If you have a kid at W&M or UVA

[Anonymous]

How many AP's did your kid take? Also, are you in NOVA?

[Anonymous]

Quality over quantity. Some APs are harder than others and thus carry more weight.

[Anonymous]

Do most kids who get admitted to these schools take APs for all their core classes Junior and senior years?

[Anonymous]

It's a delicate balance
My kid has taken all honors and is doing a full IB diploma, but has a 3.6 UW GPA (4.3 weighted, I think). With that UW, UVA and W& M are off the table.

[Anonymous]

you should read the UVA blog, its very helpful on such things as APs

http://uvaapplication.blogspot.com

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a delicate balance
My kid has taken all honors and is doing a full IB diploma, but has a 3.6 UW GPA (4.3 weighted, I think). With that UW, UVA and W& M are off the table.

Depends on your HS. At our FFX HS those schools are not off the table with that GPA and 1400 SATs. Somewhat lower SATs have worked too, if they want you for another reason. Not below 1300 though, usually. Possibly more competitive from other HSs? Rarely more than 5/ year go to UVA.

[Anonymous]

I think the better criteria to look at at this point is not GPA but whether or not your child is in the top 10% of their high school class. That figure is repeated (hovers between 90 and 94%) at convocation. UVA is looking (IMHO) for well-rounded leaders of tomorrow. But they also like to see top 10%. They also like to see a lot of APs too, but not all students are in schools that provide these and UVA knows that. My DC had 3 APs (not many) but took a college-level science course during junior year between junior and senior year. He had a 4.16 but that was about as high as his school went (he was no. 1). And ACTs of 34, then 36 on retake. However one of D.C.'s close friends came in with 64 college credits (I'm not making that up) because the community college was close to that DC's high school. Both got in. DC's friend could graduate early if he chose too because all of the AP and college courses taken. Frankly, your best bet is to be applying in-state from one of the counties to the south and west of the state where UVA doesn't receive many applicants. Or URM. Or international (73 countries represented this year). Or from a financially-disadvantaged background or a first generation student. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a delicate balance
My kid has taken all honors and is doing a full IB diploma, but has a 3.6 UW GPA (4.3 weighted, I think). With that UW, UVA and W& M are off the table.

Depends on your HS. At our FFX HS those schools are not off the table with that GPA and 1400 SATs. Somewhat lower SATs have worked too, if they want you for another reason. Not below 1300 though, usually. Possibly more competitive from other HSs? Rarely more than 5/ year go to UVA.

DD graduated from a FFX high school full IB, 4.2 eeighted GPA, 1420 SAT, demonstrated leadership and startem her Ken business butvwasnt good enugh for UVA or W&M. What'S UW?

[Anonymous]

UW = unweighted

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the better criteria to look at at this point is not GPA but whether or not your child is in the top 10% of their high school class. That figure is repeated (hovers between 90 and 94%) at convocation. UVA is looking (IMHO) for well-rounded leaders of tomorrow. But they also like to see top 10%. They also like to see a lot of APs too, but not all students are in schools that provide these and UVA knows that. My DC had 3 APs (not many) but took a college-level science course during junior year between junior and senior year. He had a 4.16 but that was about as high as his school went (he was no. 1). And ACTs of 34, then 36 on retake. However one of D.C.'s close friends came in with 64 college credits (I'm not making that up) because the community college was close to that DC's high school. Both got in. DC's friend could graduate early if he chose too because all of the AP and college courses taken. Frankly, your best bet is to be applying in-state from one of the counties to the south and west of the state where UVA doesn't receive many applicants. Or URM. Or international (73 countries represented this year). Or from a financially-disadvantaged background or a first generation student. Good luck!

Fcps high schools don't rank.
And how do you even compare that? My dd has friends with 4.0s who have never taken an advanced class, and she has a 3.5 with only honors and AP. Should she have taken the easy route for a higher GPA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the better criteria to look at at this point is not GPA but whether or not your child is in the top 10% of their high school class. That figure is repeated (hovers between 90 and 94%) at convocation. UVA is looking (IMHO) for well-rounded leaders of tomorrow. But they also like to see top 10%. They also like to see a lot of APs too, but not all students are in schools that provide these and UVA knows that. My DC had 3 APs (not many) but took a college-level science course during junior year between junior and senior year. He had a 4.16 but that was about as high as his school went (he was no. 1). And ACTs of 34, then 36 on retake. However one of D.C.'s close friends came in with 64 college credits (I'm not making that up) because the community college was close to that DC's high school. Both got in. DC's friend could graduate early if he chose too because all of the AP and college courses taken. Frankly, your best bet is to be applying in-state from one of the counties to the south and west of the state where UVA doesn't receive many applicants. Or URM. Or international (73 countries represented this year). Or from a financially-disadvantaged background or a first generation student. Good luck!

Fcps high schools don't rank.
And how do you even compare that? My dd has friends with 4.0s who have never taken an advanced class, and she has a 3.5 with only honors and AP. Should she have taken the easy route for a higher GPA?

Yes.

~parent of FCPS high school junior (and learned this too late)

[Anonymous]

I have two currently at UVA and they were both also accepted at W&M. The one who attended an Arlington public high school took 8 AP classes and 4 IB classes. The one who attended a private high school took 8 AP classes. They both also took probably 3-4 honors level classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have two currently at UVA and they were both also accepted at W&M. The one who attended an Arlington public high school took 8 AP classes and 4 IB classes. The one who attended a private high school took 8 AP classes. They both also took probably 3-4 honors level classes.

Same poster. I agree with the person who said generally an applicant needs to be in top 10% to be considered. Doesn’t matter whether your HS ranks. The admissions officers for each region know these high schools extremely well and are able to determine on their own whether an applicant is in the top 10%, 15%, etc. and yes, they do look at the type of AP classes a student takes because as a PP said, some are much easier than others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the better criteria to look at at this point is not GPA but whether or not your child is in the top 10% of their high school class. That figure is repeated (hovers between 90 and 94%) at convocation. UVA is looking (IMHO) for well-rounded leaders of tomorrow. But they also like to see top 10%. They also like to see a lot of APs too, but not all students are in schools that provide these and UVA knows that. My DC had 3 APs (not many) but took a college-level science course during junior year between junior and senior year. He had a 4.16 but that was about as high as his school went (he was no. 1). And ACTs of 34, then 36 on retake. However one of D.C.'s close friends came in with 64 college credits (I'm not making that up) because the community college was close to that DC's high school. Both got in. DC's friend could graduate early if he chose too because all of the AP and college courses taken. Frankly, your best bet is to be applying in-state from one of the counties to the south and west of the state where UVA doesn't receive many applicants. Or URM. Or international (73 countries represented this year). Or from a financially-disadvantaged background or a first generation student. Good luck!

Fcps high schools don't rank.
And how do you even compare that? My dd has friends with 4.0s who have never taken an advanced class, and she has a 3.5 with only honors and AP. Should she have taken the easy route for a higher GPA?

I’d say no, your DD should not have taken the easier route to a higher GPA if she is interested in attending a selective college. Those always say they want to see a student taking the most rigorous classes their school offers, as long as the student can handle it. Taking a bunch of APS and getting Cs doesn’t do any good.

[Anonymous]

I'm looking at Yorktown's Naviance scattergram and a 4.23 GPA is the pretty clear cutoff - above that only 2 students were denied, regardless of SAT score. I don't think they care so much which APs you take, just that you have A's/B+'s.