Peabody is the building, Jack is the dog, and I'm Dean J (she/her, btw).

There are years of posts here. The search box works well, but please consider the age of the posts when you find them. The college admission process changes every year!

References to emailing updates to your application are from the years when we didn't have the current applicant portal. Please follow the instructions in your portal to submit all updates.

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Tuesday, October 29, 2024

Last Minute Reminders for Early Applicants

It's deadline week and we are watching the submission numbers climb as we approach November 1st. I have a few reminders for those who are putting the finishing touches on an application.

1. The Deadline is November 1

If you're someone who does their best work at the last minute, you have all day on November 1st to get your application submitted. 


2. The Deadline is for Your Common App

This is covered in the application instructions, but I realize that a lot of people haven't read them yet (please do!). November 1st is the deadline to submit an early application. It's not a deadline for school counselors or teachers. 


In addition, don't worry about the "download date" in Common App being different from the date you submitted. The automated process for getting applications into colleges' systems sometimes runs in the wee hours, so the date of submission might be different from the date of download. 

3. Almost Everyone is Undeclared

With the exception of students applying to the School of Nursing or the Kinesiology program, everyone comes to UVA undeclared.

We have a "getting to know you" question about your academic interests, but you aren't being admitted into those programs. This is covered in the text of the question on the Common App, but is also in the "School Choice and Academic Interests" section of the application instructions.


4. MyUVA Application Portal Credentials are Coming

After our system has your application, it will send you login credentials for the applicant portal. This is where you can monitor required credentials and upload updates. The system can't "read" your updates, so it can't mark them as a certain kind of document. The portal will give you an error message if your upload didn't work, so as long as you don't get an error, your item was added to your file. 

We post decisions to portals, so you'll definitely want to be familiar with yours!


5. An Incomplete Application is Normal

It takes time for documents to be processed and matched. Do not assume items weren't sent if your application is incomplete the first time you log into your portal. Remember #2 above. We'll be in touch later in November if we need anything from you.


6. We have One Email Address

Please use undergradadmission@virignia.edu for all admission inquiries. This is explained on the "Connect" page of our website, but some people still decide to email an admission officer (or several!) with questions. Use the office account and we will route your email appropriately. 


If you have any last minute questions, I'm happy to answer them in the comments. Good luck, EA and ED applicants!