<p>What things make University of Richmond so special or not so special?</p>
<p>I don’t claim to have any great insights into the University of Richmond, but I think there are some very special things about the college. </p>
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<li><p>The campus might be the single prettiest college campus in the country. If you’ve visited there, then you already know it, but if not you really should know about the wonderful job that the planners at U Richmond have done. Most (all?) of the buildings are constructed in a uniform gothic style using red bricks and laid it out around a lake and on hillsides for a setting that is truly beautiful (which is an overused word on CC, but U Richmond is the real deal). </p></li>
<li><p>Beyond the landscape beauty, the facilities of the college are first-rate, including a spectacular new science center and as attractive a student center and nearby cafeteria as you’ll find anywhere. Coupled with top athletic facilities for students to use and another major arena in which to watch their Spiders play basketball, U Richmond’s got a lot to offer. I hear that their football team plays its games off campus, but that a new on-campus stadium is planned.</p></li>
<li><p>As far as studies, perhaps the best known is the undergraduate business school (Robins School named after the school’s major benefactor who also gave the $ for the Robins athletic building). U Richmond also received a major gift for the creation of an undergraduate leadership program and they have developed a strong program for this (Jepson). </p></li>
<li><p>While the faculty may not currently have the historical reputation of places like Hamilton or Colby or Bucknell, I would consider U Richmond as a peer or near peer to each of these. The students come out of there well prepared and there is a great fundamental underpinning to the education to the educational offering. This is central Virginia after all, so there is a bit more of a conservative, traditional slant than you’d find in northern climes, but I think most students would find the faculty and the educational offering to be outstanding. </p></li>
<li><p>Money: The school is wealthy and currently has the 44th largest endowment of ALL colleges (and a per capita level of over $500k per student which is better than 4 of the Ivies) in the country which I think is pretty impressive for a school of its size (about 2800) and bodes well for their financial ability to deliver a high quality experience to their students now and in the future. Expect to see more great facilities and more great faculty hires. </p></li>
<li><p>Leadership: They hired away from U Virginia one of the rising stars of American academia in Ed Ayers. Everything I’ve ever heard about him is good and it looks like U Richmond is in good hands that will steer the college to a stronger and stronger undergraduate offering (and a higher and higher national reputation). </p></li>
<li><p>The city of Richmond is a medium-sized city (about 1 million metro area) with some nice parts to it. U Richmond is located in the wealthy western area of the city, but still relatively close to the downtown areas (about 15 minutes away) and some nice restaurant areas (about 10 minutes away). The city experiences all four seasons and springtime is spectacular. There is a certain southern charm and friendliness to the city and to the college that is unmistakable and highly appealing as a place to go to live and/or go to college. </p></li>
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<p>U Richmond is definitely on the rise and provides an undergraduate experience that will surprise those who have not looked at the school recently.</p>