The University of Virginia

UVA was a great experience socially for me. I met lots of great people that are friends today. I do wish I had challenged myself more as a student. Had I been in more of an academic environment rather than a social environment I might have done better in school which would have definitely helped me get started in my career.

If I had to do it again I would have gone to more of a teaching school like W&M or Davidson and then come to UVA for my MBA. UVA doesnt carry the prestige outside of the state that it does in VA( I live in CA). Overall though I am satisfied and enjoy pulling for the Hoos in football and B-ball.

Alumnus Male -- Class 2000

Alot of talk amongst students who knew each other in highschool. While it may seem clique, if your willing to put yourself out there you will see most are very nice and open people and wont make you feel out of place. They may use highschool as a conversation starter, but most people are more than ready to move on.Takes a little bit of extra work if your an engineering student. Make sure you get into a club or orginization that helps break the nerd lable.

1st Year Male -- Class 2011

Campus Maintenance: A+, Useful Schoolwork: B-

Coming into UVA, I was very excited to get away from the busy work of high school and have professors who were knowledgeable and passionate about their field, and be around other students who were driven to learn and succeed. Unfortunately, this was not at all the experience I had at UVA. My first semester 5 out of my 6 teachers were graduate students, some of whom hardly spoke English (So when they are trying to teach you calculus it can be very very very frustrating!!) And my English teacher only showed up to class when it was convenient for him (Very aggravating to wake up early 3 days a week and walk half way across campus to go to class, only to wait for 15 minutes then leave because the teacher didn't show up?Over half my English classes were canceled or the TA just didn't show). I didn't think it was necessary at such a prestigious school as UVA to have to take a 300+ level class to actually get a full professor, but evidently that is the requirement!

The Clubs and volunteer programs were great. They were easy to get involved in and there are a lot of choices, but in reality this is the case at any large university.

Social life, where to begin...if you aren't in to the drink till you barf frat parties then UVA is not the place for you! There is no other social scene besides frats (which are gross and pretty creepy). I always thought UVA went by the mentality of ?work hard play hard,? but I never saw a whole lot of working here. I came to college to get an education and am paying $21,000+ to learn, not to be able to drink and have tools in ties hit on me! I was really looking forward to the Football games, but they are no fun at all if you're sitting in the student section, everyone will just be slobbering drunk, so try to sit somewhere else especially if you are with your family, because there is a good chance you will get barfed on!

If I could choose my college over again, I would have gone to a smaller school, with a more serious academic environment.

1st Year Female -- Class 2011

Campus Aesthetics: A+, Faculty Accessibility: F