1530 SAT at McLean High not enough for UVA now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The fact that they recalculate GPA does not suggest that they don't care about it. What an absurd conclusion. They are simply trying to compare like things. Every school system weighs grades differently so in order to compare, you recalculate. If they didn't care about GPA, they wouldn't bother doing this.

UVA cares about rigor AND UVA cares about grades.

esp for a school like McLean where they've got to have >100 apps each year from a single school - they just don't need to do it. they read the apps together.

Read this until it sinks in.

https://uvaapplication.blogspot.com/2015/03/i-dont-care-about-your-gpa.html?m=1

Yep, you need to examine DC's GPA, SAT, rigor (whether DC took APUSH, AP Lang, AP STEM, foreign language, etc., etc., remembering that these are not automatic disqualifiers if you don't have them, but it's better to have them) in the context of their own school because that's how the UVA AO evaluates the application. The GPA matters only with regard to DC's own high school because UVA is considering DC's application, GPA and SAT/ACT, in comparison to other applicants from DC's high school. This is why posters here emphasize the need to look at the school's Naviance data and charts.

Looking at the school-wide GPA and SAT figures only provides a macro-level view. It's not that granular, considering all of the variances in calculating GPA and the effect of TO. It's useful for assessing whether there is any chance at all or when DC's school has insufficient data from previous years. But it's the school-specific data points regarding GPA and SAT that are key.

UVA is not using GPA to compare applicants within a school.

Sure they're not. For each of the 50-100 kids from each school in their 3-5 minute review, they are individually assesssing all 40+ classes they have taken, considering the strength of each class, how tough the teacher is, whether the grade is reflective of the student's ability. Come on. They look at GPA, count the APs, make sure there is max rigor, make sure there are no straight Bs or worse, if there are look for an explanation and/or upward trend. There simply isn't time for the type of granular review people are dreaming about. If one kid has a 4.4 and another has a 4.2, 99 times out of a hundred the 4.4 kid is getting in and the 4.2 isn't. The data bears this out year after year. It isn't that complicated.

They do all this minus GPA. Dean J confirmed. I don’t know why this is so hard for you.

Maybe you need to feel like you’re in control, maybe you always have to be right. You’re not.

Let it go. UVA doesn’t use GPA.

Ok, so the message is to get the best grades possible in the hardest classes available in all core courses? That probably won't impact your GPA.

GPA isn’t how that is measured at UVA. Maybe that’s how you measure, and that okay. UVA doesn’t need your permission to disregard GPA. How about you message Dean J? Report back, I’d love to hear her response since apparently you know more.

Because people here want practical information and are trying to figure out if their kids have a chance of getting in. Telling people we have a secret method that we can't explain isn't helpful. We can agree that UVA wants max rigor in core classes - they say that all of the time. We can agree they want top grades in those core classes - they say that all of the time. We should be able to agree that if you are at school X and you take max rigor and get top grades then you will have a certain GPA or GPA range based on how grade weights are assigned at that school - that is just math.

Here is what else Dean J said: "GPA doesn't tell the whole story." We can assume it tells some of the story. "Resist the urge to compare your numbers to students outside your school." We can assume comparing numbers within a school makes some sense. Looking at Naviance or Scoir, you will see that kids above a certain range almost certainly get admitted, and below a certain range almost certainly get rejected. There is a fairly narrow middle range where all of the other stuff probably plays a larger role. Whether UVA uses the school's GPA number or looks at the transcript for class strength and grades and comes to the same conclusion is irrelevant - GPA is reflective of rigor and performance, which is what UVA claims to care about. So for parent's trying to assess their kid's chances, instead of saying you will have to just apply and guess how UVA might review your classes and grades, much better advice is to talk to you school's counselor and look at the actual data that is available to you. It tells a pretty clear story.

+1. Precisely. The first thing the readers do is compare the applicant’s GPA to the school profile sent by the college counselor. Then courses taken to those offered to check rigor. Then the student is compared to other applicants from the high school. Then test scores, then hooks. It’s absurd to say UVA doesn’t look at grades, especially when SCHEV reports that this past fall’s class had a 4.5 at the 75th percentile and a 4.4 at the median. If UVA doesn’t look at GPA, then where did those VA-reported GPAs come from?

