Charlottesville, VA: I can’t think of a nicer place than where I spent last weekend: the University of Virginia. Complete with Georgian architecture and lush foliage, the UVA campus was magnificent. From the moment that my family and I arrived in Charlottesville, I had a warm feeling about this prestigious university.

Founded in 1819 by none other than Thomas Jefferson, the University of Virginia has a rich history. Composed of six colleges ranging from arts and sciences to architecture, we learned on our tour that the colleges are somewhat independent and admission is to a specific one, not the university as a whole. At first, I was a bit put off by this, but the guide explained that the policy is flexible, especially for those who are undecided about their major.

We also learned that UVA is sort of a hybrid university: it is a public state school with the selectivity of a top-notch private school. All in all, UVA was a very interesting place that I will definitely check out in more detail.

Seeing the University of Virginia really opened my eyes to the large number of excellent schools in my area. I thought that my mind was almost made up about where I wanted to go to college, but now I am not so sure. I really liked what I saw at UVA and am looking forward to finding out more. For more information, visit their website at virginia.edu.