The waitlist at UVa is quite large. In the past, this has been because there are so many different segments to the population here (CLAS/SEAS/SARS/NURS for both VA and OOS students). On top of that, there are always students with great stats that don't warrant a denial, but who we can't fit in the offer pool. And on top of all of that, this year was our first year without an early application program. As a result, we don't exactly know how our yield (the number of students who accept our offer of admission) will look this year.
About 3,000 students were offered a spot on the waitlist (the number that actually want a spot will probably be about half of that). There have been years when we've taken 50 students off the waitlist and years when we've taken 150 students off the waitlist. It is very hard to predict how things will work out.
For now, you need to look at your other options and think about which one feels right to you. Some of you will want to hold on and see what happens with the waitlist and others will want to fully invest themselves in another school. Either way, you need to submit a deposit at a school by May 1st to ensure yourself a spot in another school's freshman class. If you are offered a spot in our class and you decide to accept it, you'll have to write to that other school and withdraw your name from the class (you will probably lose your deposit at that school). Just remember that you can't "double deposit".
It may be helpful to look at last year's entry "Notes on the Waitlist" and a later one that contained questions from waitlisted students. Feel free to direct questions to me and stay tuned over the weekend for replies. Also know that your envelope will contain a "Waitlist Frequently Asked Questions" sheet that will answer the most common questions (is the list ranked, what do I do now, what's the time line, etc.).
CavDog hopes you find a peaceful place to think about your options.
99 comments:
yay for another few months of uncertainty!
I am on the waitlist. I have read the previous stats on acceptance from waitlisted students and it isn't very high. I was accepted at GMU, should I go ahead and take GMU or do I wait? Is there an idea of how long it will take to get a definite answer on whether I will be accepted or not?
Oh what a bitter sting is rejection. At least now I can take spiteful delight in saying I never wanted to go to UVa anyway.
Haha, cheers!
Dean J, I would be happy to take Jake's spot from the admitted list, you know...
...also happy to do some dog sitting for Cavdog... weed picking... household chores..
Well it could be worse, I could have been denied completely. But applying to UVa was a last minute decision--it's always been between Wake and Vandy for me. Getting in out of state is hard, but hey when my brother applied he was denied, so at least I can rub it in his face a little :).
Well, good luck to the rest of y'all on the waitlist. I already denied my position on the waitlist, so one of you is that little bit more likely to get in. I'm off to Chapel Hill
im pretty suprised i recieved a likely letter in the first round,and now im wait listed
On a side note, am I the only one who thinks the caption for the waitlist picture is a little morose?
go hokies!
I hate this. Im sure all of us looked at UVA's stats on collegeboard and saw that we were overqualified with SAT and GPA's.
Im sure all of us were presidents of our high schools, club founders, varsity athletes, and dignified in our schools.
And now we all have to wait. This sucks. But im going to wait till the very end..
wow. I feel completely devastated. ):
I've been wanting to attend UVA since 7th grade. This is just too depressing.
I accepted the waitlist position. I can't give this up and I just feel awful for disappointing my mom and brother.
I'm so mad that my friend, who cheats her way through everything, got accepted and I didn't.
It's like she's getting rewarded for cheating and lying on her application.
I told her that Karma will bite her later, but I guess not. It only rewarded her.
My brother's best friend/ room mate was on the waitlist for uva. so maybe thats a good sign?
Looks like I am off to be an engineer at Virginia Tech. Why does UVA have to be so cool with their Bachelor of Arts in Comp Sci program?
unfortunately, karma has gone extinct...
however, should it decide to resurrect itself, it should introduce itself to my calculus teacher
and yes the picture is very morose.
Sigh...UVa is the only university I applied, but it put me on the wait list…
2006, I moved to the United States from China. The first year in the United States, as a sophomore I finished AP Calculus AB+BC by self-learning, scored 5 on both AP Calculus BC exam and AP Chemistry exam, and was the school winner of Charlottesville High School on the American Mathematics Competition 12. Now as a junior I got an A in Calculus 3 class in UVa last semester, started a math club in my HS, will finish HS as a junior…
Three UVa professors and five CHS teachers wrote recommendation letter for me. How can I disappoint them by telling them I am on the wait list?
