Deadline definition

There's always a little confusion about the specific moment of our deadline. Back in the days of paper applications, the deadline was whatever time your local post office was willing to post mark an envelope. These days, you have a little more time. With online applications came permission to procrastinate just a few more hours.

Our deadline is January 1st. Technically, you could submit an application at 11:59 PM on January 1st and meet the deadline.

The Common App has a grace period to account for time zones and in case there are technical problems, but I strongly encourage you to hit submit before that final hour. There is obviously a lot of traffic on the Common App servers on that final day and while I'm sure they can handle it, I can imagine the panic you'd feel if your internet connection cut out during those final moments of deadline day.

In addition, if you have questions for the Common App people, I imagine you'll get a faster response to a help ticket submission if you are asking during normal business hours. If you submit a help request at 10 PM, you'll probably be one of many doing the same thing and therefore won't hear back for a little while.

I know this is an extremely stressful time. I imagine there is some freaking out going on. Do yourself a favor and made a personal deadline that's before the official one.

Good luck! As always, you can post questions here and I'll do my best to answer them quickly!

Last minute application information

The January 1st deadline is around the corner! Inevitably, there will be last minute questions. Here's how to get answers.

First of all, any trouble with the Common Application can only be fixed by the Common Application staff. If you have any problems with your Common App, submit a help ticket.  If you don't know how to do that, see #2 here. If you wait until the last minute, you have to expect a delay in the resolution of your problem. Don't freak out! Don't submit something that's half finished or incorrect in a panic. Wait until you get an answer.

Once you submit your application (all three parts, the Common App, Supplement, and payment must be submitted for anything to be sent to us from the Common App system), it will take a couple days of processing to prompt a login email for UVa's Student Information System (SIS) to be sent to you. If you are about to leave for college, you should be able to follow the directions in the email and log into our system successfully.  You can do it!

When you log in to UVa's SIS for the first time, scroll to the bottom of the main page and become familiar with the different areas of the status page.

Don't be alarmed by your to-do list at this time.

Credentials may be in our system, but not yet linked to your file. It may take a few weeks to get through all the applications submitted in these last few days, so please be patient! If your transcript arrived a month ago, it was scanned and put in a miscellaneous credentials file. A script and/or a staff member must link that transcript to your newly submitted application.  This takes time.

We will contact you when we are through the bulk of the processing if we are still missing documents. This will happen at the end of January or beginning of February. Don't freak out. Seriously. It will be okay.


That being said, here is how you can get answers to last minute UVa questions (not Common App questions) now that our office is closed for the weekend:

• Send me a tweet - the fastest method, I'll have my iPhone on me all weekend
• Post a comment on this entry - the second fastest method, comment alerts are sent to my phone
• Post on the UVa forum of College Confidential
• Post on the wall of the UVa Class of 2015 page on Facebook 
• Write on my Facebook wall - the answer will not be immediate
• Instant message me through Google Chat (UVaDeanJ)
• Instant message me through AIM (UVaDeanJ) - does anyone still use this?

I won't be logged into all of those all the time between now and deadline, but I will have my phone on me all weekend (hence Twitter and blog comments being the best ways to reach me). If I don't reply right away, I've either busy or am answering questions for another student.

Good luck with those last minute edits! Try not to submit at the very last minute!

Family roles during the application process

Almost every call that has come into the office today has been from a parent filling out the Common Application for a student and some have been less than polite to the lovely women who answer questions at the front desk.  To be frank, I'm disappointed.

I am going to assume that the vast majority of applications are filled out by the applicants.  I imagine that we don't hear from them because a) our applicants are web savvy and can figure out the Common App pretty easily and b) students are more than comfortable with hitting the "help" link when they have a problem.  Adults might not feel the same way.  I myself have been guilty of calling a business about an online problem without consulting their FAQs and support pages first.  I imagine younger folks are apt to check the online resources first and pick up the phone only after exhausting those resources.

I'm not saying parents shouldn't be involved during application season.  In fact, I think this process is a great one to tackle as a team.  Adults should be providing guidance and that second set of eyes that might catch a typo or an awkward phrase in an essay. I do not think they should be assuming their child's identity online.  College bound students, even busy ones, can fill out the forms.  It might cut into their Facebook time over the winter break, but they can do it.

If you are headed for UVa, you should be more than capable of completing the Common Application.  I would also hope that you would only allow your name to appear on work that was yours.

As always, if you have questions before or after the deadline, just post a comment and I'll reply as soon as possible!

 

Application forms can be tedious...but a student bound for UVa can handle it.

Year end video from athletics

Here's a quick look back at the year in sports at UVa...

(video removed because it's slowing down the site!)

Check out the Virginia Sports TV website for more great videos from UVa Athletics.

Holiday Greetings from UVa

Our friends in the Interactive Media Group in the Office of Public Affairs made this charming video that I thought I'd share.  The snow scenes are from last year, when we got a few freak snow storms here.  It's pretty rare for us to get enough snow to make a proper snowman!

Don't forget! There are application instructions

I've been fielding quite a few questions in the last few weeks that are answered in our application instructions.  Please, please be sure you read them!  Googling something isn't always the best way to get an answer.  Just the other day, someone citing a blog post from 2008 in trying to answer a question.  The information was out of date.

We update the instructions each summer.  Make sure you've read the instructions!  There is an entire section that tells you what is going to happen after you submit all three parts of your Common App.

Three application reminders

1. There are three parts to the application.  

We don't see anything until you submit all three parts via CommonApp.org

 

2. We can't fix problems you have with CommonApp.org.

Every single page on the Common App website has a "help" link.  

Hit the "help" link if you are having trouble and submit a help request.  

3.  Do not wait until 11:59 PM to submit.

The Common App team will undoubtedly have many help tickets to answer.
If you have a problem, it may take them a little while to help you.



I'll be checking for questions in the comments every day between now and deadline, so fee free to post questions.  I'll also be on Twitter (UVaDeanJ).

 CavDog and I are rooting for you!

Good luck!

Q&A with Dean J

I fear that you don't always go back to threads where you commented with a question.  Here are some answers to recent questions.

