Things You Don't Have to Do for #UVA Admission

In the forest of posts on social media about what you should/must do, I thought I'd write one about what you don't have to worry about for the UVA admission process. 

Interviews

We don't offer interviews of any kind as part of the admission process at UVA. The application provides the information we need to make a decision. As someone who stressed out about a few college interviews and spent a bit of money to get to them as an applicant myself, I like that we don't use them. 

Resumes

We have turned off the resume upload feature in the Common App. UVA does not accept resumes. This is in the application instructions and on the contact page if you want to show someone our directions on this. 

When information is presented in the systematic format of the Common App, we can quickly identify the important information. If everyone submitted their awards/activities in their own document, we'd probably miss some things. Don't make more work for yourself! Use the Common App to share this information. 

Portfolios that aren't Art Supplements

We have guidelines on our website for submitting art supplements, but some students want to submit other things, such as writing portfolios, news clippings, certificates, or photos of a student engaged in an activity. Due to our application volume, we are not able to review portfolios that don't adhere to the guidelines. Please don't send anything that doesn't fit the guidelines. 

Research Abstracts

You should definitely tell us if you are engaged in research by putting it on the Common App activity list, but do not send us an abstract. A line or two telling us the subject of the research is sufficient. We will not be reading research papers or abstracts. 

Emails showing interest

As application numbers increase, so do the emails from students who want to express their interest in UVA. We are happy to answer questions, but emails showing interest aren't necessary, we don't use demonstrated interest in our review. 

By the way, submit updates through the student portal instead of by email. Please follow the application instructions on this! We want our staff to be dedicated to application review, not tending to a constant stream of emails. Following directions helps the process move quickly. Not following directions slows us down...and I know you all want us to work efficiently so we can get decisions made!

We ask for the things we know we need to make our decisions. The application includes a lot of information: transcripts, recommendations, pieces of writing, and an activity list. If someone is telling you that UVA needs things that aren't listed in our application instructions, they are mistaken.

The Role of Demonstrated Interest in the #UVA Admission Process

There's a really cute surprise that you'll see when you finish your Common App. I won't mention it specifically so those who have yet to submit applications get to enjoy it, but if you applied during Early Action or Early Decision, you know what I'm referencing. It's a little "hooray, you did it" moment that I've seen several students mention on reddit, Instagram, and Twitter. That moment means you are done with your part of the application.

Unfortunately, there are some students who have been advised to start a mail and email campaign in conjunction with applying to UVA. They send us notes with no questions in them (sometimes weekly!). I can't help but feel badly for these students. The senior year of high school is so jam packed and I wish people wouldn't feel pressured to spend time on something that doesn't move the needle in our review process.

When we read applications at UVA, we do not consult attendance lists from high school visits, information sessions and tours, or evening programs. We don't save and file the emails or letters expressing interest that people send us. We are always happy to answer your questions by phone, email, or social media. However, don't feel that you have to spend precious times and energy on making contact to demonstrate interest in UVA.

As always, I'm happy to answer your questions in the comments.

Don't feel pressured to send us letters of interest.

Mid-year Reports Due Tomorrow for #UVA23!

I writing a quick post today to remind students who were admitted or deferred under Early Action and all Regular Decision applicants that mid-year reports are due tomorrow. Please upload a midyear report card through your portal. We are a paperless office, so please do not mail or email this.

Many students are sending updates to individual admission officers (or several admission officers at once). Please use your portal to submit all updates. In addition, some are submitting a "letter of continued interest." You do not need to declare your interest in UVA. Your application is proof that you are interested. We address this in multiple places on our website and I've written about it several times on this blog.

Keep it simple! Send us the stuff we request and don't spend time or energy on the things we don't. You have enough on your plate right now and there's no need to add more to this process.

As always, I'm happy to answer your questions in the comments!

Sending Resumes, Research, and Writing Supplements to #UVA

When you hit submit on your Common App, I think you should feel proud of yourself. You've done the bulk of your job related to the UVA application and now you have to wait for the rest of the pieces to fall into place*. Unfortunately, there are people who are trying to tell students that the Common App is the first of many things they have to send us. Below, I'll go over the things you may have been told to send us and why you don't have to worry about them. In a nutshell, colleges ask for what they need to complete their review. If the admission office didn't ask for it, you shouldn't worry about sending it.

Please don't spend your money on stuff like this.

1. Resumes

The Common App allows each college to turn the resume function of the app on or off. It is OFF for UVA. UVA does not accept resumes. The Common App presents information in a systematic format, which allows us to zero in on pertinent information quickly. You don't need to make more work for yourself. Follow our instructions and use the Common App to share information in a concise way.

2. Outside Recommendations

We require one recommendation from your counselor and one from a teacher of your choice. We are looking for insight into your style in the academic environment. People who have never taught you can't speak to your learning style or how you work in a classroom situation. Also, those people tend to think they need to summarize facts (hours worked, tasks performed). Repetitive information isn't helpful.

Some people want to send recs from faculty they met at conferences or special programs. Consider how long these people have known you. I recently saw a recommendation letter that started by saying the writer knew the students for nine days. Your teachers and counselors have a little more familiarity with you.

