University of Virginia – Charlottesville, VA

In 1819 in his retirement, Thomas Jefferson wanted to establish a place of learning where education was interspersed with living spaces, where the pursuit of learning was not separated in any way from daily life, and thus the University of Virginia came to be. He designed the “dorms” on the lawn which to this day are coveted housing that look up to the stately Rotunda building (the old library) and have fireplaces in each room. This is where many UVA traditions take place like the “Lighting of the Lawn” – an “a cappella” concert held in December for students, faculty and residents of Charlottesville, and “Purple Shadows,” a celebration of Thomas Jefferson’s birthday. Students at the University of Virginia to this day embody the spirit of Jefferson’s vision and are heavily into self-governance as well as their studies. Admissions is highly selective, especially as they are mandated to take 2/3 of their applicants from the State of Virginia. Applicants enter the university through 5 schools: Arts and Sciences (the largest), Kinesiology, Architecture, Nursing and Engineering. Even though there are 14,500 undergrads, a member of the student panel said “the more involved you are in the school, the smaller it becomes.” There is no limit to the opportunity for involvement on this campus.

James Madison University – Harrisonburg, VA
I have driven through the campus of James Madison on my way to my son’s alma mater, Roanoke College, many a time and finally I got a chance to tour the school. I fell in love with the students and the campus. As our tour group proceeded, a random student would yell “JMU” and we were under pressure to swoop low and say in our best voices “GO DUKES!” We actually got pretty good by the end of the tour, but the enthusiasm of the students we encountered was catching. The campus, which straddles Route 81, is a nice mixture of old and new structures, eclectic buildings and green spaces, and had a pleasant feel to it. With only 28% of their student body coming from out of state, it is a competitive school for our students from the Garden State who love the majors, distance from home and multitude of activities. Most popular majors include undergraduate business, psychology and all of the sciences. Admission is holistic but focuses heavily on A’s and B’s in the core classes of math, lab sciences, social sciences and foreign language. Residential learning communities are very popular, with students grouped according to majors and all freshmen can be accommodated on campus with a number of sophomores. International experiences are very important to JMU and according to the Institute for International Education (IIE), James Madison is #2 among masters level schools for the total number of students who participate in semester-long programs abroad. I was especially impressed by their services for students with Learning Disabilities that were incredibly solid. This summer they will be moving to a 5,000 square-foot facility in the new Health Center allowing for even better delivery of services to students.

University of Richmond – Richmond, VA

When I arrived at the University of Richmond, I was not surprised by the incredible beauty of the campus or the serene feeling that I was in a forest or an arboretum, but I did learn a few secrets. I found out that it once was two separate schools, the Richmond College for men and the Wentworth College for women, and the site they are on now was an old abandoned amusement park. A benefit to this day is that they have separate Academic Deans and their own Student Governments with equal numbers of leadership opportunities for men and women. The two campuses are connected by the Taylor Commons, their Student Union, and a picturesque lake in the middle of campus with living and academic buildings on each side. Another unique opportunity at Richmond is the Jepson School of Leadership, one of the first dedicated schools of leadership in the country. Students combine a major from Jepson with other majors or minors and 240 hours of internships and service learning hours to offer a very unusual experience when one enters the workforce. The Spiders have a great location two hours from Virginia Beach and two hours from the Blue Ridge Mountains, and conveniently located near Richmond with fabulous restaurants, museums, 6 Fortune 500 companies and an Amtrak station with trains to D.C. and New York City.

College of William and Mary – Williamsburg, VA

Located in the shadow of colonial Williamsburg is the historic campus of William and Mary. It is the second oldest college in the United States but is also a cutting-edge research university so it has the best of both worlds. It is also one of the 8 “Public Ivies” in our nation and is quite a selective institution. Thomas Jefferson is the most famous alum and went on to found the University of Virginia after graduating from William and Mary but the school will always lay first claim to “TJ” as they fondly call him. Other famous alums are Jon Stewart, Glenn Close, James Monroe, Mike Tomlin and Robert Gates to name just a few. The Wren Building, one of the oldest college buildings in the US, has been gutted three times due to fire and other devastation. It continues to be used for academic purposes, and the courtyard is the venue for freshman Orientation and Convocation. It is amazing. The Sunken Gardens in the center of campus are occupied by students in the warmer weather for recreation but are also the site for the Kings and Queens Ball where students dress up formally and gather together for a regal dance there. Traditions at William and Mary often involve hot chocolate and scones and are among the many reasons why students love coming to this school.

Washington and Lee University – Lexington, VA

After driving through the stark tan buildings of Virginia Military Institute, all of a sudden up on the hill are the gorgeous colonnades and old red brick of Washington and Lee. The sense of history and old Southern charm are palpable, especially when touring Lee Chapel and Museum, where Robert E. Lee, the first President of the College and Civil War hero is buried with his trusty horse, Traveler. At exam time, students toss coins into the burial area of Lee and his trusty horse for good luck! A truly selective school of 1800 undergraduates, W & L had the first Journalism program in the United States, and boasts of the highly-acclaimed undergraduate Williams School of Commerce and Business. It also houses the Roger Mudd Center for Ethics, named after the well-known CBS journalist who graduated from the school in 1952 and continues to be very involved. Washington and Lee has one of the strongest Honor Codes of any college in the United States and is known for its “one strike and you are out” policy where students have the highest respect for each other. The Trident is the mascot for this school where 88% of their students hail from outside Virginia making it quite unusual. Special traditions include the “Fancy Dress Ball” which is 100 years old and includes themes like “Lost Cities of Gold” and “Alice in Wonderland,” and the Mock Political Convention with world class speakers from the party that is not in control and has had a remarkable track record of being right on with predicting the next to win. Lastly this campus is about 82% Greek which does not speak of exclusivity but includes so many of the student body that virtually very few are left out.

Virginia Tech – Blacksburg, VA

This campus is a spectacular one and the buildings are made of Hokie Stone, a native limestone found throughout southwest Virginia! There is a huge main quad called the “Drillfield” around which all university life revolves and this is where the “April 16th Memorial” is located, outside of Burruss Hall. New Jersey is the state sending the 2nd highest amount of incoming freshmen after Maryland, and the top three most popular academic programs for freshmen are 1) General Engineering, 2) University Studies (undecided) and 3) Biology. An unusual feature of Virginia Tech is their Corps of Cadets which numbers about 1,000 students. They are only one of three public universities to still have a corps along with Texas A & M, and North Georgia College and University. School spirit is incredibly high and the colors of maroon and orange are sported everywhere along with the “Hokie” Bird who originally was a gobbler transformed. My favorite Virginia Tech story has to be while I was getting lunch in their “Grab and Go” facility in Kelly Hall before meeting up with Gary Jackson, our NJ Rep in Admissions. I was fumbling for cash in my wallet when an unknown student came up behind me, swiped his card to pay for my lunch, said, “Have a lovely day!” and ran off into the afternoon sunlight. I thought that spoke volumes about the kind of students they have at Virginia Tech!