UVA - Holistic Review

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is law a major?

At UVA, it is part of a cross disciplinary major: https://ppl.virginia.edu/

[TheSpanishDoctor]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This language requirement is a bit unclear.
My DS applied to CAS. He completed the highest level of his language in his sophomore year of high school and then did not take any additional language courses in his junior or senior year. Will this be an issue?
His other subjects are also at the highest level of rigor.

Last cycle, my DC got into UVA arts and sciences and only took 2 years of language in high school (3rd level and AP).

AND hooked, right?

My son got into SEAS (class of 2028) also with only Spanish 3 and AP Spanish in high school. No hooks. However, Spanish I and II are considered high school classes, so I don't think it matters if you take them in middle school. One of the students I recommended for UVA, also 2028, got into A&S and was in my Spanish 3 class her junior year. She did 2 years of Latin in middle school. No hooks either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dean J keeps stressing that UVA does a holistic review.

But in reality all they look at is course selection ( did u take the hardest courses) and what grades did u get.

So is the “holistic” part just an act to be like a more “elite” school?

They are serious about rigor. Engineering applicant from NOVA with 4.5 and 1560 was waitlisted. Maxed out on math, history and science APs but did not bother to take Lang or lit. I warned him! Thats okay. 3rd year at UMD with a Google internship summer of 26.

This is where I get really annoyed with UVA admissions. I say that as an alum and as a parent of a kid who just applied. Your kid sounds great and it's UVA's loss. My kid also maxxed out on AP classes in most subjects, BUT he stopped taking a foreign language to do it. The classes he wanted to take wouldn't all fit if he took it so he made a choice. We supported him following his interests. We'll see what UVA does.

They say what they want and then you get mad when their decision reflects that? We all know they consider language a core subject.

No I don't know what their decision is yet. I disagree with their formulaic focus on a foreign language in admissions, no matter what the kid's interests. I think they should consider the transcript more broadly in light of its rigor and the student's interests, not one particular subject. It seems ludicrous to penalize a STEM kid for taking a two-period AP science course instead of continuing with a foreign language.

UVA is far from the only top school for which four years of a language is recommended. At any of these schools you will be competing for admission against students who took an equally rigorous curriculum as you AND also did four years of a language. That includes other “STEM kids”. You may disagree with this, but it’s a fact and it won’t change. Any student who wants to be competitive simply has to do that instead of “following their interests”. If you advised your kid otherwise you did your kid a disservice.

They are telling you very very clearly that if you are that interested in STEM and only in STEM, UVA is not the right school for you. V Tech is a better fit.

They did not tell that to the kids who applied to the UVA engineering school. Every kid I know who is there took four years of FL in high school.

How do you know multiple kids at UVA engineering and their HS coursework?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dean J keeps stressing that UVA does a holistic review.

But in reality all they look at is course selection ( did u take the hardest courses) and what grades did u get.

So is the “holistic” part just an act to be like a more “elite” school?

They are serious about rigor. Engineering applicant from NOVA with 4.5 and 1560 was waitlisted. Maxed out on math, history and science APs but did not bother to take Lang or lit. I warned him! Thats okay. 3rd year at UMD with a Google internship summer of 26.

This is where I get really annoyed with UVA admissions. I say that as an alum and as a parent of a kid who just applied. Your kid sounds great and it's UVA's loss. My kid also maxxed out on AP classes in most subjects, BUT he stopped taking a foreign language to do it. The classes he wanted to take wouldn't all fit if he took it so he made a choice. We supported him following his interests. We'll see what UVA does.

They say what they want and then you get mad when their decision reflects that? We all know they consider language a core subject.

No I don't know what their decision is yet. I disagree with their formulaic focus on a foreign language in admissions, no matter what the kid's interests. I think they should consider the transcript more broadly in light of its rigor and the student's interests, not one particular subject. It seems ludicrous to penalize a STEM kid for taking a two-period AP science course instead of continuing with a foreign language.

