<p>UVA is a great place and the people that attend are highly qualified applicants....I just want to know why did you choose UVA and not somewhere else?</p>
<p>Great academics, great social life and great price tag. Being named an Echols Scholar didn't hurt, either.</p>
<p>It's the quintessential American university. Great everything.</p>
<p>I am also interested to hear the different qualities that stood out to various students.</p>
<p>Speaking of UVA, my cousin didn't get in and she is very, very smart. She got like a 1400 on her old SAT and was ranked about 5th out of 500 students in her class! She now attends the University of Mary Washington.</p>
<p>I think UVa has a magical quality to it that makes many students and alums very passionate (bordering on obsessive) about the school. Personally, I thought of UVa as a place that inspired me to strive for great things, and frankly, it continues to do so. I was inspired by the great professors, my fellow students and successful alumni, along with the world-renowned architecture, and the mission and principles of the University. It's hard to find the combination of great academics, athletics, undergrad research and other institutional resources, history, student quality of life, and commitment to public service that UVa offers.</p>
<p>I wrote something on another thread that explains my decision to attend UVa more eloquently. </p>
<p>My S is a first year engineering student at UVA. He is loving his English class--a first ever from a child who has always struggled in this area. That tells me the professors must be really great.</p>
<p>The sporting events are FREE to students. Definitely not a given at other schools. This means lots of students go to the games, building school spirit. In addition to soccer games, he has also seen an a capella group and an art film--loving them all. The soccer is no surprise, but the other two events are something he wouldn't have done before. This tells me the other students are a positive influence on him. </p>
<p>He is trying out for the club soccer team, but also keeping up with 5-6 hours a day of studying outside of class M-Th and Sunday. Most students seem to have a nice balance of work and play. </p>
<p>The girls are gorgeous and smart. He hung out with the gorgeous and decidedly opposite of smart females in high school.</p>
<p>Hope these tidbits help add some color to the school.</p>
<p>I'm a first year right now, and I can honestly say I've made some amazing friends and am really, really enjoying UVA. The best part about the University is simply the great balance between social life and academics. People like to have fun and go to frats, but those same people are also really smart and know how to buckle down and study when necessary. UVA is simply a fantastic choice.</p>
<p>Also, it's the most beautiful school ever. Not only from our point of view... My cousin who goes to Stanford visited last week and she said if she had come to UVA to visit she probably would have ended up coming here instead of going to Stanford, so that says something pretty quickly.</p>
<p>ahhh, i soooooooo hope i get into UVa!!</p>