University of Virginia

Pros: niche available for most everyone
Cons: binge drinking, greek life, anti-intellectualism, too much dressing up!

Before you choose a college to attend, it is important to get a sense of the type of environment you'll find there. What will it be like to spend four years on its campus, among these students and professors? Every college has a different "feel" to it,...

Pros: strong academic programs, beautiful campus, sports, Greek life
Cons: a bit segregated, dining hall food, Greek life

Overview
The first thing that the University does for its first-year students (we call then first years NOT freshmen), is sit everyone down on The Lawn and show them a film about the school’s Jeffersonian tradition and about the honor system....

Pros: great variety
Cons: perhaps hard to find your place amongst it all

Student organizations are a major aspect of life at UVa, and as at most mid- to large-sized universities, the choices are broad. Some students choose to get involved in a number of different organizations; others “specialize” in one or two and dedicate...

Pros: some real gems out there for you to find
Cons: not all departments are equally challenging

When I attended UVa as an undergraduate student from 1995-1999, I was lucky enough to have the title of Echols Scholar. The main benefit of this distinction was that I was exempt from regular college course requirements (such as foreign language...

Pros: Lots of Activities, Great Professors
Cons: Out-of-state tuition, Large classes

When I was considering which college I wanted to attend, I was looking for a school with both a top-notch academic reputation and an active social life. I believe that UVA offers one of the best combinations of both of these worlds. Students are...

Pros: Good professors, easygoing students, relaxed atmosphere; plush new Hall of Justice™
Cons: Social scene sometimes a bit reminiscent of high school; classmates' career tracks can be heavily corporate

Think law school for a second. What do you see? Stress and hassle, probably. It's natural when you're spending hours in the library, sweating through on-call days in lectures, and watching your entire career ride on some tests you take in just your first...

Pros: shared spaces allow great interaction with other residents
Cons: competition for showers in the morning, privacy can be elusive

Starting with the highly anticipated thick envelope containing your acceptance, you will be inundated with information about life in Hoo-ville.

(note: incoming students are first years, not freshmen. Thomas Jefferson, the designed and...

Pros: Living room for each suite, bigger bedrooms, more modern, more social area
Cons: Farther away from classes

The eternal debate for those about to begin your year at UVA... new dorms or old dorms? Believe it or not, depending on which box you check, it will have an incredible impact on your life at UVA. Most of your friends, you meet either in your dorm your...

Pros: Academics, Social life, reputation
Cons: None

Let's see, where do I begin. Oh yes, how did I choose this school. Well, after touring a few other schools in the area (DUKE, UNC, JMU), UVA was the last leg of my tour. From the moment I stepped onto "grounds", something simply felt right....

Pros: Traditions galore, beautiful
Cons: not a single one

I graduated from "Mr. Jefferson's" University in 1993 and my heart and my mind hold large sections open for memories and love of this institution. I could write forever on the good people, the solid academics, the fun athletic games, the...

Pros: Both dorms are nice places to live
Cons: The right to choose dorms leads to more segregation of different types of people.

I'm a first year (get used to that-we're not called freshmen) and I live in Old Dorms. I love it...but you may not. Both new and old dorms have their own characteristics which appeal to different people. Consider which of the following situations you...

Pros: Beautiful campus, fun traditions, quirky superstitions, wonderful German department, amazing alum (ie Pavement), and usually accessible professors.
Cons: not much diversity, high cost for out of staters, lower standards for in staters (to get in), very Greek, terrible relations with parking and transportation and housing.

I am a first year at the University of Virginia. There are a couple of things to learn before you come here. First, I am a FIRST YEAR, not a freshman. Freshman is demeaning and is not what "Mr. Jefferson" intended on having at a university....

Pros: meeting new people, comraderie, socials
Cons: shared showers, no privacy

Overview
The eternal question that all first year students at the University of Virginia face is not what to major in, where to party, or even what professors are too easy. The eternal question is and always has been: old dorms or new dorms....

Pros: Quality Education, affordable, Great social life. Strong Alumni
Cons: Locale, cliquishness.

University of Virginia was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson. The school is currently in the midst of trying to gain national recognition by attracting the best faculty and students while still trying to stay true to its Virginia roots. One thing...

Pros: academics, strong community
Cons: too focused on consulting/finance, lack of diversity

The Darden School is often called the "MBA bootcamp" because the workload is so heavy. This is true-- you will work hard if you go to Darden. As a First year student, you have 3 classes per day from 8am-1pm and then will go home to prepare...