In honor of the University's upcoming publicity stunt known formally as Days on the Lawn, I have decided to write a brief message to the prospective members of the class of 2014. Yes, I am aware that there is a very small chance these word will actually reach their anxious hands, but at least my words don't have to go to waste on the classes of 2010 to 2013.
To a prospy: If I remember the feeling correctly, you're probably tired from the drive, secretly thrilled to be skipping one school to attend another and also completely overwhelmed. Knowing the kind of students that the school recruits - and being one of them myself - I can only assume that you are being courted by many other "elite" (read: expensive) institutions of higher learning. Still, you're taking the time to visit Grounds, meaning that we might even meet in person.
If this were to occur, you would possibly ask me some cursory information about the University. How big are your classes? Where's the best place to eat? Does everyone really dress like that? I would gladly answer all of these, silently anticipating the most important of all: Why should I go to U.Va.?
I'm here to give you a few reasons why this little hole in the wall, more colloquially referred to as Mr. Jefferson's University, stands out like a Tech fan at a home football game:
1. Our size. U.Va. is no Ohio State - thank God - but we're not the size of your high school either. I think it's a safe assumption that many of you are also weighing offers from those small Liberal Arts Colleges, whose student-faculty ratios make you salivate. In an attempt to show you they care more about you than a school like ours, they court you personally through handwritten notes or even cross-country visits. Although there's no denying our classes are bigger on average, it doesn't necessarily follow that you're reduced to "a number" here. The attention is there - you just have to be willing to work for it. TAs and discussions also aren't quite as bad as they seem, and sometimes a TA makes a class, despite an overwhelmingly average teacher. But your face time with the representatives of academia is not limited to just these 20-something professor-wannabes. Most professors, especially those who teach the largest, most popular courses, hold flexible office hours and are enthusiastic about meeting students. You might consider a relationship with your teacher to be a right, but it's really more of a privilege - and for this reason, it is often more special.
A second benefit to our size is the social diversity that comes with it. Not to hate on the Amhersts of the world - again - but if you don't fit in at a 2,000 person school, good luck! (Does anyone else remember high school?) At U.Va., several distinctive cultures can be found at the University. If you're a jock, join the lobster line at JPJ! Friends abound in the weight room and on the Northline. There also is the Lawnie culture, reinforced every year by a selection committee of fourth-year students. Despite these many distinctive cultures, don't fear feeling lost among them. Of course, then there's the obvious fratster scene - the most visible, perhaps, but certainly not the most prominent. Even though it might appear so, U.Va. is not a walking Ralph Lauren catalog. (It's actually a walking Abercrombie & Fitch catalog, but that's for another time.) By the end of your first year, you'll recognize enough people to feel like you belong - even if you only see them in the line at Greenberry's. The first-year experience is known for creating a smaller community at a medium-sized school.
2. NCAA Division I Sports. I never thought I would be saying these words, but it's true: Sports bring something intangible to the University community that other schools simply cannot make up for. There is something about standing in a sweltering football stadium and yelling at the top of your lungs with a couple thousand of your closest friends. In all seriousness, though, being able to cheer for something that's your own, that represents your school, creates a different kind of unity. Forget the fact that we're not too stellar at the big sports - football and basketball - but appreciate that some of the best collegiate soccer, tennis, lacrosse and baseball players in the nation may be sitting next to you in lecture. They're incredible at what they do, and the rest of us get to reap a very tangible benefit from their successes.
3. State school. Ew, right? Like I said, I'm assuming that most of you are considering some of the nation's more prestigious institutions - institutions whose visions are too grand to be restricted by state school status. Here, though, I think we're doing all right. U.Va. has created a nice harmony that makes it a state school operating like a private school. Our connection to the state, which remains strong in our student-body demographics, is no longer a financial burden. Moreover, the University preserves its mission of giving in-state students a mighty fine education. I know there is a lot of debate about raising the out-of-state student quota, but I think it works right now. Out-of-state students, be content with the fact that it's much harder for you to get in. In-state students, foot the bill more comfortably.
Furthermore, it's no secret that there is a lot of money here. But do you think that's any different at any of the other schools you're considering? Unfortunately, in 2010, college is still a luxury for the majority of Americans. I like to think that U.Va. remains more grounded compared to other similar institutions, simply because there are some laws tying it down. There will be rich kids wherever you go. But will there be a conscious responsibility to educate the members of the state and to raise its future leaders? U.Va. is structured to provide for the common good by educating students who will one day serve their state and nation. The University is an investment on the state's behalf in the children of Virginia - and the nation. If that's not sobering, I don't know what is.
Hopefully these reasons are more satisfying than the nebulous concepts of "diversity," "character" and "tradition" that all schools try to sell to you as their unique characteristics, and while U.Va. has plenty of those things, that, too, is for another time. Good luck, prospy.
Emily's column runs biweekly Thursdays. She can be reached at e.kuhbach@cavalierdaily.com.
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