Students have three options when it comes to Residential Colleges: Brown, Hereford or the International Residency College. Students have to apply to live in these colleges and can live there for any or all of their time at UVA. Each college has its own “personality,” which can help guide a student’s choice.
Brown College
The oldest of the three residential colleges, Brown is located in Central Grounds, right next to Newcomb and Monroe Hall. All of the dorms at Brown (referred to as “portals”) are connected to each other through underground tunnels. Residents host many kinds of activities, as well as larger events hosted yearly or every semester. Brown hosts its own semiformal each semester, usually in a rented club on the Downtown Mall. Every Halloween, Brown also builds and staffs its own haunted house (called “Hauntings”) for charity. And every May, Brown hosts a carnival for its residents!
Residents say Brown is “for the interested and interesting.” This belief is exemplified in the Brown College application. It is filled with questions that ask students not only to think outside of the box but sometimes to destroy the box itself! Current residents choose future ones by reading the applications themselves.
Hereford College
Boasting 200 residents and 40 faculty, graduate student and community Fellows, Hereford is built around sustainability and cultural diversity. The college is located on Observatory Hill and provides its students opportunities to enjoy playing fields, outdoor seating and the popular “hammock” terrace.
Hereford consists of two houses, Norris and Whyburn, which are air-conditioned and have rooms opening into common hallways; rooms are double-occupancy for first-years and single-occupancy for upperclass students. Around 28 students live on each floor and share common bathrooms and two furnished lounges.
International Residency College (IRC)
While most of the students in the IRC are from the United States, the IRC still boasts the largest international-to-domestic student ratio on Grounds. Moreover, exchange students from international partner universities combined with the international residents represent 38 countries from around the world. The diversity of culture is celebrated with much joy and food at the IRC’s various programs throughout the year. Global awareness, inter-cultural interaction, study abroad opportunities and community outreach are main themes of the IRC, organized by the IRC’s Student Council and committees.
If Brown, Hereford or the IRC sound good to you, consider applying to live there! For more information, visit UVA’s Residential Colleges page.
Language Houses
Similar to the Residential Colleges, students can also apply to live in the Language Houses. Students there live amongst other people interested in different languages and cultures while also having all the amenities of a typical dorm. However, applicants should keep in mind that students have to speak the appropriate language in common areas, which can be a challenge but also fosters better communication and language learning. There are three Languages Houses at UVA:
- Maison Française (French)
- Casa Bolívar (Spanish)
- Shea House (ASL, Arabic, Chines, German, Japanese, Korean, Persian, and Russian)
No matter where you end up living, you’ll likely encounter the same upsides and downsides. But if these living arrangements in this article sound exciting to you, go ahead and apply! Wherever you choose to live, you can make it the right place for you.