UVA is far from the only top school for which four years of a language is recommended. At any of these schools you will be competing for admission against students who took an equally rigorous curriculum as you AND also did four years of a language. That includes other “STEM kids”. You may disagree with this, but it’s a fact and it won’t change. Any student who wants to be competitive simply has to do that instead of “following their interests”. If you advised your kid otherwise you did your kid a disservice.

They are telling you very very clearly that if you are that interested in STEM and only in STEM, UVA is not the right school for you. V Tech is a better fit.

They did not tell that to the kids who applied to the UVA engineering school. Every kid I know who is there took four years of FL in high school.

Welp, you don’t know my daughter. Second year system engineering and stopped with Spanish 4 sophomore year of HS. Doing great! And before we hear the whole blah blah you’ll have to take in college, she’s going abroad in Spain and taking another class then. Yes, it’s a recommendation. But if you take FL all four years of high school, it’s neither a guarantee that you’ll get in nor a reason to assume you won’t (hello holistic admissions).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This language requirement is a bit unclear.
My DS applied to CAS. He completed the highest level of his language in his sophomore year of high school and then did not take any additional language courses in his junior or senior year. Will this be an issue?
His other subjects are also at the highest level of rigor.

Last cycle, my DC got into UVA arts and sciences and only took 2 years of language in high school (3rd level and AP).

AND hooked, right?

No. Strong test score, high rigor, good gpa, decent ECs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dean J keeps stressing that UVA does a holistic review.

But in reality all they look at is course selection ( did u take the hardest courses) and what grades did u get.

So is the “holistic” part just an act to be like a more “elite” school?

They are serious about rigor. Engineering applicant from NOVA with 4.5 and 1560 was waitlisted. Maxed out on math, history and science APs but did not bother to take Lang or lit. I warned him! Thats okay. 3rd year at UMD with a Google internship summer of 26.

This is where I get really annoyed with UVA admissions. I say that as an alum and as a parent of a kid who just applied. Your kid sounds great and it's UVA's loss. My kid also maxxed out on AP classes in most subjects, BUT he stopped taking a foreign language to do it. The classes he wanted to take wouldn't all fit if he took it so he made a choice. We supported him following his interests. We'll see what UVA does.

They say what they want and then you get mad when their decision reflects that? We all know they consider language a core subject.

No I don't know what their decision is yet. I disagree with their formulaic focus on a foreign language in admissions, no matter what the kid's interests. I think they should consider the transcript more broadly in light of its rigor and the student's interests, not one particular subject. It seems ludicrous to penalize a STEM kid for taking a two-period AP science course instead of continuing with a foreign language.

UVA is far from the only top school for which four years of a language is recommended. At any of these schools you will be competing for admission against students who took an equally rigorous curriculum as you AND also did four years of a language. That includes other “STEM kids”. You may disagree with this, but it’s a fact and it won’t change. Any student who wants to be competitive simply has to do that instead of “following their interests”. If you advised your kid otherwise you did your kid a disservice.

They are telling you very very clearly that if you are that interested in STEM and only in STEM, UVA is not the right school for you. V Tech is a better fit.

They did not tell that to the kids who applied to the UVA engineering school. Every kid I know who is there took four years of FL in high school.

Welp, you don’t know my daughter. Second year system engineering and stopped with Spanish 4 sophomore year of HS. Doing great! And before we hear the whole blah blah you’ll have to take in college, she’s going abroad in Spain and taking another class then. Yes, it’s a recommendation. But if you take FL all four years of high school, it’s neither a guarantee that you’ll get in nor a reason to assume you won’t (hello holistic admissions).

Again this idiotic sample size of 1 to make broad generalizations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dean J keeps stressing that UVA does a holistic review.

But in reality all they look at is course selection ( did u take the hardest courses) and what grades did u get.

So is the “holistic” part just an act to be like a more “elite” school?

They are serious about rigor. Engineering applicant from NOVA with 4.5 and 1560 was waitlisted. Maxed out on math, history and science APs but did not bother to take Lang or lit. I warned him! Thats okay. 3rd year at UMD with a Google internship summer of 26.

