1600 SAT, 10 APs, 5 DEs, 5 college math/CS courses. Kid wants UVA ED, but I think they can aim higher?

[Anonymous]

Didn't read thru all of the posts but not seeing much of a reminder that the EA pool is tough as many more students who are shooting for the Ivys or Ivy-like are applying then. If he sets his heart on UVA, go ED, if he gets in great, you are done and you move on. If his heart isn't set, go ahead and EA but make sure there are some more attainable schools on that list as well - more likelies - that he would be just as happy about.

[Anonymous]

Many better CS/Engineering schools than UVA. EA to UVA and as many other better ranked CS/Engineering schools as possible. Would not waste an ED on UVA for CS/Engineering with those stats unless UVA is kid’s dream school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have the feeling this is not the answer OP is looking for but bits an honest, informed answer.

This profile has no chance at MIT and Stanford due to no big STEM awards, not recruited athlete, no famous parents, no big jobs like Google paid internship for 2 years plus an app with 100k+ users. GPA way too low for HYP. SAT not that special for Caltech and CMU especially during EA/ED; they get a lot of 1600 kids.

Your best bet is Cornell or Georgia Tech ED. UVA is not a bad choice if you get in-state tuition. Rice is possible for ED if out of state and full pay but GPA is borderline too low. Definitely too low for Penn and Duke.

Good advice here. Shoot the shot, but be realistic.

As posted earlier, there is potential arbitrage with overseas unis as they focus more on test scores (including TMUA) and depth of engagement with the chosen subject. They are also less focused on hooks, so there are more spots available in each class in real terms. Think about Cambridge, Imperial, Oxford, Warwick, St Andrews, Edinburgh, etc.

I wouldn’t pick any UK university over UVA, (or Purdue/UIUC engineering), unless it’s Oxbridge.

Yes, it totally makes sense to want the football weekend, big state school, traditional US college experience. However, for example, Imperial’s global prestige, research quality, and employment outcomes are much closer to MIT than Purdue or UIUC. It’s a very tough admit which requires extra work, but gpa might be less a liability than equivalent US schools (i.e. T10).

I knew graduates from Imperial. Have to disagree with the bolded.

Me, too. Tough place for Americans. Housing is difficult. Just google it. https://www.reddit.com/r/Imperial/comments/3tcyfc/why_you_dont_want_to_go_to_imperial/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like a great kid. But 3.8 may not get you the “more elite” schools with which you are obsessed. He likes uva. UVA is strong. And relatively cheap. It’s like you’ve won the lottery - why are you messing with this?

+1 He might just not like other schools. UVA has a relatively unique student body size among the T30. Look at the USNWR T30 and rank them based on 2026 undergraduate class size. Only four schools fall between 10,000 and 30,000. If he likes that just right size, he’s looking at Cornell, USC, UNC, and UVA. USC and Cornell are dramatically different from UVA on other metrics. I just don’t see the point in pushing him if he’s likely to get in ED. In the age of 10+ college apps, why not let him be one and done?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many better CS/Engineering schools than UVA. EA to UVA and as many other better ranked CS/Engineering schools as possible. Would not waste an ED on UVA for CS/Engineering with those stats unless UVA is kid’s dream school.

I would have also suggested EA to UVA as there are better schools he has a good chance of getting into for his major with these stats. Cornell, UIUC , GATech etc

But the thing is OP’s son LOVES UVA. He has about 95 % change of getting in ED with this gpa… UVA seems to take in anyone above 4.3, In State and stats like Op’s son.

All being said UVA is a great school overall and if a kid really wants to go there with this kind of stats, I would let him ED and move on.

[Anonymous]

OP, If you don't try, you won't know.
Please come back next year, tell us how your DC goes, all the best!

[Anonymous]

Don’t ED, high chance to get in EA. They may get surprises. You never know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have the feeling this is not the answer OP is looking for but bits an honest, informed answer.

This profile has no chance at MIT and Stanford due to no big STEM awards, not recruited athlete, no famous parents, no big jobs like Google paid internship for 2 years plus an app with 100k+ users. GPA way too low for HYP. SAT not that special for Caltech and CMU especially during EA/ED; they get a lot of 1600 kids.

Your best bet is Cornell or Georgia Tech ED. UVA is not a bad choice if you get in-state tuition. Rice is possible for ED if out of state and full pay but GPA is borderline too low. Definitely too low for Penn and Duke.

Good advice here. Shoot the shot, but be realistic.

As posted earlier, there is potential arbitrage with overseas unis as they focus more on test scores (including TMUA) and depth of engagement with the chosen subject. They are also less focused on hooks, so there are more spots available in each class in real terms. Think about Cambridge, Imperial, Oxford, Warwick, St Andrews, Edinburgh, etc.

I wouldn’t pick any UK university over UVA, (or Purdue/UIUC engineering), unless it’s Oxbridge.

Funny….my son did exactly that. Picked a UK uni (not Oxbridge) over UVA for CS….just graduated from his masters at a second UK school….and is currently working at a well known tech firm in NYC…..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have the feeling this is not the answer OP is looking for but bits an honest, informed answer.

