There's a lot of talk out there about whether UVa will bring back an early admission process. At this point, this is just talk. If you are filling out an application this fall, you have one deadline to remember: January 1st.
Any changes in deadlines or format would be announced well in advance of the application season. Behind the scenes, so much work has to be done to accommodate any changes to our process that we'd need a good amount of time to incorporate any change. The Common Application goes live on August 1st. The process is not going to change between now and then.
One small change we have made about this year is the gentle suggestion that those interested in the "at-large" process for the Jefferson Scholarship submit applications by December 1st. Let me explain the scholarship and the process...
Jefferson Scholars are students who attend UVa with a full scholarship, including tuition, room, board, fees, books, and a stipend. This is a small, highly accomplished group. The Jefferson Scholars selection process starts away from Charlottesville. Nominations are solicited from about 3,500 schools around the globe (though most are within the US) and regional selection committees interview the nominees. Last year, 101 finalists were selected to come to Charlottesville for a weekend during which the competition continued. By the end of the weekend, 27 scholars were selected.
The Jefferson Scholars Foundation allows the Office of Admission to nominate some applicants who haven't been nominated by their schools. Unfortunately, with almost 23,000 applications coming into our office and with the majority being submitted at the deadline, there are probably some great students whose files haven't been read by the time we're supposed to give the Jefferson Scholars Foundation our at-large candidates.
So, we've decided to be up front and let you know that if you think you have a shot at being a Jefferson Scholar (review their website to see the criteria), you should try to submit your application by December 1st so we are sure to have time to review it before our at-large names are due. Obviously, the application deadline is still January 1st.
