University of Richmond Top Questions

The stereotype is that the kids at this school look like you should be in a J Crew magazine. To a certain extent yes. People dress up for class while most athletes do not. However, you will see many people in sweats throughout the day and not just when they are going to the gym.

The stereotype that U of R if full of rich white kids was, at one time, probably fairly accurate. Even though our student body is currently fairly diverse and becoming increasingly so each year, we still can't seem to shake our reputation. Richmond's financial aid is incredible due to our need-blind admission policy, and a large portion of the students receive some sort of aid package. Sure, as far as trends and styles go, our student body is noticeably "preppy" and many students wear Sperrys and carry Longchamp bags, but that doesn't mean that those same students aren't receiving considerable financial aid or might be the first in their family to attend college. Of course, there are people who attend Richmond that are both financially well-off and white, but they are certainly not the overwhelming majority.

The stereotype of students that go to this school are a bunch of sheltered students that have lived their whole life in private school with really loaded parents that want to go to private college, where only they can afford it. This summary, however, could not be farther from the truth. True, there are some sheltered people here, some people who have only gone to private school, and some people who have really rich families. But, this certainly doesn't apply to the entirety, or even the majority of this school. One thing Richmond really is underrated on when students skim their future options is their outstanding financial aid program, which opens up a lot of opportunities for students with lower income parents, I, for one, am a recipient of their generous financial aid, without which I would not have been able to afford to go to such a great university. Because of their financial aid program, a very diverse group of students attend Richmond, from all different countries and states, all of which are really willing to learn and put out all their effort to create an inclusive and academic environment. There is always a group you can connect with, no matter what "group" you consider yourself to be.

Richmond is a place with lots of different types of people. If you start talking to people, you will find they all have a unique story to share.

To be honest, when I started at Richmond the stereotype was that students were fratty, wealthy, and obsessed with Lily Pulitzer. However, not only have the demographics of student body changed drastically in the past three years but my understanding of UR students has too. The stereotypical UR student is active in the campus community (some might say over involved), goal oriented, passionate, and likes to balance all of this out with some fun.

Richmond can tend to have a stereotype of possessing a lot of students who are viewed as being rich/snobbish/elitist. That's what I always heard prior to my attendance at Richmond and I do not feel that is an accurate description. You can certainly find those stereotypical kids on campus but many of my Richmond classmates are the nicest and down-to-earth people that I know.

A common stereotype is that the majority of people at are school come from very wealthy families usually from the South. Another stereotype is that the majority of these students get involved in Greek life. Although there are a lot of wealthy students at Richmond I think we have a diverse mix of students from different social backgrounds, different parts of the US and the world. Our school caters greatly to international studies and I think they really try to incorporate different cultures and activities for students to get involved with that will expose them to different facets of living and the world.

Many people think of UR students as geeks or nerds. Very untrue! Everyone on campus is involved in so many things, including sports, clubs, and greek life. Yes...the library may be a busy place...but the playing fields and social atmospheres are as well.