This profile has no chance at MIT and Stanford due to no big STEM awards, not recruited athlete, no famous parents, no big jobs like Google paid internship for 2 years plus an app with 100k+ users. GPA way too low for HYP. SAT not that special for Caltech and CMU especially during EA/ED; they get a lot of 1600 kids.

Your best bet is Cornell or Georgia Tech ED. UVA is not a bad choice if you get in-state tuition. Rice is possible for ED if out of state and full pay but GPA is borderline too low. Definitely too low for Penn and Duke.

Good advice here. Shoot the shot, but be realistic.

As posted earlier, there is potential arbitrage with overseas unis as they focus more on test scores (including TMUA) and depth of engagement with the chosen subject. They are also less focused on hooks, so there are more spots available in each class in real terms. Think about Cambridge, Imperial, Oxford, Warwick, St Andrews, Edinburgh, etc.

I wouldn’t pick any UK university over UVA, (or Purdue/UIUC engineering), unless it’s Oxbridge.

Imperial is better for engineering than Oxbridge and comparable for CS.

[Anonymous]

Purdue would be an easy fit with that gpa

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have the feeling this is not the answer OP is looking for but bits an honest, informed answer.

This profile has no chance at MIT and Stanford due to no big STEM awards, not recruited athlete, no famous parents, no big jobs like Google paid internship for 2 years plus an app with 100k+ users. GPA way too low for HYP. SAT not that special for Caltech and CMU especially during EA/ED; they get a lot of 1600 kids.

Your best bet is Cornell or Georgia Tech ED. UVA is not a bad choice if you get in-state tuition. Rice is possible for ED if out of state and full pay but GPA is borderline too low. Definitely too low for Penn and Duke.

Good advice here. Shoot the shot, but be realistic.

As posted earlier, there is potential arbitrage with overseas unis as they focus more on test scores (including TMUA) and depth of engagement with the chosen subject. They are also less focused on hooks, so there are more spots available in each class in real terms. Think about Cambridge, Imperial, Oxford, Warwick, St Andrews, Edinburgh, etc.

I wouldn’t pick any UK university over UVA, (or Purdue/UIUC engineering), unless it’s Oxbridge.

Funny….my son did exactly that. Picked a UK uni (not Oxbridge) over UVA for CS….just graduated from his masters at a second UK school….and is currently working at a well known tech firm in NYC…..

You’re from VA? Isn’t it much pricier to attend a UK university than UVA in state?

[Anonymous]

Dumb question - how did he take all of these classes? My kid has 7 classes a year. 1 is PE, one is a non-honors elective, and math/Spanish are non-honors as the school doesn't offer an honorable track (just AP when you get to that point). So he had 2 honors classes and one AP. Next year will be the same. I spoke with the college counselor who confirmed he's on the most challenging track. Is this school just an even worse public school than I thought? She said they send alot of kids to UVA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dumb question - how did he take all of these classes? My kid has 7 classes a year. 1 is PE, one is a non-honors elective, and math/Spanish are non-honors as the school doesn't offer an honorable track (just AP when you get to that point). So he had 2 honors classes and one AP. Next year will be the same. I spoke with the college counselor who confirmed he's on the most challenging track. Is this school just an even worse public school than I thought? She said they send alot of kids to UVA.

Smart to let other’s unassociated with your school to blindly guess about it, no name or location at all, rather than to trust the college counselor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have the feeling this is not the answer OP is looking for but bits an honest, informed answer.

This profile has no chance at MIT and Stanford due to no big STEM awards, not recruited athlete, no famous parents, no big jobs like Google paid internship for 2 years plus an app with 100k+ users. GPA way too low for HYP. SAT not that special for Caltech and CMU especially during EA/ED; they get a lot of 1600 kids.

Your best bet is Cornell or Georgia Tech ED. UVA is not a bad choice if you get in-state tuition. Rice is possible for ED if out of state and full pay but GPA is borderline too low. Definitely too low for Penn and Duke.

Good advice here. Shoot the shot, but be realistic.

As posted earlier, there is potential arbitrage with overseas unis as they focus more on test scores (including TMUA) and depth of engagement with the chosen subject. They are also less focused on hooks, so there are more spots available in each class in real terms. Think about Cambridge, Imperial, Oxford, Warwick, St Andrews, Edinburgh, etc.

I wouldn’t pick any UK university over UVA, (or Purdue/UIUC engineering), unless it’s Oxbridge.

Funny….my son did exactly that. Picked a UK uni (not Oxbridge) over UVA for CS….just graduated from his masters at a second UK school….and is currently working at a well known tech firm in NYC…..

You’re from VA? Isn’t it much pricier to attend a UK university than UVA in state?

No. He got in UVA out of state.

[Anonymous]

If OP's child knows they want UVa, they should ED to UVa. That is the best odds for UVa admission.

Major tech firms hire from and recruit at UVa SEAS, so lots of top job options will exist from there.