Anonymous
02/07/2026 13:49
Subject: Re:How hard is it to get into UVA from NOVA?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It’s not that difficult, judging from the huge numbers from many NOVA public’s.
+1
Just look at the Insta for Commits pages for NOVA schools. Tons already got in form Langley, Oakton, McLean, etc. even Justice.
What’s more: only a few post on Insta; others get in and never even post.
My kid was WL a couple of years ago. Take the hardest classes in core subjects. My kid elected to only take honors English and NOT AP Lang and Lit. "Maxed out" every other subject. 3.98/4.5, 1560
This! Max out in all five core subjects, AND do well in them. That’s what my kid did: 1470 SAT and 4.3 gpa. Admitted ED.
Sorry for being blunt, but 1470 and 4.3 is low.
Sure, it is low, but still got in ED. No amazing ECs either, just regular, doable things: club sport, varsity sports, summer job, community sports coaching. Their essays, I thought, were honest, funny and unique. Kids with similar stats got in from their high school. Graduated HS in 2023
Forgot to add: APs in all five core subjects, mostly 5s on AP exams. Attended low performing high school - fcps
The low performing HS is the key part
Yes, that context matters a lot, but it also was combined with enough good AP *test scores* to show the student is capable.
I'm sure your kid is perfectly capable. Good for them for getting in. But getting 5s on AP exams isn't a difference-maker at the high performing schools. Coming out of a low performing school certainly helped - kids with those stats just aren't getting in to UVA from higher performing schools.
There is an easy solution then, you can always move your kid to a lower performing high school. That is a good way to “beat the system”.
Anonymous
02/07/2026 13:43
Subject: Re:How hard is it to get into UVA from NOVA?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It’s not that difficult, judging from the huge numbers from many NOVA public’s.
+1
Just look at the Insta for Commits pages for NOVA schools. Tons already got in form Langley, Oakton, McLean, etc. even Justice.
What’s more: only a few post on Insta; others get in and never even post.
My kid was WL a couple of years ago. Take the hardest classes in core subjects. My kid elected to only take honors English and NOT AP Lang and Lit. "Maxed out" every other subject. 3.98/4.5, 1560
This! Max out in all five core subjects, AND do well in them. That’s what my kid did: 1470 SAT and 4.3 gpa. Admitted ED.
Sorry for being blunt, but 1470 and 4.3 is low.
Sure, it is low, but still got in ED. No amazing ECs either, just regular, doable things: club sport, varsity sports, summer job, community sports coaching. Their essays, I thought, were honest, funny and unique. Kids with similar stats got in from their high school. Graduated HS in 2023
Forgot to add: APs in all five core subjects, mostly 5s on AP exams. Attended low performing high school - fcps
The low performing HS is the key part
Yes, that context matters a lot, but it also was combined with enough good AP *test scores* to show the student is capable.
I'm sure your kid is perfectly capable. Good for them for getting in. But getting 5s on AP exams isn't a difference-maker at the high performing schools. Coming out of a low performing school certainly helped - kids with those stats just aren't getting in to UVA from higher performing schools.
Anonymous
02/07/2026 13:08
Subject: How hard is it to get into UVA from NOVA?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I wish we could avoid rat-holing on the UVA FL question every single time UVA is discussed.
UVA explicitly says 4 years FL is desired / recommended / whatever. As with any other thing on this planet, exceptions exist. Only UVA Admissions truly knows -exactly- when/why those exceptions apply. So one's odds are better applying with 4 yrs FL than not.
Similarly, UVA and many other universities recommend "max rigor". Again, exceptions exist.
For any comment about any university, exceptions exist.
Yep, I've posted elsewhere, but DD got in EA this year with no language senior year. 4.0UW GPA and 1520 SAT if relevant.
But did she take AP Spanish (or whatever language) junior year? Your statement isn’t helpful with context and knowing what level she completed.
And 4.0 UW with a solid SAT from a low performing high school. Not breaking news
Anonymous
02/07/2026 13:07
Subject: How hard is it to get into UVA from NOVA?
Anonymous wrote:It’s hard in that your kid has to have pretty near perfect grades and be on the hardest track for classes. But the kids who do that and have a life outside of school (sports, community service, leadership in a club) have a very good chance.
This is a loaded question because at our school there’s a nice handful who get in, so it feels attainable, but then you step back and realize they had an exceptional 4 year run that only certain kids can pull off.
For our DMV private, students don't have to be on the hardest track for classes. Top grades and some rigor get in over almost top grades with hardest rigor.
