University of Richmond

The University of Richmond is nestled amongst trees and surrounds the lake, a little oasis in more ways that one.  A small liberal arts college serving almost 3,000 undergraduates, 550 law school students and 550 graduate students.  The school is also home to one of the most prestigious undergraduate business schools in the country (ranked 12th by Business Week) and the first school of Leadership in the country.  The school of Leadership focuses on what traits foster leadership more than on training leaders.  Of course both happening simultaneously is possible.  The program looks at leadership through the study of psychology, sociology, music, politics and more.  Other schools include Arts and Sciences, Law and Continuing Studies.  Approximately 70% of the students are enrolled in the school of Arts and Science.U Richmond has a very strong pre-professional aspect to their curriculum thanks to the business school but all undergraduate must fulfill requirements in communication including writing and foreign language, literature, history, natural sciences, social analysis, symbolic reasoning and visual and performing arts.

Like its geographic cousin UVA, the University of Richmond maintains a that southern style with students dressing in jackets and ties and dresses for football games, a strong greek system and a culture steeped with traditions.  All freshman partake in a ceremony where they sign the honor code and write a letter to themselves which is not opened until Senior year.  During their Junior year, students attend the Ring Dance, an elegant ball, where women wear white gowns and receive their class rings from their fathers.  Life at the University of Richmond really centers around the campus.  The state capital is close by but Richmond does not provide the greatest public transportation.

Richmond students are not the most diverse bunch (6% African American, 4% Asian American and 3% Hispanic) but they are a friendly and happy lot.  The addage work hard play hard fits here.  2/3’s of the students also volunteer donating over 100,000 hours a year.