It’s a rainy July day in Seattle (classic), and I’m experiencing serious UVA withdrawal. I made the choice to go to University of Virginia after being born and raised in Seattle because I felt I was in need of a change of scenery, and that’s what I got—a change of scenery that was everything I wanted and more.
Here are 9 reasons why I know UVA was the right college choice:
1. Charlottesville is the happiest city in America.
“Hoos the happiest? We are.” –Marlena Spencer
Just the other day I was scrolling through my News Feed and saw that a recent Harvard study ranked Charlottesville as the happiest city in America, and I was not at all surprised!
2. It’s also the best college town.
Travelers Today ranks UVA as the best college town because it does an amazing job of combining traditional metropolitan interests with the interests of the students who frequent it. If you’ve ever spent a day on the Downtown Mall or a night on the Corner, you’ll probably agree.
3. UVA is ranked by Forbes as the #1 public university in the country.
I guess the main reason we go to college is for an education, so it’s a blessing to be getting one of the best.
4. The students are not only intelligent, they’re beautiful.
I once did a statistics project on the correlation between attractiveness and IQ, and I can tell you that what I found holds true at UVA, home to the most beautiful nerds around.
5. It’s a great place to be a sports fan.
Yeah yeah, we are all aware that UVA football is not the pride and joy of the school, but let’s talk about baseball, basketball, soccer, swimming, tennis, rowing, lacrosse and more. Whatever season it is, UVA has a title contender to watch and maybe more.
6. Bodo’s Bagels.
Yes, Bodo’s is a reason all to itself. I’ve tried to get “Ham and Egg on an Everything bagel” at lots of places across the country, and nothing compares to Bodo’s. That stuff is magic.
7. One of the best campuses around.
It’s so great we don’t even call it a campus—it’s in a whole other category. There’s a never ending supply of red bricks and white columns around grounds and I’ll never get tired of it. T.J. knew what he was doing.
8. Nothing is better than a Virginia Spring.
Low 80’s, slight breeze, napping on The Lawn… need I say anything else?
This only slightly outweighs the remarkable beauty of the changing Fall leaves.
9.Everyone is proud to be a Wahoo
I’ve often struggled to put words to the feeling I get walking around grounds on a beautiful day—“school spirit” doesn’t do it justice. If you could apply the word “patriotic” to a college, that’s how I feel.
I toured nearly 20 colleges my junior year of high school, and I fell in love with University of Virginia. I have not stopped falling in love since and we have never had a disagreement. Talk about a healthy relationship.
