<p>As a parent, one thing that really leaves me uncomfortable is the idea of my son needing to find a ride with a car full of fraternity students, or non-fraternity students. I think buses to games should be easy and readily available. I don't need my son risking his life because someone "pregamed" and is behind the wheel drunk. I am sure that there are designated drivers, but it is still scary to think that this could happen. I am a big fan public or school provided transportation for safety.</p>
<p>northeast, I'm not really sure how to answer your question. There are not a lot of rich snobs on campus. Sure, there are plenty of snobs, like you'll find anywhere in America, and I had my fair share of very wealthy friends (some with family fortunes in the 100's of millions) who acted no different from me, but the combination of the two probably wasn't too prevelant. I didn't realize the kind of money some of my good friends have until after I graduted (one was a neighbor to Rumsfeld growing up and his one of his two homes is in the neighborhood of $14 million) while others came from quite modest means. </p>
<p>I feel like UR is your typical American suburb. Racial/international diversity is increasing (class of '11 was the highest ever), socioeconomic status overall is upper middle. UR's student body was very reflective of the life that I knew before UR as the son of a middle class GE engineer's son if that helps.</p>
<p>northeast, the football stadium is being relocated to campus in 2010 and I would guess that in addition to the bus service that has a stop on campus and another one about a mile from the stadium, with a walk through Carytown shopping area, about 50% of freshmen had cars. It's much easier to find a ride with friends than was portrayed. I didn't have a car until senior year and no fewer than five of my friends allowed me to drive their car as long as I paid for gas.</p>
<p>Hello all--</p>
<p>I'm sorry this has gotten so rancorous. I have hesitated to reply because I agree with the idea of this forum as open for all kinds of discussion and I feel uncomfortable trying to refute any individual's experience. I also know that the value of my input is diminished because I'm paid to represent the University. I will point out that Spiders05 is NOT an admission person, nor was he a tour guide when he was a student. He's just a satisfied alum. </p>
<p>I am also an alum, though I graduated many years ago, so I don't think that most of my personal experience is particularly relevant today. As an admission professional, I could not do this job if I didn't believe that I was honestly representing the institution. And while I admit that I will always tell the positive side of the equation, our staff is willing to answer critical questions because we think it is appropriate for families to be critical as they make these very important decisions. I'm always sorry when a student doesn't have a good experience and it always causes me to reflect on where all the pieces didn't fall together. It is frustrating that in many cases when students leave, they aren't as brutally honest with the university officials with whom they have an exit interview as they are in on-line forums, because it would be more helpful to hear the unvarnished truth (that's part of why I read the forums--to hear what most people won't say face to face or with their name attached). By the time most students decide to leave and go to the Dean's Office to let them know, most of them tell us they want to be closer to home, or at a less expensive school or at a place that offers something academically that UR doesn't offer--all very legitimate reasons for choosing to transfer--but if the reason was really social misery I wish they would share more in order help the University improve. But I understand why they might not wish to engage in that conversation when they just want to pack their boxes and go. </p>
<p>I sincerely hope that anyone who is unhappy at UR finds a place that is more suitable to their temperament and lifestyle and that they have a successful experience there. No place is right for every student and while I'm a big believer in trying to find a way to be happy wherever you happen to find yourself, sometimes that isn't possible and you have to move on. </p>
<p>Wealth is a very visible quality and there are some very wealthy students at UR. But some of the qualities of diversity are not necessarily things that one can see with ones eyes and so it is harder to identify them very quickly. There are plently of people here from very middle-of-the-road families and even quite a lot from families of very modest means. But they don't generally identify themselves. "Hi, I'm Chris and I'm on a full financial aid package" just isn't the way people start conversations. We used to hear a lot of people comment on the cars in the parking lots and that there were a lot of expensive ones out there. My reply was that looking at the parking lot doesn't represent all those students who do NOT have cars. You can't say everyone is wealthy based on those sorts of observations. </p>
