VCU for my kid? (Richmond, Roanoke: fit in, rent, credit)

[headnsouth]

VCU is on my son's shortlist* for college and we're just beginning the process & we'll do the tour & talk to people but I thought I'd ask what y'all know/think about the school, the area it's in, the culture there, the interaction between students/city residents, etc.

Not sure what he's going to study ... he's all over the map ... math, environmental studies, business, pre-med, pre-vet-med, who knows. He's an atheist vegetarian into indie music & performing arts (but not fine arts) ... very easygoing. Please tell me anything you think we should know. Thanks!

*Also on the list are VT (math), JMU (theater), & UVA (not$gonna$happen).

[brocco]

sounds like he would fit in, but unless he wants to major in something arts-related vcu has kind of a crappy academic rep

[Archguy]

Obviously you are in-state, right? If so, I can't figure out why you say "(not$gonna$happen)" for UVA--along with William & Mary, it's the bargain of the century for in-state students. (For comparison, Washington & Lee is $41,927 and Duke is $41,938.)

University of Virginia - Tuition & Fees: $11,786

Virginia Tech - Tuition & Fees: $10,509

Virginia Commonwealth - Tuition & Fees: $9,517

I seriously doubt you're going to shortchange your kid for the sake of a thousand dollars--moreover UVA has far more financial assistance available than those other schools, so if you are truly needy they'll pick up the tab.

Virginia Colleges - Colleges in Virginia

Now, what you say about your kid could well be a better reason to avoid UVA...he might find a better 'fit' at VCU which definitely offers a funkier vibe. UVA is hardly the old-guard traditional school it was a couple generations ago, but it's still relatively traditional.

How strong is your kid academically? Unless he's in the top 25% of his class it's not worth wondering about UVA or W&M anyway...unless perhaps he goes to TJHS in Nova.

[jzcrandall]

Originally Posted by headnsouth

He's an atheist vegetarian into indie music & performing arts

He might be a little too conservative for VCU.

[hgnmx]

Originally Posted by brocco

sounds like he would fit in, but unless he wants to major in something arts-related vcu has kind of a crappy academic rep

Maybe to you.


VCU National Rankings

[headnsouth]

Originally Posted by Archguy

How strong is your kid academically? Unless he's in the top 25% of his class it's not worth wondering about UVA or W&M anyway...unless perhaps he goes to TJHS in Nova.

He's in the Governor's School for Science & Technology, AP humanities classes, should have about a semester's worth of dual-enrollment credits when he starts, good grades & scores. We're in Roanoke.

I'm not really asking about stats though, I'm wondering more about the culture, the area, what he's going to experience besides the academics. For example, Tech is super bike-friendly & you'd be surprised how good their theater productions are. Can you elaborate on VCU's "funkier vibe"? I thought Richmond was old-school southern conservative.

[Octa]

VCU is an upcoming urban school. From what it sounds like, your son would probably fit in. It's not like traditional colleges where it's isolated with green fields for students to sit around in. It's integrated into Richmond. If he likes VCU he probably won't like JMU/UVA and vice versa since they're very different experiences. It's a very big school so there isn't any one culture though if I had to use a word to describe VCU it would be "artsy" since the students are very active politically and are very accepting to different cultures. If you take a visit you'll probably see a lot of people with a multitude of clothing and hair styles that you wouldn't see on more traditional campuses. From what I gather, Greek life isn't that big either. Like I mentioned earlier, the campus is integrated into the city so you'll see a lot students around in the city since many of them live in the surrounding neighborhoods instead of on campus. So your son will have the campus and the city to keep him busy especially if he's into art stuff.

If you ever visit the campus, take some time to visit a restaurant in the Fan(neighborhood), Carytown, Shockoe Bottom, and possibly look at Belle Isle. Those are very popular areas for students to hang out in.


Edit:

Richmond isn't conservative. People might think it is because of it's history, but unless you're in the surrounding areas outside city limits you'll probably think the opposite. There are tons of hipsters and young professionals in the neighborhoods surrounding VCU. When I first came to Richmond, I felt like I was in a mini Portland or San Francisco because of the college crowd culture. Richmond is improving with it's bike lanes btw, but you'll see a ton of people biking around the campus and in the surrounding neighborhoods.

Let me know if you have any more questions.

[JD984]

Originally Posted by headnsouth

He's in the Governor's School for Science & Technology, AP humanities classes, should have about a semester's worth of dual-enrollment credits when he starts, good grades & scores. We're in Roanoke.

I'm not really asking about stats though, I'm wondering more about the culture, the area, what he's going to experience besides the academics. For example, Tech is super bike-friendly & you'd be surprised how good their theater productions are. Can you elaborate on VCU's "funkier vibe"? I thought Richmond was old-school southern conservative.

The University of Richmond is old-school conservative. VCU has the most hipster vibe of any school in Virginia, due to a combination of its strong arts programs, urban location and more laid-back student body than other public universities in the state. It's big - so it gets some very strong students and others who aren't so motivated.

The school is located just west of the downtown area and gradually merges into an upscale, row-house neighborhood called the Fan. It used to be a somewhat depressed area, but that made it easier for VCU to acquire land, build more academic buildings and dorms, etc. Being in the city, you don't feel like you're on a college "campus," as the VCU buildings are mixed with other properties, but you definitely can tell that it's a student-heavy area. You'd see lots of kids with back-packs, bikes and skateboards and a fair number of cheap restaurants. More kids with long hair than at Tech; fewer jocks and obvious fraternity/sorority types. The relationship between students and local residents is generally decent, except when students rent out properties in the Fan and get too noisy. As you head west, the Fan gets more expensive and outside the budget of most students. The Fan has some great architecture and downtown Richmond also has numerous historic buildings, including the State Capitol. The Landmark Theatre (which used to be called the Mosque) is in the middle of VCU and is also pretty cool.

For a mid-sized city, Richmond has a lot to offer and a good location close to the beach, DC and the mountains. Perhaps because it's a mid-size city with a lower cost of living than DC and parts of Atlanta, it attracts a fair number of people looking for an alternative, more affordable lifestyle - which is why the city's historic reputation may not quite capture the diversity there now. Plenty of vegans.

[Octa]

headnsouth,

Here's a flickr group page that has some images of the fan, its amenities, and people:

Flickr: Fan District

[Archguy]

headnsouth ... both of those responses above are pretty accurate.

VCU is probably the closest thing we have in Virginia to a hippie hangout

It's still not very close, but everything's relative