Anonymous
Post 02/08/2026 09:17     Subject: Back door to UVA? Less popular programs
Anonymous wrote:Architecture is the easiest admit academically based on who we know. They were not 4.6/1570 kids but rather more typical students who had developed architecture portfolios through summer programs in high school.

That said, I'm not sure how possible it would be to transfer from architecture to another school at the university and complete things in 4 years because the architecture school curriculum is so unique from the first semester on.


Also not possible to develop the architecture portfolio that would get you in without being a specific kind of student, the real deal that they are looking for. This is not a back door program.
Anonymous
Post 02/07/2026 23:14     Subject: Back door to UVA? Less popular programs
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The only back door is the community college track.


Or w[b]Richard Bland College, which has the same guaranteed admissions agreement.[/

Every two years community college in the Commonwealth has a Guaranteed Admissions agreement with UVA.
Anonymous
Post 02/07/2026 21:51     Subject: Back door to UVA? Less popular programs
Anonymous wrote:The only back door is the community college track.


Or Richard Bland College, which has the same guaranteed admissions agreement.
Anonymous
Post 02/07/2026 20:00     Subject: Back door to UVA? Less popular programs
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:You can transfer from any school. It does not have to be CC or Wise. Me kid transferred from another (way lower ranked) 4 year college after freshman year. Had great GPA (all As except an A- in a calc class and had a schedule with no fluff classes), also had very good ECs (including an internship during freshman year while maintaining great grades). Was OOS and went test optional for the transfer. Never would have gotten in OOS straight from HS.

Transferring is hard, though. The adjustment can be really tough. My kid loves UVA and dos not regret it for a minute.


You can try from any school, but it’s not guaranteed.
Waitlisted kids who start at WISE are guaranteed.


Of course, but that was not the point of the post.
Anonymous
Post 02/07/2026 16:25     Subject: Back door to UVA? Less popular programs
Anonymous wrote:You can transfer from any school. It does not have to be CC or Wise. Me kid transferred from another (way lower ranked) 4 year college after freshman year. Had great GPA (all As except an A- in a calc class and had a schedule with no fluff classes), also had very good ECs (including an internship during freshman year while maintaining great grades). Was OOS and went test optional for the transfer. Never would have gotten in OOS straight from HS.

Transferring is hard, though. The adjustment can be really tough. My kid loves UVA and dos not regret it for a minute.


You can try from any school, but it’s not guaranteed.
Waitlisted kids who start at WISE are guaranteed.
Anonymous
Post 02/07/2026 14:49     Subject: Back door to UVA? Less popular programs
Anonymous wrote:Be aware of the potential for lack of cohort, transfer stigma if not from an equal of better school, the competitiveness of clubs (yes there are nearly 1,000 student orgs, but weed out clubs are tough)

The diploma says the same school, but people are people and not particularly kind. This goes for many schools, not just UVA


I’m the one whose kid transferred from a way lower ranked school. This is true for sure but my kid has overcome that. She avoids the academic snobs. She has found her people elsewhere (an athletic club, her major, other activities). She sees that their narrow mindedness is limiting for them and does not let it stand in her way.
Anonymous
Post 02/07/2026 14:02     Subject: Back door to UVA? Less popular programs
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:15% Architecture
7% Nursing
12% Kin
18% Engineering
16% A&S

Which one looks like a backdoor?



I think the nursing is an easier admit / smoother backdoor.


No. Extremely hard. It is a very small program with a very high yield rate. And you have to write a supplement .



Yes. There are only 75 seats for nursing (50 instate and 25 OOS)
Anonymous
Post 02/07/2026 12:42     Subject: Back door to UVA? Less popular programs
Be aware of the potential for lack of cohort, transfer stigma if not from an equal of better school, the competitiveness of clubs (yes there are nearly 1,000 student orgs, but weed out clubs are tough)

The diploma says the same school, but people are people and not particularly kind. This goes for many schools, not just UVA
Anonymous
Post 02/07/2026 12:17     Subject: Back door to UVA? Less popular programs
Transfer to UVA, easiest to hardest.

1. UVA waitlist -> Wise
2. CC
3. Any college including Wise (and not on UVA waitlist)

Anonymous
Post 02/07/2026 12:04     Subject: Back door to UVA? Less popular programs
Anonymous wrote:Virginia Community College and transfer and UVA Wise.


Misinformation about Wise again.

Do you need A's in CC for transfer?
Anonymous
Post 02/07/2026 11:53     Subject: Back door to UVA? Less popular programs
Anonymous wrote:Another approach might be to apply to GMU and ODU and CNU for engineering, get good grades, then try to transfer to UVa SEAS.

One caution though. UVA SEAS has a higher engineering retention rate and a higher graduation rate than most engineering programs. It also is small. So there might not be very many transfer openings to engineering.


+1. Check that out thoroughly. Here are the transfer requirements into engineering. https://www.transfervirginia.org/sites/default/files/customcontent/E5541C2F3FD311EB8CD3122FC3C6BCDE/ccfiles/UVA%20Engineering%20General%20Transfer%20Guide%20(GAA).pdf
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2026 19:21     Subject: Back door to UVA? Less popular programs
Another approach might be to apply to GMU and ODU and CNU for engineering, get good grades, then try to transfer to UVa SEAS.

One caution though. UVA SEAS has a higher engineering retention rate and a higher graduation rate than most engineering programs. It also is small. So there might not be very many transfer openings to engineering.
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2026 19:15     Subject: Back door to UVA? Less popular programs
Anonymous wrote:NP here. So, if you want to do engineering, the Wise option is not open to you? My daughter was just deferred EA so just wondering. If one is interested in engineering, is NOVA + transfer the only back door option for you?


I attended UVa SEAS a while back. So this is all dated information.

Back in the day, I randomly happened to know 2 students who transferred from UVa CLAS to UVA SEAS.

Their whole 1st year was in CLAS. They tried to mimic the 1st year SEAS classes for math, chem, physics as best they could while in CLAS. After the transfer, they had a little trouble with prereq sequencing, and some of their CLAS courses became humanities electives. One took 4.5 years overall. The other took 5 years.
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2026 18:33     Subject: Back door to UVA? Less popular programs
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Virginia Community College and transfer and UVA Wise.



Nope.

Wise’ guarantee is only for students who were waitlisted for Arts & Sciences, offered ann alternative spot at Wise, and maintain a minimum GPA for a year at Wise. They have separate classes only for this cohort.

Enter Wise as a regular admit and your child will not be transferring to UVA.


If you are reciting the specific details, why stop there? Enter VCCS and don't get the required transfer GPA and you won't be admitted to UVA (or other Virginia universities).


Weird comment. Why would they? The Wise program is entirely separate and much newer than the community college transfer program.