Strategy for college admissions if you're from Northern Virginia -prepare to NOT get in to UVA or W&M. You can later be thrilled if you do So much time is spent ruminating UVA or W&M. Sure put them on the list, but that's a no-brainer. Instead, put all this energy into finding several other suitable choices. Choices the student will truly enjoy attending, and not feel like they are settling. Remember, love thy safety.

Anonymous wrote:What are the "hooks" UVa wants if you're not in the top 10%? I'm being serious.

Great essays, demonstrated strong leadership (not just Pres/VP of a small club in HS - the club should be a significant presence in the school, and student should be able to articulate what they did in the club and how it made a big impact), doing well in tough classes (B+/A- is fine if course rigor is unquestionable), strong test scores to back up solid grades (including SAT or ACT and SAT II and APs), afterschool/summer jobs. Show them you have a personality and that you'd contribute more to the school than just being a studying machine - they have lots of those. I think the essays are key for kids who are not at the top of their class. Signed, Parent Whose Kid Got Into UVA from NoVa with Slightly-Below-UVA-Average Stats

What are the "hooks" UVa wants if you're not in the top 10%? I'm being serious.

In-state is easier than OOS but NoVA is definitely tougher than other parts of the state. They accept hundreds of kids from TJ but unless you are in the upper half of the class -- you will likely be rejected. Of course, you are assuming the student who is in the bottom half of TJ will be in the top 10 at their base high school. You pretty much need to be in the top 10 of your high school for UVA unless you have a "hook" that they want. Remember at every graduating class -- there will always be someone who is ranked last (GPA) -- even at MIT or Harvard.

Anonymous wrote:My son was accepted into UVa and was a former student in loudoun county but now lives out of state with his father. He got in state tuition though because I still live in Va.

Not sure what they consider him to be (Va or out of state) but his grades were about 4.4 and he was taking college courses in his senior year. I was thrilled he got in there and UT and for reference he didn't get into Berkeley. ACT score was 32.

I guarantee that if they considered him out of state they wouldn't be charging in state tuition!

My son was accepted into UVa and was a former student in loudoun county but now lives out of state with his father. He got in state tuition though because I still live in Va.

Not sure what they consider him to be (Va or out of state) but his grades were about 4.4 and he was taking college courses in his senior year. I was thrilled he got in there and UT and for reference he didn't get into Berkeley. ACT score was 32.

Anonymous wrote:The student reviews are less than stellar. http://www.studentsreview.com/VA/UV_comments.html?page=1&type=&d_school=The University of Virginia

c'mon. 22 negative and 87 positive. The negs are mostly stupid shit like the girls won't even look at me; the students are arrogant (oh dear). 2nd ranked public uni in the US by Us News. Good enough for me.

The student reviews are less than stellar. http://www.studentsreview.com/VA/UV_comments.html?page=1&type=&d_school=The University of Virginia

To improve your chances for in-state admission, do not enroll in TJ and stay at home school and graduate as a Val.

I have a relative "downstate" (williamsburg) who reports that the perception there is that the "top" VA schools are "impossible" to get into for their kids, as well. He reports that people there (as here) use the community college option or are willing to pay out of state tuition for non VA publics for one or two years and hope their kids do well enough to transfer to a VA school for the remaining years.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For UVA's Class of 2015, 28% of in-state admissions offers went to residents of Ffx Co. The Dean of Admissions "acknowledged that Northern Virginia does well in the competition." (Source: http://www.dailyprogress.com/news/article_0d4c5fcd-505d-5261-bf95-59509fe1192b.html) Based on this article, your BEST chance of getting in is to be from NoVa, because the schools are generally stronger there compared to the rest of the state. Our kid got into UVA this year - we are residents of Arlington and he goes to a private school in DC - and he was slightly below the average scores but had great leadership ECs and consistent sports participation. Feels like we hit the lottery.

28% of admitted students are from Fairfax. That may be, but how many kids from Fairfax applied. That is, did only the best of the best from Fairfax get accepted vs. other schools/locations/counties where solid, top students (although maybe not top 1%) were also accepted?

If your kid had gone to school in Arlington, do you think he would've been accepted?

This is the PP. Sadly, if he had gone to school in Arlington I doubt he would have been accepted to UVA because he wouldn't have had college counselors with the time and connections to advocate for him one-on-one, to convince UVA that this kid with "only" a 3.9 would be a great addition to the student body based on the contributions he made to his high school community.

I think it's harder to get into UVA from Fairfax than from downstate. But I think it's harder to get in from out-of-state than from Fairfax.

Anonymous wrote:For UVA's Class of 2015, 28% of in-state admissions offers went to residents of Ffx Co. The Dean of Admissions "acknowledged that Northern Virginia does well in the competition." (Source: http://www.dailyprogress.com/news/article_0d4c5fcd-505d-5261-bf95-59509fe1192b.html) Based on this article, your BEST chance of getting in is to be from NoVa, because the schools are generally stronger there compared to the rest of the state. Our kid got into UVA this year - we are residents of Arlington and he goes to a private school in DC - and he was slightly below the average scores but had great leadership ECs and consistent sports participation. Feels like we hit the lottery.

28% of admitted students are from Fairfax. That may be, but how many kids from Fairfax applied. That is, did only the best of the best from Fairfax get accepted vs. other schools/locations/counties where solid, top students (although maybe not top 1%) were also accepted?

If your kid had gone to school in Arlington, do you think he would've been accepted?

For UVA's Class of 2015, 28% of in-state admissions offers went to residents of Ffx Co. The Dean of Admissions "acknowledged that Northern Virginia does well in the competition." (Source: http://www.dailyprogress.com/news/article_0d4c5fcd-505d-5261-bf95-59509fe1192b.html) Based on this article, your BEST chance of getting in is to be from NoVa, because the schools are generally stronger there compared to the rest of the state. Our kid got into UVA this year - we are residents of Arlington and he goes to a private school in DC - and he was slightly below the average scores but had great leadership ECs and consistent sports participation. Feels like we hit the lottery.

After perusing this forum and listening to my neighbors' tales of angst, I am starting to learn how hard it is to gain admission to the top VA universities from high schools in Northern Virginia.

For those who've experienced the admissions process (or have other "insider" knowledge), do you think it is easier to get into UVA (or W&M or VT) from out of state than it is from Northern Virginia (specifically, Fairfax County)?