Anonymous
03/05/2025 12:41
Subject: Jefferson Scholar
My kid was a finalist, but was not ultimately selected for the scholarship. We knew it was a long shot, but it was still really disappointing to come so close. Congrats to your friend's kid. Sounds like he is very deserving.
Anonymous
03/05/2025 11:34
Subject: Jefferson Scholar
Our family friend’s son was selected. He had near perfect SATs along with straight As, valedictorian, editor of school newspaper, and had been selected for a handful of very competitive activities regional activities in the past (don’t remember exactly which ones). They are financially comfortable but not well off so he didn’t have any fancy coaching or activities (eg prepped himself for SATs, no paid college counselor or essay help, no expensive summer activities). He is exceptionally smart, kind, intellectually curious and humble so I am sure his recommendations were stellar. He does not live in VA so I’m not sure how that impacted his chances.
Anonymous
02/03/2025 11:46
Subject: Jefferson Scholar
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Did anyone hear back yet results of this years regional interviews?
Northern Virginia region hasn’t finished all of the round 1 interviews yet. There will be a round 2 as well.
Do you know how many in NoVa will have round 1 interviews and how many there will be in round 2?
There are abt 68 applicants in the nova group for round one. They are divided into eight or nine interview groups. Each interview group will pick one person to go forward to the second round. From those eight or nine people they will pick two or three to go on as semi finalists.
Correcting - there were 3 picked to go to the finalist round.
Anonymous
02/03/2025 11:46
Subject: Jefferson Scholar
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:My student was nominated last year and ultimately was selected as a Jefferson Scholar. I believe the process went as follows (note that different regions may do things differently):
* School nominates the student
* Essays (I think there were two) due in early December.
* Students notified if they moved on
* First interview (25 min long with a group of interviewers) (January)
* Students notified if they moved on
* Second round of interviews (also 25 min long with a group of interviewers) (January)
* Students notified if they moved on
* Maybe one more interview (I'm fuzzy on this)
* Students notified if they are finalists
* Various online stuff to replace what used to be the finalists weekend at UVA
* Last interview (25 mins long with a group of interviewers) (end of February/beginning of March)
* Students notified if they received the scholarship (early March)
Circling back to this thread. PP, can you shed any more light on the virtual finalist events? Are they contentious, or more like regular interviews? Did your child ultimately accept the scholarship?
Email has been sent to finalist with information.
There is a mandatory orientation zoom this week with more details but they said already that there will be some other informational only zooms throughout this month.
There is a call with two Foundation reps that the finalists need to schedule (15 min) so that the finalists can ask questions etc.
Then, the final interviews (25 min) are Feb 28 - they will get their assigned time a week ahead.
Assume they will be notified within a week. Then there is an in-person weekend event planned for mid March for recipients to come to Charlottesville and learn more to help decide if they will accept the scholarship.
Anonymous
02/03/2025 09:38
Subject: Jefferson Scholar
Anonymous wrote:My student was nominated last year and ultimately was selected as a Jefferson Scholar. I believe the process went as follows (note that different regions may do things differently):
* School nominates the student
* Essays (I think there were two) due in early December.
* Students notified if they moved on
* First interview (25 min long with a group of interviewers) (January)
* Students notified if they moved on
* Second round of interviews (also 25 min long with a group of interviewers) (January)
* Students notified if they moved on
* Maybe one more interview (I'm fuzzy on this)
* Students notified if they are finalists
* Various online stuff to replace what used to be the finalists weekend at UVA
* Last interview (25 mins long with a group of interviewers) (end of February/beginning of March)
* Students notified if they received the scholarship (early March)
Circling back to this thread. PP, can you shed any more light on the virtual finalist events? Are they contentious, or more like regular interviews? Did your child ultimately accept the scholarship?
Anonymous
01/18/2025 09:16
Subject: Jefferson Scholar
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Did anyone hear back yet results of this years regional interviews?
Northern Virginia region hasn’t finished all of the round 1 interviews yet. There will be a round 2 as well.