Yeah, I knew why UVa put me on the wait list. It’s because of my English. I only had two weeks to prepare for both TOEFL and SAT. When you were all celebrating Christmas with your family, I was doing my SAT practice. I tried so hard! Why don’t UVa just give me a chance to prove myself?
More than 100 Chinese students were accepted by UVa this year. Are they better than me in Math and Sciences?
Loneliness, anguish and homelessness! My nightmare continues...
yan, it's not your fault. As a fellow asian, the numbers do not work in our favor, and there will always be racial bias. only time will tell if universities across the nation choose to realize this.
dude waitlist is exactly like purgatory...
does anyone else feel like crying?
my friend got in and i was waitlisted. it literally feels like my heart has been crushed.
yan, the waitlist is what it is. you still have a chance and it's better than being denied completely. If you feel quite strongly about your situation, then I would send a letter to admissions explaining your situation if you didn't make it clear in your application. Let UVA know that you are still interested and if admitted, would love to attend. And if you are in fact rejected, don't give up. You sound like an amazing person who would do well in any given situation.
Let life run it's course. It usually goes the right way.
Dean J, you're awesome. Really, this blog thread is so therapeutic and CavDog's solemn stare sooths my soul. ^_^
I too feel completely crushed. UVA is the only school I applied to and attending has been my dream since I was 15. I've never wanted something so badly before. I know I should be just be grateful for a second chance (and I definitely do feel lucky to be on the list), but the odds are so slim it disheartens me.
My twin was accepted to both William & Mary and UVA. I'm really happy for her, yet I can't help but feel like the "lesser twin" right now. That might be the worst part of all this.
Thank God for this blog, though. It's therapeutic to hear others going through the same thing. And hey, it's not over yet!
Does that mean that you have around 90% chance to get in if you keep your waitlist spot?
I am just tired, tired of fighting alone, tired of waiting. 6 classes in HS, 2 classes in UVa, 2 online classes, learning AP Phy C Elect & Mag by myself, tennis team, club… I don’t even have a reason why I am doing this.
What my future will be totally depends on the decision. If UVa denies me, at least I can cry out aloud, then put myself together and make a new plan for my future before it’s too late. Now with the little hope I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what my future will be. Should I cry or laugh? Another sleepless month. When this will be over?
I hate this too! However I can’t do anything expect to work hard.
The number that actually want a spot will probably be about half of that
There have been years when we've taken 50 students off the waitlist and years when we've taken 150 students off the waitlist.
Hey Yan, I'm curious, if you are already taking classes at/thorugh UVA aren't you technically a student of the school already? I was just wondering because I'm also taking a class through a college and i'm actually registered as one of their students. Just asking.
And by the way your CHS resume sounds AMAZING!! you are going to have endless opportunities for college, it just might take some searching. :)
I think a lot of people need to move on and get on with it. Would you really want to go to a school that didn't put you in the first time. I'll probably check the box for curiousity and deny if they offer again. 65% instate sucks but that's why it's great to be a HOKIE! get over the prestige, it only carries so far.
so im curious to know what type of students were waitlisted.
im instate, female i have a 96 gpa on a 100 grading scale and a 1300 on my sat. 630-critical reading 670-math 640-writing im taking 4 ap classes and have taken 4 in the past. subject tests us history-640, literature-610 and math II- 630. oh and a lottt of long term extracurriculars. um no legendary status, well i have a sibling who goes but that doesn't really do anything.
so you guys mind sharing your stats? i know these aren't all the factors that determine us getting in but it'd be kinda hard to post our whole applications.
I'm not posting my stats. They were good, but they aren't going to change anything.
My mom has been telling me to remember that I might not have had what they wanted this year. I guess it's kind of like what Dean J said about how it's not about you doing something wrong, it's about them not having enough spaces for all the qualified applicants.
I really love UVa. I can't believe I'm considering it, but I'm actually trying to decide if I should go to one of the other in-state schools and transfer to UVA after a year or do the garanteed thing at NOVA. I'm almost ashamed to go to NOVA, but if going there means I am 100% sure about getting into UVA, I might be able to deal with it.
