1600 SAT, 10 APs, 5 DEs, 5 college math/CS courses. Kid wants UVA ED, but I think they can aim higher?
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Anonymous
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Parent of a Virginia junior looking for honest feedback on ED/EA strategy for a CS/math/AI/engineering kid.
Student has a 1600 SAT, roughly 6 honors courses, 10 APs, 5 dual-enrollment courses, and additional real college-level math/CS through community college. This is beyond the normal AP/DE path: Calculus I/II, Multivariable/Calc III, Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, Discrete Math, and Computer Organization. They also have a real builder/technical profile: coding projects, AI work, GitHub/portfolio, programming tutoring, project/nonprofit leadership, and external validation from a selective tech/startup-style program. Student likes UVA a lot and wants to apply Early Decision. We are in-state, and UVA has obvious advantages: cost, prestige, balance, social life, and possible credit transfer. My concern is that UVA ED may limit them too early. I think they may have a real shot at stronger CS/engineering fits like Georgia Tech, MIT, CMU, Purdue, UIUC, Michigan, Cornell Engineering, Princeton, Stanford, Berkeley, etc. Georgia Tech especially seems like a strong fit: elite CS/engineering, good value compared with private elites, big-school energy, and likely more balanced/fun than some of the most intense tech schools. I am not knocking UVA. It may end up being the best overall choice. But would you let a student like this do UVA ED, or push for UVA EA so they can keep Georgia Tech and higher-ranked CS/engineering options open? Trying to balance "UVA is excellent" with "do not lock in too early if the student may have a real shot above UVA for CS/engineering." |
Anonymous
lol...slipping Michigan in there |
Anonymous
| Go visit other schools and see what the kid likes. Then decide if UVA is still their top choice. If so then ED. |
Anonymous
| The question is: what else does he have other than academics? |
Anonymous
Forgot to add GPA: about 3.8 unweighted**, estimated 4.35-4.5 weighted, with the separate community college math/CS courses around an A average so far. Junior year is where there is a noticeable jump in both grades and rigor, including the advanced college coursework. yes my point is that through my research here are the school "better" than UVA i am concerend they are going to miss out, with this profile here is the esimates based (these are not exact but i spent months creating context with an MCP /agent) MIT: 4-8% CMU SCS: 5-10% Stanford: 3-8% Berkeley EECS/CS: 8-15% Georgia Tech: 15-25% Princeton: 5-10% Cornell Engineering: 10-18% UIUC CS: 10-20% direct CS, higher for CS+X/math/engineering Michigan: 20-35% Purdue: 35-55% Penn Engineering: 6-12% Columbia Engineering: 6-12% Duke: 10-20% Rice: 10-20% UVA: 45-60% |
Anonymous
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Your kid has a terrific shot at UVA should the higher-caliber schools not come through. I'm not in VA, but if UVA has EA, then that's what he should do. He can ED at a higher caliber school. Please don't waste ED at UVA. He'll get in anyway.
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Anonymous
They are not just math and computers. The strongest spike is definitely CS/AI/building, but there is more to the profile than that. They have independent coding and AI projects, a technical portfolio, original software/security-type work, an advanced data/AI modeling project, and external validation from a selective tech/startup-style program. They also have programming tutoring for younger students, project/nonprofit leadership with a youth/public-health awareness focus, competitive math/physics/programming involvement, and strong writing/humanities support through DE English and DE history. We also expect strong recommendations from English and history teachers, not just STEM teachers. So I would describe the profile as a technical builder with broader impact, teaching, leadership, writing strength, and humanities support, not just a narrow math/computer kid. |
Anonymous
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I would not ED any college. I would EA my top 6 colleges, including the instate college as well as ...UMD.
Sorry, UMD trumps UVA. In terms of the major he wants to do, what matters is internships every year and good grades in college. CS is one major where knowledge matters, and not the brandname. My 2 cents - with an Asian American male student of my own with pretty similar academic results and some pretty impressive ECs... UMD (we are instate) helped him get a dual major, he saved a lot of money, earned a lot of money, got a well paying first job on the other coast, and his mental health remained great being close to home. He managed to get an equally amazing serious girlfriend, managed to travel abroad each year with his group of friends, has a great professional network, has zero student debt (merit + mom-dad), has a healthy Roth and investment fund. Get college education by spending the least amount of money that you can. |
Anonymous
| 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? |
Anonymous
This is alarming. Maybe a more realistic college list? |
Anonymous
Totally agree UMD is strong, and yes, on paper UMD CS may rank higher than UVA or Virginia Tech. But for us as a Virginia family, if we are paying out-of-state public pricing, I think the school needs to feel like a much clearer jump over our in-state options. The OOS publics that make more sense to us would be: Georgia Tech, UIUC, Michigan, Berkeley, Purdue, maybe Wisconsin, maybe UT Austin if that were realistic. Those feel more like the kind of public CS/engineering programs where the OOS premium may be worth comparing against UVA/VT. UMD is excellent, but I do not see it as enough of a jump for our situation unless there were major merit or a very specific reason. Also, my kid wants to get out of the DMV area and is not that excited about UMD, partly because they are already so familiar with that area and doesn't like the vibe. |
Anonymous
| Below a 4.4 is not a lock at UVA. The rigor will likely make up for it. But just keep that in mind. |
Anonymous
I agree the GPA is the concern, but that was already part of the analysis. The 3.8 UW is the weakness compared with perfect-transcript applicants, so the list absolutely needs realistic options like UVA EA, Virginia Tech EA, and a true safety. But I do not think "alarming" means the student should stop aiming higher. The 1600 SAT, advanced rigor, college math/CS, upward junior-year trend, builder/AI profile, tutoring, leadership, and strong recommendations outside STEM are the reasons the reach schools stay on the list. The way it was framed to me was: "This is not a perfect-transcript applicant. It is a high-ability, high-rigor, technical-spike applicant with one clear weakness: earlier grade inconsistency. The 1600 SAT does not erase the GPA, but it strongly supports that the ability is there. The upward trend, advanced college coursework, and external builder evidence are what keep schools like Georgia Tech, Purdue, UIUC, Michigan, Cornell Engineering, CMU, and MIT worth trying, while still keeping UVA/VT/safety as the floor." |
Anonymous
With that 3.8 uw, pretty much no real shot to the bolded. And Berkeley is test blind. |
Anonymous
| 3.8 gpa may pose an issue at the super elite schools |