Autumn in C'ville

Admission: I love Charlottesville, especially in the fall. The weather's brisk, the leaves are changing and there's ample opportunity to engage in traditional Autumn activities (note apple picking photos above).

When I first started thinking about business schools, Darden rose to the top of the list not only because of its stellar reputation, but also because attending Darden would bring me back to C'ville.

A double 'hoo, I first fell in love with this city about 10 years ago. I was a junior in high school on a college visit with my dad. As a native Californian, UVa wasn't even on my radar - my target list was almost all UC's. But then I took a tour of Grounds. Particularly in the fall, UVa is stunning. It's brick and columns look even more stately set against a backdrop of orange leaves. The lawn becomes a playground for fleece-clad frisbee players. And it doesn't get more quintessentially college than treking across Jefferson's "academical village" clutching a cup of coffee and a book. Ten years ago, I knew it was the perfect place for me. Today I feel the same way.

But don't just take it from me, the New York Times has also found a few reasons to travel down to the 'ville: http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/10/26/travel/26hours.html?ref=travel.