www.top-law-schools.com Forum

[elliot12345]

For those who know they are heading to UVA this year, where d you plan to live? Personally I heard a lot of good things about The Pavilion but I'm not sure if I want to pay that for rent.

I was so persuaded by the admitted students weekend that I signed a lease at Pavilion right then and there. I did a good amount of research there and also at Ivy Gardens, which I think are regarded as the two most popular housing sites for 1L's in particular. The choice depends a lot on your budget, who is paying your rent, whether you already own furniture, whether you have a car, how many roommates you want, and so on. I booked a two bedroom/two bathroom for $872/month per person. Ivy Gardens, on the other hand, has rent in the range of ~$1250/month for two bedrooms/two bathrooms split between the roommates. The important thing to consider, though, is that if you book Pavilion in a timely manner, it comes fully furnished. It also includes utilities such as cable, internet, water, and heat. Ivy Gardens does not include furniture or these utilities, so the discrepancy in price becomes comparable at a certain point. Also, I won't be having a car so the proximity of Pavilion to Kroger and Chipotle was pretty huge for me. Above all that though, the amenities at Pavilion are just way, way nicer so that the increase in price, whatever it may be, is totally worth it to me. They have a really nice saltwater pool, 24 hour fitness center, fire pit, tanning salon if you're into that, and a great lounge area downstairs. The building is only a couple years old so the rooms are just really nice, modern, and pristine looking. I know I might come off as a Pavilion employee at this point, but I was just that excited about the place haha.

One other thing to keep in mind is that the leases that you sign at Pavilion, even in a multi-bedroom apartment, are individual leases. Meaning that you live with other people, but your only responsible for your individual rent, damages, etc. So in the case that something goes wrong, you want to switch residences the following year, you or your roommate cannot live there anymore, or whatever, the liability on you is pretty minimal.

At the end of the day, you need to ask yourself how important housing, amenities, and its quality will be for you. I have plenty of friends who plan on doing all their studying in the library and really will only use their apartment for sleeping, so a cheaper option might make more sense for them. Personally, I like to do most of my studying at home so I'll probably spend much more time and a more luxurious apartment is just worth it to me. If you have any other questions about either of the two options, feel free to PM me.

[North]

I post this every year. Be aware that Pavilion charges pretty much double the market rate of the area. The actual apartments aren't that nice, and certainly not significantly nicer than what you can get for market prices. The fire alarm goes off in the middle of the night once or twice a month without fail, and everyone has to evacuate. I remember 100 or so people standing out in the cold just a couple weeks ago because of it. Also, pretty much everyone I know that lived there during 1L already has already moved out and into one of the many older, more reasonably priced options right nearby. The ones that haven't plan to before 3L. Sure, you won't get to call it a ~luxury~ apartment, but do you really need to live in ~luxury~ as a law student.

So, in short, yeah Pavilion comes up first in Google searched for housing near the law school and they put balloons out front!!!!!!!!!!!, but there are much more reasonably-priced options all around if you're willing to put in a little effort. For example, I have a buddy who lives literally right across the street from Pavilion in an older apartment building that doesn't even have a name. It doesn't bill itself as ~luxury~, but it's easily twice as nice inside as any Pavilion apartment and he pays less than half of Pavilion rent.

Also, FYI, the furniture they furnish the places with at Pavilion is really shitty.

[xylocarp]

I'm pretty anti-Pavilion personally, but a lot of that stems from a personal situation (feel free to PM me for more details, but basically they pulled a huge bait-and-switch on me pricing-wise). To be fair, I don't know much about the other properties right around the school, but if you're willing to drive, you can get a way nicer place for way less $$$. I've toured 9 properties in Charlottesville and I'm 100% convinced of that.

[North]

Yeah I wasn't even talking about places a little further away from the Law School. You can get some really nice digs for next to nothing if you're willing to drive or take the bus. But even if you want to walk to school, there's a ton of non-Pavilion options on Arlington alone.

FYI though, none of them have a ~luxurious saltwater pool~ so you'll pretty much have to live like an animal.

[Tgoin]

Current student here. A few things to note:
It's a small town and the law school is pretty isolated from the rest of the university. Basically the only places to socialize are bars and pregames. Even though you don't have to drink, those occasions are very loud and most people around you will be drinking.
The sense of tight community depends on how you interpret it. Yes, the administration, professors and alums are nice and helpful. But it also depends on who you are. In my 1L year, PAs and other party-going 1Ls made you feel bad about not participating in their events and bonding with your section members, yet those people just completely disappeared after 1L. Not even one get-together was organized. No PA checked on how the section was doing. In fact, you don't even get to see many people after 1L. The work hard play hard vibe means this place is a lot like high school. Frat boys and sorority sisters are popular. Many people are completely isolated.
Also, this is a pretty domestic and even Virginian school. So think about how diversity is important to you when making the decision.