URGH!!!!!!! I didn't expect this part of to be so hard. I thought the waiting was the hardest part.
well i understand stats won't change, but i just know of people with stats worse than mine getting in and it just kinda hurts to know ive worked harder than them and i get waitlisted. i know my stats aren't great but i thought they were kinda in range, and i guess i'd feel better if i knew that there are other people who were in the same boat.
ah well. ill take the spot, but looks like im gonna either be a blue hen, nittany lion, hokie, or patriot
These may be dumb questions, but:
1) Can you determine where you are on the "wait list"?
2) Is the list ranking determined by your credentials already received or do they monitor your second semester credentials too?
And I'd like to mention that this was a "decent" birthday gift (tomorrow). At least I wasn't rejected.
I don't know if most of you felt this way, but UVA considered students who were well rounded and maybe didn't have the best SAT but were passionate about something so much that through out their high schools years sticked to it.
I've been waiting for this notification for 4 months and just being placed in the waiting list just felts like cr*p. And I can't see myself going to any other school than UVA. Because that school screams me.
Well I hope most of you feel about UVA as much as I do and I bet most of us on this "waiting list" make a good candidate.
I hope Dean J that you read my letter I will sent soon.
Thanks again for everything.
Hey Dean J! Cool blog!
So this "letter of interest". Do you guys actually read these? For what purpose, exactly? I'm really curious, because this little last cry seems to be the only extra effort - from what I think I know - I need to expend to stay on the waitlist after mailing Madison twelve score and ten dollars. Like nothing really to lose right? Except some dignity?
I mean, do you guys like brown nosed letters? Hard nosed? High nosed? Nostrils flared? Streaming with weeping snot? Bloody nosed from home abuse? I'll stop.
But do you guys like poems? Short stories? Third person? SECOND person? Or the professional "I'm ready for the university" standard formal letter formatting?
I don't know. I'm disappointed I didn't get the offered admission, and finding a way to get in could be cool. But what the heck, a three percent chance out of three thousand? What is that? What am I, are we, supposed to be left hanging with, and onto? Our immunity to senioritis? This, likely shallow and intoxicated, "letter of interest"?
Have I got the wrong idea about something? Half of what I wrote in this thing has been baseless questioning, probably, regrettably, fueled by some embitterment in me. I'm probably putting too much stock into the importance in that "letter of interest" anyways, and the actual determining factors are probably detailed in some puzzling mathematic algorithm that they've been using for centuries.
It's the only thing I can see that I have a hand in, so what should this letter or whatever prove? Like, just, my self ascribed worthiness? Gotta really help me out Dean J.
And is this, like, an email, or a 20th century style postal serviced message?
Also, if anybody feels really down about not getting accepted, you guys gotta keep your head up. I'm sure you all have other plans ahead of you regardless of whether or not they lie in Charlottesville. If this frustrates you because you've realized that it means you've got to wait even longer - and I feel bad for you early decision people that got into this again - hey. In every life we have days of trouble. But if when you worry, you make it double. So don't worry! Ahem.
Anon, i have to say i disagree with you.
IMO, UVA puts you on a scatterplot with GPA vs. SAT score and chooses from there. just going off of that there seems to be a very distinct cutoff point for between acceptance and waitlist regarding GPA and SAT.
Yeah my "stats" were not that outstanding either, in fact i think what saved me from being deffered altogether were my essays. But it is not the end of the world, because A) there is certainly more than one way to get into UVA and b) the college we go to isn't what really matters so long as we have the opportunity to study the courses that WE WANT to study. As in my case, I wanted to study architecture at UVA, but since I was waitlisted, I'm going to go ahead and plan on going to VTech's School of Architecture. Just because I'm not in UVA doesn't mean I won't ever be able to study my major of choice somewhere else.
you all still want stats? Ive just been feeling like screaming out them out to the world all day. yes i didnt get into uva, but im not dumb! I just feel like telling everyone around me how even though theyve all told me i was a shoe in it doesnt matter at all.
4.01 on 4.0 scale, president of my high school for two years in a row!, vice president of my class two years in a row, varsity swimmer and tennis player for all four years, 680 verbal, 710 math, 700 writing, 32 ACT, the list of clubs continues..
im livid, im upset, and im confused. I feel rejected and even though everyone says theres a "shot" there doesnt seem to be.
