UVA Regular Decision Friday, 3/18

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

You are wrong. You need most rigorous. It’s everywhere in the materials


well explain why my kids are there and did not take AP Calc BC, AP Physics or AP Chem?

Or why my kid from a school referred to on here as a “Big 3” who did take AP Calc BC, AP PhysicsC, etc. even though he asked plied as a humanities major did not get in, despite having literal straight As, when other kids who avoided those classes and took the less rigorous ones but earned higher As did get in? GPA seems to be the most determinative factor, but my DC also has 35 ACT and the counselor told DC they were going to use DC’s activities on the Common App as a model for the next class.

I know what Dean J says, and I know it’s not 100% true.

Is this STA? I'm trying to figure out how you would know a kid had "higher As" than all As and I guess you mean A pluses.
If so, this is sobering that an STA kid with all As in top courses (your son) did not get in to UVA. In my kid's grade there are only
a handful of kids who will even take AP Physics C and even less who have an all-A transcript. Yakut kid would be amount the top 5 kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:I'm amazed by the stats on here that aren't getting in. My heart hurts for the kids that have worked so hard to excel at all the things and it's. "not enough". My heart also hurts for the parents that have to figure out how to best support their kid.

Eh. Every kid on DCUM has a unweighted 4.0 and many of these have an SAT in the 1400s or even lower. That right there should tell you that a 4.0 today ain't what it used to be.

Well my DS who got into UVA with a 4.6 and a 1380 sat (during Covid) is now a second year with a 3.95 gpa and just got into two of the most competitive application based majors at UVA. Me thinks the admissions people know that a 4.6 gpa over four years of rigorous HS is a better or as least as good indicator of success as a 1500+ Score.

GPA has always been a better indicator. It shows grit, determination and hard work over time to maintain an almost all A report cards. I'd much rather have someone who works hard day in and day out than someone who is really smart but doesn't put in the effort all the time

100% disagree with you. Grade inflation (LCPS, looking @ you) is rampant, particularly since the pandemic. Cheating is also rampant. That’s another things that’s unpalatable to me about test optional— it used to raise admissions red flags when test scores and GPA were not similarly high.

https://news.uchicago.edu/story/test-scores-dont-stack-gpas-predicting-college-success

https://www.forbes.com/sites/nickmorrison/2020/01/29/its-gpas-not-standardized-tests-that-predict-college-success/?sh=2545f29c32bd

I could go on with the research.

Despite what you want to think about grade inflation and cheating, grades are a much better indicator of college success than SAT/ACT

Most of those studies aren’t particularly large, and many of them suffer from range restriction. The university of California system did an analysis with millions of students spanning decades and found that test scores were the single biggest predictor of college success. Kuncel and Sacckett out of the University of Minnesota got grades and test scores as well as majors/classes for millions of students and found the same thing. Test scores combined with grades is the best predictor.

yet for some reason, UCalifornia system has permanently dropped SAT/ACT. They are test blind and will not even consider test scores.

Yes they Regents made that decision against the recommendation of a faculty committee they had study the issue (committee rec was to continue to require tests). Partially a political decision, partially a response to lawsuits

Now the more popular UCs are getting well over 100,000 applications each (closer to 150,000) and tons of complaints about how arbitrary this year’s decisions appear.

[Anonymous]

Someone posted a few days ago about the "state" of Virginia colleges and how these rejections impact other Virginia schools. It's crazy. Where in Virginia are these high achieving kids expected to attend if they don't get into UVA. Do they automatically go to VT? Do they get over themselves and entertain schools like JMU or GMU? I find a lot of high stats kids have parents who shun schools like this. They would rather their kids go out of state then stay in Virginia. And then complain about no merit. Northern Virginia is turning into a very snobby area. Sometimes I sit at work and listen to people discuss colleges like it's the most important thing in the world. Like it matters if they choose the number 4 CS school around over the number 8. I assure you as a hiring professional of a lot of candidates in Virginia we far enjoyed the kids at JMU over the kids at VT. JMU kids were much more prepared and they were very strong at the internships we supplied them. Why is this area so snobby? If your kids has a 4.7 and doesn't get into UVA then take those smarts to another college in Virginia that may not be as prestigious, but you can really make a difference, probably graduate early or get a masters in four years.

[Anonymous]

UVA at 16 percent admission rate this year



https://www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2023/03/regular-decision-brings-overall-u-va-acceptance-rate-to-16-percent?fbclid=IwAR1bXdOrY7Hlhxo1VDJLf51V8ATQI6E01Kb2iU251hOUh00Ge6iyKDVkPuM

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UVA at 16 percent admission rate this year



https://www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2023/03/regular-decision-brings-overall-u-va-acceptance-rate-to-16-percent?fbclid=IwAR1bXdOrY7Hlhxo1VDJLf51V8ATQI6E01Kb2iU251hOUh00Ge6iyKDVkPuM

It’ll probably be down to 12 percent soon.

[Anonymous]

We are in a similar situation where our son is waitlisted in UVA and has the option to spend his first year at Wise campus.
He wants to do premed with majoring in Biology and can choose from UPitt, UMD(10k pa scholarship) , UW Seattle (5k pa scholarship) ,U Rochester.
We are inclined towards UMD being closer, a little cheaper though we liked UPitt campus and being surrounded by hospitals.
If someone knows more about UMD premed , how hard are the courses, if there is any grade deflation , research and clinical experience opportunities.
Or if Upitt is better choice for Premed.

Thanks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

You are wrong. You need most rigorous. It’s everywhere in the materials


well explain why my kids are there and did not take AP Calc BC, AP Physics or AP Chem?

Or why my kid from a school referred to on here as a “Big 3” who did take AP Calc BC, AP PhysicsC, etc. even though he asked plied as a humanities major did not get in, despite having literal straight As, when other kids who avoided those classes and took the less rigorous ones but earned higher As did get in? GPA seems to be the most determinative factor, but my DC also has 35 ACT and the counselor told DC they were going to use DC’s activities on the Common App as a model for the next class.

I know what Dean J says, and I know it’s not 100% true.

Is this STA? I'm trying to figure out how you would know a kid had "higher As" than all As and I guess you mean A pluses.
If so, this is sobering that an STA kid with all As in top courses (your son) did not get in to UVA. In my kid's grade there are only
a handful of kids who will even take AP Physics C and even less who have an all-A transcript. Yakut kid would be amount the top 5 kids.

Believe it or not, the 75th percentile of last year's incoming class had a 34, meaning 25% had higher. If not URM or first generation or otherwise hooked, you need to be aiming for the 75th percentil which is a 4.54, a 34 and a 1520. And yes most rigorous. And top in the class. Even the median had a 4.40/33 ACT and a 1470 SAT.