Anyone a current student at Richmond or have children there? My DD is seriously considering ED’ing there. I know it is often described as more pre-professional. Are classes and professors engaging (good classroom discussion, research opportunities, etc). Would you describe it as a tight knit community - ie strong school spirit, friendly students,etc.? Are students happy? Any information would be greatly appreciated!
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My nephew is a sophomore. He has found it to be a friendly, tight-knit place and really enjoys his classes. Lots of school spirit. He did the Endeavor Program freshman year, which was another way to build relationships. The Richmond Endeavor - Living-Learning Programs - University of Richmond
Our S24 transferred out of Richmond his sophomore year. The main reasons were that he felt the school was just too small and that most students were not academically engaged. Even though the Richmond campus is pretty big overall, the area where students spend most of their time is relatively compact. Plus, Richmond is a self-contained campus. Regarding academic engagement, our son said that most students studied and did their work but were not actively engaged in what they were learning. Overall, he seemed to like most of his professors, and they were always approachable and available, especially for the small class sizes.
He had a great social experience, joined a fraternity, and made several lifetime friends. He did say that everyone on campus got along, but it was cliquey. Overall, he has positive things to say about his experience at Richmond and was just looking for a bigger, more engaging environment.
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When surveyed about aspects related to their overall classroom experience, students at Richmond express a high level of satisfaction:
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Academics and profs are good. School spirit isn’t that high…I would say typical for a school that size, there will be plenty of students at men’s basketball games for example. Not so much at baseball.
IME Richmond can be a socially tough place, especially for females, especially for those not from the northeast. It’s cliquey in a mean girl way, and Greek Life is important to social status. For some students being in the right sorority is important, while others want no part of that scene and can easily ignore it. Make sure your D has awareness of what’s important to her with regard to those things.
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Has your daughter spoken to a student ambassador or two or milled around campus and stopped kids to chat ? Or similarly in the dining hall ?
Don’t have Richmond experience but it was something we always did, unless my daughter had an initial upfront dislike upon visiting.
I always felt like she probed enough to get a good sense.
No kids, but I’ve driven by it. You should be aware that just because it is within the Richmond city limits doesn’t mean you won’t need transportation to reach anything even slightly off campus. There’s nothing, not even a coffee shop, within walking distance.
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Very true - one thing my daughter didn’t like when we toured - but if the student is planning to ED, I’d assume they’ve visited. If not, that’s a must. VCU it’s not (location wise).
Strange comment. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law are alums and huge fans of the school, with lifelong friends they met at UR. Every Richmond alum I know (including women) speaks highly of the school. To the OP, I would take the “mean girl” comment with a huge grain of salt. It really doesn’t match the experience of the people I know who went there, and continue to have decades long relationships with UR friends.
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Nothing strange about my comment, it’s my lived experience. I understand that different people can have different experiences. I personally know more than a few students who have transferred out for these reasons over the last five to seven years, so these are relatively recent experiences. I will also note another poster mentioned the word ‘cliquey’.
Meanwhile OP’s D can do their research by talking with current students.
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100% - do not ED without a visit, without stopping kids on the quad, in the dining hall or at least reaching out to a student ambassador.
One needn’t ED. In the 23/24 CDS they admitted over 3500. Only 400 via ED and that includes athletes. For some maybe it helps but your student may have great odds RD.
Don’t ED unless you’ve investigated thoroughly and are 100% assured in your choice. It could also cost you possible merit.
Schools push ED because they want the revenue assuredness. They are a business after all.
Not saying not to ED but do it for the right reason and not due to the school’s pressure campaign.
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Agreed. And I assume OP is talking ED2 at this point (unless their D is a 2026 HS grad.)
I know a current student who is very happy there, a recent graduate, and a number of alums, all of whom had positive experiences, so to each their own. I would definitely talk to current students rather than take the word of people on the internet. The freshman retention rate is 93%. You can’t please everyone.
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I think “mean girls” is a personal experience that frankly, anyone can have anywhere. I’ve lived in 6 states and 2 countries and trust me, mean girls is a constant.
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My son is a current freshman at Richmond, finishing up his first semester. He applied ED1. He loved the school from our college visit tours, and we visited a couple times before applying. He’s met extremely nice people and has made lifelong friends already. He plays a club sport, has gotten involved in pre-professional organization and plans to rush fraternities next semester. His classes are going well, his professors are very knowledgeable, approachable and supportive. The school has a lot to offer in terms of academic avenues. The campus is beautiful. The food is excellent, and the dorms are nice. The alumni network is strong, and grads are viewed very favorably in the professional world. All around, I can’t say enough good things.
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The Starbucks on River Road is within walking distance. The campus also has its own coffee shop, 815. UR runs shuttles to numerous shopping centers around town and the GRTC 77 bus has multiple stops on campus that can be utilized for easy access to other parts of the city.
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Hi, our S24 is a freshman at Richmond and we only have good things to say about the school. Campus is stunning and the people are very friendly, with a relaxed atmosphere. Food is great and the buidings and infrastructure are perfectly maintaned. Professor have been for the most engaging, and certainly very responsive to requests and helpful.
Our son is an international student but everyone has been open and welcoming, and it didn’t hamper him socially at all- he made good friends quickly and is involved with sports and other activities. The dorm rooms are fine, though the later year residences are obviously much better.
Our S24 is pre-business but has been taking Film and and humanities courses and there seems to be a good balance on campus between pre-professional and more intellectually inclined kids. Workload seems to him reasonable- certainly not easy but not overwhelming either.
As far as the location just outside the city- it’s not been an issues at all. A few kids around have cars, but especially the buses to the city and big malls are very efficient, sometimes coupled with the odd Uber/Lift. He’s going into Richmond on average at least once a week or more for dinners and evenings out. Feel free to ask for anything else we might be able to help you out on and good luck!
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The shuttle is frequent and goes most places one needs. A stat is 1/3 of students/freshman have cars. My child does not and has never had an issue finding a ride or friend wanting to go where she’s going. (Exception was to the airport during finals week at 5am!)
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We recently toured Richmond, and loved the campus- new wellness center, incredible food in the dining hall, meticulously maintained grounds and buildings. My daughter is interested in their undergraduate business school. This would be the only “small school” that she is considering applying to, so am interested in your post about your son. Where did he end up transferring to and was the experience better for him? Also ug business school or ?
The Robins School of Business is excellent. When he was there, almost 40% of the kids at Richmond were majoring in business. I believe that in 2021, Richmond made a considerable investment, around $ 20 Million, in expanding and updating the Robins School building and facilities. Also, the current President, Hallock, was the Dean of the SC Johnson School of Business at Cornell. For its size, Richmond is top-notch for business.
Our son transferred to Northwestern, which doesn’t have UG business school. He started with Econ but switched to the School of Social Policy and now works in Human Capital Consulting. he was happy that he transferred, but I think there are pros and cons to both. IMO, you can make a bigger school feel smaller, but you can’t make a small school feel bigger.
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