This is where I get really annoyed with UVA admissions. I say that as an alum and as a parent of a kid who just applied. Your kid sounds great and it's UVA's loss. My kid also maxxed out on AP classes in most subjects, BUT he stopped taking a foreign language to do it. The classes he wanted to take wouldn't all fit if he took it so he made a choice. We supported him following his interests. We'll see what UVA does.

They say what they want and then you get mad when their decision reflects that? We all know they consider language a core subject.

No I don't know what their decision is yet. I disagree with their formulaic focus on a foreign language in admissions, no matter what the kid's interests. I think they should consider the transcript more broadly in light of its rigor and the student's interests, not one particular subject. It seems ludicrous to penalize a STEM kid for taking a two-period AP science course instead of continuing with a foreign language.

UVA is far from the only top school for which four years of a language is recommended. At any of these schools you will be competing for admission against students who took an equally rigorous curriculum as you AND also did four years of a language. That includes other “STEM kids”. You may disagree with this, but it’s a fact and it won’t change. Any student who wants to be competitive simply has to do that instead of “following their interests”. If you advised your kid otherwise you did your kid a disservice.

They are telling you very very clearly that if you are that interested in STEM and only in STEM, UVA is not the right school for you. V Tech is a better fit.

They did not tell that to the kids who applied to the UVA engineering school. Every kid I know who is there took four years of FL in high school.

Welp, you don’t know my daughter. Second year system engineering and stopped with Spanish 4 sophomore year of HS. Doing great! And before we hear the whole blah blah you’ll have to take in college, she’s going abroad in Spain and taking another class then. Yes, it’s a recommendation. But if you take FL all four years of high school, it’s neither a guarantee that you’ll get in nor a reason to assume you won’t (hello holistic admissions).

Again this idiotic sample size of 1 to make broad generalizations.

Except it’s not a sample of one. There are other examples all over this board.

[Anonymous]

In the end, just take that darn AP World Language class to improve your chances at UVA, if it is your dream school.

Do some kids get in without it? If course.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dean J clearly lists the 4 years of foreign language is something they definitely look for.

Anecdotally at our public high school, we know several students who were admitted without foreign language senior year.

And those candidates most likely were hooked and/or demonstrated significant strength and interest in STEM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In the end, just take that darn AP World Language class to improve your chances at UVA, if it is your dream school.

Do some kids get in without it? If course.

This. I don't know why this topic gets beaten to death every time it comes up. UVA says it wants four years of language. It is not a prerequisite, but they would like to see it. If you want the best chance of getting in, just take it. Some people will get in with four years of language - but if you decide not to you are hurting your chances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dean J keeps stressing that UVA does a holistic review.

But in reality all they look at is course selection ( did u take the hardest courses) and what grades did u get.

So is the “holistic” part just an act to be like a more “elite” school?

They are serious about rigor. Engineering applicant from NOVA with 4.5 and 1560 was waitlisted. Maxed out on math, history and science APs but did not bother to take Lang or lit. I warned him! Thats okay. 3rd year at UMD with a Google internship summer of 26.

This is where I get really annoyed with UVA admissions. I say that as an alum and as a parent of a kid who just applied. Your kid sounds great and it's UVA's loss. My kid also maxxed out on AP classes in most subjects, BUT he stopped taking a foreign language to do it. The classes he wanted to take wouldn't all fit if he took it so he made a choice. We supported him following his interests. We'll see what UVA does.

They say what they want and then you get mad when their decision reflects that? We all know they consider language a core subject.

No I don't know what their decision is yet. I disagree with their formulaic focus on a foreign language in admissions, no matter what the kid's interests. I think they should consider the transcript more broadly in light of its rigor and the student's interests, not one particular subject. It seems ludicrous to penalize a STEM kid for taking a two-period AP science course instead of continuing with a foreign language.