As bad as it sounds all i can do is compare myself to the people with considerably lower qualifications who probably got in because they filled a quota or had some rich alumni relation.
i hate this.
but i still want in..
Nah, the people that got accepted probably deserved it more than us. But hey, you seem to have already had a nice run of accomplishment. So even if it's not at UVA, you can choo choo that train anywhere else you want, Mr. President.
and fouryears, I don't think there is any defined "cut off" point. Yes, UVA does ask for well rounded students and most of them that apply are, but I think what they look for is how large of a variety of well rounded people can they admit.
For instance, maybe there is a well rounded student who took AP courses, plays sports, acts in plays, is in the top 15 in his class and made decent SAT scores (600-650 range). Well, what if UVA already has over 100 that are just like this "well-rounded" student apply for their college? Even though they all have the necessary credentials, UVA doesn't want over 100 identically well-rounded students. What UVA is probably really looking for is just a large variety of "well-rounded" students that are not all necessarily well-rounded in the exact same way.
I accepted a spot on the waitlist when I first saw my status over six hours ago. Now I don't even know why I did. I feel shocked, dejected, and confused. I truly thought that I might just have a chance at getting in. I was a focused student who had a passion for politics and community service. My credentials I guess weren't on par with those of northern VA suburbanites or OOS wunderkinds. I've seen kids I know who did nothing get accepted to UVA while I slaved away for 4 years. If I would have known this was coming, I could have taken something else instead of AP Calculus.
The 2/3 to 1/3 in-state to OOS ratio also makes me feel ignored. When I was rejected to Chapel Hill, I didn't really care because I felt that it was, in a way, fair. The 82% from NC deserved to be admitted just on principle for paying taxes to their state. I think its quite sad that the Commonwealth decides to shaft us and admit more than a thousand cash-waving outsiders. Oh well!
I just want to know about what has been successful in the past... how have kids gotten off the waitlist? I've been taking a gap year so I can't improve my grades, get new awards etc. I want to know whether more writing samples will help, or how much a 'letter of interest' will make a difference. Any and all advice is much appreciated, Dean J.
Likely letter - Waitlisted
Dean J, as a parent of a student who received a likely letter and WAS accepted, I am heartbroken for these applicants who are saying they received likely letters and are now waitlisted. Once my son received his likely letter, naively, I was certain he would be accepted. You have been very careful to help manage expectations for all of us during the past few weeks. Sending a likely letter to a student and then waitlisting them feels like "cruel and usual punishment". Can you shed any light on this ?
P.S. I heard Cavdog is being considered by Obama as his VP running mate.
what is the date we will known by if we are accepted off of the waitlist? is it may 15?
thats a gorgeous picture of cavdog. absolutely beautiful
To all of you, this too shall pass. My child was deffered ED last year and was heartbroken. But she quickly rejected UVA since it had "rejected" her and turned her interest to VTech where she was accepted in Honors. She wasn't even interested in the final verdict from UVA (waitlisted). She rejected all talk of transfering to UVA and now she is incredibly happy, loooves VTech, has many brilliant friends. To the one accepted at Tech architecture, that's the #1 architecture school according to Architecture Magazine. Why are you feeling so dejected? Remember that all those brilliant students that got waitlisted from UVA just like you will end up as your college mates somewhere else. Cheers! You'll love where you end up this fall.
I've been accepted to the "Gemstone" program in UMd. (College Park), which admits about 200 students, and I must admit, I'm extremely confused how I could be accepted to that program in a college which has a higher ranked math dept, and be waitlisted from UVa. I wish I knew what was so different between these two colleges; I made the top 200 in one, didn't even make the top 3000 in the other.
I too received a likely letter, and shamefully admit that after comparing myself to admitted students, I am confused why I was waitlisted. It's almost as if I should have goofed off during high school instead of working myself to death. Go figure.
I never received a likely letter so I was sure I was going to be denied or waitlisted, but Dean J., can you give us the number of out of state students who were waitlisted and those in state?
Just curious....can someone enlighten me about this "likely letter" concept. Our daughter was not offered this...was it something you had to seek out, or does it indicate she should give up on the waitlist now.
Thanks!
