Virginia Commonwealth University Top Questions

VCU is a great school with a lot of great programs. It is in the heart of Richmond but it can also be considered a city within a city. There are a lot of events that happen around the city and the VCU community, so there's plenty of things to do.

I love VCU. Its medium school size is amazing. Sometimes you are in a big lecture hall, sometimes you have small classes. All the teachers ive had are very helpful and interested in the students. When asked for help they are right there with no hesitation.

Since VCU is the largest public university in the state of Virginia, I have the opportunity to make tons of friends from various backgrounds, participate in numerous student organizations, study abroad, and declare 2 majors and 2 minors. Some people may see the large university as a down fall but I believe it offers so many endless opportunities. I had the chance to study abroad twice and I just received an internship at the Virginia Capitol. I started as an art major, but decided it wasn't for me so I am now on a pre law track with a B.A. in Philosophy (ethics and public policy concentration), and B.A. in Political Science (Public Policy concentration), and a minor in History and Spanish. I also joined a sorority and am a senator in our student government association. The opportunities here are endless!

I honestly believe that VCU is a great school. The best thing about VCU I believe is the diversity. I love being able to walk around Campus and feel like I'm on a world tour. VCU has a very large population and I had no problem adjusting to it, I feel it's just right for me. It's a major difference where for me I was born and raised in the Islands (Bahamas) where everything is on a small scale. So it was new and exciting to go to a school where the population was bigger than the population of the place where I've grown up and lived all my life! When I'm on campus I spend a lot of my time in the academic buildings specifically the engineering building and I'm sure many of the other engineering majors can agree to the same! I believe VCU is a school that goes beyond in order to protect and meet the needs of the students. I believe that the majority of administrators do their jobs with excellence and are really passionate about the students.... However I do wish that there were more opportunities to meet with the higher powers within the university so that they're more reachable and relatable. A moment I will never forget is when our school made it to the sweet 16 for the first time, then to the elite 8 and finally to the final four in the NCAA men's basketball. After our basketball team made it to the Final Four school pride rocketed like never before. There was such a buzz on campus and for once we were all in unity in that we were proud to be VCU students. I believe that, that school pride is still present today and will continue to trickle down into the pipeline of incoming students. VCU is a great school and they're always expanding to fit the needs of students whether it be new classroom buildings, new dorms, new eateries or new parking decks, as students we can see that our money is being reinvested into the school to create a better learning and social environment for us all.

VCU is perfect for me, and it can be perfect for a lot of people- it really depends on what you're looking for. If you're into a very typical "four year experience", then you might want to look somewhere else. No one holds your hand here, and that's something I really love. This school has taught me how to be independent and make my own success, while still offering me opportunities to make friends and take advantage of my education at every turn. The school is definitely in a very urban setting, which can be looked at as both a positive and a negative. Yes, it can be dangerous to live here, if you're not being street smart. You should always watch your back and be aware, but that's just the basics of living in any city. Richmond is rich in both culture and history, and there are so many great things to see/taste/do here. The school WILL see you as just a number, but that doesn't mean that all the faculty will. I have had incidences where the administration has lost my paperwork, and times when I simply cannot find the right channels to get things done when dealing with the school itself. Transferring was a bit of a hassle, to say the least. But all said and done, if you keep a log of your paperwork and are fairly organized, it won't be a big deal. Faculty here, specifically the art professors/admins really care about students. Art students are NOT simply just a number, and are definitely treated very well. The food here is very average. I am an extremely picky person when it comes to what I eat, and I am more than satisfied. This could be because I live off-campus and make food at home about half the time, but my experiences at Shafer and the Student Commons have been mostly very positive. I've heard, however, that it's a bit tricky finding things to eat if you are a first-year student and a vegan.

I like the size of vcu. It is the largest school in virginia but it doesnt seem like it because we have two campuses, an undergrad campus and also a medical campus but also only about a quarter of the students live on campus. I like that we are sort of in a city but at the same time it is our campus. I wouldnt call it a college town. We have a lot of awesome little restaurants and cool places that only some people know about. you can go to clubs but you can also find a lot of house parties, one thing that most colleges have either one or the other of. My farthest class is a 15 minute walk but i can get there in less than 5 if i bike and less than 10 if i walk fast.

I chose to go to VCU, not only for its exceptional academic programs, but also for its location and surroundings. When I tell people that I go to VCU, they automatic grasp and tell me that they love Richmond, and the atmosphere at VCU. VCU is very much a college town and offered a variety of activities to partake in. The campuses are very urban and integrated into the city, so there is never a doll moment in Richmond. Whether it’s taking classes in newly built facilities or biking down to the river to go swimming, VCU students are always on the go. There is a downtown section with tons of restaurants and bars, and an uptown section with a wide variety of shops and stores. There are two campuses for VCU. There is a medical campus known as MCV, and the academic campus known as the Monroe Park campus. There are approximately 35,000 undergrad students at VCU.

VCU is a very diverse campus... I transferred from Radford and it's so much better because there's no minorities in any classes. The school is HUGE, but that's good and bad. This is DEFINETLY not a college town, it's in the middle of the city, and it's spread out throughout the city (but not ridiculously far). The city is safer than people make it out to be. Living on campus, I've heard, is really hard because it's hard to find on-campus housing because there are not enough dorms. There's no football team, either, so if you're really into school spirit, not the best idea. Finally, the dining plan is ridiculously stupid, and the food isn't that great, so unless yuou live on campus, DON'T BUY IT. And get a parking pass- parking on the street is impossible during the week

The school is very large and its hard to get your classes before they are full. Its a very different campus feel because it is mixed into a city. I am transferring to Va Tech because I wanted a community, close campus feel than how VCU is. At VCU it is hard to see the school spirit/pride..again that's why I am going to Tech. It isnt really a college town, just a college in a city really.

I love VCU because it's in the city of Richmond. There are so many things going on here. There are tons of events year round. Just last weekend there was a vegetarian festival. In my opinion the best part of VCU is the location. For me finding myself was made easier because of the city. I'm from the suburbs of DC and this place is nothing like my hometown. Everything is pretty close by so there isn't much of a need for a car. All you need is a bike. It's a pretty liberal city and there are so many activists living here so it's easy to get involved. I love the old buildings, Belle Isle, the James river, the bumpy old sidewalks, and just the mood Richmond has. I'm from Northern Virginia but VCU feels like home for me.