VCU Review

So far so good! My daughter just arrived there for fall term. It's a new world, and they are extremely strict about guests there now. I completely understand and appreciate that! Nice urban campus, just wish there were more of necessities nearby for someone there without a car.

Transferred here from community college three years ago and I wish I could say it was a great experience, but honestly it wasn't. In fact, my time spent at a local community college was much better than going here. Located right in the armpit of central virginia, the "campus" is more of an idea than anything else and is intertwined with the dirty, cramped, crime ridden downtown area. There are entirely too many students here, as this school accepts all the leftovers and rejects who couldn't get in anywhere else. Most of the students here are either vey clique-y (usually stuck up kids from Northern Virgina living off mommy and daddy's income) or are people who lack social skills and live in a bubble.

Tuition cost rises literally every year. Parking for both commuter and on-campus students is dumb expensive; my first year, I paid $700 out of pocket for a parking garage space that was a several minute hike from my apartment (and that is because parking spaces do go fast). On campus housing costs are ridiculous.... that is, if you can actually manage to obtain on campus housing given the amount of students that go here. Speaking of which, housing is guaranteed only for freshmen, so you might as well forget it in the first place. If you find off campus housing, be prepared to pay no less than $1000 a month for an apartment that might happen to be old and dingy. Dining plans are worth it, but make sure you use them up as much as you can otherwise it will be a waste of money.

And the social scene? Haha what is that. Greek life here is a joke and made up by only 7 percent of the student body, not to mention any stereotype you've ever heard about students in greek life are actually true here. Good luck trying to join a club to find your niche, as most of them have been defunct for years. Parties are scant, and if you do happen to find them, are usually lame and thrown by kids no older than 20. This city does have plenty of good eateries, shops, things to do and bars (if you're 21 or older), but they're not much different than what I can do back home, i.e. nothing impressive.

Academics are hit or miss depending on your field of study; the criminal justice department (the course I majored in) is amazing, the professors I've had classes with were all very competent, intelligent, and worked to make the courses interesting, not to mention they offered plenty of internship opportunities. The engineering, art, and medical schools here are supposedly top notch. That is perhaps the only positive thing I have to say about going here. A lot of the gen ed courses are taught by professors who couldn't care less, and certain departments and professors just set their students up for failure. Might I add that this school is actually listed as one of the hardest universities in the entire nation to get an A. Don't get me started on the advisors either, you know, the people who are supposed to help you figure out which courses to take to make it less of a burden for you. Let me just say that the advisors and career counselors here are useless and make you feel like you'd be better off talking to a brick wall.

The best part of my experience here was graduating and I don't miss it. If you want to go to a school where you don't feel like a number, aren't trying to put that big a dent in your wallet, would like to actually have fun and gain the most out of your education, and want an overall true college experience, then by all means avoid VCU.

The university as a whole is more expensive than its competitors, but it's a food university, safe from covid, food isnt too great on campus though

I love this school! It's an urban University, shades of GW up in DC. But it's very cool. Campus is beautiful, space for walking, skateboarding, doing your own thing. I personally love the library, but there are places to eat nearby, and music. The kids are nice, and aware, and accepting. Go there and chill awhile!

Pulling vast numbers of foreign students to VCU & Richmond is cause for a query. How odd to obsessively draw students from the Mid East. Parking is ridiculous with Pay Machines installed all over Richmond. Not OKAY. We are overcrowded & resource restricted now. Traveling downtown isn't a fun adventure anymore. We no longer shop downtown. Too busy, crowded, noisy, crime addled & expensive. VCU costs VA residents as much as a new car every year. Ridiculous.

What a great school. Its expansion into the city leads to a decrease in crime. Go Rams!

Up and coming university, has the potential to be a national brand in the next decade both in their academics and athletics.

If there's one thing I could go back and do differently it would be to go to a different school. Don't do it.

This is where Rebel Tv from YouTube does most of their pranks. Why doesn't the college ban them from their grounds.

........Innocent monkeys are being tormented and tortured here at this so-called "school"..........this is being carried out by evil "teachers", and some "students"

If you are not high profile or going to donate a wing, stay away. Middle class, common care is profiled and you'll fall between the cracks. Personal experience

Fond of the Biology program. Be prepared to work your tail off.

Fine University. Excellent Medical College. New Challenges, New Opportunities: One of the nation's top medical schools. The admissions process for each degree program is different ...

VCU made me realize where I don't want to live after when I graduate, a dump like this place.

I wish to get Admission and graduate in V.C.U ,it is my dream school to graduate and i pray my dream come true, i rate it the best of all i also wish to invite all my friends and well wisher that V.C.U is the best , and it will always escalate me to a high level

One of America's premier up-and-coming universities. Richmond is an amazing city, a microcosm of the whole country in terms of diversity and creativity. Here is fertile soil for young artists, entrepreneurs, conservationists and sportsmen to grow and exercise their talents.

