Students and parents often ask for admission rates for our early and regular rounds of
admission as they try to decide which application
option is most advantageous. While I have shared admission
statistics for years on this blog (here are past statistics posts),
I am always hesitant to cite them without an explanation of why the admission rate of the different rounds shouldn't drive the decision
to submit an application in the fall versus the winter.
We review the applications the exact same way throughout the entire application season. The admission rates are telling you about the strength of the different
pools at UVA, not about a different style of application review.
A lot of people also look to test scores to tell them about the competitiveness of the admission process. I've
written so many posts about testing over the years that helps explain
why that's not the best idea, and another one is coming, but our
early and regular pools have had pretty similar testing. What can't be
conveyed in statistics: strength, consistency, and breadth of work in
core subjects, recommendations, and essays. What's more, a good portion of our class won't submit testing this year because we are test optional.
My advice: Submit when you can share your very best application with us. Some students have had time to put together an application they can be proud of in the fall and others will be better off with a little more time.
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| Too much on your plate this fall? Don't feel pressured to apply early. |