The required academic recommendations are perfect! Don't worry about sending extras!

3. Research Abstracts

It's great to tell us about research, but don't send us an abstract. A line or two summarizing what you did is great. A paper is over the top and not useful. In fact, if you send us a paper full of jargon, you're increasing the chances that the gist of the work won't be clear. I promise we will be impressed regardless!

4. Writing Portfolios

We get three pieces of polished writing in your application. The Common App has a long essay and the UVA screen/tab has two short-answer prompts. That's plenty of writing for us. We don't accept portfolios.

5. Copies of Certificates

You sign off on our Honor Code when you apply and promise that the information in your application is accurate. We don't need a copy of a certificate to believe that you are a member of a certain organization or received an award for something. Leave those papers in the baby book or that folder where you stick important stuff.

6. Newspaper Clippings or Pictures of You Doing Something

Anyone who was on the staff of a literary magazine, newspaper, or yearbook is proud of their work. It's best to keep copies for yourself and your family. The same goes with photos (even the adorable baby-on-the-UVA-Lawn photos). They belong in a safe place at home, not in a college application.




We try to make this clear on out website with a statement above our email addresses:

 Again, colleges ask for the things they need to make their decisions. If we don't ask for it, we don't want you to spend time (or money) on it. Further, to make this process fair, we are specific about what we review for each candidate. We accept the Common App and supplements that fit the criteria for arts and architecture supplements. That's it. So when you hit submit, it's time to move on to monitoring your status. You don't need to spend time and money crafting extra items to send us.

*Be sure to read the "After You Submit" part of our application instructions. We explain that it can take several weeks for all the components of your application to meet up in our system, so don't panic if there are items on your "to do" list initially.

Showing Interest and Sending Supplements

We have this great page on our website with all of our email addresses on it. We put our photos on it to show that human beings read all of the applications. 

Side note: There was a dad at a college fair this year who could not believe that we read all the applications and nothing I said could convince him otherwise. I hope he saw my Instagram post on Thanksgiving! We do read the applications. It's hard work, but we enjoy it and believe it's important to review every file. 

Anyway, it's pretty awesome that people are using the Contact page. 

I fear that something is being missed, though. Before you get to our lovely pictures, there's some text. I underlined two points I want to explain on the blog today.

1. Demonstrated interest is not a factor during Early Action or Regular Decision.

I've gotten several emails from students in the last two weeks that contain declarations of love for UVA and even promises to enroll if we offer admission. I get that there are schools out there that are using interest right now, but we don't expect or desire students to tell us where UVA is on their list of colleges. Your application is enough demonstration of interest for us.

You're going to be making a big decision once decisions are out and we think every student should have until May 1 to thoroughly evaluate their options. 

 

2. The Common App is enough.

I wrote a post about this during Early Action, but it bears repeating. The Common App is lengthy and robust. It provides us with A LOT of information. Still, there are those who want to make the app even longer by sending supplements. We take two kinds of supplements: arts supplements and architecture supplements. You can read about them in the application instructions. 

We don't accept resumes, writing portfolios, research papers, research abstracts, outside recommendations, newspaper clippings, or certificates. I went over each of those in the post that went up during EA, so take a look if you are curious. 

The point is that you have a lot going on during senior year and getting your college applications submitted should feel like a huge accomplishment. Submitting shouldn't feel like the start of a campaign. 

I know waiting for decisions is hard. We are working quickly, but carefully, to make sure every file is reviewed in a thoughtful way. The release of decisions is exciting for us and we're eager to finish our review! There is still a lot of work to do, though. Hang in there.

May your wait not be as difficult as Jack's.

A Regular Decision Update

Where is everyone?

Comments over the weekend showed that some are eager for an update. I'm happy to say that most mid-year reports arrived and we have been able to move forward with our files. Aside from taking breaks to watch basketball games, we've been burning the midnight oil with the Regular Decision review.

Our official notification date is April 1st,  but if we are able to release decisions earlier, I'll let you all know.

By the way, I think I have to revisit the issue of demonstrated interest again. People hear us when we say that interest doesn't matter, but they think we secretly want you to show interest. This is not true.

We want your substantive updates (grade or course changes, for example) to go to uvaapplicationinfo@virginia.edu. If you have questions, feel free to post them here are ask on Facebook or Twitter. You can also email us or call our main number.There is a dean on call each day to answer questions by phone.

 

Demonstrating Interest in UVa

Did you ever have a pen pal? I had one in fourth grade. Her name was Lorelei and she lived in Terre Haute, Indiana. I imagine my teacher and hers were old friends and decided to expand our horizons by connecting students from very different areas. Lorelei made life in the Midwest seem lovely and I'm sure I made in the suburbs of a major eastern city sound exciting. In time, we lost touch, as many pen pals do.

This summer, I have a veritable flock of pen pals. It seems that several students want to keep me updated about what the summer has been like for them. I've heard about summer reading, jobs, and even a few trips to exotic locations like Long Beach Island. One student started her first email to me with a note about how her counselor told her that it's very important that admission officers get to know her as a person and not as a student.

