UVA- how hard is it to get classes you need/want?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:how hard is to get into commerce school at UVA?

Business is the #1 major kids want to pursue in 2026, so the admit rate for business keeps dropping everywhere. I imagine it will drop more this year for the Commerce school. I believe the numbers have gone from a 60% admit rate to a 40% admit rate in just 2 years. In previous years, there was clearly a lot of institutional priorities being considered (FGLI/DEI).

Probably a 30% internal acceptance rate to Mcintire this year. 10% external in-state acceptance to McIntire for transfers, 5% external OOS rate for transfers.

43% internal acceptance rate

I bet it is lower this year. The Intro to Comm and Micro classes were larger than ever. I think 2500 kids out of 4000 freshman took them.

Plenty of them will realize that aren't interested in McIntire because of those classes, but still, where is your source for 2500 taking foundations of commerce?

I see 5 sections currently:

Section 1: 146 total students
Section 2: 156
Section 3: 149
Section 4: 147
Section 5: 115
713 total

In the fall semester, the requirement most take first, Principles of Micro, had ~1000 total across 5 large lectures and also broken up into loads 20-person discussions.

Obviously, there are people in there who aren't interested in McIntire.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:how hard is to get into commerce school at UVA?

Business is the #1 major kids want to pursue in 2026, so the admit rate for business keeps dropping everywhere. I imagine it will drop more this year for the Commerce school. I believe the numbers have gone from a 60% admit rate to a 40% admit rate in just 2 years. In previous years, there was clearly a lot of institutional priorities being considered (FGLI/DEI).

Probably a 30% internal acceptance rate to Mcintire this year. 10% external in-state acceptance to McIntire for transfers, 5% external OOS rate for transfers.

43% internal acceptance rate

I bet it is lower this year. The Intro to Comm and Micro classes were larger than ever. I think 2500 kids out of 4000 freshman took them.

Plenty of them will realize that aren't interested in McIntire because of those classes, but still, where is your source for 2500 taking foundations of commerce?

I see 5 sections currently:

Section 1: 146 total students
Section 2: 156
Section 3: 149
Section 4: 147
Section 5: 115
713 total

In the fall semester, the requirement most take first, Principles of Micro, had ~1000 total across 5 large lectures and also broken up into loads 20-person discussions.

Obviously, there are people in there who aren't interested in McIntire.

No, you can take Foundations of Commerce fall or spring of freshman year. My freshman took it in the fall (concurrent with micro but you can also take it before micro--they're independent classes) and the classes are larger in the fall.

Fall 2025 sections:
165, 162, 163, 161, 161 = 812

Spring 2026 sections:
146, 156, 149, 147, 115 = 713

or 1525 total.

The only reason anyone takes this class is as a pre-req for Commerce. Of course not all end up applying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:how hard is to get into commerce school at UVA?

Business is the #1 major kids want to pursue in 2026, so the admit rate for business keeps dropping everywhere. I imagine it will drop more this year for the Commerce school. I believe the numbers have gone from a 60% admit rate to a 40% admit rate in just 2 years. In previous years, there was clearly a lot of institutional priorities being considered (FGLI/DEI).

Probably a 30% internal acceptance rate to Mcintire this year. 10% external in-state acceptance to McIntire for transfers, 5% external OOS rate for transfers.

43% internal acceptance rate

I bet it is lower this year. The Intro to Comm and Micro classes were larger than ever. I think 2500 kids out of 4000 freshman took them.

So more than half the entire class wants business? My DC has turned down many direct admit business schools for UVA. He is really confident about getting in, but I am very, very nervous. I imagine the spots are evenly split by gender. By the time you find out it in June it is too late to transfer to another university. I really wish UVA was direct admit and that they expanded the commerce school so more kids can get in.

In my view, UVa's Batten (public policy), Data Science, and McIntire (Commerce) schools all ought to be real 4-yr schools inside the university with each having direct admissions.

Batten should have some academic departments moved into it (e.g., government). Data Science school should have at least CS and Statistics moved into it.

Note well that such a change would not prevent students in A&S from taking some courses or having a minor from those relocated departments. Already, people in A&S can take CS courses - even though CS now is in the E school. E School students already have their Math courses taught by the Math department which happens to be in A&S.

I don't agree.

Having business and tech leaders who have no liberal arts foundation is why we're in such dire straits right now. You can get board education and still do the job training with UVA.

If you think college is purely job training, pick another school. If you value being an educated citizen, go to UVA.

All 3 already are 3-yr schools. It would be trivial to BOTH require a liberal arts foundation and also be a 4-yr school having direct admissions within the university.

The only change would be to admissions -- only 4-yr programs (like Nursing, Arch, Eng, and A&S) could be direct admission programs (by definition). Most students in those other existing direct admit programs at UVa already take a bunch of Liberal Arts classes from A&S - so again - that would not be a change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:how hard is to get into commerce school at UVA?

Business is the #1 major kids want to pursue in 2026, so the admit rate for business keeps dropping everywhere. I imagine it will drop more this year for the Commerce school. I believe the numbers have gone from a 60% admit rate to a 40% admit rate in just 2 years. In previous years, there was clearly a lot of institutional priorities being considered (FGLI/DEI).

Probably a 30% internal acceptance rate to Mcintire this year. 10% external in-state acceptance to McIntire for transfers, 5% external OOS rate for transfers.

