I am currently a junior in High school and I’m starting to look for colleges. I have been looking for a school that is between 3,000-20,000 people and is in the mid-Atlantic region. One school that I saw was University of Richmond. It looked really cool online but after reading some reviews I’m not too sure. I’m not much of a partyer and I probbaly wouldn’t join Greek Life, but most things say University of Richmond revolves around those things. Would I still be able to have a social life without partying or should I look
somewhere else? Thanks?
You can have a social life anywhere without partying, should you so choose. That said, there are plenty of things to do at UR, and in the city, that don’t involve Greek life. The school has so many events (foreign films, speakers, chaplaincy, spider nights, clubs, sports, etc.) plus, the city itself is vibrant, and UR has many programs partnering with various organizations. Re, Greek life, my recollection is that ~ 2/3 of boys and 1/2 of girls do not participate. My S, a freshman, has many older friends he met through a club and some are in a frat, some not. The opportunities are definitely there for someone who wants to do something other than party. Now, when my S was set on Colgate for a period of time, I worried about the Greek scene being all there was (not a fan of frats/sororities) especially because there is nothing other than the tiny village there. We were glad when he chose Richmond instead.
My daughter is a freshman at UR; she is definitely not a partier but has found a huge circle of friends already. She takes part in lots of clubs and has been socializing with people from them (e.g., games nights and movies). I was also worried when I read the reviews online before she started but it’s been a good fit for her without needing to be in the party scene. The school has an amazing faculty and facilities; it’s wonderful there!
@megdrewmom Are there any clubs that are particularly social?
@citymama9 She is in an a capella group and they seem to socialize a lot outside of the club. She also does debate which travels for competitions. She has also met people in her classes and dorm. I’ve been impressed with how well-connected she is already. I think the size is perfect for her because you will see familiar faces walking around but there are also lots of new people to meet!
@megdrewmom Thank you! That’s good to hear.
There are clubs for all sorts. My current freshman at UR found his people in the Super Smashbrothers club lol. He also started his own foosball club. My eldest graduated from it in May. She did a year in accapella but found her friends through orientation and they stuck all four years. Neither went/are going Greek.