No supplemental essays for UVA?

[Anonymous]

“Background” question started in 2023: https://uvaapplication.blogspot.com/2023/07/2023-2024-uva-writing-prompts.html?m=1

Before that, 2022: https://uvaapplication.blogspot.com/2022/06/2022-2023-uva-first-year-application.html?m=1

[Anonymous]

Read in another group:
admissions readers loved the supplements. This is direct response to federal govt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People will customize additional info section into an essay for UVA.

And risk annoying the admissions team? Not this family.

Nope not at all.
My kid used AI to customize per school, explaining why it was a first choice but couldn’t ED. Could have helped with those T20 admissions.

What was their excuse?

[Anonymous]

Essays give too much power to AOs and it’s subjective. Get rid of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Essays give too much power to AOs and it’s subjective. Get rid of them.

Essays let us be more than a GPA and an SAT score.

[Anonymous]

Without essays everything else becomes incredibly important…even those boring activities list.

[Anonymous]

Shoot. I hope they don’t have essays next year. My rising junior will def apply.

[Anonymous]

Know late to party for posting on this just still can’t wrap head around not requiring additional essays. ED numbers may stay same since must commit, but would think number of EA and RD applications will go even more through roof with no supplemental essays (except for nursing) and test optional.

If UVA dropped essays because didn’t want to use AI to read and score essays, wonder if they change back to requiring next year if applicants double-or maybe they use AI for first screen by grades and kids who do submit scores to limit number common app essays have to read?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah their app numbers will skyrocket. My son just said, “I guess I’m applying to UVA now!” It was not on his list but he has competitive stats so why not.

65% of Virginia HS graduates apply to UVA.

What is the profile of a student who wouldn’t apply if it required an essay, buy would otherwise?

The 65% of HS grads from all Virginia was when they still had supplemental essays (last year).

What difference does it make if it’s 65% or 75%?

I am the arguments alleging “floodgates opening,” nor the predictions of any decrease in admitted-student qualifications.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To be fair, the optional essay about your connection to UVA was an invitation for legacies to write about their legacy status despite a state law outlawing consideration of legacy in admissions. Why ask if it is illegal to consider legacy? Maybe they were also illegally considering race through the other essays?

Correct.

The 2 essay prompts (which have now been eliminated) asked students to address:

1) their personal connection to UVA (ie - legacy), and

2) UVA’s historical founding by a slave-holder (Mr. Jefferson’s university), and UVA’s campus occupying a former plantation dependent on slave-labor. That was unquestionably a DEIA-focused essay prompt.

The reasons are obvious as to why the supplemental essays had to be removed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To be fair, the optional essay about your connection to UVA was an invitation for legacies to write about their legacy status despite a state law outlawing consideration of legacy in admissions. Why ask if it is illegal to consider legacy? Maybe they were also illegally considering race through the other essays?

Correct.

The 2 essay prompts (which have now been eliminated) asked students to address:

1) their personal connection to UVA (ie - legacy), and

2) UVA’s historical founding by a slave-holder (Mr. Jefferson’s university), and UVA’s campus occupying a former plantation dependent on slave-labor. That was unquestionably a DEIA-focused essay prompt.

The reasons are obvious as to why the supplemental essays had to be removed.

There were other required essay prompts in 2023 when my kid applied. Something about your source of strength. These might have been there too but optional.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Know late to party for posting on this just still can’t wrap head around not requiring additional essays. ED numbers may stay same since must commit, but would think number of EA and RD applications will go even more through roof with no supplemental essays (except for nursing) and test optional.

If UVA dropped essays because didn’t want to use AI to read and score essays, wonder if they change back to requiring next year if applicants double-or maybe they use AI for first screen by grades and kids who do submit scores to limit number common app essays have to read?

I don’t think that’s why they dropped essays. More likely related to DEI and avoidance of government oversight/overreach.

[Anonymous]

Only the common app, no supplimental essays.

I believe class rigor, any leaderships, common app essay and recommendations are what they look at when narrowing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Know late to party for posting on this just still can’t wrap head around not requiring additional essays. ED numbers may stay same since must commit, but would think number of EA and RD applications will go even more through roof with no supplemental essays (except for nursing) and test optional.

If UVA dropped essays because didn’t want to use AI to read and score essays, wonder if they change back to requiring next year if applicants double-or maybe they use AI for first screen by grades and kids who do submit scores to limit number common app essays have to read?

I don’t think that’s why they dropped essays. More likely related to DEI and avoidance of government oversight/overreach.

DEIA and legacy caused the essays to be dropped.

But the PP brought up AI, which many admissions offices now confess to using; remember: applications to all universities in the USA shot up 40% (FOURTY PERCENT!) as soon as the Covid-19 pandemic forced all universities to go “test optional” for at least one year. Many are still T.O.

How do you realistically deal with a 40% increase in applications, without using AI’s help?

Moreover, it’s obvious that high-school kids are, and will continue, to use AI for writing (including supplemental essays).

Why still bother judging students based on fake supplemental essays in 2026? - it’s largely now just AI talking to AI.