The University of Virginia has won plenty of awards and recognitions over the years: Number 2 Public School in the Country (repeatedly), Playboy's Number 1 Party School in 2012, the Happiest Town in America and, of course, according to Best College Reviews, the Most Beautiful College Campus in America. (Let's be clear though, we don't have a "campus;" we have grounds.)
Everyone who has any connection to UVA knows that all of these awards are definitely well deserved. (Well, the "Number 1 Party School" award might have been a bit of a stretch, though no one can deny we do go hard.) But no matter your opinion of UVA's students — whether you think we're hard working and incredibly talented, or overly obsessed with Mr. Jefferson and just a tad pretentious — there really is no denying how beautiful UVA's grounds are.
There are the Gardens, a natural escape, where the bustle of everyday life in Charlottesville is quieted for just a moment, held off by the serpentine walls and blossoming plants.
Or the architecture. Nothing says "collegiate" quite like white columns and grand buildings. Even our libraries are works of art: just check out the ever-famous "naked room" murals at the entrance of Clark Hall.
The surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains certainly help. You couldn't get a more beautiful university landscape than Central Virginia. Don't believe me? Try sitting on a winery patio, overlooking miles of endless vineyards enclosed by distant mountains. Or watch the sunrise from the top of Humpback Rock. Or even take a ride down Skyline Drive, and see for yourself what it is like to be awe-struck by Virginia's mountains of forests.
Obviously, though, I could not write an article about how beautiful UVA is without including the Lawn.
The Lawn. The heart of UVA, and the heart of everything that is wonderful about this place.
Its center is the Rotunda, Thomas Jefferson's architectural masterpiece and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a living symbol that combines history and educational integrity with the Lawn's natural beauty. More than that, the Lawn is a place where thousands of students have literally lived, studied and grown. It is a connection to what has come before us, and everything that the University has to offer.
There is no doubting how beautiful the University of Virginia is, and that beauty is a big part of why we love this university as much as we do. Nevertheless, as our numerous other accolades indicate, UVA is more than just a beautiful campus. It is a center of academic excellence and cutting-edge research. It is a community of over 20,000 students and countless successful alumni. It is a historic landmark, Thomas Jefferson's favorite accomplishment. Yet, UVA is more than all of that.
It's home.
