<p>Hi everyone! This is my first post so forgive me if I don't know what I'm doing... Anyway I am Asian, from NYC, and from a lower middle class family. I am considering applying to UVA but after reading some of the posts here and some of the posts on College *******, I'm a little worried that I, as a not-wealthy Asian person who is not accustomed to the ways of the South, will not fit in at UVA or make friends readily. I'm really outgoing and I love making friends, but I'm worried I won't mesh well with the social environment at UVA. </p>
<p>I really want to visit UVA to get a feel of the campus for myself, but unfortunately that's not possible. So I would be really thankful if anyone could give me a good idea of the campus vibe. </p>
<p>Any feedback would be greatly appreciated! :D</p>
<p>My son is a rising sophomore at UVA (from NOVA). He loves UVA and is not accustomed to the ways of the South either (nor are many of his friends). </p>
<p>UVA is a large campus with a fairly diverse student body, including plenty of kids receiving pell grants and work study. There are also plenty of international students (probably over 10%), and in particular UVA is well known in China and recruits heavily there. Also, unlike some schools in the deeper South, most UVA students dress down for class and so you do not need J Crew or Ralph Lauren clothes to fit in. Frats play a big role in campus social life, but they are pretty inclusive (including at least one non-alcohol frat) and there is plenty for students to do if they choose not to join a frat (like my son, who did rush and received two bids). </p>
<p>Now, I am not saying that UVA is the most diverse campus in America (or even close to it). The predominant make-up of the student body is upper middle to rich white, with many of the students hailing from NOVA. But I also do not think most of the students at UVA let class define them or operate in an “eating club” environment. The bottom line is UVA is a campus where almost everyone can find a niche.</p>
<p>Thank you so much muckdogs07! That was incredibly helpful and I really appreciate your taking the time to explain this to me I am now much more inclined to include UVA on my college list.</p>
<p>There are plenty of folks from the north here. Remember, we’re two hours from Washington, DC. This isn’t the deep south.</p>
<p>There are 14,000 undergraduates here and I don’t think it’s easy to summarize the population in just a few words. There’s a home for many different kinds of students here. :)</p>
<p>You could visit UVa with a little effort and little expense. If you buy your tickets from Amtrak a couple months in advance on a non-holiday week, they are reasonably priced. You can take a train directly from Penn Station to Cville. If you time it right, you can even sleep on the train and avoid paying for a hotel room. There is a free trolley available most days during the day that connects from the train station to the main parts of UVa, or you could walk a couple miles. The University also runs free buses around the grounds, including from the east end of the University which is closer to the train station.</p>
<p>However, UVa says they do not consider whether you visit or not in an admissions decision. Some OTHER colleges do look unfavorably upon applicants who don’t make an official visit to the campus if they live within a reasonable distance.</p>
<p>I often recommend U. of Delaware as a backup university for people who love UVa. It is similar in size and many many other respects, but more northern, not as expensive out of state, and not as difficult for admissions.</p>
<p>To be honest, Southern is kind of a minority at UVA, despite it being in the “South.” Geographically, it really isn’t that South at all, and culturally, it’s mostly made up of people from this magical place called Nova (Northern VA, aka DC metro area/suburbia). Nova kids absolutely refuse to consider themselves southerners because they’re really not. A lot of them are military kids who have moved all around the country and are therefore, extremely culturally diverse. In a sense, UVA is probably more like NYC than what you may have in mind as a Southern school. </p>
<p>And if it makes you feel any better, there is a pretty high Asian population there. Collegeboard says it’s only 12% but I really think it’s higher than that. </p>
<p>As for the economic status, I think it goes for almost every college that there is a higher amount of “upper class” students. It’s just how it works when it comes to college. College is quite pricey after all. It’s really rare to find a college that would be as economically diverse as your high school. But even so, it is still a public school, so it might not be as disproportionate.</p>
<p>Yes, many Asian-American students do not report themselves as Asian on college forms because they believe that some colleges discriminate against them in admissions.</p>
<p>UVa has seen a huge increase in students reporting themselves as categories OTHER than white, African-American, Asian, etc.</p>
<p>From the stats I’ve seen, most of the international students at UVa are from Asia.</p>
<p>If you look at Amtrak in the northeast, you will also see that prices vary greatly depending upon the time of day.</p>
I am now much more inclined to include UVA on my college list.</p>