It's the time of year when colleges with early admission programs start releasing decisions (please see my post from the other day before asking for an update). Someone inevitably asks "what are your stats" when someone posts the result of their early application on social media. I want to revisit something I've posted before: GPAs are not standardized, course rigor is not a number and we don't require a certain number of AP courses for admission to UVA.
We can't
have an AP requirement since course options vary from school to school.
We use the high school profile, submitted by the school counselor, to
understand course options and then look at what the student opted to
take in light of those options. Putting together a great
program looks different for each student
Don't assume that you understand someone's curriculum if they post their total number of APs. There are students amassing a large number of APs and post-APs in one subject while never taking an advanced course in another area (or areas). Also, there's a balance to be struck between rigor and grades.
Just remember that a few numbers posted on social media don't convey the details on application. Admission officers are looking at individual courses and grades at UVA, not just an AP total or a GPA.
A note for those in schools with International Baccalaureate programs: We have a good number of IB schools in Virginia and we recognize the difference between HL and SL courses.
Hope you're staying warm! We had a dusting of snow in Charlottesville this morning! |