I killed myself over my four years in high school trying to beef up my resume so that I could qualify for UVa. I'm president of my senior class, treasurer as a junior, homecoming princess my junior year, homecoming queen this year, I've played Varsity basketball, tennis, and soccer, I'm president of the Beta Club, I was a part of the Spanish Club, I spent most of my Christmas vacation in New York City helping homeless, I've gone to Richmond to help kids from the innercity. I've had A's in math and english since grade school, I've spent a good amount of my time planning for Relay for Life. All while maintaining a 3.9.
Getting good grades does not come easily for me, and I spent the time between all my activities studying. I've been so stressed that I've developed a nervous habit of twitching my neck. I get an average of four to five hours of sleep a night. I've developed a health problem because of all my stress...all for being wait listed.
It was my stupid SAT scores. They were pretty low.
I haven't given up hope yet, I still want to go to UVa. If somehow I don't get off this wait list, I'll attend JMU for a year and than transfer over to UVa. I'm just praying to God that something on my application will spark the admission committee to reconsider me for acceptance.
My son received a LL from UNC and was accepted out of state. Got rejected at UVA. Go figure. The LL has nothing to do with Waitlisting. It comes as a preliminary acceptance letter about one month before the actual acceptance letter goes out. It simply states that the school sending it is likely to accept your son or daughter. It is there way of keeping the interest up for the applicant. Very competitive this environment.
If you search this blog, Dean J writes about the "Likely" letters that UVA sent out. Very few are sent out to students who are considered to be "Ivy League" material thus trying to get them to come to UVA instead of other schools. Am I summarizing this correctly? Anyways, my son received one and he was admitted to UVA. I am very shocked that those who received a "likely" letter got waitlisted/denied perhaps there was a problem with their midterm grades -- who knows? I have found the entire admissions process to be complex and not very logical at times. Now I have a 4 year break (thank goodness!) before my last child has to start the college process.
to "I killed myself over the four years..
I feel THE SAME EXACT WAY. CANT DESCRIBE MYSELF BETTER.
It feels like shit.
Its like my sat score wasn't extremely bad or good but decent and how one test can make such a difference. Too busy maintaining a 3.9 gpa and trying work after school to think that this will help us get into the best college possible. Its not fair. And thinking that maybe maybe one school would look over that sat and see what we have done to make ourselve qualified is just hard to swallow.
I hope most of us who are passionate about UVA get off the waiting list. I hope I do.
Lets begin that letter of interest.
looked it up, the wait list was over 4000 last year, and 140 got in off it, 3.8%, it's a complete shot in the dark, but what's the big deal with uva, i think i'll decline the wait list, GO HOKIES!
My heart goes out to all of the students who have been waitlisted or denied acceptance by UVA. As the parent of a waitlister I am seeing all sorts of emotions: disbelief (when comparing accomplishments to peers who were accepted), dejection, and anger. It has been an interesting ride since last night. Stats: 2000 SATs, 3.8 GPA, all IBs, varsity sports, a few select academic extra curricular activities, and a GREAT kid to boot! UVA does not have a crystal ball and they can't be expected to be privy to all those details that make each of you so special. I had told my waitlister that it would be a crap shoot getting into UVA (but it fell on deaf ears). This too shall pass and I know that he will be a superstar no matter where he ends up. As will all of you. Lick your wounds, decide #2 pick, and give it your all. Now, go enjoy the day...it is gorgeous today in NOVA!
Ok, while we're listing stats, riddle me this one.
I have a 5.0 gpa on a 4.0 scale. On the SATs, I got 750 on math, 800 on reading, 750 on writing. I have not gotten a single B any quarter throughout high school. I take 5 AP/IB courses. I got a 5 on the English and Psych AP exams last year. I have been an avid debate team member for four years, done community service, tutored, done mission trips to build homes in Mexico every summer. I am in the top 5% of a class of 700, and my high school is ranked in the top 20 in the nation by US Newsweek. I also won the National Merit Scholarship out of a pool of 1.4 million.
But that equals waitlist at UVa?
Instate or out of state?
Admitted = ?
SAT 1&2 2400, GPA 4, CLASS RANK #1...?
I took Calculous3 and Survey of Algebra at UVa this year. I scored 90+ on all my tests (Class average was 70+).
Are students at UVa that good?
I am one of the waitlisted likely letter recipients. My grades did not slide--1st honors every term--including this year.