TN said...
When we will receive email confirmation of our arts supplements? 

We don't send emails confirming receipt of application components.  Required elements are checked in and you'll see them come off your "to do" list n the SIS.  Supplements that you send on top of the required credentials are not noted on the status page.

Hannah said...
Hi Dean J,

I just have a quick question. My guidance conselor was really busy this year. She only told me today that she accidently typed my GPA wrong on the SSR form. (I know there is very little difference to no difference between a GPA of 4.32 and 4.33, but does she have to resend a SSR form? I know on my transcript and the common app form my GPA is correct. Thank you so much. I'm sorry my question may seem silly

We check to make sure the SSR and transcript agree.  When they don't, we err on the side of using the statistic on the transcript. No worries!

L said...
I searched the blog, and I understand that you want us to stay roughly within the word limits, but I have been told that it is only detrimental to go over the limits provided, and points will begin to dock if I do so--will you really look at the specific word count, or see the about a half-page, and not mind 15 extra words? 

We don't count words here.  We also don't have a point system in place when we review applications, so we would never "dock" someone for a component of their application. 

 ghc710 said...
Dear Dean J,

I'm applying as a freshman to UVa. My application has not been submitted yet, but my testing scores and seconday school transcript have. Will it be a problem if the admissions office receives those documents before my application?

I answered this question in the post about behind the scene logistics. Application components have come in separately for decades.  

Anonymous said...
Hi Dean J,
I successfully submitted all three parts of my application to UVA, what do I do now? Will I get an email from UVA with some sort of login information?
Thanks! 

This is addressed in the applications instructions.  There is an entire section called "After you submit your application."  Be sure to read that! 

Be sure to read application instructions, folks!

Anonymous said...
Just to clarify, the three parts of our application just have to be sent by January 1st. You don't need to have actually received them by that date though, correct? 

You must submit your items online by 11:59 PM on January 1st.    

 anam said...
Dean J,

I'm appering for my SAT subject test on 22nd january 2011.Will the test scores be considered after the application deadline?

There is a time line right on our admission information page that spells this out.  While you may take standardized tests in January, we will not get the scores until the middle or end of February.  It it quite late in the process.  We will take them, of course, but the chances are that a few readers will have already looked at your file by that point.

Feel free to post questions in the comments.  Make sure to check back to see my answers, though!

Fitting in at UVa

Please note: this is a fun, lighthearted post for a Friday afternoon. 

I was just taking a little break from reading files and watched the students walk by my window for a little while.  I started to think about the number of times current students field questions about clothing styles via College Confidential.  It's strangely common for people to ask about how a "typical" student dresses. It's pretty hard to define a singular style for a student body of 14,000, but I decided to make a few notes about what I saw outside the window.

So, here are my observations, taken around 2 PM on December 10, 2010:

-The typical student wears jeans.  If you don't wear jeans, you will be okay here, as there were also students in leggings, sweatpants, and khaki pants.  Jeans were the dominant item, though.

-Male students seemed to be wearing two mains types of shoes: sneakers and brown shoes.  A few wore hiking boots (probably due to the weather...it's chilly here today).  I know I saw a pair of Toms (they have a pretty recognizable toe) and some Vans.  The sneaker is definitely the dominant item.

-Female students seemed to have slightly more variety in footwear, though boots were dominant (this is probably due to current trends and the temperature).  Other styles of footwear were sneakers (a very close second to the boot), fuzzy slipper looking things, and flats.

-Fleece jackets, ski jackets (I'm putting anything that's a little puffy with a synthetic shell in this category), sweatshirts, and pea coats seemed to be the most popular overcoats with fleece being the dominant material.

-Backpacks were the most popular accessory, though some carried messenger bags and a few girls had tote-style bags.

So, there you have it.   Any questions?


EDIT: I just saw someone jog by wearing shorts.  Just shorts...in December.

There are THREE parts to your application

Please don't forget that there are three parts to your application to UVa.  This should be very clear when you look at the main page once you log into your Common Application account.  

Submitting one part does not submit the other parts.  

Be sure you submit the Common Application, the UVa Supplement, and your payment (or fee waiver, if you have one).   Submitting the Common Application will not forced the submission of the UVa Supplement.  You must submit three different items in order for us to receive your application.

 

I will probably post this graphic a few more times in the next month, to catch new readers.

When to submit your application

Students routinely ask us when they should submit their applications.  The easy answer: by the deadline.  However, we know what they are really asking.  There are rumors that would lead you to believe that you have to strategize when it comes to the date that you hit submit.

At UVa, there is no benefit to the application who submits their application early.  There is a benefit to us in that we are able to spread processing of applications out a little more widely when applications come in early.  The first few weeks of January are pretty crazy around here since most students submit their applications at or right around the deadline.

Our processing staff would love it if you were able to hit submit early, but from where I sit, I don't want you to hit submit until you are confident that your application is the best it can be.  If that happens on December 31st, we will mange just fine.

Good luck!  One month to go!

To waive or not to waive?

I don't have an opinion about which button you should check in the waiver section of the recommendation form.  In recent years, I've noticed more students checking the "no" button.  This is totally fine. However, make sure you read the waiver and understand where and when it comes into play. 

 

 

Let's talk about arts supplements

If you're thinking of majoring, minoring, or being significantly involved in the arts at UVa, you may want to submit an arts supplement along with your application.  Supplements are reviewed by faculty members in visual arts, dance, drama, and music (including the marching band).  The reviews will become part of the application.

Submitting an arts supplement is not required for those interested in the arts.  You are not trying out for anything at this point.

On the arts supplement page of our website, you will see cover sheets to use for each type of supplement.  Please be sure to follow the directions on the cover sheets!  Arts supplements are due by December 1st for those applying to start their first year in Fall 2011.

Feel free to use the comment section below to ask questions.

The "photo shoot" for this entry produced so many hilarious pictures that I had to share them.  

CavDog clearly thought the paint brush was a new toy.

Behind the scenes logistics

For decades, admission offices around the country (and world, no doubt) have been receiving components of applications. 

