Deadline & Submission Reminder

I made you a deadline and submission chart to bookmark for future reference. Click the image below to expand it, then bookmark the page to keep it handy.

Credential Submission Guide

I thought I'd throw together a "cheat sheet" that shows how various credentials can be submitted to UVa without the prose of our website. Feel free to ask questions...

Required Components
Common App & Supplement....online via commonapp.org
SAT/ACT/TOEFL Scores..........testing agency
School Report & Transcript......Common App's counselor portal OR mail
Mid-Year & Final Reports.........Common App's counselor portal OR mail

Supporting Documents for In-State Residents...fax
Financial Guarantee (international students)....mail

Supplemental Components
Art Supplements....................mail (see instructions on website)
Extra recommendations.........fax

We have a dedicated fax line just for application credentials, 434-924-7674.

UPDATE: I just heard from the International Studies Office that Financial Guarantee Forms and supporting documents must be mailed and can't be faxed.

Recommendation letter clarification

In the past, we have allowed teachers to submit their recommendations online. Just for 2008, we are not permitted to receive recommendation letters online. Though it appears as though UVa will get letters requested through the Common App system, we do not. Common App only allows required recommendations to be sent to us. Because your guidance counselor's school report fulfills our requirement, no online teacher recs will be forwarded to us by Common App.

Looks are deceiving...teacher recs submitted via Common App are not sent to UVa

We obviously plan to petition the Common App board (comprised of admission officers from about 15 member colleges and universities) to allow supplemental recs to be submitted via the Common App system, but that board does not meet for quite some time, so a change will not be made this year.

Teachers may send recommendations by mail or fax their recommendations to the admission credentials fax line: 434-924-7674. We prefer that letters be faxed, as we are now a paperless office.

Another week on the road

I'm back on the road this week. This time, I'm staying in state, going to college fairs in northern Virginia and the upper Shenandoah Valley (hoping to have time to get a pie at Shawnee Springs Market!). If your school has a college fair this week, stop by the UVa table and say hello!

Sunday
Stone Bridge High School Fair (4:00-8:00 PM)
Ashburn, VA

Monday
Northern Virginia Community College Fair (12:00-1:30 PM)
Manassas, VA

Osbourn Park High School Fair (7:00-9:00 PM)
Manassas, VA

Tuesday
Lord Fairfax Community College Fair (7:00-9:00 PM)
Fauquier, VA

Wednesday
Lord Fairfax Community College Fair (11:30 AM-1:00 PM)
Middletown, VA

Apple Blossom Mall Fair (6:30-8:30 PM)
Winchester, VA

Thursday
Central High School Fair (9:00-10:30 AM)
Woodstock, VA

JMU Convocation Center Fair (6:30-8:30 PM)
Harrisonburg, VA

Are we checking Facebook?

I addressed the Facebook/MySpace issue over two years ago on my old blog (here and here)...so long ago that one of the entries mentions that Facebook is only open to people with a .edu account and we all know that restriction went out the window quite some time ago.

With a new crop of students reading the blog, I think it helps to revisit this topic. Consider the situation in our office: we had 18,500 applications last year and will probably see a bump up in numbers due to our switch to the Common App. We have 15 full-time admission officers and 5-7 part-time staffers who come on board during reading season. Each application is read at least twice. That's a lot of work for a relatively small staff. We truly don't have time to google and search for every student who applies to UVa.

Now, I still think you should have your profiles set to private so only your friends can see them and even then I think you should consider how you'd feel if what you have on your profile was on the front page of the newspaper and edit accordingly.

Common App Q&A

Our office is extremely excited about the move to the Common App. Delivery from Common App Online is automated and your status pages will update more quickly than before as a result. However, we're all adjusting to a new style of application and I realize that there are questions.

Feel free to post questions about the Common App and I'll work through them in the next few posts.

Hitting the road

It's that time again! Time to kiss CavBear good-bye and hit the road for the fall travel season. I'll periodically post my itineraries so you'll know if I'll be in your area.

On Sunday and Monday, I'll be speaking at UVa evening programs organized by the alumni clubs in Denver and Phoenix. After that, I'll join my colleagues from UNC, Emory, and Northwestern for joint programs in Sacramento, San Francisco (actually San Mateo), and Portland.

Here are the details from the UVa Visits You page:

Denver
Sunday, September 7 at 6:30 pm
Inverness Hotel
200 Inverness Drive West
I-25 and Dry Creek Road
Englewood, CO 80112
www.invernesshotel.com

Phoenix
Monday, September 8 at 6:00 pm
The University Club of Phoenix
39 East Monte Vista Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85004

Sacramento
Tuesday, September 9 at 7:30 pm
Sheraton Grand Sacramento Hotel
1230 J Street
13th and J Street
Sacramento, California 95814

San Francisco
Wednesday, September 10 at 7:30 pm
San Mateo Marriott
1770 South Amphlett Boulevard
San Mateo, CA 94402

Portland
Thursday, September 11 at 7:30 pm
Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront
1401 SW Naito Parkway
Portland, OR 97201