The University of Virginia

I transferred to UVa in the fall of my second year, after having a fairly rough time at my first school (a very prestigious small, liberal arts college). I am from Virginia, and perhaps I am being a school snob, but I felt that (in general) the undergraduate student body was slightly greater than average in intelligence. I also felt that many were close-minded...maybe a better word is ignorant - in terms of overall mentality and morals rather than intelligence. Although you will find this at most schools, I felt that the students were especially self-segregating. The social scene (to me) appears to fall into two main categories: jocks, greeks or geeks. This limits "fun" things to do to fraternity/sorority parties, bars, or house parties. It is much too "Varsity Blues" for me, but I guess if that is what you are in search of, then you would have fun here. The city itself had a surprising number and variety of restaurants and bars, considering its location and size. The classes are astronomical in number (even higher level classes stll had over 100 students), many classes were taught by TAs, and even when I had a real professor, they were inaccessible outside of class, even immediately following lectures for a quick question. My dean and supervisor were probably the most helpful to me during my attendance, though this does not say much - the dean actually DIScouraged me from taking upper-level courses, saying I was "overambitious", while my supervisor sang me high praises and offered little substantial advice to my classes. I think the only true benefit I gained from my experience at UVa was to put everything into perspective for me - I only learned to truly appreciate my first school for what it was. Needless to say, I transferred back.

1st Year Female -- Class 2007

Campus Aesthetics: B+, Education Quality: D+

UVa is a good school. So far my teachers have been nice, helpful and willing to talk. However, this is not an easy school. Breezing through the classes is not easy. It's a nice blend of city life and college life. Administration is not friendly, but professors are articulate and interesting. If you can get in, I recommend GW.

3rd Year Female -- Class 2006

Education Quality: A+, Innovation: B+

UVA is one of only a handful of schools (about 13) in the nation that offers an undergraduate degree in urban planning. This had a very relevant and direct impact in getting my current job. Looking back, being a big-city person, I was never too fond of life in Charlottesville and its celebration of the Southern heritage, or the dominance of the greek system in social scenes. However, the campus is undeniably gorgeous, and the overall "bang for the buck" provided by the school, especially for in-state students, is hard to match.

Alumnus Male -- Class 2000