UVA info session today said “most rigorous in ALL 5 core subjects.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m so over people saying highest rigor and all the things. It is getting so absurd.

but it's true. You just don't want to hear it. UVA Deans say it.

A student fit for UVA is going to be the kid that WANTS those classes for themselves. They are not the students that do it because their parents told them to or they think it’s expected or because Dean j said it. These are kids who love to be challenged and love learning. If you wouldn’t describe them as such, parents need to be realistic at the kind of student they are and let them find the right school for them.


Dean J on the five core subjects and rigor. http://uvaapplication.blogspot.com/2019/10/course-rigor-and-curriculum-strength.html?m=1

How is it that students are accepted without APs in all 5 core subjects?

My DD took Latin. AP Latin wasn't offered because there wasn't enough interest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know why this is so hard to grasp, or why this needs to be parsed nine ways to Sunday:

1) UVA is a competetive school for which to be admitted.

2) Given 1), the way to make yourself stand out is to have a stellar résumé.

3) The way to have a stellar résumé is to take the most challenging classes your school offers and do well in them.

4) And yes, that may include pursuing a foreign language as far as you can.

That's it, that's the formula.

+5) They have way more qualified applicants than they can accept, so they look at the "whole" application to make difficult choices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know why this is so hard to grasp, or why this needs to be parsed nine ways to Sunday:

1) UVA is a competetive school for which to be admitted.

2) Given 1), the way to make yourself stand out is to have a stellar résumé.

3) The way to have a stellar résumé is to take the most challenging classes your school offers and do well in them.

4) And yes, that may include pursuing a foreign language as far as you can.

That's it, that's the formula.

+5) They have way more qualified applicants than they can accept, so they look at the "whole" application to make difficult choices.

Thus, you cannot depend on admission even if highly qualified. It’s not a formulaic admission process, but a holistic one. Admissions staff are looking at lots of outstanding applications and they are trying to fill departments in the entire university. What does your application reveal about you as a person and how you would enhance the student body?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know why this is so hard to grasp, or why this needs to be parsed nine ways to Sunday:

1) UVA is a competetive school for which to be admitted.

2) Given 1), the way to make yourself stand out is to have a stellar résumé.

3) The way to have a stellar résumé is to take the most challenging classes your school offers and do well in them.

4) And yes, that may include pursuing a foreign language as far as you can.

That's it, that's the formula.

+5) They have way more qualified applicants than they can accept, so they look at the "whole" application to make difficult choices.

Yes, but the prospective student can't control how many applicants UVA gets; you can only do the best you can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know why this is so hard to grasp, or why this needs to be parsed nine ways to Sunday:

1) UVA is a competetive school for which to be admitted.

2) Given 1), the way to make yourself stand out is to have a stellar résumé.

3) The way to have a stellar résumé is to take the most challenging classes your school offers and do well in them.

4) And yes, that may include pursuing a foreign language as far as you can.

That's it, that's the formula.

100%
It is the formula for UVA all the way up to Stanford. They all expect it. Students who do not want to will not likely fit well at UVA or any other T25.
The reason people slice and dice it is they want a loophole so their kid doesn’t have to do #3. Many kids do not want #3, or they want to hear exceptions or ways to explain why their kid did not do #3. These rarely work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m so over people saying highest rigor and all the things. It is getting so absurd.

Why are you “over” it? Because your kid does not want to? Guess what there are hundreds of colleges that do not expect highest rigor. UVA expects it slightly less than ivies, and has slightly more wiggle room. Hundreds of amazing colleges with great educations exist in the US. If you are over the highest rigor and all the other stuff it takes to be competitive for about 20-25 schools, then don’t play the game! It is such a small fraction of colleges that want all this. Degrees from those schools are not necessary for a successful life. Sure they give a leg up in some fields and in some niche areas of broader fields, but guess what to do these niche things your kid would have to be the competitive mindset type who chase high goals relentlessly. The students who end up at the elite places often would have taken all the hard classes anyway. They love the challenge.
Let the ones who want it chase it. Don’t push anyone to do it if it is not who they are as a student.