A cruel slap in the face.
As the mom of an OOS student accepted by UVa who had received a "likely letter," I fully understand the shock and frustration of those who received those letters and were then waitlisted. They were so hopeful sounding! I guess the admissions office really had not made their final decisions at the time they sent them. The best of luck to all of you who were waitlisted and who are still determined to get in. BTW, today my daughter had a similar puzzling experience, being waitlisted by a college which had designated her a finalist for a "full-ride" scholarship--huh?
To all of you comparing stats with admitted students, hey, you got waitlisted from a school that admits people who can't quite compare with you; you're just way too good :)
I grew up in a country where decisions were made by a higher authority and no explanation was ever given. I didn't expect the same here.
I'd really like to see three stat profiles of admitted students. One of the best, an average student, and the worst admitted. Apparently expectations are inhumanely high at UVa.
I appreciate the work the admissions committee must have gone through, but I can't help thinking a re-evaluation is in order. Maybe something went wrong while processing a huge amount of information. I mean, they're human too, right?
Wow from reading this blog it looks like UVA admissions went off the deep end this time. Too many discrepancies and oddities especially waitlisted likely letters. They might as well have used a lottery. Might have come out more logical
"On top of that, there are always students with great stats that don't warrant a denial, but who we can't fit in the offer pool."
well what is uva's offer pool? i mean i know of students in my class that range from sats of 10something to 15something. i know decisions aren't just based on sats but i had everything and more than most of the admitted students from my school. everyone's saying that i'll be happy wherever i go and i know that might be true, but right now i just feel like driving around town and yelling "life isn't fair!" through a megaphone.
Hmm, I was reading posts from the accepted thread (out of jealousy and curiosity) and I noticed a funny trend... many posts started something like "I didn't think I'd get in, but what a surprise!"
Maybe the computer mixed up the decisions? God, I hope so.
It honestly feels like that, but I'm actually quite glad I was waitlisted. Due to being waitlisted, I now have to go to a college that doesn't sound as cool as UVa., but has a much better ranking than it.
I feel like I shouldve had fun in highschool instead of killing myself in AP's and extracuricullars, getting a 2100 on my SAT, and maintaining 3.8 GPA. I'm stuck at JMU after being waitlisted from EVERY SCHOOL i applied to (wake, uva, lehigh, richmond, and elon). It makes me so mad because i know so many people with way lower grades and SAT's who got into elon and lehigh. Doesn't make sense at all that I am stuck with a bunch of partiers at "just missed uva".
Dean J--if you're out there, can you elighten us just a little about the likely letter recipients who were waitlisted? Any rationale would be helpful at this point.
Thanks
I have a feeling Dean J is taking the weekend off. Probably spending some quality time with CavDog.
Dean J
I am particularly concerned at what I have recently heard on several ocassions and that is that a student(s) who was waitlisted in a prior year quite suddenly was accepted when his father gave a $100,000 endowment to the school. If this is true I think a lot of students on the list stand no chance.
Eh. Why would they take me, anyways? After all, my single dad makes only $15,000 a year.
It is what it is.
"Doesn't make sense at all that I am stuck with a bunch of partiers at "just missed uva"."
Exactly.
How does this sound? Pre-med at JMU. I don't really like the ring of that.
Basically from my school, all girls got in...i find it sad how many majors are in the Arts and Sciences....people way less qualified than me have been accepted into the other schools at UVA, but i feel like just because i applied ot Arts and Sciences i was denied when i could have easily gotten into another UVA subschool...
in my opinion i think uva just pulled decisions out of their *censor* (butt)...it is completly arbitrary..i doubt they even looked over many applications after a while, EVERYTHING is about MONEY...everyone in my school who got waitlisted to W&M got into UVA and vice versa...
Guys really calm down. It is not an arbitrary process, I doubt that a two century old school would have an arbitrary admissions process. And after all UVA wants to maintain its number 2 ranking, so would only admit those students who would let them keep that or even raise it to number one.
And its not all about money, thats ridiculous. UVA has enough money from other programs and foundations to care about which parents make the most money. I'm sure most parents, at least in NOVA, are like mine and just work for the government, and everybody knows that's not the most profitable field.