[commandercup]

Current student here. A few things to note:
It's a small town and the law school is pretty isolated from the rest of the university. Basically the only places to socialize are bars and pregames. Even though you don't have to drink, those occasions are very loud and most people around you will be drinking.
The sense of tight community depends on how you interpret it. Yes, the administration, professors and alums are nice and helpful. But it also depends on who you are. In my 1L year, PAs and other party-going 1Ls made you feel bad about not participating in their events and bonding with your section members, yet those people just completely disappeared after 1L. Not even one get-together was organized. No PA checked on how the section was doing. In fact, you don't even get to see many people after 1L. The work hard play hard vibe means this place is a lot like high school. Frat boys and sorority sisters are popular. Many people are completely isolated.
Also, this is a pretty domestic and even Virginian school. So think about how diversity is important to you when making the decision.

Thanks for the post. Are you still happy with your choice?

[envisciguy]

Current student here. A few things to note:
It's a small town and the law school is pretty isolated from the rest of the university. Basically the only places to socialize are bars and pregames. Even though you don't have to drink, those occasions are very loud and most people around you will be drinking.
The sense of tight community depends on how you interpret it. Yes, the administration, professors and alums are nice and helpful. But it also depends on who you are. In my 1L year, PAs and other party-going 1Ls made you feel bad about not participating in their events and bonding with your section members, yet those people just completely disappeared after 1L. Not even one get-together was organized. No PA checked on how the section was doing. In fact, you don't even get to see many people after 1L. The work hard play hard vibe means this place is a lot like high school. Frat boys and sorority sisters are popular. Many people are completely isolated.
Also, this is a pretty domestic and even Virginian school. So think about how diversity is important to you when making the decision.

Ok, I really don't want to hijack this thread, but as a current 3L at UVA, when I saw this post I felt like I needed to respond. While this may be the way Tgoin has experienced his/her time here, I don't think it's representative of the student experience at all.

First off, while bars and pregames are certainly places to socialize, they're by no means the only location or means of socializing. I really don't like to drink much, and I've made great friends through the student organizations I'm a part of (we have over 60 different ones). I've also socialized with friends at game nights at their apartments and watching football games together at different apartment complexes. I've also met undergrads through involvement with groups that operate on main grounds and through trips downtown and to other areas of the city.

Second, I think the sense of community is my favorite part of UVA. I never felt pressured by people during 1L to go to events, though it's true that PAs and section social chairs don't coordinate things past 1L. From my experience though, that's because you branch out beyond your section after 1L and meet new people and you all have different schedules. It's not like you lose touch with anyone necessarily, you just expand your network of friends. You're also usually incredibly busy as a 2L between OGI and other extracurricular activities. I still see a number of people from my 1L section though and I'm always happy when I see that we share a class, even as 3Ls. I also did have a couple of my PAs check in on my section during 2L.

I'm also not a frat bro or sorority sister and while I might not be "popular" I've never felt isolated. Also not sure what you mean by domestic or a Virginian school, but most of my friends are from all over the country and only a handful are actually from the state of Virginia. I have friends from NY, CA, KY, TX, FL, GA etc.

Really, I think law school comes down to what you make of it. If you're involved in student groups and seek out things that interest you, you should love your time at UVA. I, and everyone else I've talked to at UVA, have truly loved their experience here. I'm really sorry that Tgoin has not had a similar experience, but I don't think that's representative of the vast majority of people's experiences at UVA Law.

[pushsum123]

Current student here. A few things to note:
It's a small town and the law school is pretty isolated from the rest of the university. Basically the only places to socialize are bars and pregames. Even though you don't have to drink, those occasions are very loud and most people around you will be drinking.
The sense of tight community depends on how you interpret it. Yes, the administration, professors and alums are nice and helpful. But it also depends on who you are. In my 1L year, PAs and other party-going 1Ls made you feel bad about not participating in their events and bonding with your section members, yet those people just completely disappeared after 1L. Not even one get-together was organized. No PA checked on how the section was doing. In fact, you don't even get to see many people after 1L. The work hard play hard vibe means this place is a lot like high school. Frat boys and sorority sisters are popular. Many people are completely isolated.
Also, this is a pretty domestic and even Virginian school. So think about how diversity is important to you when making the decision.

