just 5 (of many) reasons I'm transferring out of UVA

Recent post by a parent about Brown College: “My third year son is in Brown this year and it has honestly been the most awesome thing for him. It’s very social- lots of events and always a group to go to games with, etc. For example- yesterday they had “Brown Carnival” with inflatables, snow cones, cotton candy, a dunking booth etc. They also have banquets, host a Haunted House, tons of fun things. And he has made some incredible friends in Brown. If your student is interested we really recommend it”

FYI, I am also a Brown College parent and happy to answer questions.

Thank you! According to the Brown college web site it is by application only and only take 1-2 transfers per gender. More importantly, I’ll tell him not to feel the stress of getting a place for next year just yet!

I think Inter. Residential College is probably easier for upper class admission. My son was admitted 2nd year, but chose to live elsewhere. I lived in an international residential building in grad school and really enjoyed it.

@Charliesch Good point about Brown College. My DD turned down UVA primarily due to the housing issues mentioned above. However, she did say that if she had decided to go there that she would have tried hard to get into Brown College.

Collegehelp: The U. was trying to convince students to not rush signing housing leases in October for the next school year. However, I wouldn’t wait to start looking for housing for this coming August. I imagine many leases start in June.

I don’t know when the U. announces housing decisions for transfers - if on-campus housing is offered, that will reduce the stress level for an incoming transfer student. However, sometimes the U. offers housing that is far away from other undergrads, such as Copeley.

You can find some ads for UVa students who are looking for a 4th person in their apartment, including one ad posted right now on this website.

I’m the OP! Interesting responses. @dowzerw … I hope you don’t handle issues like this. You’re dismissing the problems and making excuses without any validation or support of a student’s experience. It’s almost like you’re arguing with my first hand experience. You’re making assumptions that I didn’t try and reach out to others with different backgrounds. You keep saying, “this issue is common at large universities.” That statement doesn’t solve anything. UVA is a large university, but it’s one of the best in the nation who should try to combat these issues with the numerous resources at its disposal. Even though, yes it is a “it is a contrived situation created by landlords” UVA should be proactive and take initiative to fix this! It’s like saying, “it’s not UVA’s problem,” but it impacts the health, happiness and well-being of every student, so YES. I say it does impact UVA and should be their concern.

I’m giving my honest opinions about UVA without sugarcoating anything. When students visit, they will be told that there will be support in every direction in every way possible, so I’m disputing that using my own experience as evidence.

Good friend’s D is at UVA, and while she is happy she would agree with the OP’s points regarding Housing and Greek life. They are legitimate concerns.

@wmt2910 I did not at all dismiss your experience but I spoke quite clearly from mine. You need to find a situation that works for you. Not everything that went wrong there for you is a flaw in a system-it is just not tolerable for you. Nor are they situations one would only find at UVA. If your goal is to slam some doors on your way out, you are succeeding. If you don’t recognize that simply leaving UVA won’t make your college experience all rainbows and roses, then you will be disappointed. You DO have to take responsibility for your experience.

@dowzerw I am not trying to “slam some doors” I am simply being candid and real about my experience as a heads-up to anyone attending. I don’t believe in sugar coating anything. I believe in being sincere and honest. I’m just giving an opinion based on my experience.

@wmt2910 I agree with you. Your posts are not the typical complaining posts from students who, for whatever reason, either were not good “fits” for a school or did not fit in socially. The points that you have articulated very well (housing, lack of pastoral care, Greek life excesses and remnants of Antebellum culture) are common negative themes about UVA, which academically is a fabulous school. You are providing a helpful service to others, particularly as many kids are admitted to both UVA and similarly-ranked private schools, most of which will not have these same negatives as UVA. Good luck and please let us know where you end up.

@londondad Agree too!

let me know if anyone has any questions about my experience or advice. I wrote this hoping to share a “real” and genuine point of view without sugar coating anything. Would love to help others.

This thread reminds me of something that seems to be not uncommon across universities. The culture at the school often has a lot to do with the culture of the city, though there have to be exceptions in places like New Haven, CT. Charlottesville is a beautiful but surprisingly snobby and elitist place, much like UVa is reputed to be (in this case I’d guess the city has been heavily influenced by UVa over the past 200 years or so, but still I’d say that if you don’t like the culture of a city you might consider that when selecting a college). I’ve often been surprised at how readily liberalism and archaic good-ol-boy ways go hand-in-hand in Charlottesville.

I recall being at a seminar with several UVa graduates and having them treat me with something like contempt even though I had actually come from a more elite educational background. It was weird. I’ve worked with a few UVa graduates and I’d say about half of them have been snotballs and half have been amazing.

Unfortunately, the racial segregation at schools is almost universal as far as I can tell, except perhaps on sports teams. People move, as if pulled by a magnet, to others with similar race and socioeconomic background.

That’s very sad about the two deans who were so coarse. But you have to consider that for a lot of university employees like them, their loyalty is to the school before the students they work with. It’s the same way with HR departments in the workplace. Attack the school (or the workplace), however justly, and you are on your way to persona non grata status. The fact that that is so common is perhaps one of the reasons why so many believed the Jackie story in Rolling Stone.

Too bad the Greek scene is still out of control even after that. UVa out to consider pulling the plug on it.

OP, I am so sorry for your experience. I am an alum, parent, and live in Charlottesville. It is always sad when a place doesn’t work out for someone. It sounds like you have made your decision, but I wanted to respond for others who may be reading this thread.

