UVA Admission and "other electives"
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Anonymous
I agree with the PP. My current senior is going to UVA (Engineering) next year and has a STEM heavy schedule. We met with a local private counselor in 10th grade who is very familar with UVA and she said that is is better to have a focus in your course selections and ECs v. being well rounded. My senior is in AP Spanish now though, and I don't know if that was important in the admission process. Your kid's schedule looks very challenging and if he ends up with great test scores, I don't think it will matter that he didn't take a language all four years. |
Anonymous
I’m the mom that started the somewhat similar thread about AP confusion and I really think the whole thing is ridiculous. It really is just an arms race. I’ve explained to my DS that to some extent it’s about playing the game. You can choose to opt out of certain parts but there may be consequences, but the whole thing is ridiculous, including all the strategizing about whether one very challenging route is slightly more compelling than another. |
Anonymous
That may be what you think, but it's not what UVA thinks: http://uvaapplication.blogspot.com/search?q=foreign+language |
Anonymous
|
Also look here. UVA requires 2 years of a foreign language but "recommends" 4.
https://ira.virginia.edu/cds-2020-21 That's ok, though -- ignore everything that the Dean's admissions blog and the university's common data set expressly say and go with the anonymous opinions of DCUM. I'm sure you'll be fine. |
Anonymous
I'm the PP you are quoting. My kid didn't drop core subjects to double up in other areas. Electives were mostly STEM focused though. In any event, it worked out for DC. |
Anonymous
One doesn’t need 4 years of foreign language if apply to uva engineering. The student does need to demonstrate strong interest and academic record in STEM classes. UVA will be happy to see that free spot go to AP CS or some sort of engineering class if offered by the high school. But if the kid forgoes that 4th foreign language class during senior year and take underwater basket weaving instead, then the chance of getting into UVA engineering is not great. DS was accepted EA last year. He took AP CS as a sophomore. That was the highest CS class his school offered. By senior year, he opted out of the foreign language and history classes during senior year. Instead he went for the AP Physics II, an advanced robotics honors and Multi. He got into other excellent CS programs without that fourth foreign language and history. |
Anonymous
Right -- except you're telling OP that you don't think it matters if HER kid DOES drop the foreign language. Her question isn't about your kid who didn't drop the language; it's about hers who wants to. |
Anonymous
OP isn't asking about "other excellent CS programs." OP is asking about UVA. And UVA expressly recommends four years of foreign language. Also, your kid didn't take a foreign language in the senior year; OP's kid wants to drop it a year earlier than that. All of these anecdotes about UVA not meaning what it says isn't helpful. |
Anonymous
Listen, there is some speculation involved obviously. OP’s kid is taking harder classes than my kid. I have a hard time believing that OP’s kid will be rejected and mine got in because of Spanish. They look at the whole application and there are other people posting whose kids got in without four years of language in high school. I agree though that the safest bet is to just take Spanish. |
Anonymous
Did you have a kid who went through the admission cycle recently? Just wondering We had met w UVA admissions regarding the plan to drop the foreign language and history to make room for more STEM when DS was a junior. So this is not just another anecdote. Engineering apps are not read w the college apps. The course requirements are indeed different. OP can take these advices or leave them. The part about other excellent CS programs is meant to give OP an idea that UVA’s stance with regards to the 4th foreign language is consistent with other engineering programs. So this is not some switch and bait tactic. |
Anonymous
Here is what the dean of admissions saying exactly: “ For now, focus on getting a solid foundation in high school. We consider your core high school subjects to be English, Math, Social Studies, Science, and Foreign Languages. Electives are interesting, but your core foundation is what's most important to us as we're analyzing your transcript. Instead of being impressed that you were able to take Business Development and a slew of marketing courses, we're going to wonder why you haven't taken a foreign language since 10th grade or why there is no science on your transcript for senior year.” She basically gives an example where a Core course is substituted with a non Core elective as a negative. I think in another post she gave an example of loading on Core courses in one area at the expense of several other Core areas. Like dropping math and Science and loading on Humanities. So, you can interpret all of it very conservatively and say you need 4 years in all Core subjects. Or you can interpret it as it is ok to replace language in 12th grade with another Core subject. |
Anonymous
Dean J isn't the actual DoA but she does speak for the University. OP, since UVA is your first choice, I recommend you start looking at her blog, she's very active in her posts and rather blunt in her delivery, if she says it than that's what they are looking for. She outlines it clearly in the quote above and this was also the advice my child was given when they went through this last year. I think it's important to state that most of the students applying to UVA are taking a similar schedule to your son so any glitch in the Matrix especially when they clearly state what they are looking for is going to stand out. |
Anonymous
also you CAN call the admission office and pose these questions, or if you do a tour and information session, you can pose them then as well. |
Anonymous
She also says "I'm not talking about magnet programs. In my experience, magnet programs allow for deep work in certain disciplines without sacrificing work in other core subjects. I'm talking about students dropping core subjects to double or triple up in others." This is exactly what OP's son is planning to do: drop a core subject to double or triple in others. Responding to another post, yes, I've had kids apply to UVA. Two. Both got in. But that's not the point. |
Anonymous
| I would consider adding Virginia Tech as a safety school, based on what you've described. |