Anonymous
Post 03/17/2026 14:00     Subject: Re:Declining UVA
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:For starters, UVA is not strong in engineering. There was a thread asking (a month ago?) about choosing between UVA cs in state vs. UIUC cs+math oos, and the overwhelming response was the latter. The mom creating the thread was so surprised that she had to clarify a couple of times, but the response remained the same!


USNWR ranks UVA 39 in engineering so the idea it’s “not strong” is very stupid. Not being MIT or CMU does not mean you’re not strong ffs.


39 is considered lowish and not strong by engineering students with better options.
Anonymous
Post 03/17/2026 13:52     Subject: Re:Declining UVA
Anonymous wrote:For starters, UVA is not strong in engineering. There was a thread asking (a month ago?) about choosing between UVA cs in state vs. UIUC cs+math oos, and the overwhelming response was the latter. The mom creating the thread was so surprised that she had to clarify a couple of times, but the response remained the same!


USNWR ranks UVA 39 in engineering so the idea it’s “not strong” is very stupid. Not being MIT or CMU does not mean you’re not strong ffs.
Anonymous
Post 03/17/2026 13:30     Subject: Declining UVA
Anonymous wrote:My kid chose JMU over the option to do a year at Wise


My kid chose VT over the option to do a year at Wise. She had attended a summer program at UVA in C’ville and thought she really wanted to go there, but later fell in love with VT and is very happy with her choice.
Anonymous
Post 03/17/2026 13:21     Subject: Declining UVA
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:For some kids attending UVA is a lifelong dream, for some kids it is a target and for others a safety.

Kids apply to a number of schools, and in most cases get acceptances from more than one school but in the end can only attend one school. So yield won’t be 100%.

Fit matters and believe it or not UVA may not be the best fit for everyone.


We are OOS and UVA is very popular with our high school. DD’s good friend (class of 2025) chose UVA over Penn/Wharton. All comes down to fit.

OOS? That is a terrible decision. Zero way they had the Penn admit. Same with the CNU over UVA pick when both are in state. Not logical and not believable


You need to get a life and stop questioning every post that does not conform with your world view. It’s frankly bizzare.

I have no dog in this fight and was simply sharing this student’s choice. She was an OOS applicant with a perfect ACT, 4.0 with highest rigor, NMF, and exceptional EC’s. She simply did not like Upenn.
Anonymous
Post 03/17/2026 13:14     Subject: Declining UVA
oos
Declined UVA and went to Georgetown. A better fit socially and better academic program. Zero regrets.
Anonymous
Post 03/17/2026 13:13     Subject: Declining UVA
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:For some kids attending UVA is a lifelong dream, for some kids it is a target and for others a safety.

Kids apply to a number of schools, and in most cases get acceptances from more than one school but in the end can only attend one school. So yield won’t be 100%.

Fit matters and believe it or not UVA may not be the best fit for everyone.


Nice subtle dig. UVA isn't a "safety" for any kid, almost by definition.


I agree that you cannot call anything with an under 20% admissions rate a safety. But if you look at Naviance at our FCPS school, there is a top right corner that is 100% green checks. Students whose numbers fall within that part of the graph can be very confident that they will be admitted.


Not saying you are completely wrong, but my in-state kid's numbers were at the very top right of his school's Naviance graph, surrounded by nothing but green checks, and he didn't get in to UVA. Still rankles me a little bit, but he ended up out of state in a situation which has turned out to be great for him.
Anonymous
Post 03/17/2026 13:08     Subject: Declining UVA
Anonymous wrote:Look, OP, it's pretty obvious. Two thirds of in state admits enroll, and one-quarter of OOS kids do. The in state kids who don't enroll either go to William & Mary, VT for engineering, or an Ivy League + school or top ten liberal arts college.

OOS kids will have faced tougher admit standards and will have been admitted to many excellent college. For them, UVA isn't the same financial bargain so they'll go just about anywhere.


My son picked William & Mary over UVa (though this was in 2020). He wanted a smaller school. He has said in hindsight maybe he should have picked UVa.
Anonymous
Post 03/17/2026 13:04     Subject: Declining UVA
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:For some kids attending UVA is a lifelong dream, for some kids it is a target and for others a safety.

Kids apply to a number of schools, and in most cases get acceptances from more than one school but in the end can only attend one school. So yield won’t be 100%.

Fit matters and believe it or not UVA may not be the best fit for everyone.


We are OOS and UVA is very popular with our high school. DD’s good friend (class of 2025) chose UVA over Penn/Wharton. All comes down to fit.

