<p>If you are picked as an Echols Scholar, how does the dorm/roommate thing work? I understand that all of the Echols Scholars are in the new dorms except a few who opt out of those dorms. How hard is it to opt out of those dorms? Are there pluses to the new dorms besides having AC? If you are picked to be an Echols scholar, can you request a friend from high school as a roommate who is not an Echols Scholar? Is there a mix of many people in the new dorms with the Echols Scholars who are not Echols Scholars? If so, how many/what rough %? Being an Echols Scholar clearly has advantages such as in getting into the best classes. Are there downsides to it? And, lastly, and I hope no one finds this offensive, how “nerdy” is the Echols Scholar group as contrasted with the non-Echols UVA students?</p>
<p>Shouldn’t you wait until you’re actually sure you’re in the echols scholar program before you worry about it?</p>
<p>Anyway, neither new or old dorms have air conditioning, except for the much newer Woody and Cauthen dorms, though it’s not needed after awhile anyway. It is very hard to opt out of the Echols dorms, and you have to have a legitimate reason. I don’t think simply not wanting to live in new dorms is an excuse. If you are picked as an Echols scholar, you will be assigned to room with an Echols scholar and live in the Echols scholar dorms unless you somehow convince them that you can’t live in them. </p>
<p>There are two dorms which are completely full of Echols Scholars, and then one dorm where about 25% of the dorm consists of Echols Scholars. There are one or two suites out of the many Echols suites that habe a mix of non Echols and Echols, so maybe about 5-10 Echols scholars out of 200 will randomly live with non Echols scholars. </p>
<p>Also, Echols does not require anything of you, other than that you maintain a 3.0 GPA, so there are no ‘downsides’ as would be something like the engineering school’s Rodman scholar where they make you take extra courses. Finally, many Echols scholars are definitely hard working, but there are a fair mix of people which reflect UVA’s student population overall. There are the people who study a great deal, and those who don’t at UVA. Both exist in the echols program.</p>
<p>It’s not a question or “worrying.” It’s a question of whether to seek admission to the program or not. Believe me, I am not taking any of this - including admission - for granted. Thanks for your reply. I hope others will reply also.</p>
<p>
You don’t seek admission to Echols, they select you.</p>
<p>That’s true - and yet there is more to the story than that. Remind me to tell you after May 1.</p>
<p>Eli–
We have had an experience that I believe will answer some of your questions:
D is a first year at UVa. Last spring, she met a another new admit (we’ll call her “B”) and they decided to room together this year. B was Echols and D was not. Neither wanted to live in Echols dorms and so B’s family contacted UVa. At that time, they were told that the girls could chose McCormick (old dorms) if they wanted, and to opt out of Echols housing. They were told that the only thing they had to do was to indicate their choice on the housing form. The form did ask if either was an Echols scholar and B, of course, said that she was. Both requested each other as roomies and McCormick as their choice for housing.<br>
When they got their assignment in August, it was in Echols. D was distraught to say the least…didn’t want to be odd man out in a dorm of “smart people” (no offense intended also). We called UVa and were told in no uncertain terms, that if you choose to live with an Echols scholar, you WILL be in Echols housing–no exceptions. They were sorry that the girls had heard differently on a prior communication, but the Dean was unbending. He did give D the choice of having a new roommate–non Echols variety and moving to old dorms. B, of course, did not have a choice. She was told ALL Echols kids are housed together. If exceptions are made for others, we certainly didn’t know the magic words…
One semester later, being a non-Echols in an Echols dorm is an absolute non-factor. There are occasional meetings that non Echols kids are not involved in (not like anyone is sitting in their room feeling left out…), and D is pretty sure they have the nerdiest dorm on campus…but social life extends so far beyond where you live, that it just isn’t anything to think about. There are nerds AND very cool people in the Echols program–many of both.
She wouldn’t change anything-even if she could. Besides having a great roomie (which she says makes a big difference)they were able to bunk beds (which you can’t do in McCormick) to make room for futons, chairs etc. Makes TV viewing/studying very comfortable. Most Alderman dorms do NOT have A/C. Theirs does not. She loves having her own closet (McCormick only has 1 closet per room). She is spoiled with all that she is able to put in her room and loves it. However, her best friends are in McCormick and, even after seeing D&B’s room, wouldn’t trade either. Moral: don’t worry–you’ll probably be happy whereever you end up.</p>
<p>Yeah, don’t think that Echols scholars are a bunch of nerds. Well, actually most of them probably are, but if you’re at least lucky like me you’ll end up in a suite with at least a few people who are very socializing and focused on their non-academic lives. Heck, we have three people in our suite who are in danger of going on probation this semester since they have <3.0 GPAs, and several others are relatively close to this margin (including me). We’ve become accustomed to becoming probably what is the most slacker suite in our dorm (in a dorm with only 25% echols).</p>
<p>I don’t mean to distress anyone, as this is just my own experience, (I am currently a second year) but I lived in the Echols dorms last year. My suite/dorm was miserable, and it made the first few weeks of school really tough as I didn’t know many people coming here. If you are at all sociable, plan on joining fraternity/sorority etc, I would definitely try to get in Old Dorms. Almost none of my suitemates ever went out at night, and several of them were just extremely weird people. They were definitely smart, but it was just not a normal college dorm experience. The rest of the dorm was not much better, and we had a pretty bad reputation in terms of first year dorms.</p>
<p>Excuse my last post if it seemed a bit abrupt. I was mildly intoxicated when I wrote it.</p>
<p>Yes, some Echols suites can be like this. Our next door suite is very much like what you just described (mrorange), with plenty of weird people and only a couple active in the whole ‘fraternity scene’. Keep in mind that, though fun, the rugby road deal is just one of the many things you can do at uva. In fact, as the months go on I find it to be one of the worse socializable scenes and more for just a bunch of first years to get drunk and do nothing else like actually making constructive friendships. This more reflects the old dorms attitude more, something that will not likely carry onto your second year as you begin building relationships that will let you be very, very social no matter what dorm you were in.</p>
<p>Basically, to be a sociable person you shouldn’t have to worry at all about your suite. If you get a good suite, that’s great, but if it’s not your kind of people, you can just ignore them and focus on becoming active in the many ways you can at uva. Even in New Dorms in general there is this kind of ‘risk’, not with just the Echols dorms. On the other hand, though, New Dorms do have certain things over Old Dorms such as the larger room size, suite area, two closets, etc. And you’ll probably have at least one or two other people actively involved socially, at the bare minimum, so it’s not like it’s going to be you v. the rest of your suite in a worst case scenario.</p>