Government enthusiasts find the city's status as the capital of the state and its proximity to D.C. appealing, and business majors learn in the presence of 6 fortune 500 companies. Journalists from across the country have plenty here to report as the city reinvents itself, while artists mingle with students and graduates of the #1 public arts program in the U.S.

Doctors, nurses, biologists and engineers all have more here than I can even begin to say.

Even extreme sporting has a lively home here, with Richmond being rated the Best Outdoor Town in America by Outdoor magazine, and VCU hosting one of the most comprehensive Outdoor Adventure Programs at any school.

This is the perfect school for hungry students eager to prove themselves and make a difference in the world.

Don t transfer to this college. They do not treat transfer students well and only care for freshmen. They didn t advise me well when I went there and made me feel unwelcomed.

Unorganized across the board, especially within their healthcare system.

Absolutely love it here. Couldn't ask for anything more out of a university.

Great experience for foreign students. Very good atmosphere and numerous facilities and services.

Love the city of Richmond. Things are definitely not the same with the COVID-19 situation going on but its still one of my most favorite cities. Great people and places to enjoy a great meal.

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a large academic comprehensive public university in the United States. The main campus is located in Richmond, Virginia. Among American universities, the school is famous for its national arts, social work, medical management, and medical related departments, and has an excellent ranking. Virginia Commonwealth University is one of the largest universities in Virginia. The total number of students in the statistics in early 2005 has exceeded 29,000. It is one of four universities in Victoria that are defined as doctoral / research / adult extended education.
The Richmond Professional Institute (RPI) and Virginia Medical College merged in 1968 to form the Virginia Commonwealth University. The medical school is arguably the most original source of the organ transplant program in the United States. The place is well-known, and the diversity of VCU is also very famous. Among Victorian public universities, VCU has the highest proportion of minority students. VCU is also one of the organizers of the annual VCU French Film Festival celebrations. The French Film Festival celebrations held at VCU are the largest in the United States.

I earned two great degrees from VCU which have served me well, and I have enjoyed their active expansion into the Carver community.

If one has never had the opportunity to travel around the world, that priceless opportunity may be afforded on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University. VCU is home to the most eclectic student body in the state of Virginia and also has made its presence internationally with a campus in Qatar. The vibe of innovation and creativity at VCU is invigorating. Under the tutelage of President Rao, VCU has become a titan in Richmond as well as the state of Virginia under the Great Place Initiative . With the number one public arts school in America, number one medical school in Virginia, only dental school in Virginia and coveted professional programs such as nursing, health care administration, business, creative advertising, engineering and etc. VCU is asserting itself as a premier urban research institute located in the capitol city of Richmond Virginia. Apart from its academic prowess, VCU s stellar basketball team has garnered national acclimation after reaching the pinnacle of collegiate success the Final Four in 2011. Since then, VCU has been a perennial powerhouse with its HAVOC style of basketball. Simply put, VCU is force to be reckoned with.

Graduate of undergrad program in Biology (BS) and also (then MCV) School of Medicine (MD). Loved the diversity offered by an urban university, the great art school and the life long friends I made there. Really proud of the basketball team and the schools work to make sure althetes get a good education. Since my time there the school has expanded it's programs immensely, especially with the addition of a School of Engineering and modernized facilities. I'm a proud alumna; I personally tutored members of the basketball team and they were serious about keeping their GPAs up to standard.

My daughter transfered from George Mason and even being from Richmond fell in love with VCU and the City Of Richmond. Leah Martin is a Junior studying Biology Premed. I attended in the early 1980's before transfering to VT. Her Mother got her interior design degree at VCU and her Grandmother Diane Sadler Martin in Arts back when it was RPI. Pretty cool to have three generations.

Great school for design/art. Couldn t imagine going anywhere else. This school (at least in my degree), sets you up for success and provides you with more than enough resources to grow.

Good school, but paperwork easily takes a month or more for anything. Plan accordingly.

In my opinion, there are better schools in Virginia than VCU. The acceptance rate is really high, so as a 4.0 student with higher than average SAT scores, I felt like getting in would be a breeze, which it was, and ended up with a scholarship. As a Virginia resident, VCU was the only in-state school I applied to because of it's PT program (which I decided not to pursue because I lost interest in the field). I was accepted to two out of state universities and stuck with VCU because of lower costs. In hindsight, after a year at VCU, I wish that I would have applied to more in-state schools.

Let me start by saying that if you're not in any of the pre-health programs, or going to be in the theater or VCUarts program, there really isn't a reason to come to VCU, as the other programs are average at best and aren't that competitive or well-known in the state. VCU is known for being an urban campus, but feeling safe was not one of my main concerns as for the most part I felt safe, except for having to walk two blocks from my parking garage at 1 in the morning after hockey practice, down poorly lit streets to the nearest Campus Connector stop.

