Dear Potential UVA Parent,
As a parent of an African American third year at UVA, I write to share my experiences as a parent. As one of the most esteemed universities in Virginia, I believe UVA lives up to its respect and admiration. I was concerned that my daughter would be overwhelmed with the size of the University because of the small sized high school she attended. I believe the University did an excellent job acclimating its first year students. The parents were kept involved at every step of the process -- from acceptance to the first day of classes. We were also invited to numerous events on Grounds (UVA’s word for campus) so that parents could understand life on Grounds while our children are away from home. I truly felt comfortable parting with my daughter at drop-off day after all of the interactions with the University prior to that day.
In addition, a few weeks after the start of the first semester, we were invited to Family Weekend. This was a great idea since this is the time when you truly start to miss your child being away from home. Family Weekend gives parents an opportunity to see our children and offers another great, eventful weekend including a UVA home football game, formal dinner and parent/student workshops. I highly recommend planning to attend Family Weekend if your child decides to attend UVA.
What I appreciate most of all is the communication UVA provides to the parents about current and essential or emergency events which are of importance to every parent when your child is away from home. Emails are sent immediately to parents when there are minor or major situations in and around Grounds so that parents know their children are safe. For example, during the Charlottesville protests a few years ago, UVA provided ongoing daily reports to ensure everything was being done to protect the students and keeping the activities off-Grounds. We had a similar experience with the ongoing changes and adjustments due to the coronavirus. Daily reports are provided to the parents and students to keep us informed with all the changes implemented in a timely manner, reducing stress and anxiety caused by unknown circumstances.
In general, my daughter has had an excellent experience at UVA for the last three years. There are no regrets to her decision to attend UVA. One of her main reasons for choosing UVA was because it is a huge university where she can tailor her level of involvement in studies and social activities. The only reservation she had was the meals provided in the dining halls. She would complain about the food choices, but that may be a personal issue since she is a picky eater. However, there were numerous meal options outside of the dining halls.
In closing, I would definitely recommend UVA and hope it will be one of your child’s top university contenders. I would also like to share this video put together by students about student life for African Americans at UVA. If you would like additional information or have questions, please feel free to contact me here.
Best Regards,
Howard Hall
UVA Parent of Lauren Hall, 3rd Year Student
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