Back when I was in high school, schools sent application packets to students by mail.  Those packets included all the forms one needed to submit and some included a slew of envelopes that were labeled for each component.  Regardless of envelope, everything got to admission offices by mail and got filed from there.

I wound up working in my Alma Mater's admission office and spent a good part of my year filing documents.  There were thousands of documents coming into the office, but our little staff filed and filed to make sure all the components met up.  We actually enjoyed the work a little bit...I even remember sneaking into the office with two admission officers (one of whom is now a counselor at a private school in Connecticut *wave*) one Saturday to finish the filing as a surprise to the administrative staff.  The dean came in to garlands made out of envelopes strewn around his office that Monday.  This is probably why I enjoy the days when we help open the mail here in the Office of Admission at UVa.

These days, the process is far smoother and doesn't take nearly as long.  The Common Application automatically tags every document you send online with data that allows our system to file automatically.

Each night, the Common Application system sends newly completed applications (we have things set up so it only sends us your file when you submit all three parts of the application, the Common App, UVa Supplement, and payment).  Our system runs a script (an automated process) that looks through any miscellaneous documents that have arrived by mail.  If it finds a match, the system moves those documents from the miscellaneous area of the filing system to the newly created file for your application.

Items that arrive in the mail are scanned and loaded into the system for the same matching process.

No matter how your documents are sent, they will all meet up in the end.  Some schools still have the traditional, paper filing system and that will work just fine (it will probably take a little longer than our automated system, of course).  This is one part of the process I don't want you to worry about.

Once your application is processed by our system, you'll get an email confirming its arrival.  That email contains your login information for our SIS (Student Information System).  You can log into SIS to track your application (you'll see your checklist shrink as items arrive).  You'll also see a link to your decision on notification day  This is explained in the application instructions, which you've hopefully read at this point!

Election Day Q&A with Dean J

Judging from the number of people who have registered for the 10 AM information session today, many of your schools are out for election day.  We hope you enjoy the day off!

 

Please feel free to post any questions you have about your applications in the comments below.  I'll work through them in the next few posts.

Stressed

 

During one of my high school visits today, I saw a girl who looked like the stress of senior year was hitting her hard.  I figured a few of you might be in the same boat right about now and you might need a little CavDog intervention.  Hang in there, everyone.

NOVA, part 2

Here we go again!  I went to the Fair Oaks Mall college fair last night to surprise one of our newer staff members who was working that fair.  It's generally a bit of a mad house and I figured she could use the help.  With 3 admission officers and 8 alumni volunteers, we were still swamped for most of the night!  The questions were mostly basic (SAT scores "cut offs", GPA averages, quotas, grading scale changes), but every now and then, someone had a good one.  They were juniors, though.  By next year, they'll have more on their minds.

There was one adorable 8th grader there.  I'm usually quick to send students so young off to have fun, but he was so serious and had such good questions that I couldn't resist talking to him about admission.  Something tells me he'll be just fine when it's his turn to apply.

In case you're curious, here's my schedule for the week:

Monday, October 18
9:30 AM Stone Bridge High School
12:00 PM Broad Run High School
1:30 PM Briar Woods High School
2:30 PM Academy of Science (informal visit)
3:15 PM Dominion High School

Tuesday, October 19
7:30 AM South Lakes High School
9:30 AM Westfield High School
11:00 AM Chantilly High School
1:00 PM Centreville High School

Wednesday, October 20
8:00 AM South County Secondary School
10:00 AM Mount Vernon High School
11:15 AM West Potomac High School
1:45 PM West Springfield High School
7:00 PM Paul VI College Night

Thursday, October 21
9:30 AM Loudoun County High School
11:30 AM Tuscarora High School
1:30 PM Heritage High School
3:15 PM Loudoun Valley High School
6:00 PM STEM Program at Battlefield High School (PDF of the invitation)

Friday, October 22
8:00 AM Falls Church High School
10:00 AM Robinson Secondary School
12:00 PM Langley High School

The specialist vs. the generalist when it comes to extracurricular activities

When I was in high school, we were obsessed with the concept of the well rounded student.  I thought there was some sort of list that admission officers used when reviewing applications to evaluate well roundedness.  Service?  Check.  Leadership?  Check.  Athletics?  Check.  Creativity?  Check.

I also assumed there was a hierarchy of extracurricular activities at each school.  I don't know where this came from (this was pre-internet), but these little rumors spread pretty quickly.  I didn't join clubs in the name of being well rounded, but a rumor about a certain college looking favorably on Model UN members kept me in the club during an extra year, when my heart wasn't into it.

On the flip side, there were people who said that colleges wanted specialists.  The thinking was that the well rounded student was so ubiquitous that schools wanted people who excelled in one area.  Be narrow!  Focus!  Have a passion!     

In talking with students on the road last week, it seems that the well rounded idea is still be pushed, but the specialist idea is out there too.  It's all so confusing.  What in the world do we want?

I want to see that you're involved in some stuff.

There are people with long activity lists and there are people with short activity lists.  The length of your list is of no interest to me, as depth usually varies.  There are no preferred activities.  We want to see commitment.  That has many forms.

Travel preparations

Today was a preparation day for my week in northern Virginia.  First, I made a trip to the Greek diner that reminds me of where I grew up.  I bet some of you can guess where I'm from knowing that information.

Then came a trip to the office with the rental car to pick up materials to take on the road with me.  I think NOVA will be a three box trip.  I actually hope I'll bring home some materials since so many of the students I'll meet will already know the basics.  This is why I love my NOVA trips so much.  Most students ask questions that are a little pretty sophisticated.

Peabody Hall was very quiet, but I ran into one colleague who just got home from a trip. 

Good-bye Peabody Hall.  Good-bye Alexander Calder statue. 

Next up came a marathon fetch session with CavDog, who was cooped up for a few days because of some rain.  He was a happy dog when we were outside, but as soon as we came in and I started packing my suitcase, he was sulking.  As I wrote before, CavDog isn't a big fan of travel season.




