It's starting...

The nervous fidgeting has started.  You've been pretty calm and cool for the last month, but you're starting to think about the next phase of this process and you want it to come RIGHT NOW!  You're starting to hear about what schools send mailings or make phone calls or do whatever they do when they're through the bulk of their applications.  What if you get a missing credentials email? What if you don't? What if someone walks by you wearing a UVa hat and smiles? What does that mean?

Here's the thing.  We have a pretty small staff and we have this funny hang up about being super thorough in our review.  There's a common assumption that we sort files to determine which ones will be read and this is not the case.  Every file is read.  There is no rubric in our process, so while we do look at the statistics you schools send us, we don't base our decisions purely on numbers.  Program, your school's methodology (with respect to grading, GPAs, and rank), recommendations, essays, and involvement all factor in. 

So, a small staff, a lot of applications, and holistic style of review all combine to make this process slow, but comprehensive.  I personally feel good about this.  I know you don't feel good about the wait, but it will take a while longer to complete this process in a thorough way that is fair to each application file.

Try to hit the pause button when the "what ifs" start to take over.  Rest assured that I will let you know as soon as I'm given the green light that we're wrapping up the process.  With the application increase this year, it's hard for me to make too many predictions.

Hang in there!

 

Pause.