Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So many unaccomplished parents on this thread tearing down schools they could never get into.

Both have 40% that didn’t even submit scores. I don’t think that’s an issue.

Our schools scoir shows test score result even if you went test optional. It confirms those in the 40% had low act/sat—-like 26!! And these were not recruits. So if you have 40% that are scoring very low on tests….that definitely affects the student body as a whole.

My DC attends a DC private and SCOIR shows not a single applicant got into UVA this year test optional. The admitted kids all had high scores except maybe one in the mid-1400s. The rest are all above 1500 and very high GPA. Test optional with high GPA was a rejection or waitlist.

Anonymous wrote:UVA hands down. Vanderbilt is a huge old southern money school. UVA definitely has a southern tilt, but you have loads of kids from Va Beach and NOVA who are not into that. Also that $100k you are saving will be much needed for medical school.

+1

I can’t speak for Vandy, but I don’t notice much of a preppy vibe at UVA when I visit. I’m sure there are some, but they don’t represent the majority.

In NOVA, many academically driven high schools including TJ send students to UVA. Similarly, students from Virginia Beach, including those in IB Diploma or Math and Science Academy programs, also attend UVA.
Overall, it feels more like a student body made up of academically focused, middle class students rather than a wealthy, preppy crowd.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Vanderbilt undergraduate is about the size of the most selective undergraduate schools like Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, with a similar high percentage of undergraduates (84%) living on campus. UVA is considerably larger as you would expect with about 40% of undergraduates living on campus. You should consider that.

Not a difference worth an additional $80,000.

Well, OP can consider it along with other factors.

Anonymous wrote:Vanderbilt undergraduate is about the size of the most selective undergraduate schools like Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, with a similar high percentage of undergraduates (84%) living on campus. UVA is considerably larger as you would expect with about 40% of undergraduates living on campus. You should consider that.

Not a difference worth an additional $80,000.

Very high instate kids at UVA. Agree big difference between privates and state flagships. Vanderbilt is worth the differential.

Vanderbilt undergraduate is about the size of the most selective undergraduate schools like Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, with a similar high percentage of undergraduates (84%) living on campus. UVA is considerably larger as you would expect with about 40% of undergraduates living on campus. You should consider that.

Anonymous wrote:Test optional students should wear scarlet T’s so they can be immediately identified

Jokes aside- I thought the whole Trump initiative was to make admissions merit-based.

Ha^ meant 10k more

Test optional students should wear scarlet T’s so they can be immediately identified

UVA has 10 more students and is public. You will feel the difference in many ways.

UVA undergrad is 67% in-state. No thanks.

Anonymous wrote:-^ and then these schools only have the high scores in their averages unlike test required schools where it was based on 100%. It’s a scam.

Not exactly sure why Vandy remains test optional today, but pre-Covid, Vanderbilt had among the highest average test scores in the country. Vandy's test scores were higher than Stanford's. My oldest was applying to college during that Covid year so we were well aware you needed the highest scores to even think about applying to Vandy.

As for today, those that submit are all high scores. I'd be very surprised if those that choose not to submit scores are notably all that different. I don't think the difference between a 1470 or a 1570 is all that great. But if you have the option of not submitting a 1470 and still be considered because you excel everywhere else, why is that a bad thing? All these students have the grades and AP scores. By not fixating on that 1570 score means you also get the 1470 students that have outstanding ECs.

The other thing I'd be mindful of is that Vandy is not a large school. Undergrad is about 7000 students. But they are an SEC school. And they have clearly made a decision to compete for national championships in football, basketball - both men and women - and baseball. This isn't fencing or squash at Princeton. Or a handful of students at Duke basketball. Vanderbilt is serious about their D1 sports. And that can impact SAT/ACT averages. So they prefer their model of being TO. Just speculating. But it clearly works for them.

Anonymous wrote:Only complaint about DOTL was the lack of organized mixer activities to force the kids to interact. Way too many cliques from different high schools standing around talking at the social. So hard for a solo kid to meet people! This is an extremely outgoing kid, so the difficulty meeting others was really weird. DC had high hopes of making some connections, so it was a disappointment.

I’m not sure why they would force too much interaction at an accepted students day. That’s better suited for orientation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So many unaccomplished parents on this thread tearing down schools they could never get into.

Both have 40% that didn’t even submit scores. I don’t think that’s an issue.

Don’t worry, they still wouldn’t let you in.

No parent should knock the selectivity of any school. That’s a sign of insecurity on the parent’s part. Many of the parents on this forum went through the admissions process themselves back in the day and should know better and do better. Hurtful comments about schools hurt back then and they hurt just as much now. That less selective school that’s your kid’s safety or was your safety is someone else’s dream school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So many unaccomplished parents on this thread tearing down schools they could never get into.

Both have 40% that didn’t even submit scores. I don’t think that’s an issue.

Don’t worry, they still wouldn’t let you in.