University of Richmond Top Questions

The average class size is 17 students with a 9:1 student to faculty ratio. I know all of my teachers on a personal level and they all know me by name. I am a double major in Leadership Studies and Political Science but I would say that most people have the same positive academic experiences.

The academics at this school are top notch. The largest class I have taken so far has been 21 students, for an intro level business course. I am pursuing a double major in both the Robins School of Business and the Jepson School of Leadership and I have loved all my teachers. They truly care about you and want to make sure that you know the material. Last semester I had a professor agree to meet with me at 10pm the day before the exam and he answered all my questions throughly for over 2 hours. I dont think there are many other schools where that will happen. If you are coming to Richmond expect to have a rigorous courseload. To achieve success, you will most likely be studying or doing homework every night. While students can skate by without that daily work, I usually find that an hour of work per class a night is a recipe for success. The classes are small and engaging so participation is important, especially since most teachers count participation in your final grade.

Academics are great. The Math department and the Biology department need some improvement. The teachers are often not excellent teachers but they help you get through the class as best they can. Every other department is phenomenal and he teachers are so helpful and always to do whatever they need to to help you pass their course with an A. The academics are challenging but if you make good use of your time then it is manageable.

The University of Richmond has a very strong, serious academic culture. Students really have a passion for learning. Most classes are discussion based, under 20 students, and involve a diverse array of learning techniques. When admitted to UR, students can take classes in any of the 5 academic schools that make up our University: the School of Arts and Sciences, Robins School of Business, Jepson School of Leadership, T.C. Williams School of Law, and School of Professional and Continuing Studies. The University is great about including undergraduates in all of these schools, even though your main area of study may not be in more than one. As a result of the small class sizes, students really get to know their professors well. I have gotten to know several of my professors at UR very well, and have met their families, eaten dinner with them, and been funded by UR to do research with them. There are so many great majors and minors at the University of Richmond, and behind each of them are amazing professors, classroom environments, and out-of-the-classroom learning opportunities.

International studies is big with a Dean! Students from frosh year on have the opportunity to participate in research--real research! If published, the student's name goes on the work.

Impossible. Their upssesed with their reputation so they limit the number of A's given out, so even if you work really hard, you still might end up with a mediocre grade. The workload is also rediculous.

One of the things I LOVE at UR is the small class size. When I was first applying to colleges in high school and I visited other colleges, the thought of having classes with 400 people absolutely terrified me. But last year, during my freshman year at UR, my biggest class had 30 people! I think this is great because 1) there can be more bonding and meeting the other classmates 2) the teachers ALWAYS will know your names and you as a person and 3) it is much easier to participate in discussions and get help in a smaller class. Like I mentioned before, the classes are difficult and no one should come into UR not expecting to study A LOT (even if you didn't need to that much in high school). Students are indeed academically competitive, but in a healthy manner, and there are often study groups and such that are organized among people. Also, UR really stresses that its kids receive a liberal arts education, so it is also stressed that, besides just being prepared for a future career, the kids also receive instructions on how to become a well balanced person that can succeed at life as a whole.

Richmond affords its students a great education, there is no doubt about that. Every class and every teacher are held to a very high standard, and as a result so are the students. There is a lot of work outside of the classroom that goes along with that, and as society continues to push its college applicants towards resume packing and overachieving, we college students are also just as sensitive to that pressure. Many Richmond students have a habit of overcommiting their schedules. I tend to study at least 3-5 hours a night. Professors know a great deal of their students names. Class participation is not common, to the point of awkwardness at times. When I first got to Richmond, this dismayed me when I tried to get students to talk to me directly instead of through the teacher, who will in that case act as a proxy for relaying different sides to the question. Once you get to the upper class levels though this problem is sometimes remedied by the more exceptional teachers. Business is universally a difficult subject that requires busy work, but Richmond perhaps offers more than most. A Richmond education in Business is extremely geared towards getting a job, and the whole campus does not lose focus with this goal either.

The undergraduate body of URichmond is approximately under 3,000 student so one can get really close to a professor and ask questions in class (or out of class) without feeling intimated by the large class size. Most professors are GREAT and are more than willing to help you succeed, as long as you make the effort. My favorite subject was actually Organic Chemistry (shocking right?) because I had such a great professor who pushes and works with you.

One of the best things about Richmond is that you really can get to know the professors. I had several professors for my Chemistry classes that I got to know fairly well just because they were so readily available for help whenever I needed it (which was a lot). My least favorite class was probably the Cell and Molecular Biology class just because it was pretty hard for me with the way my professor graded and I didn't ever see how lab was all that helpful for the class though I liked the lab portion a lot more then class. My favorite class so far was either my intro Chem class solely because of my professor or Music Scenes which I found to be a lot of fun and opened my eyes to a lot of the music brought to campus. I have found in my sciences classes that while some people are fairly competitive and will refuse to help you if it benefits them, most of the time students are more than willing to help through study groups or just explaining a concept that I didn't understand. I was surprised at the willingness of some students to go out of their way for others.