Moving on to my next issue, VCU Parking and Transportation is absolutely horrendous, and parking is really expensive for keeping your car on campus, especially for the options they provide for undergraduate students. They make undergraduate students living on MCV (overflow dorms) park their cars 10-15 minutes away on the Monroe Park Campus, so for me and many other students, accessing your car when you need it is an absolute nightmare.

One positive thing I can say about VCU is that I have had good professors, both semesters I had professors that do care and look out for you (except for one bad CHEM 101 professor, to which I was not the only one to complain). However, there are too many other things that are making me transfer after only two semesters here, and many of those are listed above. In addition, there really isn't much to do around the campus, and the downtown Richmond area isn't really that well-kept (bad sidewalks, horrible roads). The only things that there is to do around the campus on weekends are house-parties, as freshman aren't required to live in the dorms, and that's pretty much it. Library is really nice and newly renovated, and it's one of my only favorite parts about VCU. WiFi is really spotty and slow in the dorms, and I often lose connection quite often. My advisor told me to sign up for a course that I was unprepared to take and ended up having to withdraw at the deadline. The resources at VCU are plenty, but honestly, if you are pursuing something other than a health profession or something in the arts or theater program, there really isn't anything too special about VCU. And be prepared to hear the word "diversity", it's something VCU is super/overly proud about. Also, be prepared to pay extra if you sign up for more than 15 credits. The university claims it saves you money over 4 years for taking 15 credits but you have to pay an extra fee each semester for being at 15 credits or above.

Computer science program sucks a**. I went there to learn, instead they teach me JAVA for four years. JAVA takes 6 months to learn at a professional level. They are bulls***

Pretty good university, has several nationally ranked programs.

The black and yellow, the diversity of people...it's been fun working there

Edit: Really bad set of young people go to this university. Many of the adults and more experienced students keep to themselves, are respectful, and are generally better people. The young crowd is obnoxious. The increasing acceptance rate at this school is adding to this problem and making the school itself much worse then it already is.

It's move in week, so freshman: If you are not a pre-med or art student, seriously consider a transfer now. Every other department is under funded, usually poorly staffed, and has a joke of a curriculum. I often say a masters here is a bachelors at UVA.
Very few people are actually working or learning here. If you plan to achieve in a life time, this is not the place to do so. Start writing papers and networking now if you plan to say and still get somewhere.
Plus side, a good student can graduate from undergrad in 5-6 semesters with some effort.
Hipster Central. Trendy Paradise. Trifling Population. Small Campus.
Too many students either have too much money, or too much time, or too much freedom and are a deterrence to both the learning process and campus life.
As at any school there is a clear segregation between students who spend a vast majority of time working or are part of hard majors, and everyone else.
Nasty city. Nasty living conditions. Nasty people.
Far too many panhandlers for a city this small.
Expensive, Smelly, Noisy, city, city, city (again big city problems in a small city).
2 stars, It CAN get worse; America is on a decline.

I feel as though the faculty does everything thing they can to help you succeed. Not to mention the fact that Richmond is a great place to be. Really enjoy it here.

Overall my experience at VCU has been miserable.

For my first semester I was struggling very badly in my algebra class, in all my other classes I was doing well, but that particular class I couldn t keep up. I went to the math help centers several times and they were always too busy to help me. Same with the extra sessions set up by the classes. I just couldn t keep up with the class and despite asking for help several times, and making a lot of effort to imporove and pass the class, I received no additional support.

I then had several severe health issues during my next semester which caused me to have to withdraw from my classes. Despite being taken off campus in an ambulance and then explaining the situation, and letting them know I was going to withdraw from my current classes and that I could get full documentation from my doctors, I was still going to be billed the full amount. I have been trying to repeal so I only have to pay a partial amount for months, and I need notes from my professors confirming I didn t attend classes past a certain date. For months now I have been begging a professor to email me back or call me or something and I always get the same response, just try again with the email or call later. I have shown up during his office hours and he is never there.

VCU claims to have a great, caring community but I never felt that. No one has bothered to help me and now I m likely going to be choked with debt for classes I didn t take, which is even worse since due to my status as a legal non citizen I won t get any financial aid whatsoever. They say they are an inclusive community, and racially that may be so, but anything that actually takes any effort to be inclusive with, aka making accommodations for and helping the disabled, they don t seem to care.

