<p>After reading the thread on Princeton Review's "description" of UVA, and both living in Northern VA plus spending months in SF, CA with my sister, I just had to laugh about the artifical dichotomies PR spouted. Try reading the College ******* series take on UVA (one of the factors that prompted my son , a "beatnik preppy" to attend) "...In general, people are very friendly and outgoing, with a wonderful alid-back sens of humor: there is certainly a degree of snobbiness, but you can get past this without too much trouble. The more you become involved in diggerent activities and organizations, the more you:ll become exposed to different sorts of people - not just the ones who define UVA's style from afar"</p>
<p>Their "Report card" on UVA:
Academics A-
Local Atmosphere B
Safety & Security B+
Computers B-
Facilities B
Campus Dining C-
Off-Campus Dining B+
Off-Campus Housing A-
Diversity C
Guys B+
Girls A-
Athletics A
Nightlife C+
Greek Life A
Drug Scene B
Campus Strictness A
Parking D
Transportation B+
Weather B</p>
<p>I really don't have a dog in this fight, but am interested in this forum's opinions</p>
<p>Should have said my son is just about to go there. His decision, I support it. But you do have a point, I secretly hope that College P is right and Princeton Review is not. I should have been clearer that if everybody flames out that UVA is whatever, I really do not know (yet) so won't be defending one position or the other. Just wait till next year though :)</p>
<p>Awww...I saw the stars and thought this was going to be a FunForum...but then I realized what was really being starred out. Disappointing, really. ;)</p>
<p>i don't really understand the computers and facilities rating. I mean they may be spot on in comparisons to other schools, but i've never had a problem getting on a (new) computer, and all our gyms, numerous atheltic fields, libraries, and stuff are really nice (especially the afc). Although new cabell needs to ripped down (main academic building for ugrads), which thankfully in a few years it will be.</p>
<p>diversity should be a D or an F. Yes, %age wise its better than many southern schools, but its so self segregated that you wouldn't know it. of course this is a factor i could care less about.</p>
<p>
[QUOTE]
i don't really understand the computers and facilities rating. I mean they may be spot on in comparisons to other schools, but i've never had a problem getting on a (new) computer, and all our gyms, numerous atheltic fields, libraries, and stuff are really nice (especially the afc).
[/QUOTE]
Don't forget Wilsdorf</a> Hall, that brand new nano building that's coming on line soon!</p>
<p>I was just as surprised to see ******* in my post once published as "Illnevergetin" (what a clever cybername) Amazing what the computer censors here do. The offending word that resulted in stars can be deciphered by their numerical value of the letters (A+ 1, Z+26):
16, 18, 15, 23,12,5,18</p>
<p>Since I started this thread and at the risk of copyright violation, I went back to the book I bought for my son and The CP review explains its grade this way:
"Most students agree the girls are way hotter than the guys." The grade explications on "guys and girls" is that both are "attractive, smart, friendly and engaging"</p>
<p>Got to say I LOVE your cybername, but then I am a college graduate of 1969: Per your request
CP quotes on "Campus Dining" :
Dining Hall food is dining hall food. Some of the food they serve is sub=par, but the dining halls all now have some sort of ethnic/alternative meal station, which is pretty good. Its not horrible, You can find decent stuff. The problem is that they serve the same thing over and over again."
Cp quote on Campus Housing
Most all students agree that the Old Dorms (McCormick Road Resident Area) are the place to be for your first year. They are far more social and the location is much more convenient for classes and other activities. In terms of quality, the dorm faciities at UVA are pretty standard. For incoming students and those who aren't ready for their own apartments yet, UVA's dorms are more than adequate. It's best to get out of comapus housing after a year or two."
Full disclosure: My son chose Malone just to be sure to get A/C and single room but CP HATES HEREFORD.</p>
<p>The dining hall food is sad, but the food at Runk is slightly better which makes it the only good thing in Hereford. O'Hill is terrible and run inefficiently. Too bad all of the first years go to O'Hill which makes it worse. A friend of mine got an undercooked chicken breast at O'Hill one time, not pretty at all.</p>
<p>I know what books you're talking about and they're really interesting. The student quotes and insider tips are great. However the grading is done by the outside party so I don't put much stock in it, just the information they give and the info from the students. It seemed like for most chapters the students gave mainly positive quotes (obviously, since it's their school and they picked to go there) and then that section gets a bad grade...I think it's better to look at the anecdotal evidence than the grade they assign when you make any decisions about the quality of whatever the subject is, since obviously everyone has different preferences and needs.</p>