Senior parents: what has surprised you the most?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Being from Texas, where fitness for your major is key at UT-Austin, I would have though taking a heavy STEM load (if a STEM kid) and doing things that fit to your major was heavily valued at all schools. The verdict is still out on all schools, and he has had success outside UT Austin. However, still waiting to hear from UVA, but it is a shock to me how much Dean J talks about excelling at all 5 core subjects. She is not looking at fitness for major. She is looking for well rounded-ness. This was kind of a shock to me. But I think the point is...finally getting to the point...is that when you are going through high school, it sure does help knowing what your goal is. If it is UVA, do what they say, if it UT-Austin, do what they say. In many cases, it will work for all colleges, but there are variances and knowing where you are going is very helpful in schedule planning. And then get As in everything.

Which also goes to show that fit matters a lot. Are you the student who wants to go all in across all the core subjects and be well-rounded in that way. Or do you want to dive deep into a particular area of passion. If you aren't the well-rounded type, maybe UVA isn't the best fit. VT seems more like UT-A in that admissions is all about the major. With the added nuance that service is a core value there so the supplements about service are important. My son who was all in on math/data analysis and had a valued long-term service activity felt right at home at VT and had no interest in UVA (and wouldn't have been admitted there anyway as he wasn't pursuing high rigor across all subjects).

[Anonymous]

Anyone know where the TJ post is that’s being referenced here?