<p>I was wondering if any current UVA students or alums could give me their honest opinions of their overrall UVA experience (social life, academics,etc.). I have visited the grounds twice, and I totally fell in love with UVA. When I talk to some of my friends and classmates, some of them feel the same way I do about the university, but others tend to warn me and say that people at UVA are 'snobby' or have an 'elite' attitude. I refuse to believe them. Can anyone help?</p>
<p>UVA's a fine academical institution and I'm sure if you were to attend that you would enjoy your experience. The elitist attitude will always be attributed to schools like UVA and those of similar academic prestige. I don't see the snobbish attitude as a general trait among students but I won't lie and say that they don't exist. It's just not something that I see as a prevailing attitude at UVA.</p>
<p>Snobs and elitists definitely do not prevail at UVA. My experience has been an extremely positive one, I could not have picked a better place to attend. However, to address where the 'UVA students are pretentious' attitude comes from -- it's because there are quite a few students from affluent backgrounds. Add that to various attitudes about affluent backgrounds, and there you have it.</p>
<p>I think melli's statements are true about the affluence here in CVL. But, it doesn't overwhelm the daily vibe of the The University. UVA is fairly preppy, the people are nice, most everyone (that I know) are serious students who take pride in doing well academically. You'll find most students studying quite diligently in the libraries every day and night of the week. But as the weekend comes there is a definite party-hard attitude. People hang out on Rugby Rd., or the social area close to the grounds called The Corner, or "Downtown" (a funky but chic area of shops and restaurants separate from the University). There are sporting events, and big name events at J. Paul Jones auditorium (I saw the Police there this past fall) and Springsteen is coming in April. I'm now in a sorority so there are all kinds of mixers, dinners, and such activities for me to attend. Bottom line, UVA is a great school, beautiful, and fun; I'm really glad to be here.
I'm pleased with my first semester grades, but I worked very hard for them, but that I expected at such a high caliber place that UVA is.</p>
<p>Well, my D graduated, but I have another one applying. From my perspective as a parent UVA rocks! Forget all that snobbishness talk, that's not at all what the UVA experience is about. Are students and faculty proud to be at UVA? You bet. Are parents proud to have students there? Absolutely. But most of the people we encountered feel fortunate, not elitist, and in my opinion, there's a distinct difference between the two.</p>
<p>UVA is an excellent school. There's no other institution quite like it. I think people confuse pretentiousness with pride. UVA students and alums are very proud of UVA. The school's history and atmosphere is unique. UVA is like the lovechild of William & Mary, Cornell and UNC. UVA is a private/public school hybrid kind of like Cornell. (Though it's a public school, a lot of its money comes from alumni donations and its endowment. Plus, the Law School and the Darden Business School are private schools for all intents and purposes.) Plus, like Cornell, UVA conducts a lot of undergraduate research. UVA has tons of presidential history and traditions like W&M with Jefferson, Madison and Monroe all working together to found the school and Woodrow Wilson having attended UVA. And the school is big on sports and is Southern like fellow ACC school North Carolina. </p>
<p>What I love the most about UVA as an alum is that your experience and ties continue to follow you well after you graduate. Many of my friends in NYC are fellow alums that I met after I graduated, and most of us are very involved with our alumni club and affiliate alumni organizations. Once a Wahoo, always a Wahoo!</p>
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Plus, the Law School and the Darden Business School are private schools for all intents and purposes.