Now it's time to sign off and start the two hour drive to my temporary home for the next week.  In case you missed it, here's my schedule of visits for the week:

Monday, October 4
9:30 AM Freedom High School
11:00 AM Park View High School
12:45 PM Herndon High School
2:30 PM Potomac Falls High School

Tuesday, October 5
8:30 AM Wakefield High School
10:00 AM Stuart High School
11:45 AM TJHSST
1:00 PM Annandale High School
7:00 PM Lake Braddock High School

Wednesday, October 6
8:00 AM James Madison High School
9:30 AM Oakton High School
11:00 AM Fairfax High School
1:30 PM Marshall High School

Thursday, October 7
8:30 AM Langley High School
10:00 AM McLean High School
11:30 AM Yorktown High School
1:30 PM Washington-Lee High School

Friday, October 8
8:15 AM Hayfield Secondary School
9:30 AM Lee High School
11:00 AM Edison High School
12:45 PM WT Woodson High School

I'll be back in the area in two weeks for another five days of visits.

NACAC

In the wee hours of tomorrow morning, I'll be on way way to St. Louis for NACAC's annual conference.  NACAC is the National Association of College Admission Counseling.  Most of the admission officers you encounter during your college search are members and many of your college counselors are, too.

Right after the conference is my first trip to northern Virginia, so the blog might be a tad quiet for a few days. 

Here's a CavDog picture to tide you over until the next entry...

Introducing the Pre-Comm Blog

 

Photo from the Pre-Comm Blog

I'm so excited to announce that there is now a blog dedicated to pre-comm students!

At UVa, we have two schools for students interested in studying business.  The McIntire School of Commerce is the school for undergraduates and offers Bachelor's and Masters degrees.  The Darden School of Business is the graduate school that offers M.B.A. degrees.  McIntire is located in Rouss and Robertson Halls on the Lawn in the middle of Central Grounds and Darden is located on the outskirts of Grounds.  Obviously, readers of this blog who want to study business are more interested in McIntire than Darden.

If you want to be a student in McIntire, you'll be applying to the College of Arts & Sciences on your first year application.  You'll spend your first two years getting ready for the move to McIntire (see the coursework you'll need on their website).  Applications to move into McIntire are filed in your second year and you'll spend a whole lot of your last two years at the University in Rouss and Robertson Halls if everything works out.

Here's a glimpse into the buildings, which were reopened after renovation in 2008:

And here's a more in-depth video about McIntire:

One the road in Tidewater, Hampton Roads, the Penninsula, etc.

I offered my colleagues the opportunity to share their travel plans on the blog and Merav Frazier has already taken me up on the offer!  Aside from being an admission counselor in our office, Merav coaches the UVa Color Guard, part of the Cavalier Marching Band.  This means she's one of a handful of adults sitting in the student section at football games (lucky duck!).

There is another staff member visiting a slew of other schools in this same area, so please don't be worried if you don't see your school on this list.  

Monday, October 4^th 

8:50am           Indian River High School

10:30am         Nansemond-Suffolk Academy

Tuesday, October 5^th 

9:00am             Stonebridge High School

10:30am           Hickory High School

12:45pm          Great Bridge High School

2:30pm             Deep Creek High School

Wednesday, October 6^th  

9:00am           Western Branch High School

11:00am         Ocean Lakes High School

12:25pm         Kempsville High School

2:30pm           Oscar F. Smith High School

Thursday, October 7^th 

8:00am            Landstown High School

9:00am            Floyd E Kellam High School          

10:30am          Princess Anne High School          

11:45am         Bayside High School

1:15pm           Green Run High School

Friday, October 8^th 

7:15am              Tallwood High School

9:15am              Frank W. Cox High School

10:45am            First Colonial High School

12:30pm            Cape Henry Collegiate School

Monday, October 18^th

7:00pm             Hayfield High School (College Fair)

Tuesday, October 19^th

7:00pm              TC Williams High School (College Fair)

Thursday, October 21^st

9:00am              Essex High School (College Fair)

1:00pm              Northumberland High School (College Fair)

5:00pm              Gloucester High School (College Fair)

Let's talk about demonstrated interest

I often find myself saying that filling out our application is the best way to demonstrate your interest in UVa.  There are many schools out there that track contact with students and use demonstrated interest as a factor in admission, but UVa does not.  Sending notes/emails, dropping business cards or resumes, and getting "face time" really doesn't affect application review here.  Similarly, visiting the Grounds or coming to evening programs will not increase your chances of admission.

So, see the interaction you have with us prior to filing your application as a huge opportunity.  Ask us questions.  Ask us about the things that are really on your mind.  Ask us about the rumors you're hearing from friends, family, and the guy down the street.  No one will connect the questions you ask now with the application you may file in the coming months.

Upcoming visits in Northern Virginia

It's almost NOVA time! I'm on my way to Northern Virginia for two weeks of high school visits in October. I've heard that some schools send rookie admission officers to NOVA as an initiation because of the notorious traffic and the advanced questions that get asked there. I personally love my time in northern Virginia, probably because I grew up in an area just like it. I enjoy being asked questions about topics that are far more interesting than SAT scores and deadlines. Hearing the current rumors that are getting passed around is interesting, too.

I'm so excited that I was able to work visits to most of the public schools in Arlington, Fairfax, and Alexandria into my schedule. If I am not coming to your school, it is due to my own scheduling conflicts or a visit being made by another staff member or at another point in the season.

With the exception of the STEM program at Battlefield (link opens a PDF invitation) and the College Night program at Paul VI, these visits are for students who attend each of the schools below. If your school is on my schedule and you'd like to come see me, you already know the drill. Your Career Center Specialists have probably made you aware of the sign up procedure you need to follow to get a pass.