<p>If there is one thing the University does well, it is to be responsive to problems. There was a mold problem in one of the residence halls a few years ago and I'm sure that the families were extremely frustrated by that--but after it was determined that it was going to take significant time to rectify the problem in that hall, the University paid to move the impacted students to off-campus apartments and paid their rent there until it was safe to go back. Would it be better if there were never any mold? Absolutely! But we try to fix those things when they are brought to the attention of the facilities people and honestly I think that is the best that any institution could be expected to do. </p>
<p>Is there alcohol use here? Yes there is. Does the University try to educate students about the risks of substance abuse? Yes. Is this an on-going problem on most every campus in the nation? I think so. But there truly are students here who use alcohol safely and legally and there are plenty who use it not at all. It takes time to find a social group that shares your sensibilities about this sort of thing when you are new someplace but most of our students are able to find a group of people who share their perspective and preferences and practices. </p>
<p>As for things to do, Spiders05 has pointed out that there are lots of things to do but not all of them suit everyone, that's true. This is not a campus where students can expect big concerts on campus--the way concert venues are lined up in our region, and our small size knocks us out on things like that most of the time. But in our city there are lot of great places to hear live music and do fun things. It would be easier to do this if you had a car, absolutely! The shuttles are not perfect (but the Student Affairs folks are always trying to improve their services). Back in my day we almost never went off campus, (I think I went of campus twice in my first year) there was way less to choose from as far as programmed activities and we managed to have fun without getting smashed every weekend. But that kind of comment makes me sound really old and I know that teenagers today are accustomed to much greater range of motion and transportation than we had "back when" so I know it is different and the expectations are higher now. </p>
<p>Food--I'm sure there is chicken at every meal, but there are lots of other choices (pizza, pasta, burgers, salads, soups, vegatarian and vegan fare, Mongolian grill, cereal and the list goes on and on). Yes, we have fewer dining facilities (and no fast food joints on campus) but I'd put the quality of our dining hall food up against any college or university in the country. </p>
<p>One of the things that makes Richmond different than many places and perhaps makes getting to know the place more challenging than some others is the vast footprint of our student body. In our first year class this fall of about 802 students, there were 598 high schools represented. 462 students were the sole enrolling student from their own school (in most cases there were older students from the same schools, but they were the only one from their graduating class coming to UR that year), and only three high schools sent us 5 or more members of their graduating class. I honestly believe that most colleges have a much more contracted student body and there are larger bunches of students from a much smaller range of places and that has to influence the community. I happen to think that for the most part this is a GOOD thing about UR--that it means it's a place where students can start over and reinvent themselves--find new things about themselves without the social constraints of all their high school buddies around them at the same schools telling them aren't supposed to change. While this is a plus to me, it might be a minus to others. </p>
<p>I have so much work to do that I need to get back to it. But I didn't want there to be no comment from me when I know that many of you know that I'm on this site frequently and surely watching this thread develop. Richmond isn't perfect--no place is--and no place is right for everyone. </p>
<p>Peace--</p>
<p>UR Admissions</p>
<p>UR college rep thanks for responding. I'd be interested to know how many of your 802 students came from private high schools?</p>
<p>spider05, thank you too. I am happy to learn that the football stadium is being relocated to campus. I think that for many, football is an important part of the college experience. I would not want my son getting a ride from some students who "pregamed" and risk and accident. In fact, for our older son, he passed on a LAC that was in a rural area (no college transportation provided, and no public transportation available) because we knew that he would be unhappy without a car and would feel trapped.</p>
<p>To UR Admissions--Thanks for the above posting. You were rational in your response and I appreciated your calmness. I'm done with posting here. As a parent, I felt it very important that other parents be informed of another point of view of the campus--a point of view that is based on our personal experience with the University. Good luck to all.</p>
<p>northeast, I imagine that it's pretty much the same for more recent classes, but for the '06-'09 classes, 62-66% were from public schools. Also, UR isn't rural, but rather suburban. The city of Richmond has a lot to do, and I wish that as an undergrad I had spent more time exploring. I've lived here since graduation and have enjoyed the city more and more as I've gotten to know it better.