OOS? That is a terrible decision. Zero way they had the Penn admit. Same with the CNU over UVA pick when both are in state. Not logical and not believable


DP. I believe both of them. Fit is important. Not everyone’s chasing prestige or rankings.
Anonymous
Post 03/17/2026 12:58     Subject: Declining UVA
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My DC chose CNU over UVA. He liked the fit better and the vibe. UVA was larger than he wanted as well. 10K was his goal but other than Radford and WM not many schools in that range. He is thriving at CNU and (from my biased view) is a big fish there. He made a great decision. He also wants to be closer to the beach than the mountains.


What a bizarre decision, sorry.


THIS is why people think UVA grads are such douches.
That they went to UVA is the first thing you learn about them . . . as if anyone cares.

FYI, my DC turned down a top 15 school in the NE for a small VA school, akin to CNU. Part was costs (we COULD have paid the big bill but DC chose to grad debt free with money for grad school). Part was location. Part was feel of the campus/vibe. On paper, the choice looks crazy but, in reality, it was the perfect decision and DC is thriving.

Not everyone is a wanna-be striver, PP.
o

I didn’t go to UVA and I think choosing CNU over UVA is weird and questionable. It’s the kind of thing people say when their kid didn’t actually get into UVA “oh yeah he just preferred the vastly inferior school, he liked the vibe better.” Uh huh.


Indeed
Anonymous
Post 03/17/2026 12:58     Subject: Declining UVA
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:For some kids attending UVA is a lifelong dream, for some kids it is a target and for others a safety.

Kids apply to a number of schools, and in most cases get acceptances from more than one school but in the end can only attend one school. So yield won’t be 100%.

Fit matters and believe it or not UVA may not be the best fit for everyone.


We are OOS and UVA is very popular with our high school. DD’s good friend (class of 2025) chose UVA over Penn/Wharton. All comes down to fit.

OOS? That is a terrible decision. Zero way they had the Penn admit. Same with the CNU over UVA pick when both are in state. Not logical and not believable
Anonymous
Post 03/17/2026 12:47     Subject: Declining UVA
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My DC chose CNU over UVA. He liked the fit better and the vibe. UVA was larger than he wanted as well. 10K was his goal but other than Radford and WM not many schools in that range. He is thriving at CNU and (from my biased view) is a big fish there. He made a great decision. He also wants to be closer to the beach than the mountains.


What a bizarre decision, sorry.


THIS is why people think UVA grads are such douches.
That they went to UVA is the first thing you learn about them . . . as if anyone cares.

FYI, my DC turned down a top 15 school in the NE for a small VA school, akin to CNU. Part was costs (we COULD have paid the big bill but DC chose to grad debt free with money for grad school). Part was location. Part was feel of the campus/vibe. On paper, the choice looks crazy but, in reality, it was the perfect decision and DC is thriving.

Not everyone is a wanna-be striver, PP.
o

I didn’t go to UVA and I think choosing CNU over UVA is weird and questionable. It’s the kind of thing people say when their kid didn’t actually get into UVA “oh yeah he just preferred the vastly inferior school, he liked the vibe better.” Uh huh.
Anonymous
Post 03/17/2026 12:23     Subject: Declining UVA
Students should attend the best fit college from their set of acceptances. Many times that best fit for that student will be another school. Its fine.
Anonymous
Post 03/17/2026 12:03     Subject: Re:Declining UVA
For starters, UVA is not strong in engineering. There was a thread asking (a month ago?) about choosing between UVA cs in state vs. UIUC cs+math oos, and the overwhelming response was the latter. The mom creating the thread was so surprised that she had to clarify a couple of times, but the response remained the same!
Anonymous
Post 03/17/2026 12:01     Subject: Declining UVA
Anonymous wrote:For some kids attending UVA is a lifelong dream, for some kids it is a target and for others a safety.

Kids apply to a number of schools, and in most cases get acceptances from more than one school but in the end can only attend one school. So yield won’t be 100%.

Fit matters and believe it or not UVA may not be the best fit for everyone.


We are OOS and UVA is very popular with our high school. DD’s good friend (class of 2025) chose UVA over Penn/Wharton. All comes down to fit.
Anonymous
Post 03/17/2026 11:52     Subject: Declining UVA
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My kid didn't apply to UVA, but my guess is that yield will not be as good this year due to the fact that admissions didn't require any essays, opening the door to easy applications. If I knew that, I would have had my kid throw in an application! Oh well!

FWIW, my older one chose ND over UVA many years ago.


Uh huh.



Which part do you not believe? What is not credible about this post? We're in Maryland, so no advantage in attending UVA. My son applied mainly out of curiosity of whether he would get in. His first choice was ND and then BC, so it was very unlikely he would attend if admitted. My daughter didn't apply because it wasn't at all on her radar. So there you have it. UVA boosters for whatever reason think it is the end all be all...that's quite fascinating to me.