There may have been a few tensions here and there, but my husband seems to talk of his days at UVA as if he enjoyed that time. He was offered a full scholarship to a university in PA, but he turned it down to go to UVA - that's how badly he wanted to go there. It's my understanding that it was among one of the best colleges for engineering.
What do you mean by "shanty on the Lawn?"
It really is a wonderful school. Brilliant students, beautiful grounds and great parties. What more do you need?
About the shanties: At Dartmouth, a student group built shanties (as they were called) to protest apartied. A group at UVA did the same, and they were torn down a day later.