1530 SAT at McLean High not enough for UVA now?

[Anonymous]

Just asked my McLean senior about this (lol) and he agreed need 4.4 gpa and don’t bother retaking the SAT.

[Anonymous]

Are you saying he’s in Ap calc bc or mv/la de this year? Very confusing as he shouldn’t need summer math to take diffeq/discrete math next year if he is in mv now.

I don’t think places like uva care about the super advanced math - but they will ding you for not taking AP history classes and 4 years of language.

It seems like your child might be prioritizing de over Ap. Ap>de until you run out of Ap (eg math, cs).

[Anonymous]

I have a kid at Langley. I think the known bar is 4.4 GPA minimum and 1500+ for UVA.

[Anonymous]

Yikes, I remember when this school had around a 40 percent in-state acceptance rate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's your zip code.

This. From McLean and Langley, you need a 4.5 on top of that SAT score. Highest rigor, highest grades. No room for an emotional breakup, friend troubles, personal issues to work through, or family struggle. Be perfect since age 14 or no UVA for you.

Which means there are lots of parents helicoptering and snow plowing to make this happen and they have all the money they need to support that.

If you have more money you don’t obsess about your kids going to an in-state school like UVA. You let your kids enjoy life a bit more and go to another in-state school, a SLAC or an OOS flagship, comfortable that their basic smarts and social skills will serve them well later.

You’re spewing garbage

UVA or bust is the hallmark of a small mind or a tiny budget.

It is odd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's your zip code.

This. From McLean and Langley, you need a 4.5 on top of that SAT score. Highest rigor, highest grades. No room for an emotional breakup, friend troubles, personal issues to work through, or family struggle. Be perfect since age 14 or no UVA for you.

Which means there are lots of parents helicoptering and snow plowing to make this happen and they have all the money they need to support that.

If you have more money you don’t obsess about your kids going to an in-state school like UVA. You let your kids enjoy life a bit more and go to another in-state school, a SLAC or an OOS flagship, comfortable that their basic smarts and social skills will serve them well later.

You must be posting from the south. That’s how southern wealthy parents act, not DC/Northern Virginia parents.

We are in NoVa and not rich, but we saw the writing on the wall. UVA wasn’t going to be for our DC, who had some transcript/GPA things that would have been issues at UVA. We went the SLAC route and with aid ended up being less than what we would have paid for UVA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

If you have more money you don’t obsess about your kids going to an in-state school like UVA. You let your kids enjoy life a bit more and go to another in-state school, a SLAC or an OOS flagship, comfortable that their basic smarts and social skills will serve them well later.

You don't live in McLean, do you? People start strategizing about this when their kids are at Longfellow. First disappointment is not getting into TJ. Second disappointment is not getting into UVA.

4.4 is the minimum GPA at McLean, OP. Then you've got to stack him against his peers. That's the cut and dry of UVA.

If your goal is a top ranked college, TJ is NOT a good route to take.

You missed the entire point for PP's post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's your zip code.

This. From McLean and Langley, you need a 4.5 on top of that SAT score. Highest rigor, highest grades. No room for an emotional breakup, friend troubles, personal issues to work through, or family struggle. Be perfect since age 14 or no UVA for you.

Which means there are lots of parents helicoptering and snow plowing to make this happen and they have all the money they need to support that.

If you have more money you don’t obsess about your kids going to an in-state school like UVA. You let your kids enjoy life a bit more and go to another in-state school, a SLAC or an OOS flagship, comfortable that their basic smarts and social skills will serve them well later.

You must be posting from the south. That’s how southern wealthy parents act, not DC/Northern Virginia parents.

We are in NoVa and not rich, but we saw the writing on the wall. UVA wasn’t going to be for our DC, who had some transcript/GPA things that would have been issues at UVA. We went the SLAC route and with aid ended up being less than what we would have paid for UVA.

Which one? Considering a similar approach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The 1530 is totally fine, OP. That is around 75th percentile at UVA. It is the GPA that is very iffy. We are at McLean and you don't see consistent green checks until 4.4 or so.

BUT if he has a 4.2 as a junior he will very likely get it higher by the time he applies. My kid has a 4.1 from the end of sophomore year and I think he has a chance with all the APs he is taking this year.

+1 Agreed.

Our McLean DC had 4.2 after sophomore year and 4.3 after junior year, and was accepted into CAS during EA with a 4.4 and 1500 SAT. Later had major senioritis so DC will show up in Naviance with 4.2, LOL.

So OP's 1530 should be fine, and if OP's DC gets their wGPA to 4.3-4.4 after junior year, DC should be in good shape.

That said, I think taking APs (particularly sciences if a STEM person and English Lang, World History and US History if possible) plus foreign language for the 4 years (or reaching max level for a single foreign language) would be best. DE classes may boost wGPA, but don't help as much as APs in the core classes, IMHO.

