No supplemental essays for UVA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are likely many individuals outside of admissions (attorneys, admins) who have to review everything now in light of what happened last month. They don’t want prompts that ask students about their unique backgrounds. It’s easier to just eliminate the prompts all together at this point.

This is probably not a decision that was made by Admissions. It’s going to be even harder for them to predict yield with more applications. Yes, it will make the school appear to be more selective, but it makes the process very challenging for anyone trying to build the class. How can you predict a student’s seriousness about a college if there is literally nothing extra they have to do to apply?

We know the last prompts they wrote were 2022. The tone of the blog was sad about the changes. On instagram, the dean always said the essays were their favorite part.

But the supplemental essay was very short like 200-250 words and just how you’d contribute to UVA.

They still have the common app essays to read.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People will customize additional info section into an essay for UVA.

And risk annoying the admissions team? Not this family.

Nope not at all.
My kid used AI to customize per school, explaining why it was a first choice but couldn’t ED. Could have helped with those T20 admissions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are likely many individuals outside of admissions (attorneys, admins) who have to review everything now in light of what happened last month. They don’t want prompts that ask students about their unique backgrounds. It’s easier to just eliminate the prompts all together at this point.

This is probably not a decision that was made by Admissions. It’s going to be even harder for them to predict yield with more applications. Yes, it will make the school appear to be more selective, but it makes the process very challenging for anyone trying to build the class. How can you predict a student’s seriousness about a college if there is literally nothing extra they have to do to apply?

We know the last prompts they wrote were 2022. The tone of the blog was sad about the changes. On instagram, the dean always said the essays were their favorite part.

But the supplemental essay was very short like 200-250 words and just how you’d contribute to UVA.

They still have the common app essays to read.

No, they had one essay that was for the program you picked and then you could select 2 from a list of short prompts.

[Anonymous]

This (below) was the supplemental last year at UVA (arts and sciences). Then there was some second prompt that allowed you to talk about any association you have with the university but my son had none so did not fill that one out.

I think the word limit was 300.

What about your individual background, perspective, or experience will serve as a source of strength for you or those around you at UVA? Feel free to write about any past experience or part of your background that has shaped your perspective and will be a source of strength, including but not limited to those related to your community, upbringing, educational environment, race, gender, or other aspects of your background that are important to you.

[Anonymous]

previous poster again----
to clarify, this was the prompt for this year's 2025 class.

[Anonymous]

It was for class of 2024 as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It seems that kids applying EA will have a much lower chance of admissions now. Applications will skyrocket! ED will be imperative this cycle if you really want UVA.

DeanJ recently had a live Instagram where someone asked EA vs ED and she was clear that for in-state, there is not much of an advantage to ED. Given that, I would expect both acceptance rates to be lower this year even if it means they are taking more kids from EA than last year. Out of state should definitely ED.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This (below) was the supplemental last year at UVA (arts and sciences). Then there was some second prompt that allowed you to talk about any association you have with the university but my son had none so did not fill that one out.

I think the word limit was 300.

What about your individual background, perspective, or experience will serve as a source of strength for you or those around you at UVA? Feel free to write about any past experience or part of your background that has shaped your perspective and will be a source of strength, including but not limited to those related to your community, upbringing, educational environment, race, gender, or other aspects of your background that are important to you.

Given the current pressure from the administration and DOJ document requests, UVA doesn’t want to have ANY essays about your race in your file this year.

[Anonymous]

http://uvaapplication.blogspot.com/2025/08/the-2025-2026-common-app-is-open.html?m=1

The UVA screens on the Common App are correct. UVA retained the short answer question for students applying to the School of Nursing. There are no extra writing prompts for the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Engineering, School of Architecture, or the Kinesiology program.

Maybe they will focus everything on GPA and Test scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:http://uvaapplication.blogspot.com/2025/08/the-2025-2026-common-app-is-open.html?m=1

The UVA screens on the Common App are correct. UVA retained the short answer question for students applying to the School of Nursing. There are no extra writing prompts for the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Engineering, School of Architecture, or the Kinesiology program.

Maybe they will focus everything on GPA and Test scores.

They are focused on rigor not just GPA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Staff is so demoralized by what went down in the past few weeks, they don’t even care who they let in anymore.

This. They don’t care.

What an idiot statement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nobody knows who actually write essays.

This a million X.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dean J is trying to suss out the wording of the oos yield essay. It’s tricky. You can’t just say, “Why is this state school worth private school tuition to your family?”

You aren't watching the lives. Admissions doesn't get to write the questions anymore. There's some committee doing it. Probably SCOTUS related.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Probably know their rankings are going to take a hit and trying to juice acceptance rates further down. The maga cult has stupidity as one of their core pillars so there is that as well.

Meshes pretty well with the overall decline of societal intelligence. That is why you have t10 students who start their freshman year never having read a novel or know how to self write without AI doing it. Dumb and Dumber.

I thought the complaint was that UVA was woke and that's why their president was forced out. Now they're maga?

The MAGA R VA Governor replaced the entire UVA Board of Visitors with MAGA Rs. That's why Ryan was forced out. He had no support left on the BoV.

So yes, MAGA is taking over UVA.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This (below) was the supplemental last year at UVA (arts and sciences). Then there was some second prompt that allowed you to talk about any association you have with the university but my son had none so did not fill that one out.

I think the word limit was 300.

What about your individual background, perspective, or experience will serve as a source of strength for you or those around you at UVA? Feel free to write about any past experience or part of your background that has shaped your perspective and will be a source of strength, including but not limited to those related to your community, upbringing, educational environment, race, gender, or other aspects of your background that are important to you.

This sounds familiar (from reading my kid's app), I think it was the same 2 years go.