UVA anybody?

BU Medical Sciences
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Wahoo-wa, eh? I'm considering since it's an in-state school. Are you for sure going?
 
yep, I'll be there for sure. I'm in-state ($) and really enjoyed my interview-seems likes a great place for the next 4 yrs. are you between places?
 
I'm from Utah but I'll be there. :clap:
 
Originally posted by jdr
yep, I'll be there for sure. I'm in-state ($) and really enjoyed my interview-seems likes a great place for the next 4 yrs. are you between places?
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Sounds good, it's a great place to be. Yeah, I'm waiting for a whole slew of non-rolling decisions coming out in the next few weeks. :scared: But UVA is very much at the front of my mind as well, along with VCU, the other Virginia school. Are you a UVA undergrad?
 
Originally posted by rgporter
I'm from Utah but I'll be there. :clap:
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Nice man, I remember you saying how much you loved Cville. I think you'll like it here. :clap:
 
went to undergrad in FL, now its back to the coooold for MS. i'm looking for housing though-heard its good to start now.
 
Yeah, it's definitely a good time to start to look. It's never too early. Check out the Jefferson Park Avenue and 14th Street areas.. they're both really popular for the med students.
 
LOL.

Funny, I thought the favorite place for med students to live was in the Health Sciences Lib on JPA? :laugh:

Coops
 
Go Cavaliers! 🙂 I'll be at UVA next year.

Hey rgporter, did you happen to rent a van when driving to interviews at UVA and EVMS? There was a guy at my interviews from Utah who had, so I am a bit curious.

~AS1~
 
Nope, I had a Ford Focus. I was there Jan 27th, mad props to UVa for mailing my acceptance out on the 30th. What a refreshing change to not get the "6 week run-around" or another waitlist.
 
Originally posted by rgporter
Nope, I had a Ford Focus. I was there Jan 27th, mad props to UVa for mailing my acceptance out on the 30th. What a refreshing change to not get the "6 week run-around" or another waitlist.
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Ok, must not have been you. Agreed, UVA had an excellent turn-around time.

~AS1~
 
I am a virginia resident and I got waitlisted, I really wanted to go there, but I know chances are slim now because they don't let too many people in off the waitlist.
 
I'm strongly considering UVA next year. Still waiting to hear from a couple schools and posibly financial aid before I make my final decision.
 
st85, dont give up hope yet, they def. let *some* people in off the waitlist.

The Flash, I'm looking around JPA now. I found a place that's alright off of Shamrock, seems quiet, but close-not a bad combo.
 
I'm going to UVA next year...a word about housing: there is some really gross housing in Charlottesville rented by students. Be very careful doing searches over the Internet...it can be scary when you actually see the place. I went to undergrad elsewhere and live in Charlottesville working now and I am moving away from the university area next year (about 10 min drive) because the housing is much nicer and cheaper...and the repeated vandalism to my car hopefully won't happen. Undergrads around here are loud and obnoxious at times (although the non-university people living near my undergrad probably said the same about us) so watch out!
 
Right on Utah,

arizona is representing right here. Still waiting on a one more school but as it looks right now, UVA is my first choice.

Anyone URM Second look on April 16?

Another thing on housing, I'll be traveling all of June and would be coming to Virginia 3 weeks before orientation to find a house to rent. Will I be able to find something? Any suggestions?

Thanks future Wahoos!
 
Still slightly undecided, but there's a good chance I'll end up at UVA next year. Big shock since I'm from VA. 😀
 
Originally posted by scrappydawg
Right on Utah,

arizona is representing right here. Still waiting on a one more school but as it looks right now, UVA is my first choice.

Anyone URM Second look on April 16?

Another thing on housing, I'll be traveling all of June and would be coming to Virginia 3 weeks before orientation to find a house to rent. Will I be able to find something? Any suggestions?

Thanks future Wahoos!
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Link #1
Link #2
Link #3

Oops, third one doesn't work. You can just start a new search and put cville in though. It finds about 20 properties.
 
They didn't even stamp my parking ticket when I arrived to take my unofficial second look...

I sorta just showed up and roamed around the hospital and C'ville for the day.

I emailed a ton of people on that sheet of 3rd and 4th years for questions to see if any could meet up with me. I got to meet one 4th year and she answered all my questions.

I'm still on the fence though...I'm too much of a city girl, I think...
 
Anybody else going to Charlottesville?
 
