is much like HY (I'd say it's more like Dartmouth).

You're off on a tangent. The point was about selectivity, and HYP each admit only about 1/3 as many students as Cornell. When you admit over 6000 applicants, as does Cornell, it's more likely that someone turned down by U. Va. may get in.

UVA reject here. I actually went to Northwestern (and loved it). I'm not getting into a pissing match there, but I am going to point out that college admissions for NOVA kids is so, so random. I was told UVA and WM were slam dunks and they weren't (partly due to my intended major). So, it's not an apples to apples thing. There are great schools out there! I think anyone who works hard and wants to be successful and has shown a record of achievement will find a seat somewhere great. It may just not be in state.

Anonymous wrote:I turned down U. Va. twice (undergrad and law school), but the sniping on this thread is over-the-top and borderline pathological.

As a general thing, anything that gets disparaged as frequently as U. Va. does on DCUM probably is pretty good.

UVA doesn't get disparaged as much as TJ on DCUM. There are many more UVA believers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Previous UVA reject poster. I went to one of the mega high schools in Fairfax County. I was a great student, top 10 percent blah blah but didn't get in. I'm not bitter, but I do think it is a good point to make getting into UVA from NOVA is oftentimes harder than landing a spot at Vandy or Northwestern or Cornell (at least 10 years ago this was true).

Ha ha - yeah, keep telling yourself UVA is like Cornell.

You're missing the point. The poster was was accepted at Cornell and NOT UVA in state.

Anonymous wrote:
I don't know why anyone would go gaga about a school that has such a imbedded rape culture?


Sadly, this is out of control at many colleges. Look at the Vanderbilt football players that will be going to jail after being convicted of raping a drunk girl. Their defense was that is the culture of campus. Everyone is drunk and promiscuous. If they had not taped the attack they probably would not being going to jail. Women are not safe around drunk men at college. I was reading the comment section on the USA article about the Vanderbilt conviction. Some guy commented that these "boys should not have their future ruined because it is just biological for them" Sick! And binge drinking just adds fuel to the fire. Vanderbilt has a very fratty culture just like UVA.

Yes it's so out of control. I look at every male graduate of a college or university and think rapist. And to think that some universities have women presidents who let this happen. Don't get me started about the women undergrads who actually talk and go to classes with these rapist- they are just enablers.