I visited the University of Richmond in April for the day. The sun was shining when we arrived at 9: 30 and by the time we left, we were burning in the 80 degree sun. The only drawback to the weather were the gnats that seemed to follow our tour group.

The biggest advantage that Richmond has to offer, besides its academics, is its beautiful campus. Sprawling trees, red tulips, magnolias and brick fountains were abundant. The women's and men's dorms are separated by a large lake with a gazebo and a summer theater. They are connected by a footbridge.

The University appears to have a lot of money, with all its facilities in excellent condition . The cafeteria and the snack/student lounge area ("The Pier") were both impressive and offered selections to please just about anyone. The dorms were also newly renovated and came with moveable, wooden furniture. The freshmen dorms were a bit on the small side. The new sports complex was huge and holds Richmond's second pool.

Downtown Richmond is a good-sized city with all sorts of offerings for students. Food, movies, and dancing could be found easily.

The students at Richmond seemed generally homogeneous, ranging from preppy J. Crew types from the Northeast to more laid back southerners, with the northeastern people being the majority. All of the students were very friendly and seemed proud of their school.

Our tour leader was a psychology major from Florida who was very enthusiastic about the school. Along with liberal arts, Richmond has its own law school, business school and is currently constructing a leadership school.




Reviewed in 1990