So, here is where I'm headed:

Monday, October 4
9:30 AM Freedom High School
11:00 AM Park View High School
12:45 PM Herndon High School
2:30 PM Potomac Falls High School

Tuesday, October 5
8:30 AM Wakefield High School
10:00 AM Stuart High School
11:45 AM TJHSST
1:00 PM Annandale High School
7:00 PM Lake Braddock High School

Wednesday, October 6
8:00 AM James Madison High School
9:30 AM Oakton High School
11:00 AM Fairfax High School
1:30 PM Marshall High School

Thursday, October 7
8:30 AM Langley High School
10:00 AM McLean High School
11:30 AM Yorktown High School
1:30 PM Washington-Lee High School

Friday, October 8
8:15 AM Hayfield Secondary School
9:30 AM Lee High School
11:00 AM Edison High School
12:45 PM WT Woodson High School


Monday, October 18
9:30 AM Stone Bridge High School
12:00 PM Broad Run High School
1:30 PM Briar Woods High School
2:30 PM Academy of Science
3:15 PM Dominion High School

Tuesday, October 19
7:30 AM South Lakes High School
9:30 AM Westfield High School
11:00 AM Chantilly High School
1:00 PM Centreville High School

Wednesday, October 20
8:00 AM South County Secondary School
10:00 AM Mount Vernon High School
11:15 AM West Potomac High School
1:45 PM West Springfield High School
7:00 PM Paul VI College Night

Thursday, October 21
9:30 AM Loudoun County High School
11:30 AM Tuscarora High School
1:30 PM Heritage High School
3:15 PM Loudoun Valley High School
6:00 PM STEM Program at Battlefield High School (PDF of the invitation)

Friday, October 22
8:00 AM Falls Church High School
10:00 AM Robinson Secondary School

Please feel free to suggest options for a good, quick lunch if you're from a school I'll be hitting just before or just after lunch. Panera gets a little old after a while. :)

FYI, another admission officer will be at TC Williams for a fair on Tuesday, October 19 (7-9 PM) and I'll be at Woodgrove High School for College Night on Tuesday, November 16.

Planning your visit to UVa

If you're thinking of heading to Charlottesville this fall to visit the University, there are a few things you should know about.

First of all, visitors always seem to want appointments for information sessions and tours. We run sessions and tours regardless of how many people are going to show up, but we decided to institute a reservation system so we can plan our room reservations and give the University Guide Service a heads up about how many tour guides they'll need to schedule.

The tour and information session schedule is always posted online and once you pick a visit date and time, you can move to the reservation page to let us know when you'll be coming. Even group visits can be scheduled via the reservation system.


You can contact the Monroe Society if you'd like to stay overnight and shadow a student during their day. If you want to plan your own visit without an official host, you can consult the Open Class List to select a couple classes that interest you.

Feel free to post questions about visits in the comments. We hope to see you on Grounds soon!

CavDog is not a fan of travel season

New England Group Travel

In a little over an hour, I'll be meeting up with old friends from Johns Hopkins and Northwestern, plus a new one from UC Berkeley for the first of five evening program in New England. If you're on any of our mailing lists, we probably already know this because we mailed and emailed invitations to these programs last month. However, if you'd like to join us this week, you can RSVP via our "UVa Visits You" page.

Our evening programs:

Sunday, September 12 - Noble & Greenough School (MA)
Monday, September 13 - Andover High School (MA)
Tuesday, September 14 - Providence Marriott Downtown (RI)
Wednesday, September 15 - Darien High School (CT)
Thursday, September 16 - Simsbury High School (CT)

We'll also be hosting counselor breakfasts each morning for your guidance staffs, who also received invitations by mail and email last month.

Hope to see some of you this week!

News from the front desk

Our administrative staff went on retreat the other day and the deans took turns covering the phones at the front desk. I actually enjoy this little tradition (much like I enjoy opening mail during the heaviest mail days of the year). First of all, it's interesting to hear the questions that come in to the front desk. Second, I enjoy hearing the surprise in someone's voice when I tell them I'm a dean and am happy to answer their more complex question. There are also a few callers who won't tell the front desk why they're calling...they just insist that they must talk to an admission officer directly.

The questions were pretty interesting. One woman had questions about a pension plan and thought we could help her. She wasn't a former employee of the University, but I guess I should be flattered that she thought we could explain how her plan worked. Many wanted to know if their credit would transfer if they came to UVa. They didn't seem to realize that there's a handy transfer credit analyzer on the website.

The most unexpected question, though, was from a woman from my own home state. She wanted to make sure we'd keep her tour appointment for Friday. We get a lot of people who think they need reservations or to sign in for tours and information sessions. So many, that we looked into implementing a reservation system (we're going to demo one today and will probably launch it in the coming weeks). After chatting for a minute, it became clear that she thought Charlottesville was at the beach and that Hurricane Earl would affect us.

UVa is about 2 1/2 to 3 hours from the beach, so we'll be open as usual today and over the weekend. Any changes to our schedule get posted on the Plan a Visit page on our website, which is where all info about tours, information sessions, open classes, and shadowing can be found.

In a NOVA state of mind

Travel season is around the corner and I'm in the middle of planning my favorite trip of all.

I Love Northern Virginia

I grew up in an area very much like NOVA, so going there always makes me feel like I'm home. Our dean grew up there, so I'm not the only one in our office who likes visiting.

In past years, I've spent a week trying to get to as many schools in Fairfax, Loudoun, Alexandria, and Arlington as possible. I'm never able to get to them all. This year, I get to spend two working weeks (ten days) in the region. I decided to try to visit every public high school in the area and as many privates as I can fit in. I'm not sure I can do it even if every single school is able to fit me into their schedule, but I'm going to try!

So, if you live in northern Virginia, keep an eye on the blog in the coming weeks. I'll be posting my travel schedule when I get my itinerary worked out (most schools, from what I understand, are back in session next week and I'll start making appointments then). I can't wait to meet some of you on the road!

CavDog using a dog water fountain in Old Town Alexandria

It's ranking time again

I'm happy to report that all the ranking methodologies out there still produce results that say UVa is a good school. Whew!

I have to admit that rankings are a source of entertainment for me. I don't know anyone who subscribes to the biggest name in the rankings business, but for some reason, they have become a must read for anyone interested in higher education. When the lists start leaking, emails fly and speculation ensues. I take solace in the number of comments on College Confidential that are critical of the rankings, though there are always a few who take them very, very seriously.