Interesting post. Thanks for sharing!

[swampman]

But it also depends on who you are. In my 1L year, PAs and other party-going 1Ls made you feel bad about not participating in their events and bonding with your section members, yet those people just completely disappeared after 1L. Not even one get-together was organized. No PA checked on how the section was doing.

Sorry this really bothers me. You can't complain about people trying to get you to participate in events and bond with your section members, and in the next sentence complain about how nobody invites you to events anymore and you haven't bonded with your section members. Nobody was trying to make you feel bad, they were trying to help you form connections with people who you have things in common with, ie make friends, so the rest of your time here was enjoyable. PAs, FYCs, all of those people volunteer a huge amount of time to help you meet people, and if you reach out to them now I'm sure they would help you, but they can't follow you around for three years to force you to socialize.

And hearing a grown person refer to people as "popular" is pretty sad. People who like to party hang out with other people who like to party. Attractive people often hang out with other attractive people. This is life. I am not exceptionally attractive, I don't like to party so much. But when I have free time I hit up the people I bonded with at those first organized events, and ask them if they want to hang out, and we hang out. You have to take some responsibility for your own happiness, but UVA makes it as easy as it will ever be.

This might sound harsh, and I'm genuinely sorry that you feel isolated. I hope you reach out to some of the people you've met. But I think if you compare the amount of support that you have here versus at other schools (forget about when you're out in the real world), there is no comparison.

[Tgoin]

But it also depends on who you are. In my 1L year, PAs and other party-going 1Ls made you feel bad about not participating in their events and bonding with your section members, yet those people just completely disappeared after 1L. Not even one get-together was organized. No PA checked on how the section was doing.

Sorry this really bothers me. You can't complain about people trying to get you to participate in events and bond with your section members, and in the next sentence complain about how nobody invites you to events anymore and you haven't bonded with your section members. Nobody was trying to make you feel bad, they were trying to help you form connections with people who you have things in common with, ie make friends, so the rest of your time here was enjoyable. PAs, FYCs, all of those people volunteer a huge amount of time to help you meet people, and if you reach out to them now I'm sure they would help you, but they can't follow you around for three years to force you to socialize.

And hearing a grown person refer to people as "popular" is pretty sad. People who like to party hang out with other people who like to party. Attractive people often hang out with other attractive people. This is life. I am not exceptionally attractive, I don't like to party so much. But when I have free time I hit up the people I bonded with at those first organized events, and ask them if they want to hang out, and we hang out. You have to take some responsibility for your own happiness, but UVA makes it as easy as it will ever be.

This might sound harsh, and I'm genuinely sorry that you feel isolated. I hope you reach out to some of the people you've met. But I think if you compare the amount of support that you have here versus at other schools (forget about when you're out in the real world), there is no comparison.

If you read closely enough, you'll see how you are misinterpreting what I said. I'm not saying I don't hang out with my PAs anymore, I'm saying there hadn't been any section-wise email/activity, period. So the comparison does give the whole thing a disingenuous feel. Also I'm not saying I feel isolated. It's simply a fact that you just don't see many people anymore after 1L. Isolation and populairity are both what people actually talk about, so no judgment,

[Tgoin]

Current student here. A few things to note:
It's a small town and the law school is pretty isolated from the rest of the university. Basically the only places to socialize are bars and pregames. Even though you don't have to drink, those occasions are very loud and most people around you will be drinking.
The sense of tight community depends on how you interpret it. Yes, the administration, professors and alums are nice and helpful. But it also depends on who you are. In my 1L year, PAs and other party-going 1Ls made you feel bad about not participating in their events and bonding with your section members, yet those people just completely disappeared after 1L. Not even one get-together was organized. No PA checked on how the section was doing. In fact, you don't even get to see many people after 1L. The work hard play hard vibe means this place is a lot like high school. Frat boys and sorority sisters are popular. Many people are completely isolated.
Also, this is a pretty domestic and even Virginian school. So think about how diversity is important to you when making the decision.

Ok, I really don't want to hijack this thread, but as a current 3L at UVA, when I saw this post I felt like I needed to respond. While this may be the way Tgoin has experienced his/her time here, I don't think it's representative of the student experience at all.

First off, while bars and pregames are certainly places to socialize, they're by no means the only location or means of socializing. I really don't like to drink much, and I've made great friends through the student organizations I'm a part of (we have over 60 different ones). I've also socialized with friends at game nights at their apartments and watching football games together at different apartment complexes. I've also met undergrads through involvement with groups that operate on main grounds and through trips downtown and to other areas of the city.