43% internal acceptance rate

I bet it is lower this year. The Intro to Comm and Micro classes were larger than ever. I think 2500 kids out of 4000 freshman took them.

Plenty of them will realize that aren't interested in McIntire because of those classes, but still, where is your source for 2500 taking foundations of commerce?

I see 5 sections currently:

Section 1: 146 total students
Section 2: 156
Section 3: 149
Section 4: 147
Section 5: 115
713 total

In the fall semester, the requirement most take first, Principles of Micro, had ~1000 total across 5 large lectures and also broken up into loads 20-person discussions.

Obviously, there are people in there who aren't interested in McIntire.

No, you can take Foundations of Commerce fall or spring of freshman year. My freshman took it in the fall (concurrent with micro but you can also take it before micro--they're independent classes) and the classes are larger in the fall.

Fall 2025 sections:
165, 162, 163, 161, 161 = 812

Spring 2026 sections:
146, 156, 149, 147, 115 = 713

or 1525 total.

The only reason anyone takes this class is as a pre-req for Commerce. Of course not all end up applying.

So not 2500. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

DC is in CAS and had difficulty getting preferred language class (Spanish), so switched to Portuguese.

That was the only difficulty reported in getting into requested classes. DC isn't a STEM or McIntyre applicant so their experience may be different.

[Anonymous]

Thanks PP. What level Spanish classes did you DC want? Was it upper level classes? How about getting into math classes? DC doesn't want to major in CS but wants to take a few classes. I assume the intro classes are big huge so shouldn't be a problem?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If kids need 4.0 or 3.97 to get into Commerce school, then is the intro Econ class a weed out class? What is the grading curve? I imagine that many of the 1500 kids who take the prerequisite classes won't get an A?

Is there grade deflation at UVA? What about the premed classes?

Yes, it is a hard class and is graded on a true curve. About 150/1500 are given an A.
My kid got an A- and otherwise has a 4.0 (taking bio 1&1, Calc 2&3, linear algebra, etc).

My kid got an A- in Econ also - the first time in his life he had a final grade that wasn't an A. There were definitnely times during the semester that he really struggled with the class but stuck with it and looked for resources to augment the class lectures, went to office hours etc.

Yes, same here. We actually got my son a tutor on Wyzant--a PhD economist who has tutored kids for year. Pulled out an A-. lol.
It is not an easy class and they do a straight curve of the grades in the end. You are in direct competition with your peers.

Would you suggest an incoming freshman take micro at NoVA this summer instead?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks PP. What level Spanish classes did you DC want? Was it upper level classes? How about getting into math classes? DC doesn't want to major in CS but wants to take a few classes. I assume the intro classes are big huge so shouldn't be a problem?

It was intro Spanish. DC was starting from scratch and so would have had to take 2 years of Spanish to complete the CAS requirement. Not getting into intro Spanish 1st or 2nd year would have hurt DC's plan to study abroad, so DC switched to Portuguese, as only 1 year is required to complete the CAS requirement.

No problem getting into math classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If kids need 4.0 or 3.97 to get into Commerce school, then is the intro Econ class a weed out class? What is the grading curve? I imagine that many of the 1500 kids who take the prerequisite classes won't get an A?

Is there grade deflation at UVA? What about the premed classes?

Yes, it is a hard class and is graded on a true curve. About 150/1500 are given an A.
My kid got an A- and otherwise has a 4.0 (taking bio 1&1, Calc 2&3, linear algebra, etc).

My kid got an A- in Econ also - the first time in his life he had a final grade that wasn't an A. There were definitnely times during the semester that he really struggled with the class but stuck with it and looked for resources to augment the class lectures, went to office hours etc.

Yes, same here. We actually got my son a tutor on Wyzant--a PhD economist who has tutored kids for year. Pulled out an A-. lol.
It is not an easy class and they do a straight curve of the grades in the end. You are in direct competition with your peers.

Would you suggest an incoming freshman take micro at NoVA this summer instead?

i wouldn't as I this will be viewed as trying to cut the corner by the Commerce faculty who will be reading your kid's application. it's not an anonymous admissions department who reads the app and decides on the cohort but actual members of the faculty. At the summer Comm orientation they said that they want the classes taken at UVA even if a kid took micro in high school or elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If kids need 4.0 or 3.97 to get into Commerce school, then is the intro Econ class a weed out class? What is the grading curve? I imagine that many of the 1500 kids who take the prerequisite classes won't get an A?

Is there grade deflation at UVA? What about the premed classes?

Yes, it is a hard class and is graded on a true curve. About 150/1500 are given an A.
My kid got an A- and otherwise has a 4.0 (taking bio 1&1, Calc 2&3, linear algebra, etc).

My kid got an A- in Econ also - the first time in his life he had a final grade that wasn't an A. There were definitnely times during the semester that he really struggled with the class but stuck with it and looked for resources to augment the class lectures, went to office hours etc.

Yes, same here. We actually got my son a tutor on Wyzant--a PhD economist who has tutored kids for year. Pulled out an A-. lol.
It is not an easy class and they do a straight curve of the grades in the end. You are in direct competition with your peers.

Would you suggest an incoming freshman take micro at NoVA this summer instead?

Not instead, and not as an attempted transfer credit.

It might make sense, but only so the student gets a head start on the course material, thereby improving their chances of getting a top grade when taking that course at UVa.

[Anonymous]

Do you need a lot of ecs to get into commerce school or is it based on grades alone?