Of course it's fun to get to know our applicants, just like it was fun getting to know what life was like for Lorelei in Terre Haute. As a UVa admission officer, I'm more concerned with answering questions than with getting updates about how the summer is going. By all means, reach out to us if you need help finding answers to your questions, but emailing for sake of putting your name in front of us is not going to do anything to improve your admission chances.


I think there's a two part issue here. Generally, this is what I think is going on:

1. People think all schools use demonstrated interest.
UVa does not use demonstrated interest in the application review process. When I read a file, I don't know if a student has visited us, called with questions, attended an evening program in their community, or got out of class to see one of us when we visited their high school. The period prior to submitting an application is for the applicant to gather information. While we obviously keep track of who attends events, this is more about assessing our activity than about your candidacy.

On our contact page, right over the list of admission officers and our email addresses, there is a line that says we do not use demonstrated interest. I just went in and put it in bold because some people seem to be missing it.
 

2. Students don't know what demonstrates interest in a school.
It is totally fine to ask an admission officer if they are using interest and what they consider a good way to show it. Many come right out and say what they value: a campus visit. You can demonstrate your interest in UVa by submitting an application. That's it. At this point, frequent emails, especially when they contain no questions or questions that are easily answered by a Google search, probably aren't going to impress admission officers.



I hope you can take a little time to relax and enjoy your summer without getting too worried about the admission process.  The Common App doesn't launch for another week, but if you want to do a little thinking about your application, you can always check out our application essays, which I posted back in June.

CavDog at the lake just north of town

The EA Deadline is Approaching!

I've been getting so much email from worried students in the last few days that I think I need to draw attention to some things that have been covered on the blog this season. Feel free to use the comment section on this post to ask a question about anything application related.

How we are dealing with Common App issues
Hints for those submitting art or architecture supplements
Logistics of submitting SAT and SAT Subject Test scores
How applying for aid affects your application
Sending extra supplements
Demonstrated interest as a factor in our review
Quotas for densely populated areas like Northern Virginia

Every year, I implore students not to procrastinate when it comes to submitting applications. You can imagine that the support team at Common App is already inundated with requests and the volume of help requests is apt to increase dramatically as deadlines approach. Submit well before deadline in case there's a problem on your side or on the Common App's.

 The EA deadline is coming!

How UVa Uses Demonstrated Interest

Many years ago, I experienced a college fair unlike any I had experienced before. My experience at that fair has become sadly common.

The college fair was organized by a consortium of private schools in a nearby state. It was a massive fair, held in the field house of a college. I set up my table, found the refreshments too late to have anything to eat (and kicked myself for not stopping somewhere on the way), and watched as crowds of attendees gathered outside the doors of the building. In my mind, the opening of the doors had a similar sound to the opening of the gates at a horse race. The doors opened, the crowd poured in, and the massive space was immediately filled with noise. Then the thing that made this fair so unusual happened.

A receiving line formed at my table. One after another, students stepped forward, stuck an arm out to shake hands, and simply said "Hi, my name is ___ ___." I'd reply "Nice to meet you, I'm Dean J. Do you have any questions?" The answer was almost always "no." It was a long fair. There were times when I wondered why I was there. Those 15 second exchanges weren't helpful to anyone.

I left that fair so confused. Looking back, I wonder if that was my first experience with something that has become almost ubiquitous. People assume that demonstrated interest matters. Everywhere. Some folks think that if they can just get some "face time," they will be in a better position later in the process. In reality, the names of the students at that fair fell out of my head the moment they stepped away from my table.

Today, we have students doing all sorts of things to put their name in front of us before they apply. They send emails that either contain questions easily answered on our website ("Is it true that I can't apply to McIntire until my 2nd year?") or no questions at all. They reply to the mass email that alerts them to programs in their area. They send thank you notes for tours.


We don't use demonstrated interest in our application review. The message doesn't seem to be getting through, so I put it on the "Contact" page on the Office of Admission website:

In my mind, your application is how you demonstrate your interest. When you visit us for a tour and information session or come to see us at your high school or a hotel program, you are gathering information about us. We are not making an assessment about you as a candidate.

About Demonstrated Interest

Demonstrated interest is the admission world's term for activity that shows how much a student desires to attend a school.

Some colleges and universities will try to determine interest based on the number of contacts they've had with a student via visits, emails, and online activity. The benefit of using demonstrated interest in an admission process is that it can lead to a higher yield rate.  A school's yield rate is the percentage of admitted applicants who accept their offers of admission.  If you're trying to "wag the dog" when it comes to your yield rate, using demonstrated interest in the application review process can help.

UVa does not use demonstrated interest during the early action or regular decision review processes.  We know people don't believe us when we say this.  They come to our office dressed to the nines after already submitting an application.  They come to our college fair tables without any questions, but want to shake our hands and say their names.  They send us cute packages.

The way I see it, your application is how you demonstrate your interest.  After all, submitting a Common App takes more than the few clicks some people say it does. Those who can afford to travel to Charlottesville to visit us do not get an advantage on our side of the process.  We obviously think a visit is really important for your side of the process.  Soon, you'll have to decide which school you'll be joining as a student and a visit can really help with that.

Do I have to wear a tie?

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.