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<p>Globalist, why do you say that? Do the rules for admissions change? Other reasons?</p>
<p>Well said, Globalist :-)</p>
<p>pride or pretentiousness? All a matter of perspective. But you must admit, the attitude can be a bit much.</p>
<p>For example,</p>
<p>The University
Grounds
Fraternities(not frats)
Secret Societies
Mr Jefferson
First year,Second year(not freshman/sophmore)
Coats/ties to football games</p>
<p>Nobody at UNC thinks they are on par with Princeton, but you will actually hear UVirgina people carry on such a conversation. Is it a good school? Without question. As good as 'Hoos carry on about?, No.</p>
<p>In the 80s I saw other schools sell T-shirts that said:</p>
<p>UVa: where the grades are inflated and so are the egos.</p>
<p>There is always a kernel of truth to every stereotype. Go and visit and then decide for yourself. Good luck.</p>
<p>"Nobody at UNC thinks they are on par with Princeton"</p>
<p>i'd hope not, yo</p>
<p>lol, thanks swish for some reality check.</p>
<p>What reality check? Quoting 20+ year old T-shirts? Oh please. That's just nonsense.</p>
<p>Oh goodness. Swish I find your post a bit too much. You're talking about the lingo we use at UVA, not an actual attitude.</p>
<p>The University -- this is where you do have a point. School pride can get a bit out of hand with students saying THE university, but it also has to do with the fact that Thomas Jefferson founded it (in dispute? Refer below). Not many colleges can boast that a president was a key player in shaping their history.</p>
<p>Grounds -- Has to do with how Jefferson designed his 'Academical Village'. (See UVA's website for further details, I'm tired and if I paraphrase it in my current state of mind I probably would get something wrong). Again, lingo.</p>
<p>Fraternities -- many who belong in one find the word 'frat' as degrading. After all, with the word frat the image of a typical frat boy (and all that entails) comes to mind. Stereotypes are a gross misrepresentation of the majority of the people it stereotypes, so who wants to be called that?</p>
<p>Secret Societies -- folks who had major contributions to the University as a student or alum. Many other colleges have secret societies as well (although not with symbols plastered all over campus), call them pretentious as well then.</p>
<p>Mr. Jefferson -- our way of showing respect to our founding father (alright, so my Uguides friends tell me that's actually not the case, but 'TJ is our founding father' was hammered into my head so many times during first year orientation that that's all I remember. =P ). We also call our professors Mr. ___ and Ms. ___ instead of Dr.</p>
<p>First year, second year -- is actually Jefferson's humble acknowledgment that learning never ends. In the paraphrased words of TJ, "To call oneself a senior means one has learned all there is to know." It was TJ's firm belief that learning never ends, and so students are called by what year of learning they are in.</p>
<p>Coats/ties to football games -- dressing up for football games. Comes with the fact that UVA has a lot of Southern students and their culture. </p>
<p>So really, imo the pretension you're talking about is just different lingo.</p>
<p>Swish, I do think you are confusing tradition and pride with pretension. Pretension implies faking it. But as melli points out, almost all of the traditions you find pretentious were specifically started by Jefferson himself or at the founding of the school. So if they have been doing it ever since, that isn't a pretension, its a tradition. If you want to call them silly or unnecessary, that is a matter of opinion, but they are not pretentious. </p>
<p>Personally, I find them inspiring. The man who started those traditions and poured his heart into the school is the same man who captured the ideals and dreams of this nation into words. To stand on The Lawn, walk up the steps of The Rotunda, and to hear and read those words will bring tears to your eyes. It does every time I go there.</p>
<p>For those of you like me who can't get enough of it...</p>
<p><a href="http://www.virginia.edu/rcam/index.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.virginia.edu/rcam/index.html</a></p>
<p>Vistany, the Law School and the Darden School don't get any money from the state. They are fully funded through private funding. Thus, their tuition is almost as high as private MBA and Law School programs. I believe they both still give a leg up to in-state students when it comes to admission, but most students at both grad programs are from OOS.</p>
<p>I believe (but I admit I haven't checked this year) that the law school still offers a tuition break for in state students. It is my understanding that Darden only has one tuition.</p>
<p>Oh, and back to the original topic. I think UVA does an amazing job of making students feel a part of something special and important and bigger than themselves. There is an overwhelming sense of tradition, and I think most students are proud to continue in that tradition. To engender this spirit is particularly impressive at such a large state university. </p>
<p>I am such a sap, but I loved that sound clip on the UVA web site where Tiki Barber said "there is something magic about UVA." I agree, but then I have had alot of the koolaid.</p>
<p>UVA students' and alums' love for their school should not diminish how other students feel about their school.</p>
<p>Now that I think about it, the accusation of UVA pretentiousness and snobbery usually comes from W&M and VT students. I think students at those schools maintain a bit of chip on their shoulders when it comes to UVA. This is especially true of those from W&M since many tend to feel they are better students, work harder, etc, but receive less notoriety and attention. Some of them have a particularly hard time dealing with the general perception that UVA, as the state flagship, is a better school. Not all mind you, but definitely some. They're the ones who would take the time to make T-shirts like Swish describes IMO. Basically, just sour grapes, albeit unnecessary. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, except pertaining to sports, and even then, mostly just VT, you rarely hear UVA students being similarly concerned with the students or the reputations of other VA state schools. I think that's somewhat telling, and all the more reason not to buy into such stereotypes promoted by those without direct experience at UVA.</p>
<p>UVA all the way. We feel very fortunate to have a student at UVA...lets face it, you can find "pretentiousness" to some degree, ANYWHERE you look, if thats what you are intent on finding. I agree that tradition is everything at UVA, and how could it not be? If others don't like it and find it pretentious then don't apply and don't go. There will be plenty of others standing in line!</p>
<p>UVa, I will not trade it with any other...</p>