Public DC School Student, but Virginia Resident - how will admissions view quota question?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This posts reminds me of what happened to my cousin's daughter a few years ago.

They live in McLean but their daughter went to a boarding high school that was out of state (NC). She really wanted to go to UVA, and applied to UVA, W&M, and JMU as instate public universities. My kids are younger, so I haven't gone through this process yet with mine, but I do distinctly remember my cousin reporting to me that his daughter's grades and test scores were excellent, ECs great, and that the college counselor had told her she had a very good shot at UVA.

Well she was flat out denied to all of them, which was a major shock (and JMU had been her safety). She ended up big state flagship university in another state that is often talked about on DCUM and just graduated from there. She loved it, it worked out. BUT her school and college counselor had asked when she had been rejected why, and they were told by at least 2 schools that the universities looked down on an instate family sending their kid to an out of state school for high school. Seemed ridiculous, especially since this was a boarding school, but at least two schools said it, and it hurt her, all things being equal against someone who didn't go out of state. Not sure what colleges think about someone deliberately sending their kid to a DC public school. Who knows. But it's food for thought.

Anecdotal, qualified Virginia residents at my kid’s DC private do very well at UVA. So a data point on the opposite side.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First, your premise that UVA and William & Mary accept a lower percentage of applicants from NOVA than other regions in Virginia is a myth. It simply isn't true.

Second, if your daughter applies from a DC public school that is "easier," these schools will know that it's "easier." They will evaluate your daughter's application in the context of her DC high school.

If you are saying that DC will be evaluated as compared to her own classmates and rank, APs, ecs in her D.C. school, then yes. But, she is not applying OOS; she still would be applying in-state as a VA resident. And the competition for the NOVA slots is staggering, especially as the slacs contintue to price themselves out of existence.

See, here’s what you’re not grasping. The admit rate to UVA is very low throughout the state and not just in NOVA. The idea that you can just move to Richmond or Hampton Roads and just waltz right into the school is ridiculous. Yes, the average student admitted from way out in the boonies of Southwest Virginia will likely be lower than the average admit from NOVA, but that’s as much a reflection of economics and the kid will still likely be at the very, very top of the class.

If you’re thinking applying from a DC public is a silver bullet, you’re likely mistaken. It’s not like UVA has never had any applicants from DC publics, so surely they know the system and what’s “easier” or not easier. In the case of your daughter, if we’re talking about Duke Ellington that’s one thing. It’s a specialty school and UVA understands that. Other than that, I suspect UVA will wonder why a VA resident is paying to attend an “easier” high school and be puzzled by the application. Or maybe not. The one thing I am sure of is that applying to UVA from outside of NOVA does not give an application an edge in admissions.

[Anonymous]

PP here. What I meant to say is that the Southwest VA applicant will likely have lower test scores. But UVA has never placed a premium on test scores anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This posts reminds me of what happened to my cousin's daughter a few years ago.

They live in McLean but their daughter went to a boarding high school that was out of state (NC). She really wanted to go to UVA, and applied to UVA, W&M, and JMU as instate public universities. My kids are younger, so I haven't gone through this process yet with mine, but I do distinctly remember my cousin reporting to me that his daughter's grades and test scores were excellent, ECs great, and that the college counselor had told her she had a very good shot at UVA.

Well she was flat out denied to all of them, which was a major shock (and JMU had been her safety). She ended up big state flagship university in another state that is often talked about on DCUM and just graduated from there. She loved it, it worked out. BUT her school and college counselor had asked when she had been rejected why, and they were told by at least 2 schools that the universities looked down on an instate family sending their kid to an out of state school for high school. Seemed ridiculous, especially since this was a boarding school, but at least two schools said it, and it hurt her, all things being equal against someone who didn't go out of state. Not sure what colleges think about someone deliberately sending their kid to a DC public school. Who knows. But it's food for thought.

Anecdotal, qualified Virginia residents at my kid’s DC private do very well at UVA. So a data point on the opposite side.

This. There is a difference between sending a kid to an out-of-state private and an out-of-state easier public. Plenty of the DC and Maryland privates send VA resident kids to UVA. The previously noted kid who was rejected everywhere could not have been a strong student.