My DC is at a DMV private and our UVA cut off is 4.4 with the scattergram showing GPAs at graduation. APs are restricted and you can’t max out until 12th. My DC had a 4.3 at the end of Junior and in 12th this year with 6 APs so should make it to 4.4+ by graduation. No idea if DC will squeak into UVA since at the time of application the GPA was 4.3 with a 35 ACT. Happy to report back after EA decisions are out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

If you have more money you don’t obsess about your kids going to an in-state school like UVA. You let your kids enjoy life a bit more and go to another in-state school, a SLAC or an OOS flagship, comfortable that their basic smarts and social skills will serve them well later.

You don't live in McLean, do you? People start strategizing about this when their kids are at Longfellow. First disappointment is not getting into TJ. Second disappointment is not getting into UVA.

4.4 is the minimum GPA at McLean, OP. Then you've got to stack him against his peers. That's the cut and dry of UVA.

If your goal is a top ranked college, TJ is NOT a good route to take.

Funny how no one’s goal is an excellent education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

If you have more money you don’t obsess about your kids going to an in-state school like UVA. You let your kids enjoy life a bit more and go to another in-state school, a SLAC or an OOS flagship, comfortable that their basic smarts and social skills will serve them well later.

You don't live in McLean, do you? People start strategizing about this when their kids are at Longfellow. First disappointment is not getting into TJ. Second disappointment is not getting into UVA.

4.4 is the minimum GPA at McLean, OP. Then you've got to stack him against his peers. That's the cut and dry of UVA.

If your goal is a top ranked college, TJ is NOT a good route to take.

Funny how no one’s goal is an excellent education.

+1 on the Princeton thread they are talking about how many smart people fail out from their Physics program. I'd think you want to go to a school that elevates you not beat you down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The 1530 is totally fine, OP. That is around 75th percentile at UVA. It is the GPA that is very iffy. We are at McLean and you don't see consistent green checks until 4.4 or so.

BUT if he has a 4.2 as a junior he will very likely get it higher by the time he applies. My kid has a 4.1 from the end of sophomore year and I think he has a chance with all the APs he is taking this year.

+1 Agreed.

Our McLean DC had 4.2 after sophomore year and 4.3 after junior year, and was accepted into CAS during EA with a 4.4 and 1500 SAT. Later had major senioritis so DC will show up in Naviance with 4.2, LOL.

So OP's 1530 should be fine, and if OP's DC gets their wGPA to 4.3-4.4 after junior year, DC should be in good shape.

That said, I think taking APs (particularly sciences if a STEM person and English Lang, World History and US History if possible) plus foreign language for the 4 years (or reaching max level for a single foreign language) would be best. DE classes may boost wGPA, but don't help as much as APs in the core classes, IMHO.

My DC is at a DMV private and our UVA cut off is 4.4 with the scattergram showing GPAs at graduation. APs are restricted and you can’t max out until 12th. My DC had a 4.3 at the end of Junior and in 12th this year with 6 APs so should make it to 4.4+ by graduation. No idea if DC will squeak into UVA since at the time of application the GPA was 4.3 with a 35 ACT. Happy to report back after EA decisions are out.

Unlikely without another hook.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:the 4.2 will be a problem. if all 5.0 courses did he have a lot of b's? They want rigor and As. My 4.2 was rejected ed/test optional. She took too many ap and didn't get a's. She should have taken less and gotten more a's

Same with our DC with a 4.3 at McL and rejected T.O.

Not sure how much longer UVA will remain T.O.

[Anonymous]

DS is a first year at UVA right now from an FCPS high school near McLean - agree with all the others about GPA.

Don't bother retaking the SAT - he'll need two things to maximize his chances of admission to UVA next year:
- A's in ALL of his classes this year
- 4 years of language. If he doesn't have 4 years of language tell him to take THAT online this summer (mine took Spanish 3 and 4 online in the summer so he could take as many STEM classes as possible during the school year)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's your zip code.

This. From McLean and Langley, you need a 4.5 on top of that SAT score. Highest rigor, highest grades. No room for an emotional breakup, friend troubles, personal issues to work through, or family struggle. Be perfect since age 14 or no UVA for you.

Which means there are lots of parents helicoptering and snow plowing to make this happen and they have all the money they need to support that.

If you have more money you don’t obsess about your kids going to an in-state school like UVA. You let your kids enjoy life a bit more and go to another in-state school, a SLAC or an OOS flagship, comfortable that their basic smarts and social skills will serve them well later.

You must be posting from the south. That’s how southern wealthy parents act, not DC/Northern Virginia parents.

We are in NoVa and not rich, but we saw the writing on the wall. UVA wasn’t going to be for our DC, who had some transcript/GPA things that would have been issues at UVA. We went the SLAC route and with aid ended up being less than what we would have paid for UVA.

That’s great but that’s not at all the point of the exchange above.