If you are interested in the rankings, I think the UVa press release about the most recent round of US News & World Report rankings would be of interest. It breaks down some of the numbers behind the methodology and some of the program rankings, too. If you were in any way interested in the Forbes rankings that came out earlier this month, please read the release about that. It's far more diplomatic about the methodology than I would have been!

You can see all sorts of rankings we've been given on the Facts At a Glance Rankings page.


Regardless of what the lists say, visit schools and decide if they deserve a top ranking on your list.

A quick note about the Common Application and timing

I got a call yesterday from a mother who was pretty worried that her son hadn't received a confirmation email from UVa about the submission of his application. She cited the application instructions, which state that students will receive an email containing Student Information System login information within 4-5 days of submitting their application. Had the mother been here in person, I first would have hugged her for actually reading the application instructions. We pore over them to make sure they are thorough, but it's apparent that many (dare I say most?) don't read them. It is very, very early in the application season. So early, that we are not yet taking delivery of applications from the Common App system. If you are one of the intrepid students who submitted an application via Common App already, you can probably see on your main Common App page that it has not been downloaded yet. That means it is resting in the Common App system for a little while. When we start up the Common App's scheduled delivery service (the automatic process that feeds your applications to us in the wee hours each morning), you'll see that download item update. Within four or five days of that download, you'll be getting an email from our system with your login information. For now, you should make sure to add UVa's admission email addresses to your address book, which will hopefully limit the chance of our email going to your spam folder. The email address is undergradadmission@virignia.edu. Don't worry about your confirmation email just yet.

Here's CavDog biting off more than he can chew during a recent trip to Walnut Creek, a county park just south of Charlottesville.

Scholarship information

The application season has just started and I'm already getting questions about scholarships. I hope you've noticed that there's a link on the main Office of Admission page called "Paying for UVa". On that page, you'll find links to lists of scholarships and grants. You'll also find links to the financial aid website.

UVa Housing Blog

When people visit us, they really, really, really, really want to see the residence halls in which they'll live when they are students here. Unfortunately, our tours don't go into the halls for security reasons. The only people allowed in the halls are the students who live in them, their guests, and housing staff. I personally think this is a great idea.

I also think that showing you one room on a campus where there are so many varieties of housing doesn't make too much sense. Obviously, if we could go into the halls on tours, we'd opt for the nicest, newest hall to show you and you might wind up with a totally different style of room.

Here are a few resources that will help you learn about the many different housing options you'll have here.

UVa Housing Blog - written by the Director himself!




Incoming Student Housing Page - click on the building/area names at the bottom for floor plans, pictures, and a list of items that come in rooms

Returning Student Housing Page - pictures and floor plans of the rooms you may live in after your first year

Off Grounds Housing - website for students who are considering a move off Grounds after their first year

Welcome to the 2010-2011 application season!

The phones have started to ring with applications questions. Ah...it's the start of a new application season. The Common App went live at midnight on Sunday night and it's as if the starting gates at the Foxfield Races just opened. On my side of the Common App, I can see that thousands of students have started applications already and several have submitted. Sometimes I want to say "Slow down! You have plenty of time!" but I realize that many students want to get as much done as possible before school starts in a few weeks.

Even if you think you've finished your application, I don't think you should submit it right now. While I think submitting early is great, I don't think you need to be racing to finish this process in August. Set your essays aside for a little while and revisit them later. I bet you'll have some edits.

Good luck...and feel free to post questions in the comment section.

UVA and early admission deadlines

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.

Waitlist update #5

I'm out of the office currently, attending a Common App conference in Minneapolis.

The waitlist process has finished. We have filled the class and released the waitlist. Everyone who remained on the waitlist should now see a change in their status in SIS.

I realize this isn't the news you wanted, but at this point, I think most were eager to move on and fully commit to their other schools. Best wishes for a wonderful, relaxing summer, a smooth move in at a fantastic school, and a rewarding first year.

Thanks again for being part of this blog!

FYI...

If you are planning to visit this weekend, please check UVa's Emergency Information site for updates. A storm that came through Charlottesville on Thursday evening has left many parts of town without power and many roads littered with tree limbs and power lines.

I gave the morning information session to a packed Newcomb Theater and our visitors said their hotels had kept them safe and fed through the night. Power is back on in some parts of the area, but there are still roads without working traffic lights, so travel may be slow.

Our facilities group has done an amazing job clearing walkways and roads around Grounds. Check out the difference between 5:30 PM last night (left) and 2:00 PM today (right).

There were fallen branches under every tree last night.
This afternoon, people were playing under the same trees.

It's hard to tell in the picture from last night (left), but there was one tree blocking the road at the top and another blocking the walkway at the top of the stairs (on The Lawn).


CavDog assumed the grounds crews were picking up branches to play with him.
He had a great time "helping" them carry branches around.

2010-2011 Application Essays

For those juniors out there who are looking to start thinking about their college applications, here are the essay questions that will be on the UVa Supplement to the Common App next year. Keep in mind that there will be one general essay question on the Common App in addition to these shorter personal statements.

The most popular piece of advice from the seniors every year is "start early". I don't think you need to worry about filling out forms just yet, but essays are definitely something to start thinking about if you have a little free time this summer.

Here they are. Hope you like them!

1. We are looking for passionate students to join our diverse community of scholars, researchers, and artists. Answer the question that corresponds to the school you selected above. Limit your answer to a half page or roughly 250 words.

• College of Arts & Sciences: What work of art, music, science, mathematics, or literature has surprised, unsettled, or challenged you, and in what way?
• Engineering: If you were given a $10,000 budget and the opportunity to build a small team of talented, motivated individuals, what would you propose to accomplish?
• Architecture: Discuss an experience that led you to apply to the School of Architecture.
• Nursing: Discuss experiences that led you to choose the School of Nursing.

