No Virginia college tour would be complete without a stop at one of our nation's most esteemed colleges, the University of Virginia (UVA). Established by Thomas Jefferson in 1819 in Charlottesville, VA (approx. an hour from Richmond and less than 2 hours from D.C.), the campus is a designated World Heritage Site and is, not surprisingly, one of the most beautiful college campuses in the nation. At the heart of the Academical Village is The Lawn, which includes a series of mixed-use brick buildings (housing faculty, students, visitors, classrooms, and more) flanking a large, terraced grass lawn. A select number of seniors are invited to reside in Lawn Rooms their final year of school, an honor bestowed on a mere 54 students per year.

Highly competitive and academically rigorous, most students would be happy to just gain acceptance at UVA. Notable programs include:

• McIntire School of Commerce: among the top ranked undergraduate business school (students apply for the elite program during sophomore year)
• Curry School of Education: which offers a 5-year plan culminating with a Master's in Teaching
• Batten School of Leadership & Public Policy: offering both undergraduate and advanced degrees

Some of the most popular majors at UVA include economics, politics, psychology and commerce. The College of Arts & Sciences is the largest school at the university, with a growing number of students opting for double majors. The school offers three separate honors programs, as well as a number of full-tuition scholarships to exceptional students. We took more notes during our time at UVA than we can include here, but please reach out to us if you would like to learn more about specific programs or admissions details at UVA. In the meantime, here are a few facts we gleaned from our recent visit:

Fast Facts:

• Admission rates are 32% in-state, and 23% for out-of-state students (the school received more than 32,000 applications last year, with 52% arriving for Early Action consideration)
• 15,669 undergraduate enrollment; 6,316 graduate enrollment
• 89% of admitted students in top 10% of class
• Middle 50% ACT scores: 28-33
• Middle 50% SAT scores: 1250-1460 (out of 1600)
• School accepts Early Action and Regular Decision only (no binding Early Decision available); 33% of those deferred from Early Action end up being admitted
• 60% of students involved in research
• 88% of students graduate within 4 years, 93% within 6 years

Fun Facts:

• Division 1 ACC athletics
• 30% of students participate in Greek life
• 33% of students are non-Virginians (includes international students)
• Edgar Allen Poe's room on remains decorated in early 19th C. style, and is open to visitors (unable to fund his education, he never graduated)
• Famous alums include 3 Presidents, 7 Supreme Court Justices and Tina Fey, to name a few
• Campus traditions revolve around The Lawn, which also houses the residences of the school president and deans
• The student self-governance model and honor code are central to all aspects of university
• UVA has never awarded an honorary degree (specific policy prevents it)



If you'd like to learn more about University of Virginia, please give us a call!