So stop blaming UVA for your not getting in and move on
My parents didn't write a check except for the application fee.
There's no way you know the complete picture when you complain about people with lower stats getting in. I'm in and I'm in the top 3% at school with a full IB program. Maybe with all the articles saying this was the hardest year ever, top 3% is what you needed if you didn't declare an obscure major or you didn't fit a URM type category. Maybe dual enrollment wasn't good enough. Maybe they stopped counting AP Art and AP Psych as top courses this year. Who knows. Just stop saying we got in because daddy wrote us a check. Maybe that happens, but trying to say it's the only way in is insulting to those of us who busted our asses with better results.
Well, well, well..........that certainly says alot about the UVA Class of 2012.
Maybe UVA wanted one dimensionals this year.
I posted my stuff on that website. It seems more based on academics rather than other stuff.
One person above wanted the stuff of accepted people, so I posted what I had on my "thoughts from an absent mind" blog. It includes more than just academics. Everyone's welcome to tear it apart, just remember I'm human too and have emotions of my own =P I expected to get waitlisted, and I guess I should rank at average or below average (in my mind) [my thoughts for the anon who wondered about accepted below/average/above]
I feel extremely bad reading your comments. I'm sure all of you had the test scores and the GPA and I'm sure you'll find yourseelf a home at another GREAT school if you don't end up at UVA. I hope you all get in!
-See u next fall if u do.
Good to know I am not alone...any of you others want to opt out of the wait list so I can have better probability....please? If not, then what the hey...GO HOKIES
In response to:
"Just stop saying we got in because daddy wrote us a check. Maybe that happens, but trying to say it's the only way in is insulting to those of us who busted our asses with better results."
If you deserved the acceptance, you need not worry about anything in this thread. And if you feel you didn't, please don't make us feel worse.
Dean J
I was wondering if there were different waitlists for each school(ie arts and sciences, architecture,engineering etc.) or just one waitlist for the 3000 students
"Pre Med at JMU- I don't really like the ring of that".
I know exactly how you feel! I'm in AP Bio at my school looking to become a surgeon. I highly doubt that I'm going to be able to get into a competitive med school from JMU! I really hope I can transfer after a year at JMU into UVA, so that I can have a better chance at UVA med school. I'm also really worried about JMU's academics. I'm afraid that school is just full of mediocre students who don't care about their classes.
"I highly doubt that I'm going to be able to get into a competitive med school from JMU!'
Geez! this brand name worshiping is surreal. JMU is a great school. One star student at our high school CHOSE to go to JMU for pre-med. You will have good company.
I actually know a surgeon who went to JMU undergrad. You might not get into Harvard Med but, unless you want medical research, where you go isn't as important as your determination to learn. Taking out a gall bladder in Tidewater is the same as at Mass General.
To the waitlisted students up there with incredible credentials, here is a quote from an interview with the deans of Georgetown and UVA, a while back:
"So you have places putting the very top candidate in their applicant pool on a waiting list because they think the kid’s using them as a backup. The kid who’s first in the class with a near-perfect SAT score may apply to ten schools and get wait-listed at seven."
Maybe that's what happened to you. Sorry, they have to protect their yield. :(
That quote did NOT come from Jack Blackburn. We DO NOT practice "yield protection" at UVa and I addressed that a few weeks ago.
I am tempted to completely delete that comment because it was meant to mislead students. The author knowingly pasted in a comment that was made by an officer at another school and implied that it was made by someone at UVa.
That is the first comment on this blog to ever make me angry.
Read the rull article here and get the facts straight: http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/businesscareers/5442.html
Sorry Dean J. It was not my intention to make you mad. However if one reads the rest of the article where the deans of Georgetown and UVA are interviewed together, and one reads a quote like this one:
"Jack and I—we’re dinosaurs. We’re still in the old “dean of admissions” mentality where admissions is an activity of the faculty deciding who gets to come and study here. But that term—“enrollment management”—is going to come even to Georgetown and Virginia ultimately",
then one is tempted to see an explanation of the waitlisting of some students above (if I remember correctly, one Jefferson's scholar was WListed).
I did not mean to mislead anyone but just trying to find reasons for some odd admission decisions. Deleting a comment like this is tantamount to censorship. But if you say that UVA doesn't practice this kind of yield management, then I'll take your word for it. There must be some other reason why incredible students are waitlisted.