<a href="http://admissions.richmond.edu/profile/pdf/2006profile.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://admissions.richmond.edu/profile/pdf/2006profile.pdf</a>
<a href="http://admissions.richmond.edu/profile/pdf/2007profile.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://admissions.richmond.edu/profile/pdf/2007profile.pdf</a>
<a href="http://admissions.richmond.edu/profile/pdf/2008profile.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://admissions.richmond.edu/profile/pdf/2008profile.pdf</a>
<a href="http://admissions.richmond.edu/profile/pdf/2009profile.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://admissions.richmond.edu/profile/pdf/2009profile.pdf</a></p>
<p>About 1/3 of our students are typically from private schools and 2/3's are from public schools. It's important to remember that not every private school graduate is wealthy--a good number of diverse students here come from private schools through partnership programs such as Prep for Prep and ABC (A Better Chance). In the spirit of fairness it is also wise to remember that some "public" high schools are located in places were a lot of Americans could never afford to buy a home, so some of those students would be classified as wealthy even though they are public HS grads. Mostly these things come out in the wash, but again, there is always more to every stat than meets the eye! There are a handful of homeschoolers as well but not usually enough to register a percentage. </p>
<p>After I posted I realized that in my first-year I went off campus twice for things OTHER than football games. Somehow I managed to get to all of them (as I'm a big sports fan) before there was a shuttle--but I don't recall how. My friends weren't drinkers so I never felt like I was putting my life at risk to get there! We couldn't be more thrilled about the on-campus stadium! I think it will be a great asset in many ways for the development of community here. We're incredibly grateful to the Robins family for everything they've done to advance this place! (They gave a $5 million gift for the stadium yesterday if you didn't see that elsewhere on the boards). </p>
<p>UR Admissions</p>
<p>Good information, offered with nice civility. Thanks.</p>
<p>One point in your offering ... Indeed it is very difficult to know why students, even a small portion, decide to leave. As you note, once the U. hears about it, it's all a done deed. And it's very difficult to find any real research on this topic that can lend to meaningful insight and prevention. But there is some, nearly all of which points to one major factor for why students leave ... they fail to become engaged. Develop few if any meaningful relationships. Often focused on what they left behind vs. what they've come to. They don't engage with roommates, activities or in their classes. The point for U. administrators and faculty is the great need to identify this unfortunate situation early. Most of the information indicates this is essentially extreme home sickness, social isolation, and inability or unwillingness to adjust and adapt to new and different situations. In a great many instances, this is a chronic personna usually rectified by returning to one's earlier comfort zone and often then discovering, as we all know logically, that the old comfort zone no longer exists. It's all changed. Most certainly this requires more examination by institutions, as it is a major business issue with severe economic consequences.</p>
<p>The major point? As Spider has noted, most often (albeit not "always") disconnect is a function of individuals unable or unwilling to engage vs. institutions not interested in engaging. Students are bored, disenfranchised, ostracized because they choose to be, altho they rarely describe that scenario as that would require enormous maturity and self-understanding. But most often this requires a mature individual. By definition, freshmen (and sometimes beyond) are anything but.</p>
<p>In the end, while both general data and stats along with personal experience and anecdotal behavior can lend insight and direction, this almost always comes back to the individual student and how he/she evaluates, determines and assimilates to the new scenario. A great many do very well, especially at engaged learning environments such as what UR (and many others) seeks to provide. A great many do not, and ironically in this case, most of these are the public insitutions where pricing policies force less than stellar students (generally, if not always ... in comparison to places like UR) into impersonal, passive, massified learning environments. Ex from one of my institutions: Over 3,000 undergrads in the intro accounting class utilizing technology and over 10 classrooms and auditoriums. On the other end ... 300 senior mechanical engineers in their capstone senior seminar. Is that common. Absolutely. In fact over 80 % of students are being forced into this type of learning environment. Why? One answer and it's not preference. It's $$$.</p>
<p>As a freshman at UR I thought I might be able to give some insight...
While I myself and some of my friends have or still are considering transferring life at UR is still very enjoyable. I considered transferring for family and academic reasons, while some of my other friends just wanted to go to a larger state school and have a more typical college experience. UR is not the right school for everyone by any means, but for many it can provide a great experience. As far as a NE people reconsidering UR I don't think this generalization should be made. Many of my firends most enjoying UR are from the NE and attended public high schools, while the only 2 people I know transferring this semester are from the south and midwest. College choices are hard for everyone, my brother is a junior in college now and started at a college very similar to Richmond, but after a year decided it wasn't the place for him. On paper he would seem like a "perfect match" for this type of school, but it didn't work out for him. In saying all this I respect that others may not have had positive experiences at UR (I havn't had the easiest first semester), but I just wanted to give another point of view. If anyone has questions about the school, social life, or whatever else I will try and answer or at least give my opinon/experiences.</p>
<p>UR Admissions Rep, thanks for the additional information. I understand that one can be wealthy and attend a public U, or be poor and attend a private Prep on a scholarship.</p>
<p>phaniela, thank you for posting. May I ask if your first semester was rough because of the academics, or for other ie: personal reasons, or both? If you would rather not post this information publically, I would be appreciative if you could respond in a PM. Thanks.</p>
<p>To all of you north-easterners:
My dad used to be a professor of molecular biology at U of R, and I spent a great deal of my childhood on the campus of the school. From my experience, U of R is one of the most beautiful and clean places I have ever been.ever.
