UVA or bust

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Move to a rural VA county and be at the very top of the class with max rigor at the county HS.

Seriously. Applicants are compared with other students from their HS - for many many colleges. Big fish in smaller rural pond has the best odds for acceptance at many colleges.

Or, just move to a lower performing NOVA high school, take all the rigourous courses, get more leadership positions, play all the sports, get more house for your money, and keep your higher paid DMV job. It worked out for our kid. Third year at UVA.

This. You don't have to move to a rural area. Just go to one of the crappy high schools. But recognize your kid may not be as well prepared for the rigor of college.

Does UVA have a special program where they admit more from poor high schools? Families would flock to South Lakes and Herndon if they made this public

DP. No, of course not. The poorest high schools in the state would be thrilled to have one kid admitted, but it’s more likely zero.

You are wrong. Those scholarships are available through UVA's Blue Ridge Scholar program. https://giving.virginia.edu/where-to-give/supporting-students/blue-ridge-scholars/#:~:text=A%20committee%20within%20the%20Office,of%20a%20financial%20aid%20package.

In what way does that fund equate to “a program that admits more from poor high schools,” as the PP inquired about? It’s an admirable initiative, but 200 students served since 2014, for $1k-$7k each, is hardly moving the needle for the neediest Virginians.

[Anonymous]

Even move next door to Alexandria. A huge number are accepted annually from ACHS. Yes their class is large, but once you back out the technical students and kids who don’t take any honors classes, it doesn’t seem that hard to get into from there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:all A's in all 5 core areas and all ap when avail

foreign language through ap.

leadership

sports

volunteering

GPA over 4.45

This is for a chance. Yes there are exceptions, but over the last 2 years I have seen many with this profile not get in.

This profile would get you in from our LCPS school. AP foreign language not required. An SAT 1480+ helps too and definitely ED.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Move to a rural VA county and be at the very top of the class with max rigor at the county HS.

Seriously. Applicants are compared with other students from their HS - for many many colleges. Big fish in smaller rural pond has the best odds for acceptance at many colleges.

Or, just move to a lower performing NOVA high school, take all the rigourous courses, get more leadership positions, play all the sports, get more house for your money, and keep your higher paid DMV job. It worked out for our kid. Third year at UVA.

This. You don't have to move to a rural area. Just go to one of the crappy high schools. But recognize your kid may not be as well prepared for the rigor of college.

Does UVA have a special program where they admit more from poor high schools? Families would flock to South Lakes and Herndon if they made this public

DP. No, of course not. The poorest high schools in the state would be thrilled to have one kid admitted, but it’s more likely zero.

You are wrong. Those scholarships are available through UVA's Blue Ridge Scholar program. https://giving.virginia.edu/where-to-give/supporting-students/blue-ridge-scholars/#:~:text=A%20committee%20within%20the%20Office,of%20a%20financial%20aid%20package.

In what way does that fund equate to “a program that admits more from poor high schools,” as the PP inquired about? It’s an admirable initiative, but 200 students served since 2014, for $1k-$7k each, is hardly moving the needle for the neediest Virginians.

We donate to the UVA Blue Ridge Scholarships Fund, but are not well off by DCUM standards. If more people donated, it would help move the needle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Threads like this crack me up. Rich whites and Asians complaining that they're disadvantaged and suffering oh so much because their poor little children are stuck at Langley, TJ, Mclean, Yorktown, Meridian etc. and can't get into UVA. In the meantime, they say, anybody and his mother from other schools in and outside of NOVA just waltz right in.

This is total bullshit. Just look at the numbers. Take one school, say, Yorktown for the moment. The whole class hasn't posted on insta yet, but of those who have 30 have committed to UVA. There are easily another few dozen more who could have and probably did also get in but are going elsewhere (ten or so to Ivy+, Georgetown, Notre Dame, some top LACs and of course many to William & Mary, etc.)

So easily 50 Yorktown kids either did or could have gotten into UVA.

Compare that to any non-elite public school in VA and you won't see anything close to those numbers.

So stop your whining about how the top high schools are suffering. It's bullshit.

+1 When you look at the SCHEV reports for the rural counties that only have one high school and lower incomes, it becomes really clear.

I looked some random counties in SW VA. Lots of them have double digit applications, but only 1-4 accepted. It's not like you can waltz into UVA from anywhere.

+1

UVa classmate was from Craig County. At that time, Calculus was not even offered at that HS. Only student from that HS accepted to UVa that year. Paid for college via ROTC 4-yr scholarship.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:all A's in all 5 core areas and all ap when avail

foreign language through ap.

leadership

sports

volunteering

GPA over 4.45

This is for a chance. Yes there are exceptions, but over the last 2 years I have seen many with this profile not get in.

This profile would get you in from our LCPS school. AP foreign language not required. An SAT 1480+ helps too and definitely ED.

Wrong. No shot at UVA without AP foreign language

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:all A's in all 5 core areas and all ap when avail

foreign language through ap.

leadership

sports

volunteering

GPA over 4.45

This is for a chance. Yes there are exceptions, but over the last 2 years I have seen many with this profile not get in.