[Anonymous]

This is what we were told by our private college counselor. There are several “must” APs if your child is in FCPS and is applying to the UVA College of Arts and Sciences:

AP Lang
AP Calc - at least AB
APUSH (and avoid Online APUSH)
AP World Language

+ a science, like AP Bio, AP Chem or AP Physics.

Then add at least two or three more APs of your choice. Avoid DE classes in your core classes. Don’t try to take core classes from the online campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is what we were told by our private college counselor. There are several “must” APs if your child is in FCPS and is applying to the UVA College of Arts and Sciences:

AP Lang
AP Calc - at least AB
APUSH (and avoid Online APUSH)
AP World Language

+ a science, like AP Bio, AP Chem or AP Physics.

Then add at least two or three more APs of your choice. Avoid DE classes in your core classes. Don’t try to take core classes from the online campus.

Curious - does anyone have direct knowledge of a student being admitted to UVA who took APUSH online?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know why this is so hard to grasp, or why this needs to be parsed nine ways to Sunday:

1) UVA is a competetive school for which to be admitted.

2) Given 1), the way to make yourself stand out is to have a stellar résumé.

3) The way to have a stellar résumé is to take the most challenging classes your school offers and do well in them.

4) And yes, that may include pursuing a foreign language as far as you can.

That's it, that's the formula.

The question is whether AP Physics E&M or AP Statistics or post-AP Computer Science or whatever class or some intense EC is equivalent to Spanish 6 or 7 in that "stellar" resume.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know why this is so hard to grasp, or why this needs to be parsed nine ways to Sunday:

1) UVA is a competetive school for which to be admitted.

2) Given 1), the way to make yourself stand out is to have a stellar résumé.

3) The way to have a stellar résumé is to take the most challenging classes your school offers and do well in them.

4) And yes, that may include pursuing a foreign language as far as you can.

That's it, that's the formula.

100%
It is the formula for UVA all the way up to Stanford. They all expect it. Students who do not want to will not likely fit well at UVA or any other T25.
The reason people slice and dice it is they want a loophole so their kid doesn’t have to do #3. Many kids do not want #3, or they want to hear exceptions or ways to explain why their kid did not do #3. These rarely work.

This thread is about #4 not #3

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Prefer" and "require" are two different things. Of course UVA prefers more rigor. That doesn't mean it's necessary for admission.

From an earlier post:

DeanJ's instagram, albeit a few years ago, 10th slide in the post https://www.instagram.com/s/aGlnaGxpZ2h0OjE3O...=2410571039632223712

"To summarize:

1. There is no foreign language requirement for admission to UVA"

"Sorry, this page isn't available.
The link you followed may be broken, or the page may have been removed. Go back to Instagram."

[Anonymous]

APUSH isn’t required; other AP social sciences will do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m so over people saying highest rigor and all the things. It is getting so absurd.

I agree. My DS arrived home from school feeling hopeless and crying over 3 mid-term Bs in high rigor classes. They won’t even be on his transcript! He feels like he won’t get into any college unless he is perfect. At a private school where retakes are not allowed and one test will sink your grade from an A to a B. How did we do this to our kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m so over people saying highest rigor and all the things. It is getting so absurd.

I agree. My DS arrived home from school feeling hopeless and crying over 3 mid-term Bs in high rigor classes. They won’t even be on his transcript! He feels like he won’t get into any college unless he is perfect. At a private school where retakes are not allowed and one test will sink your grade from an A to a B. How did we do this to our kids?

So, my kid in public also has the same situation- retakes not allowed. One test will sink your grade from an A to a B. Etc.

Her GPA has taken a hit with a couple B’s. But she has a ton of resilience and knows she will enjoy college wherever she lands. I suspect something in your home or his environment may be adding unnecessary stress. No kid should be crying over grades. I’m sorry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m so over people saying highest rigor and all the things. It is getting so absurd.

I agree. My DS arrived home from school feeling hopeless and crying over 3 mid-term Bs in high rigor classes. They won’t even be on his transcript! He feels like he won’t get into any college unless he is perfect. At a private school where retakes are not allowed and one test will sink your grade from an A to a B. How did we do this to our kids?

This happens at public school, too. Do no believe the myth of the plentiful retake.