To waive or not to waive?

I don't have an opinion about which button you should check in the waiver section of the recommendation form.  In recent years, I've noticed more students checking the "no" button.  This is totally fine. However, make sure you read the waiver and understand where and when it comes into play. 

 

 

Let's talk about arts supplements

If you're thinking of majoring, minoring, or being significantly involved in the arts at UVa, you may want to submit an arts supplement along with your application.  Supplements are reviewed by faculty members in visual arts, dance, drama, and music (including the marching band).  The reviews will become part of the application.

Submitting an arts supplement is not required for those interested in the arts.  You are not trying out for anything at this point.

On the arts supplement page of our website, you will see cover sheets to use for each type of supplement.  Please be sure to follow the directions on the cover sheets!  Arts supplements are due by December 1st for those applying to start their first year in Fall 2011.

Feel free to use the comment section below to ask questions.

The "photo shoot" for this entry produced so many hilarious pictures that I had to share them.  

CavDog clearly thought the paint brush was a new toy.

Behind the scenes logistics

For decades, admission offices around the country (and world, no doubt) have been receiving components of applications. 

Back when I was in high school, schools sent application packets to students by mail.  Those packets included all the forms one needed to submit and some included a slew of envelopes that were labeled for each component.  Regardless of envelope, everything got to admission offices by mail and got filed from there.

I wound up working in my Alma Mater's admission office and spent a good part of my year filing documents.  There were thousands of documents coming into the office, but our little staff filed and filed to make sure all the components met up.  We actually enjoyed the work a little bit...I even remember sneaking into the office with two admission officers (one of whom is now a counselor at a private school in Connecticut *wave*) one Saturday to finish the filing as a surprise to the administrative staff.  The dean came in to garlands made out of envelopes strewn around his office that Monday.  This is probably why I enjoy the days when we help open the mail here in the Office of Admission at UVa.

These days, the process is far smoother and doesn't take nearly as long.  The Common Application automatically tags every document you send online with data that allows our system to file automatically.

Each night, the Common Application system sends newly completed applications (we have things set up so it only sends us your file when you submit all three parts of the application, the Common App, UVa Supplement, and payment).  Our system runs a script (an automated process) that looks through any miscellaneous documents that have arrived by mail.  If it finds a match, the system moves those documents from the miscellaneous area of the filing system to the newly created file for your application.

Items that arrive in the mail are scanned and loaded into the system for the same matching process.

No matter how your documents are sent, they will all meet up in the end.  Some schools still have the traditional, paper filing system and that will work just fine (it will probably take a little longer than our automated system, of course).  This is one part of the process I don't want you to worry about.

Once your application is processed by our system, you'll get an email confirming its arrival.  That email contains your login information for our SIS (Student Information System).  You can log into SIS to track your application (you'll see your checklist shrink as items arrive).  You'll also see a link to your decision on notification day  This is explained in the application instructions, which you've hopefully read at this point!

Election Day Q&A with Dean J

Judging from the number of people who have registered for the 10 AM information session today, many of your schools are out for election day.  We hope you enjoy the day off!

 

Please feel free to post any questions you have about your applications in the comments below.  I'll work through them in the next few posts.

Stressed

 

During one of my high school visits today, I saw a girl who looked like the stress of senior year was hitting her hard.  I figured a few of you might be in the same boat right about now and you might need a little CavDog intervention.  Hang in there, everyone.

NOVA, part 2

Here we go again!  I went to the Fair Oaks Mall college fair last night to surprise one of our newer staff members who was working that fair.  It's generally a bit of a mad house and I figured she could use the help.  With 3 admission officers and 8 alumni volunteers, we were still swamped for most of the night!  The questions were mostly basic (SAT scores "cut offs", GPA averages, quotas, grading scale changes), but every now and then, someone had a good one.  They were juniors, though.  By next year, they'll have more on their minds.

There was one adorable 8th grader there.  I'm usually quick to send students so young off to have fun, but he was so serious and had such good questions that I couldn't resist talking to him about admission.  Something tells me he'll be just fine when it's his turn to apply.