2. Answer one of the following questions in a half page or roughly 250 words:

• What is your favorite word and why?
• Describe the world you come from and how that world shaped who you are.
• Discuss your favorite place to get lost. (This question was written by U.Va. students who live in one of residential colleges, Brown College at Monroe Hill.)
• In The Dumbest Generation, Mark Bauerlein asserts that social media and youth culture undercut the skills necessary to be a global citizen when he writes: “We need a steady stream of rising men and women to replenish the institutions, to become strong military leaders and wise political leaders, dedicated journalists and demanding teachers, judges and muckrakers, scholars and critics and artists. We have the best schools to train them, but social and private environments have eroded.” Do you agree with his assessment or not?

Waitlist update #4

This update doesn't contain all that much information...the waitlist process continues to unfold. I imagine that's that's good news for some of you.

Just as a reminder, the official offer will post to your SIS account. You'll accept and pay your tuition deposit through SIS. Obviously, it's fun when we call a student and we realize what their decision is immediately. Last week, I made called a student to let her know that we were giving her an offer and her voice started trembling when she replied. Her mother (I assume) started screaming and a dog started barking in the background. As she was hanging up the phone I heard her yell "No way!" I think I was grinning for the rest of the afternoon.

Rest assured, if you need to look over your aid package with your parents, you'll have some time to do that.

Hang in there! At this point, I don't think you should be sending any more updates in the mail since we are apt to see an increase in mail (and processing times) due to final transcripts arriving from matriculated students.

Remember, this blog is geared towards first-year applicants.
Transfers should see the Transfer Blog for updates on their process.

Waitlist update #3

We're still working through the waitlist.

From the comments on the last post, I think I need to direct you back to the original posts I wrote about the waitlist. This takes time because we are reading files. We don't make offers based solely on statistics (GPA, testing, rank, etc). This is a holistic process and it takes time.

I think some of you may have assumed that there are official "rounds" in this process. I used the term to describe why making waitlist offers takes time. We make some offers, we give students some time to think about them, some accept, and some decline. Then we make more offers to fill in the spots where offers were declined.

The timeline was spelled out in my original waitlist post and in the waitlist FAQ. We aim to have this wrapped up by the end of June. Some colleges out there will take longer and some schools are probably done already.

W e know the wait is tough.
We promise that we're working as quickly as we can.

Waitlist update #2

By this point, we've made what you could call a first round of waitlist offers and given students a few days to think about accepting those offers. Some have accepted our offer and some have not. We're moving on to making another round of offers. The cycle repeats.

My feeling (and this is totally unscientific) is that the waitlist will wrap up earlier than it did last year. I don't have any numbers for you at this time.

At this point, there is no action required on your part (unless you realize that you don't want to be on the waitlist anymore and you can remove yourself via the SIS). When we are done, I will post a note on this blog and letters will be sent to all students are have remained on the waitlist.

Waitlist update #1

The information I have to share today is great for some and not-so-great for others.

At this point, waitlist offers are going to select applicants to the College of Arts & Sciences and School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. We are not making offers to students who are on the waitlist for Architecture or Nursing at this time. As waitlist offers are made at other schools, it is possible that we'll see more room in the class, so I can't say that we won't make any offers for those two schools.

I realize this isn't the news some of you wanted to hear, but thought it best to let you know.

As I've explained before, this process takes some time. We are working in teams to reread files. To speed notification up, we will call a student we want to offer a spot to and if we can't reach a student by phone, we'll email. Obviously, it's nice to hear a big "YES!" on the other end of the line, but offers are officially made through SIS and responses must be made through SIS. A call will be made to let the student know to check SIS.

Keep in mind that we may have a certain number of spots open today, make some offers, and then have a few students get off waitlists elsewhere and withdraw tomorrow, which means we go back and find a few more students to admit.

We are working as quickly as possible. Please don't call our office at this time about the waitlist. We will be in touch if we are able to offer you a spot. When the class is full, I will post a note here. You will also get a final letter and see SIS change to reflect that we have released the waitlist.

I have to add, though, that coming across files I enjoyed reading months ago and being able to recommend an offer for some waitlist students has given me a little happiness during what has been a very sad week.

The waitlist process has begun

We have started to work with the waitlist. I don't have any numbers at this time.

Please do not call our office about the waitlist process. We are very busy with calls from transfer students (their decisions were posted over the weekend) and additional traffic on the phones and in the office will slow this process down quite a bit.

I know you want data. I will share it as soon as I can.

The National Candidate's Reply Date is upon us!

Admission deans around the country have been pacing the floors for the last month, asking for new numbers every 30 minutes, and analyzing past data in attempts to predict what will happen by the end of the day on May 1st.

Before midnight on May 1st, you need to pay a deposit at one of the colleges on your list. If you have questions, you have until 5 PM to call admission offices and up until 11:59 PM to post questions online in the various forums students use to talk about admission. If you actually expect responses to your question, I'd post it a little earlier. I won't be at a computer for most of the day on Saturday, so get the blog-worthy questions in tonight.

Simply hitting the "accept" button on our offer page doesn't put you in the Class of 2014. You must continue on to the payment process (turn off your pop-up blocker to do this) to become and official member of the class. The payment system is a secure, e-check system, so you have to type in the routing and account numbers on a check to pay the deposit. You can use a credit card, but I believe the credit card company's fee is passed on to you and I'm pretty sure one brand of card (Visa?) doesn't work with the system.

Good luck to those who are trying to make a last minute decision! If you have any questions about UVa, don't hesitate to post them here. If you have technical problems, email 4help@virginia.edu or call (434) 924-HELP.

CavDog wishes you were here

Let me address one practice that is not acceptable: double depositing. There are some people out there who encourage students to pay deposits at two schools, thus buying them extra time to make their final decision. These students sometimes remain deposited at two schools for weeks. Some even attend more than one orientation session.

I think double depositing is unethical and it drags out the waitlist process many more weeks than it should last. Most of the time, waitlist movement trickles down in a fairly predictable fashion, with most schools finishing up their offers by the end of June. Double deposited students sometimes cancel much later than that and some schools have resorted to keeping an extended waitlist to ensure spots that open late in the summer can be filled.

If a student double deposits, we usually hear about it from their school when two final transcripts are requested. Many guidance officers are quick to make sure we know that a student was not advised to double deposit by their high school.

