Anyone considering UVA Year in Wise VA transfer program?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As far as the "cohort" goes and making friends - wouldn't many of the Wise students also be planning to transfer to UVA main campus after first year? So you'd have a group of friends already.

No many are from the surrounding area and have no desire to transfer to Charlottesville.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - DD has Full tuition scholarship to a large southern state school in top 100. Choice is down to: UVA - in state, full pay (UVA) via transfer from UVA Wise, or a 100% full scholarship, Honors program, to an OOS large school in south, which they really like but academics at UVA are of course much better.

Go for the scholarship unless you're rich.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - DD has Full tuition scholarship to a large southern state school in top 100. Choice is down to: UVA - in state, full pay (UVA) via transfer from UVA Wise, or a 100% full scholarship, Honors program, to an OOS large school in south, which they really like but academics at UVA are of course much better.

You have answered your own question. The top 100 southern state school is going to provide a comparable education to UVA for free. Save the money for grad school.

[Anonymous]

My DS is seriously considering it. We are going to visit this week for admitted students day at Wise. He is accepted to VA Tech, William and Mary and Clemson and is also considering those. Definitely worried about missing the freshman experience if he does the year in wise, but I have heard that the year in wise kids (I think there are around 100 doing it this year?) bond and then they have a friend group (they can live together, socialize, etc) when they transfer to Charlottesville together so that seems to make it different from transferring from a different college.

[Anonymous]

OP if you are on Facebook look for the UVA Waitlisted Year in Wise Student/Family Group

[Anonymous]

OP it is a cold cruel world. Here are the facts.

One school wants your kid to attend. So much so that they are giving them a free ride to go there.

UVA didn’t think enough of your kid to admit them. But they know in a test optional GPA inflated world they are going to make some admission mistakes and have kids flunk out after the first year. So they have a bunch of ready made full pay sophomores waiting in the wings to keep their budget balanced.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP it is a cold cruel world. Here are the facts.

One school wants your kid to attend. So much so that they are giving them a free ride to go there.

UVA didn’t think enough of your kid to admit them. But they know in a test optional GPA inflated world they are going to make some admission mistakes and have kids flunk out after the first year. So they have a bunch of ready made full pay sophomores waiting in the wings to keep their budget balanced.

Has UVA’s freshman retention rate dropped in the last couple of years? If so, by how much? Links to support your statement, please.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DS is seriously considering it. We are going to visit this week for admitted students day at Wise. He is accepted to VA Tech, William and Mary and Clemson and is also considering those. Definitely worried about missing the freshman experience if he does the year in wise, but I have heard that the year in wise kids (I think there are around 100 doing it this year?) bond and then they have a friend group (they can live together, socialize, etc) when they transfer to Charlottesville together so that seems to make it different from transferring from a different college.

My DS and I are going to be there on Thursday to tour UVA Wise. My DS has done some research and even reached out to some kids who are currently there via Reddit. We will be stopping by VT on our way back. These two appear to be my DS's two top choices at the moment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP it is a cold cruel world. Here are the facts.

One school wants your kid to attend. So much so that they are giving them a free ride to go there.

UVA didn’t think enough of your kid to admit them. But they know in a test optional GPA inflated world they are going to make some admission mistakes and have kids flunk out after the first year. So they have a bunch of ready made full pay sophomores waiting in the wings to keep their budget balanced.

Has UVA’s freshman retention rate dropped in the last couple of years? If so, by how much? Links to support your statement, please.

Retention is the same between 96-97%. So there are slots that need to be filled. It is the same reason you see colleges offering spring admits. It is because they have class and dorm space due to Spring study abroad programs. Sorry but Larlas are pretty interchangeable and schools need the cash.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - DD has Full tuition scholarship to a large southern state school in top 100. Choice is down to: UVA - in state, full pay (UVA) via transfer from UVA Wise, or a 100% full scholarship, Honors program, to an OOS large school in south, which they really like but academics at UVA are of course much better.

What about go to school in south for free, apply to transfer to UVA for sophomore year, choose between later?

I transferred after freshman year at college. The issue is the switch. It doesn't matter what school it is from. I don't know UVA's policies but seems like your daughter is an in-range candidate. So maybe could try a different freshman year strategy.

If her heart is set on UVA and she doesn't feel good about the Southern school going to Wise may be best. Won't there be friends studying there who will make the same transition?

[Anonymous]

Can you name the southern school? It might help with advice. No one knows your DC here, so safe to disclose. If it is a school like Ole Miss or Auburn, I say go and have her try and get into whatever is a top sorority at UVA. Then apply to transfer for 2nd year. She will likely get into UVA. Everyone we know that tried this strategy was successful (6 kids in the last 3 years). Then your DD can automatically be a member of a top UVA sorority when she transfers and will have an easy transition socially. Worse case scenario is she loves the southern school, stays and you save a lot of money over 4 years!

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know if there are stats on the following?

How many from the waitlist take a spot at Wise?
(is everyone at Wise from the waitlist?)

Thank you
-Newbie

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can you name the southern school? It might help with advice. No one knows your DC here, so safe to disclose. If it is a school like Ole Miss or Auburn, I say go and have her try and get into whatever is a top sorority at UVA. Then apply to transfer for 2nd year. She will likely get into UVA. Everyone we know that tried this strategy was successful (6 kids in the last 3 years). Then your DD can automatically be a member of a top UVA sorority when she transfers and will have an easy transition socially. Worse case scenario is she loves the southern school, stays and you save a lot of money over 4 years!

stupidest advice on here. You DO know that if you are not someone that a "top sorority" would accept, you are going to be miserable there? They are not "top" because they are nice, they are top because they are exclusive and rich, and quite honestly mean. I have a family member in Kappa at UVA, and it sounds like a miserable experience since she's normal down to earth kid, who had connections to get into Kappa, but honestly hates it. Actually what's she says is "they hate me". There are a ton of sororities that a transfer can rush and find actual people that they relate to, not just the popular ones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP it is a cold cruel world. Here are the facts.

One school wants your kid to attend. So much so that they are giving them a free ride to go there.

UVA didn’t think enough of your kid to admit them. But they know in a test optional GPA inflated world they are going to make some admission mistakes and have kids flunk out after the first year. So they have a bunch of ready made full pay sophomores waiting in the wings to keep their budget balanced.

This is wisdom, OP. Congrats on the full ride scholarship for your kid, that is amazing!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know if there are stats on the following?

How many from the waitlist take a spot at Wise?
(is everyone at Wise from the waitlist?)

Thank you
-Newbie

Up to 100 kids from the waitlist participate in this program each year. UVA Wise is just over 2K students overall.