<p>vc08: sorry if i implied that you were doing this; i was just making a general suggestion.</p>
<p>My kid is a recent grad and currently still there for grad school. I have another that will also be applying soon. I never got the sense that UVA actally ever lives up to its "preppy" reputation any more than most other selective schools. Mostly strikes me as being down to earth with a dash of style and lots of school pride and tradition mixed in. I just think there's a historical context there that feels more formal and rigid to outsiders than is actually reflected by the student body.</p>
<p>It is really a very special and unique place - very hard to find anyplace else that matches all its qualities. And yes, beautiful too.</p>
<p>The history and the beauty take my breath away on a daily basis. It's nice to read such kind words about our grounds here in CVL.
I came real close to going to Notre Dame. That was a real neat campus too (well the atmosphere might be a little different this fall with FB--my bad)! On my ND tour I was so impressed with their admission staff/tour, the campus, the faith........but although very tempting, UVA kept calling to me. I'm so glad that I am here in CVL.
I have such a beautiful dorm room here too, and when the leaves have fallen, I'll have a gorgeous mountain vista to make my own. Ahhhhh.....</p>
<p>so nice to hear all these wonderful comments on UVA's campus. i remember the very first time my d and i visited it, and she fell in love with the serpentine walls. i laugh now, as i remember telling her, "...but you can't go to a college just because of its walls!" :) well she DID go for those walls....and everything else!</p>
<p>hazelorb: don't worry about it :P</p>
<p>I think one of the reasons I felt it was a tad preppy was because I was comparing it to the UC schools, where I frequently visit friends, and everyone pretty much wears shorts, t-shirts, and flip-flops year-round (though, that's due in a large part to the weather). I'm glad to hear that UVA is not as preppy as I had imagined though! I really did love the campus, and it is a fabulous school academically and athletically.</p>
<p>jimmy: How lucky you were to be admitted to both of those schools! Notre Dame tops my list as well, beautiful campus indeed!</p>
<p>Ahh shucks vc08,........ perhaps luck had something to do with these admissions to UVA and Notre Dame, but I also remember working my a$$ off too! Best of luck in the process:).
BTW I got deferred from ND in the fall (EA) and accepted in the spring. What a slow winter it was last year!</p>
<p>Haha, yeah, I can imagine. Well I applied Early Response for Michigan, so I should be hearing from them soon, but I'm just doing RD for Notre Dame. Hopefully it turns out well!</p>
<p>Hey vc08! Good to hear you're from California too; my relatives are from San Francisco. </p>
<p>We have more Socals than norcals in UVA. I think the stereotype of prepiness and arrogance is largely true for those involved in greek life. Most people here are pretty well-off financially. I don't think people here are intense.... well it really depends from the perspective you're looking at. You can be really intense with the things you're engaged in such as greek life (which in California is more chill for sure). But I've always been a guy that's relaxed and never felt like I was in an intense environment. I've never felt pressured to dress up for football games; in fact I never dress up to impress people here or even go to football games at all. I disconnect myself from all the traditions for which UVA students are portrayed to be proud. </p>
<p>There is a sizeable number of students like me who DO wear shorts, t-shirts and flip flops even during this time! Anyway, I was considering going to USC but UVA just is better academically and financially (even as an out-of-state, you're paying for 10k less each year versus going to USC).</p>
<p>PM me if you have any more questions.</p>
<p>A friend of my daughter was accepted at both UVA (instate) and USC. she ended up going to USC because the amount of scholarship offered made it cheaper to go there out-of state than in-state at UVA.</p>
<p>Wow, incredible.</p>
<p>That is incredible. USC offered me programs, but not a penny.</p>
<p>USC has one pricetag for in-state and out-of-state students. Personally, i would die before i chose USC. honestly the most stuck-up brats on the face of the earth (generally speaking, of course). nicknames say it all: Barbie and Ken U, the beautiful people, University of spoiled children. I'd pick UVA over that any day, even if SC offered me a full-ride.</p>
<p>Good news, I got into Michigan! I'm still gonna apply to other schools though, to keep my options open.</p>
<p>Congrats, vc08. Did I also see you on UW's site? I hope you also take a good look there--another really great school (my alma mater!) and an easy flight from Ca.
Having grown up in the Pac-10, it is just so hard to give USC any credit. It IS a good school these days and has come so far (academically and thru the rankings) by playing the game so well. They recently "bought" UW's business school dean--a wonderful guy and a mover and shaker. And Cav would love their penchant for awarding merit $$. Lots and lots of money for good SAT scores.
D applied-it almost killed me--and was given lots of $$. In the end, it wasn't even among her top 3 or 4 choices. Good school..but it's still USC!</p>
<p>haha, definitely under the same impression. I'm a huge Cal fan, my dad grew up in the area and my brother is a junior there now, so I cringe whenever I hear USC. I couldn't even bring myself to apply. I already applied to Udub, but I haven't gotten a decision yet. I love the campus, and Seattle is a great town!</p>
<p>USC is filled with spoiled, rich kids from OC - they just have a larger silver spoon than UVA kids basically.</p>
<p>Tennis I don't notice kids at UVa having a large silver spoon. If money didn't matter those folks would go to a private school. Sure you may have a few out of staters driving a porshe, but overall it is not my experience that UVa is a bunch of rich kids.</p>
<p>I'm sorry but it's impossible to not realize that UVA kids are generally very well-off financially. Either you don't go here or you're very, very rich.</p>
<p>I think the bulk of kids look/act fairly rich and economically care free. I'm blessed that we don't worry about $ in my family (to some degree--though both parents work professionally very hard), and I was blessed to be in a position to turn down a few great private schools offers (Duke, Cornell, Wake, ND to name a few) to come here to UVA (I'm OOS). I'm not allowed to have a car, since it's my first year, but the car I left behind was a nice Japanese variant and sensible.
I don't know where I'm going with this, except to agree that IMO, the bulk of the kids look and act like they are quite wealthy.</p>
<p>that was the impression i got when i visited too, which is why i posted this thread.</p>
<p>More than half the people here come from families that make 100K plus, and 100K+ pretty much everywhere in Virginia is fairly well off. Almost everyone from out of state has come from an expensive private school (very few OOSers have gone to a public high school). I'm pretty sure that's a lot more than you'll find at any other school in Virginia except schools like Richmond.</p>