I would caution you not to explain decisions made by UVa by pointed to comments made by a Dean at Georgetown.
I explained why incredible students are waitlisted in an earlier post (see "A quick note of thanks") and have touched on the topic each year. This is one of the hard parts of doing this: it is not a simple meritocracy. All who deserve to get in do not get in.
By the way, deleting a comment, regardless of content, is the blog administrator's prerogative. I'm leaving the comment there so readers can see it and my response, which directs them to the entire article.
Jefferson Scholar finalists are always admitted students. Simply being the nominee from a school doesn't not guarantee admission.
Dean J--what about my question earlier about being waitlisted after receiving a likely letter? I would really appreciate some insight into how/why this happened.
It hurt more than anything I've ever experienced, as I naively thought it meant I'd be accepted. And no, I didn't let my grade fall--actually, I've earned a couple honors since receiving the letter in February.
Anything you can tell me will help, as I'm about as low as a person can be right now.
Thank you so much.
It's hard for me to comment on an individual cases on this blog. I think your case warrants a "decision call" (I talked about them in the "Now What" entry this morning).
Also please remember that I am not physically in the Office of Admission most days (see the "Where's Dean J" entry).
Chillins, life goes on. UVA is my first choice too. I'm qualified out the wazoo. But whatever, you know? UVA is a great place that opens great doors but doors are everywhere. Go somewhere else. If it isn't as competetive as UVA, then you're confronted with an awesome challenge to be the best you can with less stellar credentials. Most of us are people who are used to succeeding. Well, we didn't. Rough. THE REAL WORLD! IT EXISTS! Cry if you have to I guess but you gotta be ready for this kind of stuff. One of my UVA essays was the one about our favorite word and I picked "whatever". It all about not letting the world or failure or hard times get you down and all that jazz. It's kind of ironic I guess. This is the part where we stand up and brush off the dust and live happily elsewhere. WHATEVER! WHATEVER WHATEVER WHATEVER! (am I sappy and inspirational or what)
I will do whatever it takes to get off the waitlist!
Question: GPA is out of 4 or 5?
How high is high?
Is there any way I can get the decision early?
I also chose the essay that asked what my favorite word was, and I chose "desire".
I still desire to go to UVa, and somehow, I will go, whether I get off the wait list this year, or transfer after a year at JMU.
I hope those who truly want to attend UVa will have "desire" to get off this waitlist as well. Good luck to all of you.
I understand that there are numerous reasons why some people would be picked from the wait list instead of others such as in-state/out of state and numbers in certain colleges. I still hope that even though there is not an official rank for students on the wait list that UVA will pick the most deserving and most qualified applicants from the wait list if they fit the certain numerical needs of UVA.
Thank you. Bleeding orange and blue. (kind of painful).
I think I've answered the major questions with a follow up post ("What now"). If I've missed something, please post a comment there and I'll follow up.
I hope giving you all a few days to chat was helpful. I know this is an upsetting, uneasy, and frustrating time, but I hope you can look at your other options and see something to get excited about.
4.8 GPA ....2000 SAT....30 ACT... 7 AP courses in 2 years...
President of School Government
President of Drama
Vice President of Choir
Cheerleading Captain for 2 seasons
Active member of the Superintendents Advisory Board
Active Member of our Regional SGA
...numerous mission work trips throughout the western hemisphere
and waitlisted...WAITLISTED...a 3% chance after the 12% during round one ...all you can do is laugh....maybe if I'd cured Cancer...
What more is there to do to "Jump off the page"?
I've vowed not to pursue my wait list status. After 4 years of working hard i deserve a school who wants me. My friend said, "If they didn't want you, you probably wouldn't want them either"
On one final immature note...UVA, if you turn your snobby nose up any higher you might drown in the rain.
I think your friend's advice is thoughtful and mature.
The snob comment was not.
An admission officer at a snobbish school probably wouldn't spend her evenings and weekends answering your questions on a blog. Officers at a snobbish school probably wouldn't take your call to talk about your decision (this practice was not done at my last two schools). A snobbish school would not offer full rides to low-income students.
You may perceive UVa to be snobbish, but I don't think your perception is reality.
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