Second, I think the sense of community is my favorite part of UVA. I never felt pressured by people during 1L to go to events, though it's true that PAs and section social chairs don't coordinate things past 1L. From my experience though, that's because you branch out beyond your section after 1L and meet new people and you all have different schedules. It's not like you lose touch with anyone necessarily, you just expand your network of friends. You're also usually incredibly busy as a 2L between OGI and other extracurricular activities. I still see a number of people from my 1L section though and I'm always happy when I see that we share a class, even as 3Ls. I also did have a couple of my PAs check in on my section during 2L.

I'm also not a frat bro or sorority sister and while I might not be "popular" I've never felt isolated. Also not sure what you mean by domestic or a Virginian school, but most of my friends are from all over the country and only a handful are actually from the state of Virginia. I have friends from NY, CA, KY, TX, FL, GA etc.

Really, I think law school comes down to what you make of it. If you're involved in student groups and seek out things that interest you, you should love your time at UVA. I, and everyone else I've talked to at UVA, have truly loved their experience here. I'm really sorry that Tgoin has not had a similar experience, but I don't think that's representative of the vast majority of people's experiences at UVA Law.

Yeah, student organizations and softball are ways to meet people, but you are also committing time to your responsibilities at the organizations, so as a 1L you usually don't get to participate in a ton of those.
Domestic meaning that there is 1% of international students according to Princeton Review, which is VERY low compared with peer schools. Virginian refers to the high in-state percentage.
Anyway, part of my point was to point out some known facts in light of the "everyone I know here ..." statement that we as prospective students heard so often.

[Br3v]

I don't even know what your point is anymore. I never felt pressured to do anything, and I still hang out with my section all the time. I don't really ask about everyone's background but I know several international students, so I am not sure what your point is.

UVA is a great place to attend law school and get a job.

[commandercup]

Has anyone tried negotiating yet?

[White Dwarf]

I'm going to shoot them my Northwestern offer, I'll let you know how it goes.

[Kip]

Has anyone tried negotiating yet?

I'd also be interested to hear if anyone has had success negotiating a higher scholarship. Is UVA still telling people that it's exhausted its scholarship funds?

[hairbear7]

Has anyone tried negotiating yet?

I'd also be interested to hear if anyone has had success negotiating a higher scholarship. Is UVA still telling people that it's exhausted its scholarship funds?

Yes. Which sucks because I really wanted to attend

[psychmusic]

.

[hillz]

I'm heading to Charlottesville this week for a couple of days to visit. For anyone who's visited recently or is familiar with the area, is there anything in terms of restaurants or attractions that I should make a point to check out? Xylo's OP is obviously full of great info, but I don't know if I want to Yelp every one of the recommendations in there.

I visited recently and liked walking around the downtown mall. Also visited the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection and thought the setting was beautiful and the art was really neat. It's small so it doesn't take more than 30 mins to get through it all.

Citizen Burger is good for huge burgers with interesting local ingredients and you can basically get 2 meals out of it. A few students recommended Skybar when I said I wanted a cocktail place, but I thought it was just a typical college bar and the cocktail I had was pretty terrible/the beer wasn't great either.

[Cradle6]

Has anyone asked recently?

Edit: If they still don't have scholarship funds...

How did you guys go about it anyway? Just an email?

[hillz]

I'm heading to Charlottesville this week for a couple of days to visit. For anyone who's visited recently or is familiar with the area, is there anything in terms of restaurants or attractions that I should make a point to check out? Xylo's OP is obviously full of great info, but I don't know if I want to Yelp every one of the recommendations in there.

I visited recently and liked walking around the downtown mall. Also visited the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection and thought the setting was beautiful and the art was really neat. It's small so it doesn't take more than 30 mins to get through it all.

Citizen Burger is good for huge burgers with interesting local ingredients and you can basically get 2 meals out of it. A few students recommended Skybar when I said I wanted a cocktail place, but I thought it was just a typical college bar and the cocktail I had was pretty terrible/the beer wasn't great either.

Wanted to add -- Milli-Joe is a nice little coffee shop. They have waffles & your typical pour-over coffee and espresso drinks.

[xylocarp]

Anyone committed to UVA yet other than me? What factors are going to make the decision one way or the other?

[Nothing but the Funk]

Anyone committed to UVA yet other than me? What factors are going to make the decision one way or the other?

I am in everything except actually making the seat deposit, waiting to have an extra $500 setting around. For me it was really the open house that did it, everyone seemed so nice and upbeat I could really see myself being part of their community.

[The King]

.

[psychmusic]

.

[The King]

.