There seemed to be an unlimited number of things to do for the students on campus: Concerts,Plays,Cultural Festivals and other things. And if anything, one could always spend a quiet evening at the cellar behind a mug of tea with a group of friends.</p>
<p>Wow. This thread has exploded since I checked it this morning. And welcome to Phaniela :) This is the first posting of yours that I've seen.</p>
<p>Anyway, I'm a sophomore at UR, from a public school in NJ. I'm happy. I'm busy. I understand that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I've found very few students who aren't busy on campus, between academic work and the plethora of things to do outside of class. I do have my own car, which is a blessing, and I have friends who don't have cars, and they do get frustrated simply because they lack independence. I'm open to questions, if anyone has any.</p>
<p>Hi everyone. I am an upperclassman at UR who has worked in Admissions. I have had a terrific experience at UR. I came in not knowing anyone. I was the first student from my public high school to enroll here and while I do have two brothers, both are younger, so it was a big deal for my family and I when I chose to come to Richmond and start college. I have had nothing but a positive experience. </p>
<p>From the comments made by NYSMILE, my advice is to take them with a grain of salt. That situation was an extreme case and we as posters/readers do not know the entirety of the situation. I believe the posts by actual current and former students and Admissions Staff means much more than a secondary source, which the parent was in this case.</p>
<p>Especially for prospectives and parents who are reading this, do not take everything NYSMILE said as being completely accurate or even remotely accurate. Speak to current students, speak to admission officers, visit the campus, and make the best personal decision you can make. If that means becoming a part of the University of Richmond family, AWESOME! We, at the University of Richmond, would love to welcome you!</p>
<p>It was an accurate account of our experience. Not everyone agrees with you, not everyone agrees with me, but that's OK. Differences in opinions is what makes life interesting.</p>
<p>Absolutely. That's why there are horse shows, beauty contests, ice skating competitions, American Idols, and political primaries ... Because "truth" in these situations belongs to the seer/teller or perhaps the student in this case. Just one point of view, one person's "truth." Each to her own. Doen't mean it's THE truth though. </p>
<p>The problem comes when the truthsayer claims it is more than HER truth when the evidence is perception.</p>
<p>And the real problem comes when we realize if what's true for me, is NOT true for others ... well then it's no longer true, is it? It's just opinion.</p>
<p>And that's the truth.</p>
<p>smile, I really got a kick out of you saying no one goes to the basketball games at UR when I saw that your son now goes to SUNY Plattsburgh. I checked out their attendance for the year and it looks like they have 150 or so fans every game. Hockey has a much better turnout, but still about 1,400 or so people. Those stats lend even less credence to your "experience." That and you saying that people transfer out of UR to go to more attractive campuses. You'd be hard pressed to find many that have a prettier campus than UR and I think anyone that's been there would agree.</p>
<p>I didn't say that people transfer out of UR to go to more "attractive" campuses. I stated that people that transfer out of UR tend to do so because they're looking for a more "active" campuses. I don't understand all of the hate and personal attack just because I discussed a "not so wonderful" experience at UR. As I said, I'm happy you love it there but is it so terrible to acknowledge that not everyone agrees? Take care, and happiness to all in your future. out.</p>
<p>I stand corrected.</p>
<p>There is absolutely no hatred at all. I just didn't care for you saying things aren't available/there (transportation, quality food, coed dorms, attendance at sporting events, campus events, etc.) when in fact there are, as I linked evidence to several points you brought up. I also just found it funny that you say there's no school spirit and no attendance at sporting events, when UR, a school half the size of Plattsburgh, has 35x the attendance at basketball compared to your basketball and over twice the attendance of your feature sport of ice hockey. Again, no personal attacks, and no hatred.</p>
<p>Wow, I feel like I've created a monster with this thread. I started it a while ago and abandoned it but now I've caught up with the recent posts and feel as if I'm pretty qualified to respond. Here's my background; I'm a sophmore majoring in Political Science, I've never in any way done anything relating to the admissions office or any other university office and I actually planned on transfering last year to the extent that I even applied and was accepted to other schools but decided not to. So really I feel like I've experienced the good and bad of the school. Here are my thoughts on different subjects:</p>
