<p>..all preppy and arrogant and stuff? I visited there over the summer and loved the campus and town, but bc there weren't many students around, it was hard to get the "vibe." But lurking around CC, people are throwing out names of wealthy areas/schools as if they're candy, comparing the stats of one prep school to another. Is that what people at UVA are like? I mean, is social status of huge importance there? I just need someone to be honest with me, bc, being from SoCal, I'm not sure that an uptight atmosphere will suit me real well. Thanks!</p>
<p>as a parent of a recent grad, i would never say UVA is uptight. they work their butts off and know how to party on weekends. it's big enough to have all kinds there. being a state(tho elite) school, many are not wealthy.yeah, i'd call it preppy, and southern, and proud. huge tradition("TJ") there, but lots of folks from all over. hope this helps.</p>
<p>thanks, the more opinions i get, the better decision i can make...don't get me wrong, i know they work hard, but i've been to a lot of excellent academic institutions where students have to work just as much, but the atmosphere is different. that's why i'm asking...</p>
<p>UVa is a medium sized, public school (where the majority of students come from public schools, by the way). With 13,000 undergrads, there's a little of everything to be found. </p>
<p>About half a dozen current students post of this message board.</p>
<p>My D is first year at UVA. She is not "preppy"-whatever that means- and loves the place. I think the UVA stereotype: being preppy, snobbish, segregated, etc..is perpetuated by its rival schools since UVA is considered closer to the Ivies than most.</p>
<p>Thanks Dean J, again, all the insight is much appreciated.</p>
<p>we live 2 hours from UVa in a town with hundreds of graduates working as adults, and many students in college at UVa now are peers/friends of my eldest son. UVa is extremely diverse...there is plenty there for international students, activity options are endless, access to the DC corridor is excellent for internships, Albemarle County is intoxicatingly happy/healthy/rolling hills that are pretty gorgeous and relaxing, Sport scene is pretty fantastic if you are a fan, and there are many adults all around Albemarle with interesting careers who like the place so much they simply won't leave!!, making Charlottesville more than just a college town that dies when the students are gone.
UVa has more of a dress up tradition for football and a few other activities..if you call wearing a preppy shirt, tie and sometimes shorts! to a football game formal..girls do traditionally care a bit more about dressing up on these occasions... wear sundresses on sunny football days...and there is a bit of a tradition of looking nice at these events, also a very active Greek life on Rugby Road. Perhaps geographic ties to Richmond and DC also influence dress codes being a tad more preppy..after all Portland is not the closest metropolitan area...That said, our son's best friend has never attended a football game, 50% of his friends have never been to Rugby Road, his best friend is deliriously happy anyway doing all sorts of outdoor sports in beautiful Albemarle County, there is an equally big impact arty scene, with tons of non preppy, always casually dressed students milling around. Because UVa takes 30% from OOS, and the DC corridor has students from transient families, UVa is geographically diverse and you will not have a moment of being out of place if you can take the time any freshman needs to seek out your own friends and interests.</p>
<p>I agree with all the responses. I'm a first year female student, and I do dress up for football games and really like the tradition here at UVA. However, I lots of friends who don't dress up and come from different walks of life. Heck, I'm not sure why, but I have a lot of friends from Illinois!! I love the diversity of UVA and of CVL too.
You ask about "arrogance", but I have not seen that at all. Most of the kids study very hard during the week, 'cause if you don't, it would be easy to fall behind.</p>
<p>Faline and jimmy, thanks, those are the exact type of responses I was looking for. Sounds pretty fun actually!</p>
<p>You are welcome! As I understand it, and I could be just passing on hearsay, but since the Lawn is a big happening place on football Saturdays, people dress up out of respect for Mr. Jefferson's grounds. This is TJ's Academical Village after all, and hey, he's the Man.</p>
<p>No more arrogant or uptight than any other elite universities.</p>
<p>so i went to exeter one summer, and i have some pieces of clothing therefrom (i didn't go to hs there, but i'm the first in my family in generations not to do so). anyways, i wear it around, and no one even knows what exeter is here. so i would say... not preppy in the way you think.</p>
<p>there are two conflicting mentalities here: the pearls/sundress wearing/"<em>whisper</em> she looks like she just rolled out of bed, ew" one, and the sweats/"did she just dress up for class? <em>disapproval</em>" one. it's a public school. so don't think there's one big mentality that can describe everyone. there's a club for everything. there's a niche for everything. it's a public school.</p>
<p>if you don't want to hang out with preps, you don't have to. but i'd reconsider labeling people because of how they dress - because then you're just as bad on the other side. i have friends on both sides, and i generally wear sweats to class, but sometimes i will dress up (especially if i have work later that day) and i always dress up for games. you can be what you want. destereotype. (we even have a day for that - everyone wears handwritten shirts with the stereotype they are often labeled and a contradiction to it)</p>
<p>I agree with Untilted. UVA is not any more preppy or uptight than any of its peers.</p>
<p>Faline~ perfect description! makes me want to move there! :)</p>
<p>jimmy: yes, between my family and i, i've been to over 30 campuses, and UVA definitely has the nicest "centerpiece" (for lack of a better word) :)</p>
<p>hazelorb: i don't think i labeled anyone because of how they dress. in fact, if you read all of my posts, i never mentioned dress, only social/school status. thanks for the insight though.</p>
<p>I've been to a bunch of schools: Harvard, BU, Northeastern, Drexel, Temple, Stanford, UCLA, UBC, Calgary, Seattle U, McGill, U Miami FL, UConn, American, Air Force, Northwestern, Michigan, Johns Hopkins, Penn and UVA. UVA has easily the most gorgeous campus I've ever seen.</p>
<p>Yup, UVA and Michigan are my favorite of those.</p>
<p>I liked Michigan (I just got back yesterday). Good food choices, academics, sports, a good amount to do, amazing facilities. The kids seemed pretty cool although a few were pretty arrogant to me. I didnt like the campus and area as much as Evanston. UVA easily beats everything still.</p>
<p>UVa beats Stanford?? Amazing. I've never been to that campus but I had the impression that it was killer.</p>
<p>Absolutely gorgeous campus at Stanford, but I prefer UVA's</p>