Historic Charlottesville, a city of 40,000 residents, has been home to three US presidents: Thomas Jefferson (whose Monticello residence still attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists each year), James Madison, and James Monroe. Today, Charlottesville is known as a laidback destination for artists and professionals, flush with restaurants and cafes, bars, retailers, music venues, and galleries. Its close proximity to the scenic Blue Ridge mountain range and countless lakes and ponds present numerous opportunities for hiking and other outdoor activities. The city is a little over an hour’s drive from Richmond and about two and a half hours from the nation’s capital.

One of UVA’s most unique qualities is its historic campus, which, along with Monticello, is listed as a World Heritage Site. UVA’s Jeffersonian design has been lauded by the American Institute of Architects as the “proudest achievement of American architecture in the past 200 years,” so it’s no surprise that the campus is a popular tourist destination in its own right. The Lawn stands at the center of UVA’s campus. The Rotunda, located on the north side of the Lawn, is the university’s most recognizable structure. On either side of the Rotunda are ten pavilions where classes are held, separated by walled gardens. The Rotunda burned to the ground in 1895 and was rebuilt by Stanford White, who disregarded Thomas Jefferson’s initial design. White redesigned the Rotunda’s interior, changing it from three floors to two and adding three buildings to the foot of the Lawn. In 1976, in recognition of the US Bicentennial, the Rotunda was restored to its original Jeffersonian design.

First-Year Options: -Alderman Road: Consists of 13 first-year houses. Eleven of these are suite style, and each suite shares a bathroom. Over 1,600 residents are accommodated here. -McCormick Road: Houses 1,300 students. This area consists of ten buildings composed of singles and doubles. The buildings are co-ed, with single-sex floors. Residential Colleges are communities in which students are housed with faculty who help facilitate programs. These communities are: -Brown Residential College -Hereford Residential College -International College -Malone House -Weedon House Language Houses: -Casa Bolivar (Spanish) -Maison Francaise -Max Cade House (German) -Shea House -Russian House Suites/Apartments: -Gooch/Dillard -Bice -Copeley III -Faulkner -Lambeth

Boasting 14 national championships and five Final Four appearances, students and administrators are extremely proud of Cavaliers athletics. You’re likely to find students getting dressed up and tailgating before football home games, then singing the “Good Ol’ Song” after every Virginia touchdown. Basketball is also extremely popular at UVA. The most successful team in UVA history is arguably the men’s soccer team. With 5 national championships to their name, the Cavaliers consistently field a top-notch team that is always in the hunt in the ultra-competitive Atlantic Coast Conference. Former coach Bruce Arena left the school to become head coach of MLS’ D.C. United and eventually went on to coach the U.S. national team, leading the squad in 2002 in its best World Cup performance since 1930. A large number of sports-loving undergrads also participate in intramural and club teams on campus. More on Unigo: Top Ten Things to Know About Athletics at UVA Cavaliers Versus Hokies: A Virginia rivalry