One of the most common assumptions we have encountered since the announcement was made that UVA was adding an Early Decision (ED) process this year was that ED must be the easiest path to getting an admission offer. It's natural to strategize around this since some school are a little more lenient during their Early Decision round. That being said, I need to remind you of what Greg Roberts, the Dean of Admission, said about ED being an easier way to be admitted to UVA:
“We will review applicants in the same manner and will hold students to the same admission standards regardless of which application plan they chose.”
You can also read the article about Early Decision in UVA Today for more information. Just to drive the point home, there's also this bit from an interview with our local newspaper, The Daily Progress:
If necessary to maintain a socioeconomically diverse class, he said, UVa might limit the number of spots it offers early decision students. All applications, though, will still be evaluated by the same criteria, regardless of when a student applies. “It we took half our class through ED, that would be counter to the argument I just made [about students’ needs,]” he said. “We plan to make all of our decisions the exact same way.”
Between my posts about admission statistics, mid-year reports, and primary sources, I hope you feel confident about making a decision about the best time to submit your application.
