Frequently Asked Questions

Academics

What can I study at U.Va.?

The University offers undergraduate degrees from six schools: the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Architecture, the School of Engineering, the School of Nursing, the School of Commerce, and the School of Education. A number of majors are offered in each of the schools, as well as the option to study in more than one school. At the center of our educational philosophy is a focus on the study of the liberal arts. All students, even those enrolled in pre-professional schools, are encouraged to take classes in many disciplines.

Does U.Va. offer an honors program?

Both the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering and Applied Science offer school-wide honors programs. In the College, the Echols Scholars Program enrolls students who have excelled academically and exhibited unusually intellectual curiosity. Echols Scholars enjoy priority registration and exemption from all area requirements such as science, English, and foreign language.  They're free to take any academic courses that interest them, and they're encouraged to use this freedom to create a stimulating, often interdisciplinary academic program.  In the School of Engineering, the Rodman Scholars Program is somewhat more traditional. Rodman Scholars enjoy special seminar classes and design projects in the first year, specially designated courses throughout their undergraduate program, and possibly some financial compensation.  No special application is necessary for either the Echols or the Rodman program; everyone who applies for admission to the College or the School of Engineering is considered automatically.

Most departments in the College also participate in the departmental "Distinguished
Majors" programs. U.Va. students may apply to these programs, which require the preparation
of a fourth-year thesis, after they have completed some work in their major subject. It is through these programs that U.Va. students can graduate with honors.

What is the average class size?

The average class size is between 20 and 30 students, and the faculty to student ratio is 15.2 to 1.  Classes range from small seminars of fewer than 10 students to larger lectures of a few hundred.  Once a week, students in the lecture courses will meet for a discussion or lab of 15 to 20 people.  To provide new students with extensive peer and faculty interaction, special University Seminars are available to first-year students. Remember that students learn differently in a lecture course than they do in a small discussion, but, in either circumstance, they have access to some of the finest professors in the country.

How many classes are taught by teaching assistants?

Ninety percent of the classes at U.Va. are taught by over 2,000 faculty members.  The other instructors are teaching assistants who are usually Ph.D. candidates. Teaching assistants lead weekly discussion groups and teach introductory-level English composition and foreign language. The University's Teaching Resource Center sponsors a number of workshops to enhance teaching techniques for all University instructors.

Will I have an advisor?

Students at U.Va. receive advice from a number of sources.  In the College of Arts and Sciences, for example, a dean, along with a group of specially chosen faculty members, is assigned to each first-year living unit to help students plan their academic programs.  Students meet with an advisor during summer orientation and will meet with their first- and second-year advisor when they return in the fall. Once students declare a major, they choose an advisor from that particular department.  More informally, faculty members also hold office hours and encourage students to come in and talk about their academic goals and plans.

Are there opportunities to study abroad?

Over 500 University students study abroad each year. The University's International Studies Office coordinates study abroad for the year, semester or summer. Our programs are in Australia, Bahamas, Belgium, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Denmark, El Salvador, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Peru, Morocco, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Tibet, and the United Kingdom, and we can make arrangements for students to study in other countries as well.

In 2006, the University of Virginia became the academic sponsor of Semester at Sea, the world's first onboard education program.  In the spring and fall semesters, students choose from 70 academic courses to take during their 100-day voyage around the world and disembark at international ports to experience the cultures and visit historical sites relevant to their studies.  A 65-day summer semester offers a regional tour.  The voyages are led by world-class faculty-Nobel Peace Prize Winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu led the spring 2007 voyage of the MV Explorer.

Living Environment

Which first-year houses are better: Alderman or McCormick?

There are advantages to each area. The houses on Alderman Road, also known as the New Dorms, have a suite configuration, which many students enjoy, and more closet space. The houses on McCormick Road, also known as the Old Dorms, are more architecturally appealing, have outdoor quads and are closer to most classes. In either situation, students enjoy a close bond with others in their first-year house and have the support of an upper-class student on each hallway. First year students may also choose to live in one of the three residential colleges - Brown, Hereford, or the International Residential College.  Virtual tours of the housing areas are available at www.virginia.edu/dorms/.

What if my roommate and I have a fight?

The University encourages students to handle situations between themselves in an adult manner. However, if a dispute cannot be resolved, the upper-class resident assistant will intervene and ensure that each student's rights are recognized and upheld.

Will I be able to live on Grounds all four years?

Students wishing to live on Grounds after the first year will enter a housing lottery, and most of these students will be successful at securing housing space. At present, U.Va. can accommodate approximately fifty percent of its students on Grounds, and each year there are still housing facilities with empty beds once the academic year begins.

Because students living off Grounds are usually within walking distance and are not isolated from the University community, many upper-class students choose to live in the charming neighborhoods that surround the University.  Living off Grounds need not be more expensive than living on Grounds.

Other Student Life Issues

How many students are enrolled at U.Va.?

Of the 20,000 students enrolled, approximately 13,000 are undergraduates. Our size means we can offer about 1,000 classes every semester and over 560 student organizations to our students from all over the world.

Are out-of-state students overwhelmed by Virginians?

Although 68% of students are from Virginia, 32% are from out of state, coming from 48 states and 102 nations across the world in 2006. Students at the University have the opportunity to interact with people from many different backgrounds and geographic regions, from Maine to Virginia to Colorado to Peru.

Is crime a problem at U.Va.?

While our crime rate is extremely low, there is some crime at the University of Virginia-just as there is crime at any other university. However, University students are proactive rather than reactive in their approach to crime. Emergency telephones, the University Police Department, the Student Escort Service, and the Honor System all make life here safer. More importantly, students are encouraged to look out for each other and to take their own safety and the safety of others seriously.

Does social life revolve around the Greek system?