Originally posted by tobiko
They didn't even stamp my parking ticket when I arrived to take my unofficial second look...

I sorta just showed up and roamed around the hospital and C'ville for the day.

I emailed a ton of people on that sheet of 3rd and 4th years for questions to see if any could meet up with me. I got to meet one 4th year and she answered all my questions.

I'm still on the fence though...I'm too much of a city girl, I think...
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A bit of caution regarding Charlottesville... if you're a city person SERIOUSLY consider whether you'd want to spend four years in this area... it's a small, college-town atmosphere that does leave much to be desired in terms of nightlife (though there are numerous outdoor activities if you're into that).. I personally can't wait to get out of here after I graduate this semester
 
Nightlife? The nightlife around Charlottesville consists of a homogenous group of grungy pubs with disheveled frat boys spilling beer all over you. There's no other scene. You've been warned. Especially city folk like tobiko.
 
Saching. Are you graduating from Undergrad? or some other program?

What are other things people do for entertainment around C'ville?

Thanks for the warning, Flash...

I'm definitely UNdecided on UVa...I'm thinking that a change in environment would be good for my development as a person. And some fresh, unpolluted air might be nice...

The money difference is pretty huge, and I can always go urban for 4th year rotations...
But...I love Boston
 
Sachin & Flash,
Do you all interact with many med students there (are you both in undergrad at UVA?). What do they think of the school so far? Are most of your complaints about the C'vile area or about the campus. Any advice or input would be great, thanks.
 
I talked to a bunch of med students and they all seem to love it...

good things: many afternoons "off" during first 2 yrs, nice campus, lots of outdoor-sy things to do, good clinical training (the doctors are very supportive of med students learning a lot)

bad things: not much clinical exposure first two years and the school is VERY VERY traditional (in terms of changing slowly)

C'ville didn't seem to me to offer too much in terms of nightlife, but the students don't seem to mind too much. Of course many of them are married (or about to be) Something like 90% of the 4th class was married or engaged!😱

any other feedback would be greatly appreciated. if you've already chosed UVa, why?

thanks
T
 
I went to college in an urban environment where there were always tons of things to do...I moved to Charlottesville this past year after graduating to work (I'm starting med school here in the fall). It was an adjustment for me and I thought I would absolutely hate life here...but it has actually worked out pretty well for me. The downtown mall is not as exciting as people make it out to be, but there are a number of more "urban"-ish bars that make up for the "frat boy pubs" on the corner. There is a progressive enough population here to have lots of interesting restaurants and health food stores alongside the columned fraternity houses and southern charm. A lot of people here (especially UVA undergrads) think Charlottesville is the best thing since sliced bread. They call it a city and, let's be honest, it's not. It's a town if you've come from anywhere like New York, Chicago, even DC. But it IS big enough to feel like it has some depth to it...it's not like rural Virginia out in the middle of nowhere. The advantages are that if you approach it with some understanding and perspective on the size of it, you can appreciate the fact that a smaller "city" allows you to be 15 minutes from Skyline Drive, endless hiking, wine tasting all over the place, housing that is relatively inexpensive and, if you're willing to break down and buy a car, higher quality than you'd ever be able to afford in a larger city. I came to Charlottesville with some really bad notions of what life would be like this year: that I would stay here for a year while my boyfriend finished school and then we'd pack up and leave. But I'm staying because I feel like it's a relaxing environment...on an afternoon or weekend I can hike and sit by a lake and not see any other person if I'm willing to drive for ten minutes. And then the same day I can go to a bar and see hundreds...so it's not nearly as unbearable as I expected. So I would say this: if you want to rely 100% on public transportation (which I was used to), love the bustle of packed sidewalks and noisy streets, want to be able to have your choice of 100 bars...sure, you should go to the city. But don't rule out Charlottesville as a sleepy rural town...because it's not really one of those, either.

I will say the one thing I miss most are the extensive theatre-watching opportunities at my undergrad. There isn't much here...

Hope this wasn't too long...but I felt like last year I was questioning the location the way some of you are and thought this might help.
 
I'll be at UVa next year. A disclaimer: I went to UVa for undergrad, but I have been out of school for five years. I lived in Los Angeles for three years and then moved back to Charlottesville to do pre-med post-bac work. Here's my two cents...

