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A Parent's Perspective on the Admission Process
As a 7-year veteran in the world of higher education, I’ve watched many families tackle the college admission process. Parents help their students in very different ways but the one thing they all have in common –the hope that their child will be happy, healthy, and successful. So, what is the best way for parents to help their students during this momentous time? I am not a parent and do not pretend to understand the complexity of parenting a high school senior on the precipice of one of the biggest investments of time and money in their lifetime. Luckily, I have two uniquely qualified colleagues to dole out advice: Gil Villanueva, Associate Vice President and Dean of Admission; and Marilyn Hesser, Executive Director of Admission. Together, they have a combined 62 years of admission experience. Gil is parent to one college sophomore and one high school student. Marilyn is the parent of three young adults.
Answers to Your Toughest Questions About Richmond
I’m fairly new to our Office of Admission, but as a Richmond grad, I thought it would be pretty easy to answer students’ questions. And sometimes it was – questions about student life, the City of Richmond, or UR sports teams were some of my favorite. Other questions weren’t so easy. They got at the heart of what it’s like to be a student at Richmond, but required a lot of thought for me to answer. Here are three of the toughest questions I heard this fall, and my honest responses.
Take a Wrong Turn (And Other Lessons Learned from the Road of Recruitment)
Today marks week three of seven on the road of recruitment travel. My life is perpetually packed into a 14 x 22” carry-on, my waistline is suffering from a diet of Oats and Honey granola bars and vanilla mint Tic Tacs, and my distaste for airport travel is only counteracted by the fleeting moments of joy found following TSA on Instagram (an unexpectedly amazing account). After seven seasons of admission travel, you might wonder why I stick with this job. The reality is that the travel isn’t glamorous, nor is the paycheck large. But each and every year, I am motivated by the possibility of meeting future Spiders who will challenge my way of thinking, reveal new opportunities for empathy, and inspire the ambition I see so prevalent on our campus. And along the way, I’ve developed a few pieces of advice. Call them words of wisdom or mere musings of an admission counselor. But for what it’s worth, here’s my personal philosophy on how to approach the college search.
"How's Your Biology Program?" (And Other Not So Awesome Questions)
We’re still awaiting cooler fall weather here in Richmond, but our students have returned to campus! That also means that our Admission Officers are gearing up to hit the road and visit your high school, college fair, or your neighborhood coffee shop for a quick Spider Chat. Whether you are a senior polishing your admission essay or a junior starting the college search process, fall is a great time to make connections with your admission officer at the University of Richmond and other colleges you might be applying to this fall.
UR: Small College, Big Sports
If you know anything about the University of Richmond, it’s probably that we’re a highly selective liberal arts school... but our 17 Division I sports teams are the real deal, too.
Mythbusters: Increasing Your Chances of Admission
“How can I improve my chances of admission?” I usually start to hear that question around this time of year. By October, I’m hearing it on an almost daily basis. It’s understandable that this is one of the most common questions we get from high school seniors beginning the application process – guidebooks, web searches, and the media would have you believe that there are a myriad of hidden tricks that can significantly boost your odds of getting in (if you could just figure out what they are).
Top 5 Reasons to Start Your Essays Early
There’s no time like the present. The early bird catches the worm. Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today. Just do it. We dole out advice frequently and exhaustively throughout the college search process. And I mean the collective We – teachers, counselors, admission professionals, classmates, friends, family, and strangers who find out that you are a high school senior. Whether helpful or not, offering advice is what we [Admission] do. So here are our top 5 reasons to start working on your college essays early.
Hidden College Costs
Admission decisions are out, the long months of anticipation are over, and it is finally time for our newly admitted students to choose a college home. The ball is in your court, future Spiders! Here are a couple of the most common areas you might find yourself accruing unwanted financial add-ons over the next four years – and, more importantly, how Richmond subsidizes many of these extra costs for our students.
Regular Decision Admission and Merit Scholarships
On Friday, Regular Decision letters left the Office of Admission, en route to thousands of applicants waiting to hear from us in our final round of admission for the year.
Richmond's Statement on Peaceful Protests
In light of recent and ongoing national events, the following statement was released yesterday by the University of Richmond via the @urichmond Twitter account: "In recent weeks, we have all shared in the heartbreak of the devastating loss of life at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, and we are all wondering what might be done to stem the tide of gun violence that has taken many young lives. What we know we can do right now is to ensure that those who choose to peaceably participate in civic protests regarding gun violence will not be impacted negatively in any way in the admissions process to the University of Richmond. We all seek a better way."

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It's #ToughTuesday - time to dig a little deeper and research more about where you'll spend the next four years. He… https://t.co/rvfqcxdcK5
It's noon here on the East Coast- time start checking the mail. Show us your #spiderpride when you receive your le… https://t.co/NEh2vTtBgt
RT @urichmond: Last day of classes mood. Good luck on exams, #Spiders! 🕷❤️💙 ・・・ **No study materials were harmed or lost during the making…
Off they go! ED notifications are leaving the building right now. We can't wait to welcome the next class of Spider… https://t.co/4ZfSXJ1blJ
Today is the last day of fall classes! We're sure everyone on campus is getting excited for our favorite finals tra… https://t.co/F4aW6fnaxu
RT @urichmond: The night before the first snow of the season, #URichmond converted the Forum into a winter wonderland. #Spiders took a brea…
Our Admission officers have been very busy for over a month already reading your applications! If you're wondering… https://t.co/fLp6XUo89d
Can't wait to find out who the first Spiders of the Class of 2023 will be? Just a few more days until we ship off o… https://t.co/VSlyGhzv10
More awesome alumni stories to sip on this Monday morning! Check out how Peter Kerekas '95 is leading the Coca-Cola… https://t.co/SsmdwZblBC
Last chance! All applications submitted by MIDNIGHT will be considered for our most prestigious, full-ride merit sc… https://t.co/0lk2yrPne3
It's Friday! ...and also the day before our big Richmond Scholars deadline. Here's a little #FlashBackFriday blog p… https://t.co/l8n2ZEtUdi
Lots of students ask about our unique programs like Leadership Studies or PPEL. Perhaps exploring the Jepson Forum… https://t.co/MF844DymsF
Better late than never, right? We're still in the spirit - how about you? #thankful https://t.co/EHEe7AdM9X
Raise your hand if your parents have been nagging you to finish those college applications 🙋‍♂️🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️ It's not ju… https://t.co/wB6rXfsrv6
RT @urichmond: This #GivingTuesday, we're taking time to give thanks to all those who contributed to our Spiders Helping Spiders campaign.…
Seniors, what's on your to-do list this week? We hope you're making some final touches to your applications to be c… https://t.co/cv0gq60HBM
The Office of Admission is open and we are back to reading and reviewing Early Action and Early Decision files. Get… https://t.co/aXSP6ZtcsC
Starting today at 5 p.m., the Office of Admission will be closed until Monday, November 26th for Thanksgiving Break… https://t.co/FKIlU5hRkV
RT @ScottCommonApp: Never underestimate the impact education has on everyone involved. In this #Thanksgiving week, read about why these @Co…
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Apply to Richmond via the Common Application or Coalition Application. The final application deadline for first-year admission is January 15, 2019.

If Richmond is your first choice, consider applying under an Early Decision plan. Contact your admission counselor if you have questions.

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The next Preview Richmond open house will take place on Friday, March 29.

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