Anonymous
02/07/2026 13:03
Subject: How hard is it to get into UVA from NOVA?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It is easier to get into UVA from lower performing NOVA high schools. My kid attended one of those, and is at UVA now, and doing well academically.
+1.
You definitely want to make sure you’re not going to one of these schools (ranked in order)
Thomas Jefferson High School
Open High School
Langley High School
Richmond Community High Schoo
Woodson High School
Oakton High School
Meridian High School
McLean High School
Marshall High School
Madison High School
Replace Open and Richmond Community with Maggie Walker.
Also, Yorktown (Arlington) should be on the list.
Anonymous
02/07/2026 13:02
Subject: Re:How hard is it to get into UVA from NOVA?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It’s not that difficult, judging from the huge numbers from many NOVA public’s.
+1
Just look at the Insta for Commits pages for NOVA schools. Tons already got in form Langley, Oakton, McLean, etc. even Justice.
What’s more: only a few post on Insta; others get in and never even post.
My kid was WL a couple of years ago. Take the hardest classes in core subjects. My kid elected to only take honors English and NOT AP Lang and Lit. "Maxed out" every other subject. 3.98/4.5, 1560
This! Max out in all five core subjects, AND do well in them. That’s what my kid did: 1470 SAT and 4.3 gpa. Admitted ED.
Sorry for being blunt, but 1470 and 4.3 is low.
Sure, it is low, but still got in ED. No amazing ECs either, just regular, doable things: club sport, varsity sports, summer job, community sports coaching. Their essays, I thought, were honest, funny and unique. Kids with similar stats got in from their high school. Graduated HS in 2023
Forgot to add: APs in all five core subjects, mostly 5s on AP exams. Attended low performing high school - fcps
The low performing HS is the key part
Yes, that context matters a lot, but it also was combined with enough good AP *test scores* to show the student is capable.
Anonymous
02/07/2026 13:02
Subject: How hard is it to get into UVA from NOVA?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It is easier to get into UVA from lower performing NOVA high schools. My kid attended one of those, and is at UVA now, and doing well academically.
+1.
You definitely want to make sure you’re not going to one of these schools (ranked in order)
Thomas Jefferson High School
Open High School
Langley High School
Richmond Community High Schoo
Woodson High School
Oakton High School
Meridian High School
McLean High School
Marshall High School
Madison High School
[/quote
Maggie Walker has a much stronger academic profile and is harder to get in from than Open High School or Richmond Community High.
Anonymous
02/07/2026 12:54
Subject: Re:How hard is it to get into UVA from NOVA?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It’s not that difficult, judging from the huge numbers from many NOVA public’s.
+1
Just look at the Insta for Commits pages for NOVA schools. Tons already got in form Langley, Oakton, McLean, etc. even Justice.
What’s more: only a few post on Insta; others get in and never even post.
My kid was WL a couple of years ago. Take the hardest classes in core subjects. My kid elected to only take honors English and NOT AP Lang and Lit. "Maxed out" every other subject. 3.98/4.5, 1560
This! Max out in all five core subjects, AND do well in them. That’s what my kid did: 1470 SAT and 4.3 gpa. Admitted ED.
Sorry for being blunt, but 1470 and 4.3 is low.
Sure, it is low, but still got in ED. No amazing ECs either, just regular, doable things: club sport, varsity sports, summer job, community sports coaching. Their essays, I thought, were honest, funny and unique. Kids with similar stats got in from their high school. Graduated HS in 2023
Forgot to add: APs in all five core subjects, mostly 5s on AP exams. Attended low performing high school - fcps
The low performing HS is the key part
Anonymous
02/07/2026 12:39
Subject: Re:How hard is it to get into UVA from NOVA?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It’s not that difficult, judging from the huge numbers from many NOVA public’s.
+1
Just look at the Insta for Commits pages for NOVA schools. Tons already got in form Langley, Oakton, McLean, etc. even Justice.
What’s more: only a few post on Insta; others get in and never even post.
My kid was WL a couple of years ago. Take the hardest classes in core subjects. My kid elected to only take honors English and NOT AP Lang and Lit. "Maxed out" every other subject. 3.98/4.5, 1560
This! Max out in all five core subjects, AND do well in them. That’s what my kid did: 1470 SAT and 4.3 gpa. Admitted ED.
Sorry for being blunt, but 1470 and 4.3 is low.
Sure, it is low, but still got in ED. No amazing ECs either, just regular, doable things: club sport, varsity sports, summer job, community sports coaching. Their essays, I thought, were honest, funny and unique. Kids with similar stats got in from their high school. Graduated HS in 2023
Forgot to add: APs in all five core subjects, mostly 5s on AP exams. Attended low performing high school - fcps
Anonymous
02/07/2026 12:23
Subject: Re:How hard is it to get into UVA from NOVA?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It’s not that difficult, judging from the huge numbers from many NOVA public’s.