I've been waffling between a NYC school and UVa, and in the end, the combination of much cheaper tuition and living expensies (I'm in-state), the beautiful outdoors, and the (believe-it-or-not) great music and restaurant scene won me over. Just this week, Frommer's named Charlottesville the "Best Place to Live in America," and its definitely for good reason - it is a civic-minded, progressive college town that supports a very lively local economy. It is a nice mix of indie-minded idealists, fans of the outdoors, and history-loving traditionalists.

But you're right that it is no New York or Boston, and it is not a big city. It would say it's a small town with a lot of charm and many of the best perks of a city (e.g. lots of concert venues, amazing restaurants) and rural area (e.g. vineyards, Blue Ridge Mountains). And you're right that there are probably a higher percentage of married/committed people who come to UVa for graduate school; it's a nice place to raise a family, so it does attract couples. It's an apples-and-oranges type of question: I think most people have a gut feeling for the pace of life and social scene they desire, and Charlottesville definitely offers a different graduate school scene than any of the schools in metropolitan areas.

And please don't worry about the beer-chugging undergrads and hillbilly rednecks. There's a little bit of everything and everyone in Charlottesville; that's what makes it an interesting place to live.
 
Bottom line: Charlottesville is a terrific place to settle down and raise a family. Is it a terrific place to be a young adult, with all the sociocultural heterogeneity that most grad students desire? Yes, of course! That is, if you're on LSD. Downtown Mall? Bluelight, Rapture and Miller's are the poorest excuse for after-hours lounges this side of the Potomac.
 
Originally posted by perambulate
I'll be at UVa next year. A disclaimer: I went to UVa for undergrad, but I have been out of school for five years. I lived in Los Angeles for three years and then moved back to Charlottesville to do pre-med post-bac work. Here's my two cents...

I've been waffling between a NYC school and UVa, and in the end, the combination of much cheaper tuition and living expensies (I'm in-state), the beautiful outdoors, and the (believe-it-or-not) great music and restaurant scene won me over. Just this week, Frommer's named Charlottesville the "Best Place to Live in America," and its definitely for good reason - it is a civic-minded, progressive college town that supports a very lively local economy. It is a nice mix of indie-minded idealists, fans of the outdoors, and history-loving traditionalists.

But you're right that it is no New York or Boston, and it is not a big city. It would say it's a small town with a lot of charm and many of the best perks of a city (e.g. lots of concert venues, amazing restaurants) and rural area (e.g. vineyards, Blue Ridge Mountains). And you're right that there are probably a higher percentage of married/committed people who come to UVa for graduate school; it's a nice place to raise a family, so it does attract couples. It's an apples-and-oranges type of question: I think most people have a gut feeling for the pace of life and social scene they desire, and Charlottesville definitely offers a different graduate school scene than any of the schools in metropolitan areas.

And please don't worry about the beer-chugging undergrads and hillbilly rednecks. There's a little bit of everything and everyone in Charlottesville; that's what makes it an interesting place to live.
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You make very valid points here. 🙂 It really depends on the type of person you are. And, for the most part, UVa does seem to attract the type of student that loves the Charlottesville lifestyle. The living expenses are also quite manageable (certainly over New York!). Best of luck next year.
 
Originally posted by TheFlash
Bottom line: Charlottesville is a terrific place to settle down and raise a family. Is it a terrific place to be a young adult, with all the sociocultural heterogeneity that most grad students desire? Yes, of course! That is, if you're on LSD. Downtown Mall? Bluelight, Rapture and Miller's are the poorest excuse for after-hours lounges this side of the Potomac.
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I guess I never really considered lounge quality when I picked where I wanted to live. Everyone has different priorities, I suppose.
 
Thank you SO much avhart and perambulate!

I really appreciate your views of Charlottesville. Although it's not everything, my environment is really a large factor in my decision. And it sounds more and more like C'ville could be my home for the next 4 years or so...
 
I'm definitely considering UVa at this point, but I'm still waiting on financial aid. Pitt and UVa are my 2 top choices. I have a few questions that might help me come to a decision...

1) How difficult is it to establish VA residency and get in-state tuition? I'm in-state at Pitt and out-of-state at UVa, but if I can become a VA resident after the first year, that's a big pull for me.

2) Along the lines of those X "med school vs. Y med school" threads...which would you choose?

I'm leaning toward Pitt right now because of the city (I loved Pittsburgh!), the in-state tuition, the higher USNews rank, and the fact that you have to travel less for rotations. But UVa's college town atmosphere (although I've been living in Ithaca for 4 years and I'd like to go somewhere bigger), pass/fail grading, beautiful campus, and nicer weather are tempting.

