Living on the Lawn is considered one of the highest honors for an undergraduate student, and along with being an occupant in one of the 54 bedrooms, fourth-year residents are brought into a unique environment of student self-governance that guides them in their day-to-day lives at the center of the University.
The Lawn is located at the central point of Grounds, situated on the South side of the Rotunda. The Lawn, its rooms, the pavilions and the Rotunda are what encompass the Academical Village founded by Thomas Jefferson.
Each year, 54 third-year students are selected in the spring semester to live on the Lawn during their fourth year — an honor that earns them the title of a “Lawnie.” These students are ultimately all under the supervision of their senior resident.
In a statement to The Cavalier Daily, Ava Wolsborn, incoming SR of the Lawn and rising fourth-year College student, explained that the environment of student self-governance is most prominent on the Lawn. She said that part of her role to embrace self-governance is to facilitate conversations between Lawnies and University leaders, such as Housing and Residence Life and Student Affairs staff members.
“Student self-governance on the Lawn is defined by the fact that each cohort of Lawnies paces the history, culture and traditions for the cohort to follow.” Wolsborn wrote. “As the SR, my role is to empower residents to continue serving as leaders in their respective communities at U.Va., just as they have leading up to their year on the Lawn, in turn, further shaping the inclusive and vibrant Lawn community.”
According to the Office of Student Affairs, students who are selected to live on the Lawn are recognized for their “unselfish service” to the University and overall Charlottesville community. The Student Affairs website explains that selected students are chosen to enhance the general reputation of the University, since the Lawn rooms are consistently in the public eye of passersby.
Each year, Lawn applications open around early December and close around early January. Wolsborn said the application generally consists of multiple essay questions where the applicants reflect on their continued commitment to the University, their extracurriculars, scholastic achievement and how they will contribute to life on the Lawn.
The residents of the Lawn are chosen by the Lawn Selection Committee, which is composed of 64 fourth-year undergraduate students. Half of the selection committee consists of voting ex-officio student members — students that hold an office position — that are meant to represent a mix of diverse perspectives and experiences at the University. Some of the student organizations include representatives from each of the seven academic schools within the University that offer undergraduate degrees, the president of Student Council, the chair of the Honor Committee, the chair of the University Judiciary Committee, representatives of the Asian Student Union, Black Presidents Council, Fourth-Year Trustees, Multicultural Greek Council, Muslim Students Association and several others. The remaining 32 spots are assigned through a random process to fourth-year students.
Although the Lawn houses 54 single bedrooms, the Lawn Selection Committee is responsible for selecting only 48 fourth-years to reside on the Lawn. The remaining six rooms are endowed to specific organizations and groups on Grounds.
According to the Student Affairs frequently asked questions website, the six rooms endowed to specific organizations have their own application processes and selections are approved by the University dean of students or a specific selection committee. The rooms include Room 1 West, which is the John K. Crispell Memorial Room assigned to an “outstanding” pre-health student that is selected separately from regular Lawn admission. Room 7 West is typically assigned to a member of the Jefferson Literary and Debating Society who has applied to live on the Lawn and has been nominated by a member of the Society.
Room 15 West is the Gus Blagden Memorial Room, which requires a nomination from any student describing a candidate’s service and impact towards the University to a separate committee. Room 17 West is assigned to a student that has been nominated by the Trigon Engineering Society from any society member that had already applied to live on the Lawn for that year. The student is approved by the University dean of students from a nomination provided by the Society. Room 26 East is reserved for the SR and Room 37 West is assigned to a student selected by the Honor Committee, which is traditionally the Chair.
According to University Spokesperson Bethanie Glover, the University received 207 applications for Lawn housing during the 2026-27 academic year, 208 applications for the 2025-26 academic year and 177 applications for the 2024-25 academic year. The acceptance rate for Lawn housing was about 23 percent for the 2026-27 academic year. Housing and Residence Life also has a waitlist for students not automatically accepted for residency — based on if an accepted applicant accepts or declines their offer.
Graduate students also have the opportunity to apply to live behind the gardens and pavilions that line the Lawn — the Range. The Range is offered on both the West and East sides of the Lawn, and there are 52 total rooms available for graduate students.
Students selected to live on the Lawn are provided with a single-bedroom with a sink closet, lofted bed with a daybed, refrigerator, freezer and working fireplace. Communal laundry facilities and full bathrooms with showers can be found behind rooms 26, 28, 27 and 37. The pavilions in the Academical Village are houses for important figures within the University, and are located next to the undergraduate bedrooms for Lawn residents.
Newly added this year, a communal kitchen in the basement of Pavilion VIII will be available for both Lawn and Range residents.
For the incoming cohort of Lawn residents, living on the Lawn costs $9,790 for the 2026-27 academic year.
Isabela Delgado is a staff writer on the news desk who enjoys writing longer form pieces. Most of her work is focused on U.Va. Health and the Honor Committee, although she enjoys writing all types of articles for the paper. Outside of writing, Isabela is also a part of the Photo desk. Isabela is from New Jersey and currently plans to major in Government.
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