Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid has no interest in going to UVA. He said it is his last choice. He likes many other schools, some ranked lower than UVA, over UVA. They are all private schools. Fortunately, we can pay for private.

Then this question isn’t for you. It’s for students who WANT to attend UVA.

No, that’s not what OP asked. DP.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because not everyone wants to go to UVA. Neither of my kids were remotely interested.

Translation: they couldn't get in

Didn’t take long for this poster to show up.

Anonymous wrote:My kid has no interest in going to UVA. He said it is his last choice. He likes many other schools, some ranked lower than UVA, over UVA. They are all private schools. Fortunately, we can pay for private.

Then this question isn’t for you. It’s for students who WANT to attend UVA.

I wonder the same!

My kid has no interest in going to UVA. He said it is his last choice. He likes many other schools, some ranked lower than UVA, over UVA. They are all private schools. Fortunately, we can pay for private.

It always surprises me how many of my kids' friends aren't interested in UVA. I think there are some kids who think it's really snobby, some kids who think it's boring (everyone goes there!), and some who think they can get into a better school. Of course, the ones who usually end up going there are those kids who think they will get into a better school. They often do end up getting offers from other schools, but once their parents realize the price difference of UVA and some of the other schools, reality kicks in. The good news is that almost every kid I know ends up loving UVA. (I don't have a kid in UVA. It's just my observation.)

Anonymous wrote:It's such a prestigious school and a great, affordable education IF you can get in in-state. Why wouldn't every VA res shoot their shot ED unless they're hell bent on spending more money?

The answer depends upon the student's goals and the family's financial situation. My kid wanted Princeton SCEA for aerospace engineering. That meant he was limited to applying at that time only to state universities. So, after Princeton, he applied for aerospace engineering ED at UVA, Georgia Tech (a huge program in aerospace engineering), Purdue, and Penn State (rolling). He got into Penn; was deferred for Princeton, got into UVA ED, and also got into Georgia Tech and Purdue. He then applied RD to Harvard (legacy), Yale (legacy), and Cornell for aerospace engineering. He was deferred, then waitlisted at them (we legacies could not afford to give a large gift). So after looking at his options (and unbeknownst to us at the time - was unsure about his commitment to engineering AND being concernrd about the financial impact on our family since he was the third child to follow to college, he picked UVA.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UVA has a certain snobby reputation in Virginia, so if you aren't a certain type of person you might not be interested. I was never interested and only focused on W&M.

False.

+1. It's not snobby. I am there. Some women on DCUM want to believe in the stereotype because it protects them and their kids from rejection. They might say, "Oh, I wouldn't want to go there because ...." However, when pressed on the issue and asked why they think "snobbery", they can't point to anything concrete.

The truth is that UVA has 26,000 students, some 900 clubs, and endless activities, concerts. Any capable student will find their own people. Greek is only some 26% participation. My own DD was anti-Greek from the start (I had had a bum experience as president of a sorority, so she learned from my mistake) and found her own people in her humanities major, the Jefferson Society (the longest established debate society in America), overseas study at Oxford, which led to an Oxford MPhil and DPhil.

My daughter and I, along with the families I know at UVA, have never experienced this "snobbery". When it comes up, press the person and ask "Why, exactly, do you think that?" They won't be able to answer. The students I have known have been uniformly well-rounded (a characteristic UVA looks for) and smart. It's true that UVA has become very difficult to get into. My other DC would never have even been a contender, and it is from that disappointment that the stereotype of "snobbiness " comes. It's simple jealousy.

Again, cut out this nonsense. Several people posting on this thread whose kids are not interested in EDing went there ourselves. I went there and I worked there. I understand quite well where the stereotypes come from.

If your kid loves it, that is fantastic. Many, many kid absolutely love it there. But that you can’t even fathom that others might not love it is indicative of the general vibe there.

Anonymous wrote:This school is too white for some. The majority of students are white.

Good for some but not for everyone.

The majority of the US is white. What an odd comment.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UVA has a certain snobby reputation in Virginia, so if you aren't a certain type of person you might not be interested. I was never interested and only focused on W&M.

False.

+1. It's not snobby. I am there. Some women on DCUM want to believe in the stereotype because it protects them and their kids from rejection. They might say, "Oh, I wouldn't want to go there because ...." However, when pressed on the issue and asked why they think "snobbery", they can't point to anything concrete.

The truth is that UVA has 26,000 students, some 900 clubs, and endless activities, concerts. Any capable student will find their own people. Greek is only some 26% participation. My own DD was anti-Greek from the start (I had had a bum experience as president of a sorority, so she learned from my mistake) and found her own people in her humanities major, the Jefferson Society (the longest established debate society in America), overseas study at Oxford, which led to an Oxford MPhil and DPhil.

My daughter and I, along with the families I know at UVA, have never experienced this "snobbery". When it comes up, press the person and ask "Why, exactly, do you think that?" They won't be able to answer. The students I have known have been uniformly well-rounded (a characteristic UVA looks for) and smart. It's true that UVA has become very difficult to get into. My other DC would never have even been a contender, and it is from that disappointment that the stereotype of "snobbiness " comes. It's simple jealousy.

Anonymous wrote:UVA has a certain snobby reputation in Virginia, so if you aren't a certain type of person you might not be interested. I was never interested and only focused on W&M.

False.

My kid was always more focused on W&M.

Anonymous wrote:Because not everyone wants to go to UVA. Neither of my kids were remotely interested.

+1

My kid is planning to apply to W&M. Only school in the south.

Did not like UVA.

Just echoing others’ posts about the place attracting a certain type of student. The narcissistic kid pushed to do all the things and get all the big accolades grates on a kid who is smart and deserving in his/her own right but is quieter and self-motivated. Also, a parent is an alum and had a mixed experience of living in C-ville. There is a real seamy side to that town. Coming out of a NOVA high school full of strivers, some kids don’t want a college experience so similar to high school. They want to get away from other NOVA kids.

You ED only if the school is your first choice. Why would you assume UVA would be every VA resident’s first choice? That is silly.