Any and all thoughts would be appreciated!
 
i'm headed to UVA in the fall (in-state) and can't wait. my family's about 45 min. away, so i can definitely testify to the weather, outdoor beauty, etc. i've done research there for the past 2 summers and can't say enough about the facilities, people, etc. the only thing i'm leery about, as others have said, is the lack of clinical exposure during M1/M2. the students seem really happy though, with the school and each other...when i sat in on a couple classes, half the people had shirts or caps with "virginia medicine" on them...seemed pretty excited.

my issue now is housing...i'm debating living at home in staunton (45 min)...that would be close to 2 hrs a day round trip with parking, riding shuttle from parking lot, etc. what do you guys think...is saving the extra $$ worth missing out on being around town with everyone? personally, i don't think so...

Go Cavs!
 
Originally posted by PianoGirl04
1) How difficult is it to establish VA residency and get in-state tuition? I'm in-state at Pitt and out-of-state at UVa, but if I can become a VA resident after the first year, that's a big pull for me.
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I second this question. It was my understanding that you couldn't become a VA resident (at least not for tuition) at all during the entire 4 years. But that is just what I've gleaned from rumor here on SDN. I skipped out on the finaid session on the interview day because I was trying to make it out of town while there was still light outside (there was a big storm and freezing rain). Can anyone shed light on how one might gain residency. For example if my wife holding a full time position in VA, or if there is some time limit (1 or 2 years) after which one gains resident status.

BTW PianoGirl04, I though you got accepted at WashU. Did you hate it there (I know I did during my visit) or how did you end up choosing UVa over WashU?
 
This is what they told us at my fin aid meeting at UVA. The only way to est. VA residency is if your spouse lives and works in VA for a year. So if you move there with a spouse you'll be in state after 1 year, but if you marry a VA resident who's been working it will take effect immediately. Other than that the only other way is to live/work in VA and forgo med school for a year. Hope that helps.
 
Originally posted by rgporter
BTW PianoGirl04, I though you got accepted at WashU. Did you hate it there (I know I did during my visit) or how did you end up choosing UVa over WashU?
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Yeah, I'm holding acceptances from WashU and Penn in addition to these. However, I really don't want to live in St. Louis, and WashU is also the most expensive school I got accepted to...so I'll only go there if I get a scholarship. As soon as I get official confirmation that I'm not a scholarship finalist (they're taking their sweet time with that!), I'll withdraw.

This is somewhat of a digression, but it does have some relation to the topic...I don't really want to do research, and because of this, both Pitt and UVa were a better fit for me than the higher-ranked schools that practically force you into research. WashU doesn't have a research requirement but there's a lot of pressure to do summer research and then go into academic medicine. Penn has a required research project, but I don't know how much pressure there is to go into academics. From what I've heard, WashU is more like that than almost any other school...which is great if that's what you want to do. I know it's not what I want.

Thanks for the info on VA residency, everyone. So it looks like we unmarried med students won't be able to establish residency. That's unfortunate, but Pitt is looking better and better to me every day...
 
I remember hearing (so it could be a vicous rumor) the only way to est. VA residency is if a 'slot' opens up. apparently they hold a certain number of positions in the class for VA residents only, i suppose if someone drops out/transfers, etc. you then can make a run for the in-state status.
 
I am pretty sure you have to be living in VA for a year, without being a full-time student, and working/paying income tax before you can establish residency here. I never looked into the spouse route, so that could very well be another alternative.

~AS1~
 
Are there prospective UVa students out there that like to go clubbing/barhopping and would be interested in taking trips to DC with me during the school year? I'm not talking every weekend or anything, just enough to take the edge off...
 
just thought id mention that it is impossible to get in-state residency tuition except for the spouse thing. im a 4th year undergrad who has deeply researched this topic (ie talk to anybody around the medical school). you had to have worked a year in va before the app cycle began thus two years before school starts. it is truly impossible to get in-state if you are not from va. oh yeah and uva doesnt grant many deferrals. one must have an amazing excuse (rhodes, t for a, etc. and not research).
 