Approximately one third of students are members of the Greek system. Many Greek functions are open to all students and thus are integrated into the whole of the University. The sorority and fraternity system is only part of the social life here. Hundreds of other student organizations and social outlets are available, from spelunking to soccer, theatre to debate.  Over 3,000 students participate in weekly community service through the 16 volunteer programs at Madison House.  There also are many restaurants, shops, coffeehouses, theatres, and concert venues within walking distance.  Each week, students receive Connections, an extensive e-mail listing of events and activities taking place on and around Grounds.

What does your sports program include?

As a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the University sponsors 12 Division I-A sports for men and 12 for women. Men's sports include basketball, baseball, football, soccer, cross country, track and field, diving, track, tennis, swimming, lacrosse, golf and wrestling.  Women's sports include basketball, field hockey, lacrosse, swimming, diving, rowing, cross country, track, tennis, softball, soccer, and volleyball.  Additionally, we offer over 45 club sports that compete regionally against other schools and 64 intramural sports.  In 2005-2006, the University of Virginia won five ACC championships: men's swimming, diving, and cross country; and women's rowing and lacrosse.

Do you have ROTC?

All military branches have programs here. Students dress on Tuesdays and take some military science classes, but find that the ROTC program is comprehensive without being too time consuming.

What support services exist?

A wealth of support services are provided by the Office of the Dean of Students, the Office of African American Affairs, University Career Services, Counseling and Psychological Services at Student Health, Peer Advising, and many others. All these offices advertise their services to students in the first-year houses in the hopes that students will feel free to ask for help when they need it.

What if I have more questions?

For more answers to questions about student life, refer to "Hoo's Got A Question?" on the Admission Office website, www.virginia.edu/admissions.

Admission

What is the average SAT I score?

Know that students with a wide range of scores have been admitted.  Several more important factors come into play in the admission process including academic program and grades, essays and involvement in extracurricular activities. However, our average score is 1320. For more, see Admission.

Our entering class is comprised of 3,100 students, 68% in state and 32% out-of-state. In most years, about two-thirds of the applications we receive are from outside of Virginia. Approximately 25% of the out-of-state applicants will be admitted, and 47% of the in-state and legacy applicants will be admitted. Successful candidates will be in the top of their class and take many honors and Advanced Placement courses in high school. Usually the candidate's senior year courses are the most rigorous offered in the school.

The Bottom Line--Why Should I Come to U.Va.?

Academics

The University is considered one of the premiere academic institutions in the United States. In this atmosphere there is a great love of the liberal arts and an emphasis placed upon active intellectual inquiry and dialogue. Over the years, 45 Rhodes Scholars have graduated from Virginia. Only five other American institutions have produced more.  For as long as U.S. News and World Report has published its rankings, the University of Virginia has been the best or second best public university.

Faculty

University of Virginia professors are women and men who are highly respected in their fields. They are a distinguished group, including Guggenheim fellows, Fulbright Scholars, winners of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award, and a two-time poet laureate of the United States.

Student Self-Governance

The emphasis on student self-governance has produced one of the most actively involved student bodies in the country. Students have a hand in the day-to-day running of the University, and leave U.Va. with valuable leadership and management experience as a result.  Opportunities for involvement range from the oldest student-run Honor System in the nation, to the University Judiciary Committee, Student Council, The Cavalier Daily, the Chinese Student Association, University Democrats and over 560 other student-run organizations.

Technology

In 2006, PC Magazine rated U.Va. a "Top 20 Wired College" in the U.S.  U.Va. has led the way in integrating technology into the learning experience through special initiatives available to all students such as the Electronic Text Center, which offers an on-line collection of thousands of books and other materials formatted so that they can be accessed and searched by computer, and the Digital Media Center, which features cutting-edge film editing and sound mixing capabilities.  Most buildings and all undergraduate dormitories are wired for direct network access. All students have access to 24-hour computer facilities, and most classes at U.Va. have a website associated with them on an electronic Toolkit.  Students and faculty exchange more than three-quarters of a million e-mail messages each day.

Diversity

The University is composed of a more diverse student body than ever before and maintains the highest graduation rate of African-American students of any public university.  U.Va. students come from throughout the United States as well as from over 100 foreign countries. They are of various socioeconomic, ethnic and racial backgrounds. By living and learning in this environment, students develop an enhanced understanding of distinct cultures and broaden their knowledge of human behavior.

Thomas Jefferson

The University of Virginia was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson.  Of the University, Mr. Jefferson said, "Our aim from the beginning has been to make this establishment the most eminent in the United States, in order to draw to it the youth of every state."  The University still bears the imprint of his far-ranging intellect: his love of every species of learning, scientific and artistic, beautiful and useful.  The University of Virginia and Monticello comprise one of only 20 World Heritage Sites in the United States, and Mr. Jefferson's epitaph bears the inscription: "Author of the Declaration of American Independence, of the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, and Father of the University of Virginia."

Questions Related to the Jefferson Scholarship Foundation

Which regions are currently participating in the Jefferson Scholars Foundation?

May a student apply directly for a Jefferson Scholarship?

No, the candidate must be nominated by a school which is qualified to participate in the Foundation or identified through the admissions application process.

What are the qualifications for a Jefferson Scholarship?

The candidates demonstrate exceptional potential in the areas of leadership, scholarship, and citizenship. Each participating school is to nominate the one high school senior who best exemplifies these characteristics.

What expenses are covered by Jefferson Scholarships?

The scholarship provides for the entire cost of attending the University. The stipend is
intended to cover tuition, fees, room, board, books, and miscellaneous expenses, as determined by the University's Office of Financial Aid.

Please visit the Jefferson Scholars Foundation website, www.jeffersonscholars.org for more information.

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