UVA is far from the only top school for which four years of a language is recommended. At any of these schools you will be competing for admission against students who took an equally rigorous curriculum as you AND also did four years of a language. That includes other “STEM kids”. You may disagree with this, but it’s a fact and it won’t change. Any student who wants to be competitive simply has to do that instead of “following their interests”. If you advised your kid otherwise you did your kid a disservice.

They are telling you very very clearly that if you are that interested in STEM and only in STEM, UVA is not the right school for you. V Tech is a better fit.

They did not tell that to the kids who applied to the UVA engineering school. Every kid I know who is there took four years of FL in high school.

Welp, you don’t know my daughter. Second year system engineering and stopped with Spanish 4 sophomore year of HS. Doing great! And before we hear the whole blah blah you’ll have to take in college, she’s going abroad in Spain and taking another class then. Yes, it’s a recommendation. But if you take FL all four years of high school, it’s neither a guarantee that you’ll get in nor a reason to assume you won’t (hello holistic admissions).

I think you may be confused. UVA engineering students do not have a foreign language requirement. That’s why some high school students with less than four years of high school language (and sometimes women too, to bolster the female number) get in providing they demonstrate strong interest in STEM and have taken the coursework to prove it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is law a major?

At UVA, it is part of a cross disciplinary major: https://ppl.virginia.edu/

My DD was a PPL major, now at Yale Law. Happy to answer any questions

[Anonymous]

How do people on this thread know the HS coursework of "several" and "many" kids and what they are studying in college?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In the end, just take that darn AP World Language class to improve your chances at UVA, if it is your dream school.

Do some kids get in without it? If course.

This. I don't know why this topic gets beaten to death every time it comes up. UVA says it wants four years of language. It is not a prerequisite, but they would like to see it. If you want the best chance of getting in, just take it. Some people will get in with four years of language - but if you decide not to you are hurting your chances.

We beat it to death because lots of people are stressed about it after it’s too late to take more FL. Might as well reassure them that there is a chance. Of course if they still have time to continue taking it and want CAS they should.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dean J keeps stressing that UVA does a holistic review.

But in reality all they look at is course selection ( did u take the hardest courses) and what grades did u get.

So is the “holistic” part just an act to be like a more “elite” school?

They are serious about rigor. Engineering applicant from NOVA with 4.5 and 1560 was waitlisted. Maxed out on math, history and science APs but did not bother to take Lang or lit. I warned him! Thats okay. 3rd year at UMD with a Google internship summer of 26.

This is where I get really annoyed with UVA admissions. I say that as an alum and as a parent of a kid who just applied. Your kid sounds great and it's UVA's loss. My kid also maxxed out on AP classes in most subjects, BUT he stopped taking a foreign language to do it. The classes he wanted to take wouldn't all fit if he took it so he made a choice. We supported him following his interests. We'll see what UVA does.

They say what they want and then you get mad when their decision reflects that? We all know they consider language a core subject.

No I don't know what their decision is yet. I disagree with their formulaic focus on a foreign language in admissions, no matter what the kid's interests. I think they should consider the transcript more broadly in light of its rigor and the student's interests, not one particular subject. It seems ludicrous to penalize a STEM kid for taking a two-period AP science course instead of continuing with a foreign language.

UVA is far from the only top school for which four years of a language is recommended. At any of these schools you will be competing for admission against students who took an equally rigorous curriculum as you AND also did four years of a language. That includes other “STEM kids”. You may disagree with this, but it’s a fact and it won’t change. Any student who wants to be competitive simply has to do that instead of “following their interests”. If you advised your kid otherwise you did your kid a disservice.

They are telling you very very clearly that if you are that interested in STEM and only in STEM, UVA is not the right school for you. V Tech is a better fit.

They did not tell that to the kids who applied to the UVA engineering school. Every kid I know who is there took four years of FL in high school.

How do you know multiple kids at UVA engineering and their HS coursework?

They graduated from the same HS as my kid and I know they are IB diploma kids which means in practice they did four years of a language.