The nightlife around Charlottesville consists of a homogenous group of grungy pubs with disheveled frat boys spilling beer all over you. There's no other scene.
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That's so not true, but so many students are either too into one type of night scene or too snobbish to consider Charlottesville's other arenas. Charlottesville is actually a pretty happening bluegrass town. King Wilkie, the Hackensaw Boys, and several other bands are based out of the area and play regularly. Lots of jam bands and the like come to town. Dave Matthews lives on a farm just outside of Charlottesville and got his start there. Lots of good dining in and around Charlottesville (read: you might actually have to explore the backcountry to find some cool places outside of town tucked away in the Blueridge).

And that's what makes Charlottesville such an awesome town. It's not a college town populated solely by elitist snobs who go about throwing the word "progressive" around as if it actually was anything but a value judgement and a form of snobbery. It's a mix of academic meets rural meets well-to-do meets traditional southern meets old southern meets Appalachia meets traditional college town.

And yes, traditions run deep and change is slow, especially in the undergrad. Thank God! I love football games in C-ville and seeing all the guys in buttondowns and ties and the girls in sundresses singing the Good Ole Song. Neat stuff (no, I didn't go there for undergrad, but attended law school for a while there).
 
freaker said:
I love football games in C-ville and seeing all the guys in buttondowns and ties and the girls in sundresses singing the Good Ole Song. Neat stuff (no, I didn't go there for undergrad, but attended law school for a while there).
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Ok, your post had some merit until you mentioned (and supported!) this. Elite snobbery?! What the heck do you call dressing up in a shirt and tie for a football game? You know what reasons the undergrads cite for doing this-- "Even if we lose the game, at least we'll look better than the other team." Even Al Groh, the head coach himself, tried his best to get students to be more enlivened and rowdy at the football games, but to no avail.

Oh, and the bluegrass nightlife you mention is absolutely kickin'.
 
I've finally decided! UVa 2008!

Anybody going to be in the area this summer? I'm moving to Charlottesville in June!

tobiko
 
Flash, are you at UVa undergrad? Are you going to med school there next year? I realize that I never really payed attention to that.
Am I recalling correctly that you play Halo though? I'm leaving all my Halo buddies here in UT, and I hope to find new ones in VA. Either that and/or bungie finally releases 2 with xbox live functionality, then it will be a big old party regardless.
 
Tobiko,
Nice choice. I'll be there in the fall (actually middle of the summer, depending on which apartment choice I go with). What have you decided to do about housing? I am going down to C-ville in a couple of weeks to check out a couple of the rooms that were advertised on that packet they sent us a while back. Take it easy, and see you in a few months. Anybody else with any housing insight?
 
I'll be living in 1800 JPA Apartment with a budy of mine. It's only $670 for two bedroom and graduate students only. It's about 10 min walk from our class room. I think it's pretty nice. JPA and Corner are the most popular place because of location. Corner houses are relatively expensive tho.
 
I'm looking forward to next fall in Cville. I'm working this summer and wont be getting there til early august sometime but am still looking for roomates (the place is off JPA). and from the little i've experienced of it--the atmosphere in c-ville seems like a great mix, def. something different than where i went to undergrad (in FL).
 
Hey future classmates! I'll be in Charlottesville this summer, too. I went to UVa for undergrad and moved back to Charlottesville two years ago to take post-bac pre-med classes. Here are my votes for the best areas to live: (1) downtown, (2) JPA area, and (3) the Corner.

Advantages of the JPA (Jefferson Park Avenue) area: very close to the med school and the stadium, on the bus line, lots of houses and apartments; downside: tends to be a little noisy, lots of traffic in that area.

The downtown area is great; a little more pricey, but you're close to the downtown mall (i.e. great restaurants, music venues, coffee shops, etc.) and only a bike-ride or 20-minute walk away from the med school. If you can swing it financially, this would be my vote.

The Corner area is also a little pricey, but it is within walking distance to fun Corner venues, the undergrad campus, and the hospital.

Another option to consider: If you're into the outdoors, there are also a lot of little houses/cottages out in the country that students live in.

Check out the classifieds in the local rags - The Hook (http://www.readthehook.com), C-ville (http://www.c-ville.com), and The Cavalier Daily (http://www.cavalierdaily.com/) - for the best leads on houses and apartments. One word of caution... I would not suggest living out on 29 (the road that leads into Charlottesville from the North). There are a lot of apartment complexes out that way, but they are pretty far away from the med school and the places you're likely to hang out in your free time (e.g., downtown mall, the Corner, etc.).
 
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