The University of Richmond

I'm an International Studies & Spanish major, w/ considerable coursework in Journalism. Because of my scholarship I have no general education requirements, so I get to take classes in many different fields--it's been hard to make up my mind about what to major in. The faculty is super-approachable, a few have had our classes over for dinner and I have had lunches and long talks w/ a bunch of professors. Professors have also helped me (unsolicited!) get jobs/internships and have helped my friends get grants for grad school. A big plus for me is the small class size--20 kids is big for some of my departments--and discussion-based formats, which force you to actually think, as do papers and essay-based tests. I came to college expecting to be challenged, but I haven't been challenged as much as I believe I could have been. Some classes do make me think, but I can usually do "just enough" and get an A. Among my friends/acquaintances, getting less than a B+ is nearly unheard of. Also, the student body is by-and-large pretty conservative, so keep that in mind! There are tons of activities to get involved with--most people play sports (varsity, club, intramural), but certainly not everyone, and there are more clubs than you have time to get involved with. I rarely drink, and there is a large population of people who don't drink/party or do so rarely--we have other things to do--concerts, a capella performances (very popular!), basketball games (our most popular sport), or whatever. As for safety and beauty, the campus can't be beat--and the reputation is rising each year, so by the time I'm in the job market, Richmond's reputation will be stellar.

3rd Year Female -- Class 2002

Campus Aesthetics: A+, Education Quality: B+

The financial aid at this school if fantastic. I recommend this school if you absolutely can't afford school because they will pay for most of it. However, be prepared to do a crapload of work, compete in battle to get into the classes you need, and be surrounded by drunk frat boys and sorority girls all the time. Also be prepared to be treated like a child. The professors are cool, but the administrative staff is hard to work with if you have a problem with your schedule or housing (and you will). I would also HIGHLY recommend reading the website to see what classes you need rather than relying strictly on academic advisors. Most of the advisors are professors who don't know squat about anything out of their immediate field. My advisor didn't even know my name and was completely unhelpful in informing me of a few classes I needed to take. Needless to say, I graduated, but can't get a job in my field unless I take more classes, so again I stress, read the website, especially if you are in a licensure program with state requirements. However, most of the professors are very helpful, and I was blessed to find an amazing professor who has been helping me in the search for a job, so they aren't all bad. They are also pretty quick to get back to you if you have a question or a problem.

Alumnus Male -- Class 2000

If you want to be happy here, you can be happy here. The faculty (for the most part) is excellent and very helpful, and the other students are great. It really comes down to how you see things; if you think everyone here is the same, they will seem like it to you. Keep an open mind and you'll have a great experience here; remember that there is more to diversity than skin color.

Male -- Class 2000