Virginia Commonwealth University

The people are probably the best part of VCU. Academically, it is a good school and does provide adequate resources for its' students. It is also located in a great area with lots to do and explore.

It can be hard to adjust and a pretty expensive area to live in. You do have to choose your classes carefully and research your professor beforehand.

It’s located in Richmond, VA

The cost

The overall experience of VCU has been very welcoming and friendly! I am an out-of-state freshman who only knew one person before moving here, but only after a few months, did I meet so many people with diverse interests and personalities. My professors this year have been very good with being open during office hours and emailing their students and overall keeping an open line of communication with their students. Also, my professors have been extremely knowledgeable in their field, and you really feel like they are there to help you. Cars are not a requirement on campus, everything is within walking distance or you have access to free public transportation, as well as the RamSafe bus at night as a free taxi service for students to get to their late classes or back to their dorms from 8 pm-3 am. There’s a great selection of food (highly suggest AVO Kitchen) and the dining hall is definitely not the only place you’ll be eating. The library is huge and a great place to study or work on assignments, you can even schedule to have a room to yourself in the library.

The dining hall does not have the best quality of food and I have heard a lot of complaints about food safety/rodent problems there. Unfortunately, Johnson residence hall was closed due to mold and the students had to move into vacant rooms in another dorm building which was chaotic. Invest in some good shoes that you’ll be able to walk in because freshmen aren’t allowed to bring their cars.

I love the community at VCU. Everyone is so supportive of everyone's identities and we strive for equality.

The only bad thing I can say is that the food does get a little repetitive, but there are so many amazing restaurants in Richmond if you want to treat yourself to everyone once in a while.

The campus is located in downtown Richmond, so if you like living in the city this campus would be great for you. Mostly everyone here is kind and it is very easy to find friends. VCU is also a very diverse campus.

The meal plan is very expensive and not worth the money in my opinion.

VCU is a very diverse school, I was not going to worry about having to look through thousands to find someone that looks like me. Everyone was really friendly and it is very easy to make friends in your classes.

Being careful of walking down the streets by yourself, VCU offers a bus that can pick you up and drop you off when you need a ride