Do you know how many in NoVa will have round 1 interviews and how many there will be in round 2?
There are abt 68 applicants in the nova group for round one. They are divided into eight or nine interview groups. Each interview group will pick one person to go forward to the second round. From those eight or nine people they will pick two or three to go on as semi finalists.
Wow...definitely a highly selective process. Thank you for sharing.
Anonymous
01/18/2025 00:15
Subject: Jefferson Scholar
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Did anyone hear back yet results of this years regional interviews?
Northern Virginia region hasn’t finished all of the round 1 interviews yet. There will be a round 2 as well.
Do you know how many in NoVa will have round 1 interviews and how many there will be in round 2?
There are abt 68 applicants in the nova group for round one. They are divided into eight or nine interview groups. Each interview group will pick one person to go forward to the second round. From those eight or nine people they will pick two or three to go on as semi finalists.
Anonymous
01/16/2025 19:19
Subject: Jefferson Scholar
Not sure, but I think if someone donates the full amount of endowment funding which is needed to keep a scholarship going indefinitely then they can designate the one spot they paid for to a specific school.
Anonymous
01/16/2025 14:50
Subject: Jefferson Scholar
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Did anyone hear back yet results of this years regional interviews?
Northern Virginia region hasn’t finished all of the round 1 interviews yet. There will be a round 2 as well.
Do you know how many in NoVa will have round 1 interviews and how many there will be in round 2?
Anonymous
01/16/2025 14:04
Subject: Jefferson Scholar
Anonymous wrote:Did anyone hear back yet results of this years regional interviews?
Northern Virginia region hasn’t finished all of the round 1 interviews yet. There will be a round 2 as well.
Anonymous
01/16/2025 13:43
Subject: Jefferson Scholar
Did anyone hear back yet results of this years regional interviews?
Anonymous
01/15/2025 22:30
Subject: Jefferson Scholar
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Tip for those reading this thread: if you really want to be a Jeff Scholar, go to a high school that is allocated one scholarship every year. Historically this was the case at St Chris ….
Ha! +1000 people on this thread have no idea of the various "factors" involved.
I don't understand either of these posts. Care to explain?
Yes. I know of at least one HS in Va that was allocated a Jefferson Scholarship: St. Christopher’s School in Richmond, Va. What does that look like? Well, let me tell you: it means that one kid from St Christopher’s received the scholarship. Every. Single. Year. Now: sometimes that kid chose Harvard or wherever instead so not every time was the scholarship awarded. But, if you play your cards right and convince the Harvard kid that UVA sucks, the you can be the schools nominee! Yay you!!! The Jefferson Scholarships are named and some are given to particular schools. Look it up! It just meant to me that being a Jefferson Scholar was an amazing deal but didn’t equate to the student being a genius.
Anonymous
01/15/2025 14:48
Subject: Jefferson Scholar
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:My oos DC was the one nominee from their list, didn’t make it past semi but was accepted. Didn’t attend.
Um ok. But 100s of kids are nominated, don't make it past the semi, but get into UVA still.
someone asked if there were ever kids that were offered the Jeff but didn't get into UVA.
I think this has happened in the past so now, I think they offer every finalist admission.
Anonymous
01/15/2025 13:17
Subject: Jefferson Scholar
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:My oos DC was the one nominee from their list, didn’t make it past semi but was accepted. Didn’t attend.
Um ok. But 100s of kids are nominated, don't make it past the semi, but get into UVA still.
someone asked if there were ever kids that were offered the Jeff but didn't get into UVA.
I don’t think they’re special, was just commenting about how there is some list of schools that get a nominee. Is this an oos only thing? I’d think they’d include all in-state, right?
Anonymous
01/15/2025 13:11
Subject: Jefferson Scholar
Anonymous wrote:My oos DC was the one nominee from their list, didn’t make it past semi but was accepted. Didn’t attend.
Um ok. But 100s of kids are nominated, don't make it past the semi, but get into UVA still.
someone asked if there were ever kids that were offered the Jeff but didn't get into UVA.