EDIT at 6:30 PM: I got an email from someone who confused double depositing with being on a waitlist. It is perfectly acceptable to deposit at one school while remaining on the waitlist at another. Someday, perhaps the admission process will allow for some sort of first step before a final commitment is required, but for now, you have to pick one school.

Wherever you go...

Wherever you wind up next year, regardless of what you decide to study, please ignore whatever apprehension you may have and

GO

SEE

YOUR

PROFESSORS

Thank you so much to Brianne, a Darden student who posted this on her blog this morning. The staff shown are from the Darden Graduate School of Business at UVa.

The Welcome Book is online!

The Office of Orientation and New Student Programs publishes a beautiful booklet each year that serves as a great introduction to student life at UVa. The book just went up online, so you can take a peek at it now (you'll get a copy in the mail later in the summer if you enroll). You can flip through the book using the buttons at the top of the frame on the orientation page. If you've started to get digital copies of magazines, you're probably familiar with the format already.

Enjoy!

Happy Earth Day!

I thought I'd share a few videos that show big and small efforts to incorporate sustainability into life at UVa.

First up is a video about the 4th EcoMod. EcoMod is a collaborative project between the School of Engineer and the School of Architecture. The mod is built at a hanger near Lake Monticello and then transported to a site where an eager family will live in it. A resident of an earlier EcoMod once said that the energy monitoring is extremely precise in these homes, so living in one provides a bit of an education about consumption.

EcoMod 4 is a few blocks from my own home and it's a pretty cool looking house!




Here's a video that was just posted yesterday about student efforts around Grounds to recycle and make decisions with the environment in mind. With the Foxfield horse races coming up this weekend, I thought it was interesting that some students are opting to bike to the event. I imagine they cruise right past cars that have to wait in line at the gate.

By the way, there's a cameo by Noble, the official dog of the University. He lives on the Lawn. :)



Here's one more video, a little older than the others, about storm water management here. Many people assume the pond near the Curry School of Education is decorative, but it's part of the management plan.

How to join the Class of 2014

With May 1st around the corner, I want to make sure you're aware of a few things.

1. You are not officially part of the Class of 2014 until you hit the accept button and pay your tuition deposit. Hitting the accept button without paying the deposit will put you in a little limbo zone where you are deemed to be intending on depositing.

2. You have to turn off your pop-up blocker to pay your deposit.

3. Deposits are made online. The system is an e-check system (you'll have to type in the routing and account numbers on your check, just as you do on your tax return if you get a refund). You can use a credit card, but the fee will be passed onto you and the system will not take Visa cards.

4. If you have any technical problems, call (434) 924-HELP or email 4help@virginia.edu. Do not post a comment here...I don't have any access to the e-check system. My response will be to call 4-HELP.

Hope that helps! Good luck with those final decisions!

Last admitted student chat TONIGHT!

The very last of our online chats for admitted students is tonight! The chat will run from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM and you are welcome to stop in for a minute or for the entire chat. There will be current students in the chat rooms to answer questions about life at UVa. We hope this will be yet another chance to get some of those lingering questions answered before your reply is due on May 1st.

Admission Chat Room

DOTL Wrap Up

The last Days on the Lawn of 2010 has just begun. We've enjoyed having you here so much!

Part of our job is making sure you have the information you need to make your decision. If you have lingering questions, don't hesitate to call us or post here. It's hard to believe, but May 1st is around the corner!

For those who are curious, the columns of the Rotunda are covered for restoration work.

Three years ago, CavDog was afraid of the marching band. Not any more!

CavDog is going to miss all of extra attention (in the form of belly rubs) he gets during DOTL.

One request: if you realize that you belong at a different school, please be sure to decline your offer of admission as soon as possible in the SIS so we can assess where the class stands and plan for the waitlist process.

Waitlist students, I will post an update when I know more about what will happen with the list this year. Unfortunately, it's too early to know where they may be room in the class.

More from Youtube

I got a little lost on Youtube again.

The UVa Youtube channel has videos I have never seen before. I'm going to have to subscribe to stay on top of things from now on.

I love how this student says AccessUVa is the "greatest gift" anyone has ever given him. I also like that he showed off the list of residents who have lived in his lawn room before him. I always imagine that the first few days in a lawn room are spent googling those names.


One of the related videos is an interview with an Iraq war veteran who transferred into UVa.


I was really happy to learn that we have a sustainability coordinator working with the dining halls. Who knew all of our apples are local? Our bananas and coffee are fairly traded? Nice!



I wish I had seen this back in December. It includes some great pictures from 2009, including ones of our late Dean of Admission, Jack Blackburn.

For our friends at Virginia Tech

Beta Bridge, April 17, 2007

This message stayed on Beta Bridge longer than any other message. Most messages are painted over within hours. This one remained until June 9th, when members of the Virginia Tech community painted over it with their own message.

Beta Bridge, June 9, 2007

More...

Once you deposit

Once you pay your deposit, you should click on the link for incoming students on the front page of the SIS.

Within 72 hours, you'll be able to take the responsible computing quiz, which will activate your UVa email account. After that, comes orientation registration! Exciting stuff!


There are no benefits, registration wise, to coming to an early orientation session. Seats in classes are saved for each session. So, a class will look full to a student at one session once the seats for that session are full. When the next session starts, seats will be released and the class will appear open again.

Also know that you will probably shift your courses a little bit during the drop/ad period at the beginning of the year. You aren't locked into the schedule you create at orientation. There will be room for adjustments once classes start in the fall.


By the way, keep an eye on the deadlines on the orientation page:

Housing Application Deadline: June 4
Student Information Form (CLAS) Deadline: June 16
Student Information Form (ARCH) Deadline: Postmarked by June 16
Dining Contract Deadline: July 28
Tuition and Fees Deadline: August 12
Student Health Record Deadline: Postmarked by August 31

Foreign Language Placement Exams For French and Spanish, take your exam online before Summer Orientation. First-year students interested in taking German, Latin, or Russian will be tested during Summer Orientation. Transfer students and all students needing to take any other language placement exams will be tested during Fall Orientation.
French: online before your session
Spanish: online before your session