Cite?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like they don’t recalculate gpa.

https://uvaapplication.blogspot.com/2015/03/i-dont-care-about-your-gpa.html
Admission officers know that the way schools calculate a GPA varies dramatically. Many get around this by having a system that recalculates every GPA so the different methodologies are removed. We don't do that here (not saying it isn't a possibility one day). Instead, we look at the transcript to see the courses you took and the grades that you earned. The transcript tells the story of your process over the last four years. The transcript is far more compelling and informative than your GPA.

They don't "score" these transcripts when they need to evaluate against many thousands of applications? I don't see how that is practicable.

Cite?

[Anonymous]

This is not hard folks. Look at the Naviance data. UVA takes the top n% of students from each school with a few outliers. The top n% are “ranked” by GPA.

Get over it the data is there for all to see.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are you all so obsessed with UVA? It comes off as desperate and like a striver.

You don’t see the attraction of an excellent nationally-known school at in state prices?

Sure, but it’s a state school just like any other state school.

Except that it's a state school on par with UC schools/U Mich that are consistently included in the top 30 schools in the country, which makes it unlike many of the "other state schools."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are you all so obsessed with UVA? It comes off as desperate and like a striver.

You don’t see the attraction of an excellent nationally-known school at in state prices?

Sure, but it’s a state school just like any other state school.

Except that it's a state school on par with UC schools/U Mich that are consistently included in the top 30 schools in the country, which makes it unlike many of the "other state schools."

Meh, it can’t keep up with Berkeley and Michigan in the rankings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is not hard folks. Look at the Naviance data. UVA takes the top n% of students from each school with a few outliers. The top n% are “ranked” by GPA.

Get over it the data is there for all to see.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The fact that they recalculate GPA does not suggest that they don't care about it. What an absurd conclusion. They are simply trying to compare like things. Every school system weighs grades differently so in order to compare, you recalculate. If they didn't care about GPA, they wouldn't bother doing this.

UVA cares about rigor AND UVA cares about grades.

esp for a school like McLean where they've got to have >100 apps each year from a single school - they just don't need to do it. they read the apps together.

Read this until it sinks in.

https://uvaapplication.blogspot.com/2015/03/i-dont-care-about-your-gpa.html?m=1

Yep, you need to examine DC's GPA, SAT, rigor (whether DC took APUSH, AP Lang, AP STEM, foreign language, etc., etc., remembering that these are not automatic disqualifiers if you don't have them, but it's better to have them) in the context of their own school because that's how the UVA AO evaluates the application. The GPA matters only with regard to DC's own high school because UVA is considering DC's application, GPA and SAT/ACT, in comparison to other applicants from DC's high school. This is why posters here emphasize the need to look at the school's Naviance data and charts.

Looking at the school-wide GPA and SAT figures only provides a macro-level view. It's not that granular, considering all of the variances in calculating GPA and the effect of TO. It's useful for assessing whether there is any chance at all or when DC's school has insufficient data from previous years. But it's the school-specific data points regarding GPA and SAT that are key.

UVA is not using GPA to compare applicants within a school.

Sure they're not. For each of the 50-100 kids from each school in their 3-5 minute review, they are individually assesssing all 40+ classes they have taken, considering the strength of each class, how tough the teacher is, whether the grade is reflective of the student's ability. Come on. They look at GPA, count the APs, make sure there is max rigor, make sure there are no straight Bs or worse, if there are look for an explanation and/or upward trend. There simply isn't time for the type of granular review people are dreaming about. If one kid has a 4.4 and another has a 4.2, 99 times out of a hundred the 4.4 kid is getting in and the 4.2 isn't. The data bears this out year after year. It isn't that complicated.

They do all this minus GPA. Dean J confirmed. I don’t know why this is so hard for you.

Maybe you need to feel like you’re in control, maybe you always have to be right. You’re not.

Let it go. UVA doesn’t use GPA.

Ok, so the message is to get the best grades possible in the hardest classes available in all core courses? That probably won't impact your GPA.

GPA isn’t how that is measured at UVA. Maybe that’s how you measure, and that okay. UVA doesn’t need your permission to disregard GPA. How about you message Dean J? Report back, I’d love to hear her response since apparently you know more.