+1
Just look at the Insta for Commits pages for NOVA schools. Tons already got in form Langley, Oakton, McLean, etc. even Justice.
What’s more: only a few post on Insta; others get in and never even post.
My kid was WL a couple of years ago. Take the hardest classes in core subjects. My kid elected to only take honors English and NOT AP Lang and Lit. "Maxed out" every other subject. 3.98/4.5, 1560
This! Max out in all five core subjects, AND do well in them. That’s what my kid did: 1470 SAT and 4.3 gpa. Admitted ED.
Sorry for being blunt, but 1470 and 4.3 is low.
Sure, it is low, but still got in ED. No amazing ECs either, just regular, doable things: club sport, varsity sports, summer job, community sports coaching. Their essays, I thought, were honest, funny and unique. Kids with similar stats got in from their high school. Graduated HS in 2023
Anonymous
02/07/2026 11:03
Subject: How hard is it to get into UVA from NOVA?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Just be sure to take at least four years of foreign language. Don’t bother applying with less.
Not in our case. Reading DCUM I'd have thought that we'd have had no chance.
And you were extremely lucky, a solid STEM applicant or most likely hooked. For 99% of the applicants, they need to take UVA’s “recommended four years” of a world language very seriously. That’s why Dean J says that. Coukd be worse. Princeton “requires” four years.
Cite 99%.
There are certainly more than 1% that are solid STEM kids.
+ 1
Also false that Princeton requires four years.
From the Princeton admissions page: “we EXPECT to see …. Four years of a foreign language “. Not recommended as UVA says, expected. https://admission.princeton.edu/apply/before-you-apply#:~:text=Four%20years%20of%20one%20language,for%20students%20interested%20in%20engineering).
Anonymous
02/07/2026 10:59
Subject: How hard is it to get into UVA from NOVA?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Just be sure to take at least four years of foreign language. Don’t bother applying with less.
Not this again...
That poster should retract his/her statement: "Don’t bother applying with less."
But why? Every single year parents with kids who got deferred or waitlisted or rejected from UVA come on here and complain “why didn’t someone tell us going into high school that you need four years for UVA, T25?” Or “why didn’t our counselor tell us it had to be four years of one language”? Because they were rejected when their kid had switched languages. I would rather be informed than ignorant going into the application cycle.
And none of those people can say with certainty that the only reason they didn’t get into UVA was because they didn’t have more foreign language, or that they would have definitely gotten in if they did.
That’s correct, but, they assume so and come in here to complain that someone should have told them.
Anonymous
02/07/2026 10:41
Subject: How hard is it to get into UVA from NOVA?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Depends on the school. By far the hardest school to be from is TJHSST.
+1
Second hardest is McLean, followed by Langley. Very difficult admits.
Yes, whoever was saying a lot of Langley kids already got in is not correct. Barely anyone got in. Very hard from Langley.
Anonymous
02/07/2026 10:38
Subject: How hard is it to get into UVA from NOVA?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I wish we could avoid rat-holing on the UVA FL question every single time UVA is discussed.
UVA explicitly says 4 years FL is desired / recommended / whatever. As with any other thing on this planet, exceptions exist. Only UVA Admissions truly knows -exactly- when/why those exceptions apply. So one's odds are better applying with 4 yrs FL than not.
Similarly, UVA and many other universities recommend "max rigor". Again, exceptions exist.
For any comment about any university, exceptions exist.
Yep, I've posted elsewhere, but DD got in EA this year with no language senior year. 4.0UW GPA and 1520 SAT if relevant.
But did she take AP Spanish (or whatever language) junior year? Your statement isn’t helpful with context and knowing what level she completed.
Anonymous
02/07/2026 09:26
Subject: How hard is it to get into UVA from NOVA?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I wish we could avoid rat-holing on the UVA FL question every single time UVA is discussed.
UVA explicitly says 4 years FL is desired / recommended / whatever. As with any other thing on this planet, exceptions exist. Only UVA Admissions truly knows -exactly- when/why those exceptions apply. So one's odds are better applying with 4 yrs FL than not.
Similarly, UVA and many other universities recommend "max rigor". Again, exceptions exist.
For any comment about any university, exceptions exist.
Yep, I've posted elsewhere, but DD got in EA this year with no language senior year. 4.0UW GPA and 1520 SAT if relevant.
But that was still 4 years of language, right?