This profile would get you in from our LCPS school. AP foreign language not required. An SAT 1480+ helps too and definitely ED.

Wrong. No shot at UVA without AP foreign language

This has been discussed here many times. AP foreign language is not required. My own DC is currently a 3rd year at UVA with only 3 years of one foreign language and 2 years of another (inclusive of middle school).

That said, AP foreign language would of course help a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:all A's in all 5 core areas and all ap when avail

foreign language through ap.

leadership

sports

volunteering

GPA over 4.45

This is for a chance. Yes there are exceptions, but over the last 2 years I have seen many with this profile not get in.

This profile would get you in from our LCPS school. AP foreign language not required. An SAT 1480+ helps too and definitely ED.

Wrong. No shot at UVA without AP foreign language

DP. Mine is heading there in the fall. No AP language.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For those of you who like actual data, this is an interesting one.

https://research.schev.edu/rdPage.aspx?rdReport=localities.LocalityData_Admission

Why aren’t we discussing this? Am I reading the chart right? Did applications in many countries increase that sharply in 2024/2025? What causes this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those of you who like actual data, this is an interesting one.

https://research.schev.edu/rdPage.aspx?rdReport=localities.LocalityData_Admission

Why aren’t we discussing this? Am I reading the chart right? Did applications in many countries increase that sharply in 2024/2025? What causes this?

Not sure why it looks like that across all institutions, but if you select just for UVA, you’ll see the data relevant to this discussion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those of you who like actual data, this is an interesting one.

https://research.schev.edu/rdPage.aspx?rdReport=localities.LocalityData_Admission

Why aren’t we discussing this? Am I reading the chart right? Did applications in many countries increase that sharply in 2024/2025? What causes this?

Not sure why it looks like that across all institutions, but if you select just for UVA, you’ll see the data relevant to this discussion.

Literally no one got in from:
Appomattox
Bland
Charlotte
Cumberland
Sussex
Bedford City
Covington City
Galax City

and there are plenty of counties with 1 acceptance.

4,335 total accepted in Virginia. 2,000 from NOVA and 1,000 of those were Fairfax. Wow.

1,071 Fairfax
415 Loudoun
240 Prince William
184 Arlington
76 Alexandria
23 Falls Church
10 Manassas City

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those of you who like actual data, this is an interesting one.

https://research.schev.edu/rdPage.aspx?rdReport=localities.LocalityData_Admission

Why aren’t we discussing this? Am I reading the chart right? Did applications in many countries increase that sharply in 2024/2025? What causes this?

Not sure why it looks like that across all institutions, but if you select just for UVA, you’ll see the data relevant to this discussion.

Literally no one got in from:
Appomattox
Bland
Charlotte
Cumberland
Sussex
Bedford City
Covington City
Galax City

and there are plenty of counties with 1 acceptance.

4,335 total accepted in Virginia. 2,000 from NOVA and 1,000 of those were Fairfax. Wow.

1,071 Fairfax
415 Loudoun
240 Prince William
184 Arlington
76 Alexandria
23 Falls Church
10 Manassas City

^^^THIS. Louder for those in the back. And NOVA is getting a great education in the process. With final class size of around 3900 and 9000 ish admits, that’s a lot from NOVA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:all A's in all 5 core areas and all ap when avail

foreign language through ap.

leadership

sports

volunteering

GPA over 4.45

This is for a chance. Yes there are exceptions, but over the last 2 years I have seen many with this profile not get in.

This profile would get you in from our LCPS school. AP foreign language not required. An SAT 1480+ helps too and definitely ED.

Wrong. No shot at UVA without AP foreign language

DP. Mine is heading there in the fall. No AP language.

Sure

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:all A's in all 5 core areas and all ap when avail

foreign language through ap.

leadership

sports

volunteering

GPA over 4.45

This is for a chance. Yes there are exceptions, but over the last 2 years I have seen many with this profile not get in.

This profile would get you in from our LCPS school. AP foreign language not required. An SAT 1480+ helps too and definitely ED.

Wrong. No shot at UVA without AP foreign language

DP. Mine is heading there in the fall. No AP language.

Sure

Kids get into UVA without AP world language all the time. If, however their SAT is not within the higher range, and their gpa is lower than average, and applying to arts and sciences, then taking AP WL will boost their chances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Move to a rural VA county and be at the very top of the class with max rigor at the county HS.

Seriously. Applicants are compared with other students from their HS - for many many colleges. Big fish in smaller rural pond has the best odds for acceptance at many colleges.

Or, just move to a lower performing NOVA high school, take all the rigourous courses, get more leadership positions, play all the sports, get more house for your money, and keep your higher paid DMV job. It worked out for our kid. Third year at UVA.

This. You don't have to move to a rural area. Just go to one of the crappy high schools. But recognize your kid may not be as well prepared for the rigor of college.

Not sure I follow. Is the kid from a “crappy high school” that gets 5s on ten AP exams less prepared than the kid from a non-crappy high school, with similar grades, better prepared for college?

The crappy high schools tend to have lower AP and IB scores.

It's all on the Virginia department of education website.