University of Virginia

About Me

Intro

I like to fancy myself a Renaissance man. I'm great at lots of stuff, and as a result, I attract all kinds of people. Do I have a snobby side? Indubitably. Do I like to drink? Absolutely.

I attract athletic enthusiasts (I have more than twenty NCAA titles and counting…not to brag or anything), international students (lots of study abroad folks make a home for themselves in Hooville), and even the hardcore academics.

I'm one of the top public universities in the country by most counts. Yep, I'm a pretty big deal, and truly a haven for bookworms—good luck finding a spot in Clemons Library during finals.

Really, I've grown up to be exactly what my founder, Thomas Jefferson, envisioned for me back in 1819. TJ was a bit of a Renaissance man himself, you see, and I do my best to keep his legacy alive and kickin'.

Name

Officially, the Virginia Cavaliers. Unofficially, the Wahoos and/or Hoos.

Hometown

I live in Charlottesville, Virginia, one of the most magical cities on Earth. Seriously. C-ville makes frequent appearances on lists of "best places to live" or "best quality of life," and there are tons of reasons why. I'm close to the Blue Ridge Mountains, so I have vineyards, breweries, orchards, hiking, and skiing all basically in my backyard. There's also history (what up Monticello), culture (hometown of the one and only Dave Matthews Band), and one of the most active, locally sourced restaurant industries in the U.S.

Birthdate

1819. My first-ever graduating class boasted only eight faculty members and sixty-eight students.

Body Type

I'm quite adorable, but not too tiny, really. Currently, I've got just around 3,500 students per graduating class, but this number is growing as quickly as new dorms are built. I'm small enough for you not to be swallowed alive in a massive sea of people, but just big enough that you're constantly making new friends, finding new connections, and being exposed to different corners of university life.

It's true that I'm getting bigger by the year, but fear not—Charlottesville will run out of parking long before I run the risk of getting too big. Those who seek a close-knit community vibe will have nothing to worry about.

Current Living Situation

Ah, dorm life. As a first-year, you'll have no choice but to take up residence in one of my several Wahoo-approved accommodations. There are two kinds of dorms. One is the Old Dorms, which are beautiful, historic, and closer to the rest of Grounds. They are also home to The Castle, creators of the best egg and cheese sandwich you will ever eat at odd hours of the morning.

Then there are the New Dorms—also quite beautiful, a hop, skip, and a jump away from the football stadium, along with the first year dining hall, and they come with all the fixin's. You don't get to choose where you live, but c'mon—with these options, you can't lose.

Almost everyone moves off Grounds after their first year. There are apartment complexes galore and some very cool old houses within easy walking distance of the university. If you're of the Greek persuasion, you can move into one of the historic fraternity or sorority houses on Rugby Road…along with twenty of your closest friends.

Relationship Status

Objectively speaking, if someone told you there's a school with over twenty NCAA team championships, thirty-two individual championships, and 116 conference titles, you'd probably be pretty impressed, yeah? We thought so.

Now, what if that same person then told you that their biggest rival was a school with zero national championships, half as many individual wins, and a mere twenty-one conference titles? You'd be like, "Psh, some rivalry." Right?

This, folks, is the nature of our relationship with Virginia Tech. It's a rivalry, but not really. We're obviously better.

Long story short, we're rivals because we're both from the same place. But 95% of the time, it's not much of a competition.

Religion

One thing about being founded by the same dude who authored the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom is that I am in no way affiliated with any religion. I never have been, never will be.

Don't be misled by pictures of the Chapel on my website either. It may look like a normal church, but it is strictly pan-religious. Services of all faiths are held there, including weddings. Although, you better get on the waiting list…like, now. There are already a several hundred hopeful couples ahead of you.

Politics

Politically, we are just as diverse as ever. We're a Southern school in a lot of ways, so you'll definitely find a bit of southern hospitality and traditional politics in the student body.

On the flip side, we've got a taste of staunch liberalism. Our democratic tendencies come from being part of the "Ivy League of the South." My professors are almost all very liberal, too.

The city of Charlottesville, like the faculty, is mostly blue. (And not in the "boo-hoo" sense.) But no matter what you believe, you're bound to find some political friends in your midst.

You should apply to me if...

making bank and saving the world are just as important to you as making happy hour.