Because people here want practical information and are trying to figure out if their kids have a chance of getting in. Telling people we have a secret method that we can't explain isn't helpful. We can agree that UVA wants max rigor in core classes - they say that all of the time. We can agree they want top grades in those core classes - they say that all of the time. We should be able to agree that if you are at school X and you take max rigor and get top grades then you will have a certain GPA or GPA range based on how grade weights are assigned at that school - that is just math.

Here is what else Dean J said: "GPA doesn't tell the whole story." We can assume it tells some of the story. "Resist the urge to compare your numbers to students outside your school." We can assume comparing numbers within a school makes some sense. Looking at Naviance or Scoir, you will see that kids above a certain range almost certainly get admitted, and below a certain range almost certainly get rejected. There is a fairly narrow middle range where all of the other stuff probably plays a larger role. Whether UVA uses the school's GPA number or looks at the transcript for class strength and grades and comes to the same conclusion is irrelevant - GPA is reflective of rigor and performance, which is what UVA claims to care about. So for parent's trying to assess their kid's chances, instead of saying you will have to just apply and guess how UVA might review your classes and grades, much better advice is to talk to you school's counselor and look at the actual data that is available to you. It tells a pretty clear story.

+1. Precisely. The first thing the readers do is compare the applicant’s GPA to the school profile sent by the college counselor. Then courses taken to those offered to check rigor. Then the student is compared to other applicants from the high school. Then test scores, then hooks. It’s absurd to say UVA doesn’t look at grades, especially when SCHEV reports that this past fall’s class had a 4.5 at the 75th percentile and a 4.4 at the median. If UVA doesn’t look at GPA, then where did those VA-reported GPAs come from?

Cite?

Google “how readers college applications” https://prepmaven.com/blog/applying/how-colleges-read-your-application-a-4-step-process/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like they don’t recalculate gpa.

https://uvaapplication.blogspot.com/2015/03/i-dont-care-about-your-gpa.html
Admission officers know that the way schools calculate a GPA varies dramatically. Many get around this by having a system that recalculates every GPA so the different methodologies are removed. We don't do that here (not saying it isn't a possibility one day). Instead, we look at the transcript to see the courses you took and the grades that you earned. The transcript tells the story of your process over the last four years. The transcript is far more compelling and informative than your GPA.

They don't "score" these transcripts when they need to evaluate against many thousands of applications? I don't see how that is practicable.

Cite?

The colleges and universities hire seasonal “readers” at $20-$30 an hour to do these first assessments remotely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The fact that they recalculate GPA does not suggest that they don't care about it. What an absurd conclusion. They are simply trying to compare like things. Every school system weighs grades differently so in order to compare, you recalculate. If they didn't care about GPA, they wouldn't bother doing this.

UVA cares about rigor AND UVA cares about grades.

esp for a school like McLean where they've got to have >100 apps each year from a single school - they just don't need to do it. they read the apps together.

Read this until it sinks in.

https://uvaapplication.blogspot.com/2015/03/i-dont-care-about-your-gpa.html?m=1

Yep, you need to examine DC's GPA, SAT, rigor (whether DC took APUSH, AP Lang, AP STEM, foreign language, etc., etc., remembering that these are not automatic disqualifiers if you don't have them, but it's better to have them) in the context of their own school because that's how the UVA AO evaluates the application. The GPA matters only with regard to DC's own high school because UVA is considering DC's application, GPA and SAT/ACT, in comparison to other applicants from DC's high school. This is why posters here emphasize the need to look at the school's Naviance data and charts.

Looking at the school-wide GPA and SAT figures only provides a macro-level view. It's not that granular, considering all of the variances in calculating GPA and the effect of TO. It's useful for assessing whether there is any chance at all or when DC's school has insufficient data from previous years. But it's the school-specific data points regarding GPA and SAT that are key.

UVA is not using GPA to compare applicants within a school.

