What probably happened is that the amount they think you can “afford” was between that 72,500 and the 53500 so they just give you the scholarship and count that as their aid to you
1 Like
FYI, my D got 19K initially as merit base. Today’s updates added university grant 23K (assume need-base), so it brings our out-of-pocket cost down to 30K.
If you only received the initial merit one (Presidential Scholarship), I bet your final whole financial package will arrive sooner or later.
Hey! I’m a US Citizen living abroad & I got into Richmond EA. I was excited and proud, but after watching this video Why I Transferred Schools | Richmond to USC - YouTube I am not so sure. If you are seriously considering UR, I would advise you to watch it too. Regardless of whether or not it changes your mind, it is very insightful and may help prepare you for life at Richmond. The most eye-opening clips for me were from 14 minutes and onwards, but if you have the time I would encourage you to watch the whole video. I am not saying Richmond is no longer a school I would want to attend, but recognizing the toxicity will definitely impact my choice.
2 Likes
I watched this last year as well - that video and some other articles were the reason why Richmond is not my top choice (of course now the aid plays into that too)
2 Likes
Thank you for sharing this video! I’m an international student who just received his aid package from Richmond and it definitely helped me to envision how the campus culture would be if I do enroll.
1 Like
Yikes. I thought Richmond was a little less conservative than some other colleges in VA and NC since a good number of kids are from the NE. Not sure if I should show this to D or not. Need to dig into my Richmond resources a little more and ask some questions.
4 Likes
I am wondering if the situation gets better now since BLM activities
2 Likes
They aren’t going to change the culture in just a few years. Those students are there. This isn’t something that turns on a dime. The racism is of course heinous and, clearly, it can’t be everyone but the thing that also bothers me is that D is done with our conservative town and looking at least for a real mix of opinion. She does not want to repeat the political situation of her high school. I worried about this when it came to Wake but not Richmond.
2 Likes
I saw this video. It was very eye opening. My son definitely took this into some consideration when he decided ultimately on Northeastern.
3 Likes
On the racism front I feel like Richmond is at least trying. It takes time to fix a culture. My son is black and we are well aware of the culture, but we would have been comfortable sending him because they are in my view trying to change the culture. I’ve been impressed with the President of the school. Also the multicultural groups are very active on social media. I think they are heading in the right direction.
However I will say when my son got accepted to Northeastern he immediately said he felt the diversity and vibe at NEU would be a better fit for him. So it is something for students of color to consider.
4 Likes
@botella728 @homerdog I am glad that you found it insightful too. In no way am I trying to bash Richmond. I have a friend that attends, and she has loved her experience so far. I personally, however, will factor this in when I am choosing a school.
@Sirvie627
Honestly, I appreciate the admin’s attempts at change. I know the progress will be slow, and as someone who struggles with anxiety, Richmond was one of my top choices because of its more “lowkey” and less overwhelming nature. Now that I am more aware of the blatant racism, I don’t know if I could handle it. I am 100% okay with exposing myself to new perspectives; in fact, that is exactly what I want, but not if it is going to be an everyday battle. I would rather enjoy my college experience and achieve my goals than try to be a changemaker.
Also, just a note for those of you that don’t have the time to watch the video, one of the things that really stuck with me was when the YouTuber explained that even when the school tried to respond to racism and division, the conversations were optional. She also highlighted that “a group of white students walked by and were like ‘are they talking about this again. like are you kidding me? like, talk about something else’.” This really stood out, because I attend a school where diversity, equity, and inclusion are taken seriously by a majority of faculty, but students often make fun of the discussions that I find meaningful. It is one of the biggest reasons I am ready to leave my high school, so if Richmond’s student body is going to mirror this unacceptable behavior, I don’t belong there.
*sorry for the long post by the way.
5 Likes
@homerdog
I actually applied to Wake Forest as well, and I definitely expected the same thing there, which is why it is towards the bottom of my list. Seeing Richmond exposed for similar situations made me question the rest of the schools I have applied to. If anyone knows anything sort of hidden about Belmont, Elon, UVA, Emory, or UMich please either PM me or reply here. I would really like to know what I am getting myself into
5 Likes
Just watched the video - an aspiring actress from LA who chose to attend a southeastern school before doing her research. Of course the south is culturally different from LA. This does not make it right, but it is a fact. She could have been talking about any small private college in the southeast, but her experience just happened to be at Richmond. Students and their parents need to be VERY aware of the type of culture they are desiring and do their research! I do believe schools are doing their very best to battle racism, but the changes are going to take time, and certainly if the schools want to change they need make significant adjustments to the types of students they accept, in larger, more impactful numbers, so that minority students don’t feel alone. Just my opinion. She is back in her own “echo chamber,” promoting products and looking for acting jobs while her parents spend a fortune on her college education at USC.
2 Likes
@kls1014 I couldn’t agree with you more. While I appreciate and respect this girl’s experience…it is just that…her own experience. And throw in that she clearly states she wants to be an actress and is promoting products…leaves one to wonder how much she potentially embellished for her video and "followers’. Just my two cents after watching video.
3 Likes
Right. But Richmond is not all kids from the south. Because they pull from the NE so much, I thought there’d be more of a balance of politics. It’s not sounding like it. I do have friends with kids there so I’ll ask more. I didn’t really dive in the politics there before now because I didn’t think of Richmond as a “southern” school. I mean it’s in VA, not the Deep South.
I think this student was very well spoken and she made it clear that she loved certain aspects of the school. Her message was not over the top. Just an honest assessment.
3 Likes
I have a couple of problems with the video in question. The first is that CC moderators should not allow links to negative videos of any school since every institution has some issues and the forums will devolve into something more and more divisive. The second is that I suspect the young woman made the video (with too many edits IMO) for her cinema class. To ensure an A from the professor, she made sure to mention that she respects different opinions but can’t respect Trump supporters, which means half the country. That says more about her than it does about the University of Richmond. One of my best friends sons attended UR and is an exceptional person. He is successful and generous to a fault and loves the school. It is held in high regard us folks in the Northeast as a top school that attracts many outstanding young men and women.
3 Likes
Agree completely
1 Like
I doubt she made it for a class. This student has been making videos about her life at Richmond for two years. She was just continuing to update the people who follow her. Lots of kids do video blogs like this nowadays. As for not respecting Trump supporters, our D does not so I do need to find out more. I support her in that. She has conservative friends and they talk about policy all of the time but her friends would never have voted for Trump.
3 Likes
Those of you who are pushing back on the opinion of the young woman in the video…I assume you are conservative politically?
3 Likes