<p>Food: The food is actually pretty good. The main cafeteria D-hall is basically brand new and while there is chicken every night there are dozens of other things as well pizza, pasta, stir fry, hamburgers, vegetarian options, a mexican bar, sandwhich bar, tons of desserts and also things that change daily like ribs, wings, steak strips and different sides. There is a good salad bar too which is always available. Don't get me wrong the food does get boring after a whle to to their credit Dhall tries to spice things up for instance they make panini's this year which are popular. When you get bored there is always the pier more of a fast food type place or the cellar which is like going to a friday's, applebee's or something along those lines. Compared to other colleges I've been to when visiting friends I'd say our food is above average, not the best but far from the worst.</p>
<p>Dorms: They aren't great but also not terrible. I've personally never seen any mold anywhere but some are getting old. Thankfully they are all being renovated. I live in Lakeview, just moved in this week its the newest dorm on campus and I love it. Everyone who has seen it says the same thing, it's like living in a hotel. It's really impressive and I expect most dorms will end up somewhat resembling this. </p>
<p>Campus Life: There are plenty of things to do if you seek them out. Fraternities and Sororities are popular but not the only options. Many sports teams are close knit and there are a lot of other social options. For example my French class got together on our own last year and had a party. There is a lot of drinking, but definitely not more than any other colleges I've visited. In fact I would say overall substance abuse here is much less frequent because while we drink about as much as any other college drug use is very rare compared to other schools I've been too. And for those that don't drink there is more than enough to do. Plenty of cultural stuff, dances, movies, or just hanging out playing videogames. Oh and movies are not videos shown on a TV they are usually movies that were recently in theaters and they are shown on a huge projector Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and they are free. Sporting event attendance is dismal mostly for basketball. This is because the team isn't that great but they are definitely improving, the Coach is in his third year and he had to start with a roster depleted by the former coach so as the team improves I'm sure attendance will aswell. We have a really rich tradtion in basketball and are giant killers in March Madness. Football games are well attended and the tailgates are a lot of fun. Getting there is incredibly easy and usually you go with someone you know not a random guy in a fraternity. It's not hard to find a ride at all and like others have said a football stadium is being built on campus. Getting off camus can be hard using the Spider shuttle, I've used it once and I don't think its too well organized. It shouldn't be hard finding someone with a car if you need to get off campus but if you can bring one I would. I have my car here so I've taken advantage of exploring the city of Richmond and really like it. Carytown has some cools shops and good food and The Fan and around VCU caters to students and is a cool area. I've been to the Virginia Museum of Fine Art twice and this year went to the Virginia State Fair and the Richmond Celtic Festival both were good times. </p>
<p>The People/Diversity: There are without a doubt rich snobs here as I'm sure there are at any school, but its not a majority and you can pick your friends. I have found plenty of modest, down to earth people who are nice and caring. Also, most people I know receive some sort of financial aid to come here so there is definitely economic diversity. Most people are without a doubt from NY, NJ and CT. There are a lot of private school people and while mabe there isn't as much diversity as some schools I think we are improving in that area.</p>
<p>In summary with regards to all this people from NY or the NE should attend schools up there I wouldn't believe any of it. I'm from a public high school in New York and would never go to a SUNY school, I know people who attend them and they are fine schools but they attract different students. Their classes are much larger and I personally don't think I would learn as well in that environment. Richmond isn't for everyone but it doesnt have anything to do with where you are from or how much money you have it has to do with your personality and mindset. Freshmen year I didn't care for it here much, I thought it was too small there wasn't enough to do, etc. But by the end of year I looked back on it and realized there were a lot of good times and when I thought about transfering realized that I'd made some really good friends and I didn't want to leave them behind. This year I'm having a great time, finding plenty to do, keeping myself occupied and taking really interesting classes. I feel like I'm getting a great education. To those thinking about transfering who are freshmen I hope you at least give it a full year before you decide. To everyone else, I'll try to check up on this more often to keep answering questions and sorry for the insanely long response I hope its helpful to some.</p>