Sure they're not. For each of the 50-100 kids from each school in their 3-5 minute review, they are individually assesssing all 40+ classes they have taken, considering the strength of each class, how tough the teacher is, whether the grade is reflective of the student's ability. Come on. They look at GPA, count the APs, make sure there is max rigor, make sure there are no straight Bs or worse, if there are look for an explanation and/or upward trend. There simply isn't time for the type of granular review people are dreaming about. If one kid has a 4.4 and another has a 4.2, 99 times out of a hundred the 4.4 kid is getting in and the 4.2 isn't. The data bears this out year after year. It isn't that complicated.

They do all this minus GPA. Dean J confirmed. I don’t know why this is so hard for you.

Maybe you need to feel like you’re in control, maybe you always have to be right. You’re not.

Let it go. UVA doesn’t use GPA.

Ok, so the message is to get the best grades possible in the hardest classes available in all core courses? That probably won't impact your GPA.

GPA isn’t how that is measured at UVA. Maybe that’s how you measure, and that okay. UVA doesn’t need your permission to disregard GPA. How about you message Dean J? Report back, I’d love to hear her response since apparently you know more.

Because people here want practical information and are trying to figure out if their kids have a chance of getting in. Telling people we have a secret method that we can't explain isn't helpful. We can agree that UVA wants max rigor in core classes - they say that all of the time. We can agree they want top grades in those core classes - they say that all of the time. We should be able to agree that if you are at school X and you take max rigor and get top grades then you will have a certain GPA or GPA range based on how grade weights are assigned at that school - that is just math.

Here is what else Dean J said: "GPA doesn't tell the whole story." We can assume it tells some of the story. "Resist the urge to compare your numbers to students outside your school." We can assume comparing numbers within a school makes some sense. Looking at Naviance or Scoir, you will see that kids above a certain range almost certainly get admitted, and below a certain range almost certainly get rejected. There is a fairly narrow middle range where all of the other stuff probably plays a larger role. Whether UVA uses the school's GPA number or looks at the transcript for class strength and grades and comes to the same conclusion is irrelevant - GPA is reflective of rigor and performance, which is what UVA claims to care about. So for parent's trying to assess their kid's chances, instead of saying you will have to just apply and guess how UVA might review your classes and grades, much better advice is to talk to you school's counselor and look at the actual data that is available to you. It tells a pretty clear story.

+1. Precisely. The first thing the readers do is compare the applicant’s GPA to the school profile sent by the college counselor. Then courses taken to those offered to check rigor. Then the student is compared to other applicants from the high school. Then test scores, then hooks. It’s absurd to say UVA doesn’t look at grades, especially when SCHEV reports that this past fall’s class had a 4.5 at the 75th percentile and a 4.4 at the median. If UVA doesn’t look at GPA, then where did those VA-reported GPAs come from?

Cite?

Google “how readers college applications” https://prepmaven.com/blog/applying/how-colleges-read-your-application-a-4-step-process/

That’s not about UVA sweetie. Clickbait article.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like they don’t recalculate gpa.

https://uvaapplication.blogspot.com/2015/03/i-dont-care-about-your-gpa.html
Admission officers know that the way schools calculate a GPA varies dramatically. Many get around this by having a system that recalculates every GPA so the different methodologies are removed. We don't do that here (not saying it isn't a possibility one day). Instead, we look at the transcript to see the courses you took and the grades that you earned. The transcript tells the story of your process over the last four years. The transcript is far more compelling and informative than your GPA.

They don't "score" these transcripts when they need to evaluate against many thousands of applications? I don't see how that is practicable.

Cite?

The colleges and universities hire seasonal “readers” at $20-$30 an hour to do these first assessments remotely.

So?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are you all so obsessed with UVA? It comes off as desperate and like a striver.

You don’t see the attraction of an excellent nationally-known school at in state prices?

Sure, but it’s a state school just like any other state school.

NP here. I’m from NY and was unfamiliar with UVA before I moved to the DMV. I thought UVA was the same as Penn State or Ohio State. I didn’t know or care when I lived in the Northeast.

My kid has zero interest in going to UVA but I can fully acknowledge you have to be at the top of your class to go to UVA. At our school, you need a 4.5 and 1550.

[Anonymous]

GPA/transcript is scored at most selective schools.

[Anonymous]

Grades matter… which affects GPA… which UVA clearly looks at.

[Anonymous]

UVA doesn’t use gpa