What does holistic admission mean?

One of the interesting parts about being on social media is that you get to see how admission concepts get interpreted by people still learning about the process. Recently, I came across a discussion on a forum in which a student proposed that colleges with holistic application reviews admit students for random reasons. They suggested that admission officers look for students who share their personal hobbies, interests, or beliefs. This is incorrect. 

Holistic admission means we look at the entire application before we render a decision. There's a story that unfolds when reading an application. We learn about a student's academic journey in high school, their experiences beyond the classroom, their interests, and how they express themselves. In a holistic review, all those components come together to compel an offer. We don't read to find students who share our personal interests. We read to meet the needs of our institutions. If I only admitted students who shared my interests, I think some of the schools and colleges within UVA would be disappointed!

There are no "cut offs" or automatic decisions based on numbers. We review every file before we make our recommendations and double check our decisions before they are finalized. 

Our website has more information about the characteristics and qualities we look for in applicants and our application review process.

We want to know the full story!