  1. I want to say that there is a life outside of Greek life--my kids are not/were not involved with Greek life. Not everyone is preppy--my daughters would not have worn pearls or a dress to a football game. They wear ordinary clothes (some from thrift stores because that's what they like). My youngest (a second year) belongs to many clubs and organizations. While I am sure there are "snobs" at UVA (there were in my day too), there are plenty of people who are not snobs. My kids are definitely down to earth people. Oh, and none of them have ever been to Foxfield, despite growing up in Charlottesville:).
  2. As for the housing issue, I understand that landlords pressure students to sign leases. However, UVA did alert us to this reality at all three orientations we attended and repeatedly said that it was not necessary to sign leases early on. They also repeatedly said that housing was available for all those who want to remain on campus. The pressure from landlords is definitely there, and I had to remind my younger daughter to resist it.
  3. My younger daughter's roomie first year was African American. She introduced her friends to my daughter, and vice versa. She also has Asian suite mates this year. While affiliation with others similar to you is natural, it is also possible to get to know others who are different. My daughters also both pursued study abroad experiences. Another thing that was mentioned at all three orientations--UVA doesn't beg you to join activities or hold your hand to get involved. You can have amazing experiences, but you need to go after them.
  4. My kids did not pursue Greek Life, so I can't speak to this directly. However, they all had friends in Greek life and friends not in Greek Life.
  5. I am very sorry that you didn't find someone empathetic to talk to about your experience. I know that Dean Groves does care...I do not know him personally, but I contacted him awhile back after seeing a student post about feeling despondent. This was on a weekend night, and he made an effort to find out who the student was and ensure the student's safety. I know he cares about students and their experiences, and I am sure most of the deans do.

I truly wish you the best wherever you end up. My son ended up leaving UVA because of a coaching change in his sport, and had a good experience at another school. I hope your new school is a good match for you. I would advise attending all the transfer orientation events and live in the dorm wherever you go. My son had instant friends because of the athletic team he was on, but that is not the case for everyone.

Well said, Old UVa grad.

My son was in a fraternity that was definitely not preppy and was very down to earth. Some people experience a couple fraternities or sororities that really turn them off, and don’t check out the many that do not fit the stereotypes.

I also contacted the Dean of Students’ office on a weekend about a student who I was worried about, and they quickly responded to help him.

I was on campus this week and did not get a real preppy vibe. I’m sure its there but it wasn’t obvious to us. If anything the students looked relaxed and comfortable. Our tour guide was a graduating senior and it was his last tour so a bunch of his friends showed up for support. We got a chance to chat with them as well.

Where is the OP considering transferring? I hope not USC or Penn because I know students who transferred from those schools to UVA and were much happier.

Parent of a second year here who went to UVA kicking and screaming (only affordable option) and loves, loves, loves, loves it.

Her fears were the exact kinds of things you experienced. I do not mean to disregard or ignore your experiences but I want to put a counter example out there because I know a lot of people read even old threads when they are in that decision making phase.

Yes, the school has a strong Greek/.preppy culture. Yes students self segregate. Yes, students feel pressure to sign leases early. ( I also concur with many posters above that these characteristics are not unique to UVA by any means). But just because some aspects may be common in the college culture it doesn’t mean that it is the only experience that can be had.

I have two kids in college. One of the things that impresses me about UVA in comparison to my other kid’s school is how much respect the administration has for the capabilities of their students to manage themselves. They treat them as responsible adults and give them the supports they need to succeed if they are willing to reach out. This works great for most students who choose UVA. If it isn’t the right fit for you, the answer isn’t to change UVA, it is to find another school that provides a more paternalistic hands on role. Those colleges are out there. Or, change your attitude and how you interact with the college.

For example, you want more diversity, go looking for it. If you don’t like preppy people don’t try to make friends with them. If exclusive clubs annoy you, don’t try to join them. There are tons of clubs that aren’t exclusive. Choose something diversity based if that is what you want. Live in a residential college if the traditional dorms aren’t the experience you are looking for. Think outside the box for housing options. Lots of people make late, last minute decisions and are looking for a person to add to their apartment. Live in a language house. Show up for office hours with intelligent questions if you want connections with professors. Volunteer. Join a faith based group. Get involved in local politics. Charlottesville is a vibrant and interesting city even apart from the university. If you don’t like the greek scene avoid it. Find others who feel the same and bond over gentle and loving mocking of the most pretentious parts of UVA culture.

My daughter is proof that a liberal leaning, Thomas Jefferson hating, diversity seeking, greek mocking individual can find her people, connect with professors, have meaningful leadership positions, and get an incredibly fantastic well rounded education at UVA.

OP, I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you. I wish you the best wherever life takes you. I encourage every student to research carefully before making a decision but also don’t dismiss any college out of hand. Bloom where you are planted.

Mom23… I agreed with everything you wrote up until Jefferson-hating. (smirk… I realize you would never feel that way). In any case, yes, a large diverse university and a cosmopolitan city such as Cville are what you make of them.

I managed to avoid preppies in my 4 years at UVa, many years ago, when they were a much larger percentage of the student body.

Also, just because a person may hate the stereotypical fraternity or sorority does not mean that you will not find one you like. (There are plenty of ethnically-based and racially-based greek organizations too.)