How to sign up for and what classes to take was also very poorly explained to me, despite me asking several times, which was very stressful too. Overall VCU has put me off getting a higher education. For now, it s on the back burner. I hope I am an exception and that others here have a much better time and a bright future from attending VCU. I guess it s just not for me.

the library is extremely valuable especially the web applications

Awesome school to attend, lots of diversity, too many hipsters/mac demarco impersonators

Despite it's high acceptance rate VCU is an incredible University. Never have I been surrounded by such inspirational and unique individuals. College is what you make it. VCU gives you back as much as you put into it. Richmond is a wonderful city and full of energy. Being in the heart of the city gives students a unique experience.

I can't wait to go to VCU. It's been my dream school. I know I can a better future

Very urban campus strewn throughout Richmond. New library is incredible.

I went to Richmond for a VCU info session and tour on the 28th. Getting there was alright, but once we were in Richmond it was very difficult to find where we had to be. The Info part started at 10:30, for reference. The email I received after registering for the event didn't tell me where to park, if a parking permit was needed, nor did it give directions to the Welcome Center. i have registered for more then 3 college visits across the state and received email from each, in fact, ODU sent a parking permit so that we wouldn't have to pay for parking, they told us which garage to park in, and the specific address to input once we were in the area. The email from VCU sorely lacks all of these components. We, being my mother and I, walked around from The Jefferson to the Branding Center. The man at the desk gave us a poor, half-labeled map and told us it was three blocks down past the book store. Wow thanks. We walked around in 100 degree weather, asking students and locals where the heck a Barnes and Nobles was or how to get to Broad street. We stopped on the corner of Broad and saw a girl carting something from the bookstore and asked her where the Welcome Center was. She was didn't know. We finally found the Welcome Center. At 11 o'clock. It was beside the very same place the aforementioned student had just left. wow thanks. When we went inside to inquire about another tour we were told it would be at 2pm. We had to leave before then if we were to be home before dark. The person at the desk told us we could pick up the info pamphlets from the shelves along each window. Some of the leaflets were outdated, showing times for October 2015 informational visit days. Overall, I think I did gain critical knowledge, VCU is not for me. The urban setting makes for a more interesting experience and I can see myself getting used to the layout, but the way the school is spread out and how unknowledgeable students were of their own school puts me off.

Will be graduating in 2 Semesters. Many of the professors in the Engineering department have grad students do most of their work. They do not teach real world application of the concepts that you learn. Many of them are content to read off of a power point and leave students ignorant of how their education should be applied. Many students will graduate without the skills to be able to excel in their fields of study.

I am in the arts program and all professors are there for your best interest and there are so many opportunities to take advantage of. Sports are awesome, campus is safe, and Richmond is full of art and music!

There is a reason why this gym was listed in the top 12 best college gyms in USA. It's that amazing! Go in the morning because that's when it's the emptiness. Sometimes late night is good too, but depends.

I work here at jonahs on the mcv campus amazing place to work so helpful and friendly.

VCU''s school of social work program is full of individuals who don't really care about the students. The professors are great but the field department is horrible! They place you at sites that are unprofessional and do not help you learn what it means to be a social worker. They have terrible relationships with agencies and I wish I knew that before I was in the program. They appear great on the outside but its smoking mirrors.

THEY BEAT DUKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok really they wana charge me 6k just for a urin test to lie and say o had a uti when i have stage 3 kidney disease so yeah of course ima have a uti i have kept one since i was 4 years old and i told them that and the dr was rude and nasty.. and want to bill me for being in there 2 hrs with no help with the systoms i was having that had nothing to do with my bladder. This has to be the absoult worst hospital ever... people knodding out in waiting room was put in room beside me begging for pain meds and the nurse telling the same doctor because we could hear everything and dr telling nurse to give the 1mg daulid and i couldnt even get nothing for nausa. Shm worst place ever then want to bill me over 6k....

Bad education and example for students. Animal abuse: experimenters at VCU addict monkeys to cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and other drugs.

Then, they take the drugs away and force the animals to experience agonizing withdrawal symptoms.

When questioned, the university claimed that the monkeys are then retired to a sanctuary but why would anyone who does this to animals tell the

I called the school's number and I can hardly understand the voice of the man in the pre-recorded message.

Wonderful University, in a wonderful city. This university basically runs downtown Richmond. There are a lot of things for young people to do within the city.

Been in Richmond my whole life. I am amazed at the new landscape VCU has contributed to by transforming this city. Richmond has seen new growth of modernized architecture and new cultural diversity in the richness of VCU's student body. All very positive things as we march towards a future of more connection and closer community.

Such an interesting place with many different culinary experiences just within a mile of campus, I HOPE I NEVER GRADUATE! SHAFER ROXXX! XD
I wish i could make friends tho i smells too much. I go bath now and scrub toes

Very nice campus and well-kept buildings and grounds. I was impressed by how well organized the move-in day was and just how smoothly we were able to take care of business. I'm looking forward to more visits in the future.