Why UVA?

As many of you know we hold online chats a couple times a semester for perspective students to ask any questions that they have which current students do their best to answer. From my experience, one question is asked more than any other: why should I come to UVA? Now I can't speak for why any of you reading this should come here, so I will just list some of the many reasons why I chose UVA and why I haven't regretted that decision for a second since coming here.

1. The academics
UVA is consistently rated among the top schools year after year (we're currently tied as the second best public school in the nation according to US News and World Reports.

2. The price
As an in-state student, you really can't beat the price for the quality of education that you are getting.

3. Majors
There is a wide variety of majors available as well as options for double-majoring or minoring so you can explore all of your interests.

4. Study abroad
There are many different programs to pick from and the administration really encourages students to take advantage of all of the opportunities (which you can read more about here http://www.virginia.edu/studyabroad/about.html)

5. Location
Not only is UVA only a few hours from my hometown in Northern Virginia, downtown Charlottesville is just a quick drive (in a car, bus, or the free trolley) from grounds which offers entertainment, food, and a change of scenery.

6. The students
Everyone who I talked to, current students, former students, and administration, absolutely love UVA. Sure, everyone has things that they don't like as much but overall the amount of school spirit people have is amazing.

7. I felt comfortable and at home here
The most important thing when deciding on a college is how you feel when you visit there and whether you can picture yourself there or not. I have to admit that it took me about three visits to really get the feeling that I would like to come here but I definitely felt that connection before committing. At the end of the day, while statistics, rankings, and the feelings of school spirit that students have are great, only you know what school is right for you. I do however, have to highly recommend a visit here either just for a tour or as a part of Days on the Lawn to get a feel for how awesome UVA is.