The University of Virginia was established in 1819 by one of the United States Presidents, Thomas Jefferson. You can find the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia, sitting upon land that another United States President, James Monroe owned. The University of Virginia can also be called UVA or Virginia and is a public research school. UVA is ranked in the top ten of United States public universities and in the top 25 of all universities. There have been studies that state that the University of Virginia is the school that most students want to attend out of all other universities in the nation. Holding such a high ranking, the school focuses on education for all, no matter your race or financial situation.

When Thomas Jefferson decided to start a university in Virginia, he did so because he wanted to have a school in the state that did not revolved around religion. He also wanted to have a university that focused more on the study of the sciences. Thomas Jefferson went to the College of William and Mary but did not like the school because of the fact that there was too much emphasis on religion and not enough studies of science. So, Jefferson got together a Board of Visitors and soon bought land from James Monroe in order to start the University of Virginia. The land in Charlottesville, Virginia, was farmland that James Monroe had originally bought in 1788. The University of Virginia had its first buildings started on being built in 1817 and the school was chartered in 1819. Five years later an inaugural banquet was held and the following year, in 1825, the students were enrolled in classes. It took 25 years for Thomas Jefferson to dream up his idea of a university and for it to become a reality.

The University of Virginia's mascot is the Cavaliers or Wahoos and the colors for the school are Navy Blue and Orange. The Cavaliers are a part of the Atlantic Coast Conference and have 23 teams that compete. In football the school has won 21 national championships, 7 in men's lacrosse, 6 in men's soccer, 2 in boxing, 3 in women's lacrosse, 2 in women's cross country, and a championship in track and field. With an athletic program as strong as the one at this school, as a student, you need to make sure you are participating and going to support your Virginia Cavaliers! SidelineSweetie.com has all the right clothing in orange and navy blue for you to support your team in style!

As a part of the "Public Ivies," The University of Virginia started out differently than most universities of its day. At most schools, only Medicine, Law, and Religion were allowed to be studied. With Thomas Jefferson behind the wheel, the University of Virginia was the first in the nation to offer such courses as Political Science, Astronomy, Botany, Philosophy, and Architecture. He would not allow for any religion to be studied and it was not until many years later that a Religious Studies department and a chapel was added, although this was not part of his plan! Both Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, both former Presidents of the United States, made the grounds of the University of Virginia their home and they both remained there until their deaths.

During the American civil War, the University of Virginia could have easily been destroyed. Of all the other states, Virginia saw the most battles and the university was almost part of one of them. General Custer marched his troops through Charlottesville, Virginia, and the faculty and other leaders in the community convinced him to not destroy the school. His troops did stay on the grounds of the university, but a few days later they left without any real damage or killings. The University of Virginia was one of the only universities to stay open during the war!

The architecture at the University of Virginia has made this school designated as a World Heritage Site. Because of Thomas Jefferson's home, Monticello, the campus is a huge destination for tourist. Just to give you an idea of how awesome it is to be a World Heritage Site, the other two listed out of all places in the United States are the Statue of Liberty and Independence Hall! Another structure on campus that most people would associate with UVA is the Rotunda. The Rotunda was built under the obvious inspiration of the Pantheon in Rome and the building and its surrounding Lawn have been models for other universities, such as the Duke Blue Devils, to copy for their own campuses.

Over 20,000 students attend the University of Virginia. Twelve schools and colleges make up the university and its different areas of study. The Colleges and schools at UVA are: the School of Architecture, the College of Arts and Sciences, The College at Wise, The Frank Batten School of leadership and Public Policy, The Darden Graduate School of Business Administration, the School of Nursing, the School of Medicine, The McIntire School of Commerce, the School of Law, the Curry School of Education, the School of Continuing and Professional Studies, and the School of Engineering and applied Science. Students are not referred to as Freshman through Seniors but instead you say you are in your first, second, third, fourth, and so on, years. Thomas Jefferson started this system because he wanted students to realize that education can keep going even after a four year completion and the title Senior makes it sound like it is at it's end. Students never use the word graduate but rather they "take" a degree. Also, because Thomas Jefferson wanted equality of faculty rather than some being looked upon as smarter or greater, the professors are never addressed as "Dr." but rather "Mr." or "Ms." Thomas Jefferson, to this day, still has much influence on the traditions here.

Going to football gamedays and other sporting events are just a small part of the activities that UVA students participate in. Another big social event is Foxfield, which is a steeplechase in Albemarle County. Ladies, grab up a dress for Foxfield steeplechase out of our many collections of designer clothing! Pair one of our day dresses with a large floppy hat and let the races begin! University of Virginia ladies, find your next outfit for any sorority or fraternity mixer, Springfest, homecoming, or just a fun night out with friends, at SidelineSweetie.com.