In case you're curious, here's my schedule for the week:

Monday, October 18
9:30 AM Stone Bridge High School
12:00 PM Broad Run High School
1:30 PM Briar Woods High School
2:30 PM Academy of Science (informal visit)
3:15 PM Dominion High School

Tuesday, October 19
7:30 AM South Lakes High School
9:30 AM Westfield High School
11:00 AM Chantilly High School
1:00 PM Centreville High School

Wednesday, October 20
8:00 AM South County Secondary School
10:00 AM Mount Vernon High School
11:15 AM West Potomac High School
1:45 PM West Springfield High School
7:00 PM Paul VI College Night

Thursday, October 21
9:30 AM Loudoun County High School
11:30 AM Tuscarora High School
1:30 PM Heritage High School
3:15 PM Loudoun Valley High School
6:00 PM STEM Program at Battlefield High School (PDF of the invitation)

Friday, October 22
8:00 AM Falls Church High School
10:00 AM Robinson Secondary School
12:00 PM Langley High School

The specialist vs. the generalist when it comes to extracurricular activities

When I was in high school, we were obsessed with the concept of the well rounded student.  I thought there was some sort of list that admission officers used when reviewing applications to evaluate well roundedness.  Service?  Check.  Leadership?  Check.  Athletics?  Check.  Creativity?  Check.

I also assumed there was a hierarchy of extracurricular activities at each school.  I don't know where this came from (this was pre-internet), but these little rumors spread pretty quickly.  I didn't join clubs in the name of being well rounded, but a rumor about a certain college looking favorably on Model UN members kept me in the club during an extra year, when my heart wasn't into it.

On the flip side, there were people who said that colleges wanted specialists.  The thinking was that the well rounded student was so ubiquitous that schools wanted people who excelled in one area.  Be narrow!  Focus!  Have a passion!     

In talking with students on the road last week, it seems that the well rounded idea is still be pushed, but the specialist idea is out there too.  It's all so confusing.  What in the world do we want?

I want to see that you're involved in some stuff.

There are people with long activity lists and there are people with short activity lists.  The length of your list is of no interest to me, as depth usually varies.  There are no preferred activities.  We want to see commitment.  That has many forms.

Travel preparations

Today was a preparation day for my week in northern Virginia.  First, I made a trip to the Greek diner that reminds me of where I grew up.  I bet some of you can guess where I'm from knowing that information.

Then came a trip to the office with the rental car to pick up materials to take on the road with me.  I think NOVA will be a three box trip.  I actually hope I'll bring home some materials since so many of the students I'll meet will already know the basics.  This is why I love my NOVA trips so much.  Most students ask questions that are a little pretty sophisticated.

Peabody Hall was very quiet, but I ran into one colleague who just got home from a trip. 

Good-bye Peabody Hall.  Good-bye Alexander Calder statue. 

Next up came a marathon fetch session with CavDog, who was cooped up for a few days because of some rain.  He was a happy dog when we were outside, but as soon as we came in and I started packing my suitcase, he was sulking.  As I wrote before, CavDog isn't a big fan of travel season.




Now it's time to sign off and start the two hour drive to my temporary home for the next week.  In case you missed it, here's my schedule of visits for the week:

Monday, October 4
9:30 AM Freedom High School
11:00 AM Park View High School
12:45 PM Herndon High School
2:30 PM Potomac Falls High School

Tuesday, October 5
8:30 AM Wakefield High School
10:00 AM Stuart High School
11:45 AM TJHSST
1:00 PM Annandale High School
7:00 PM Lake Braddock High School

Wednesday, October 6
8:00 AM James Madison High School
9:30 AM Oakton High School
11:00 AM Fairfax High School
1:30 PM Marshall High School

Thursday, October 7
8:30 AM Langley High School
10:00 AM McLean High School
11:30 AM Yorktown High School
1:30 PM Washington-Lee High School

Friday, October 8
8:15 AM Hayfield Secondary School
9:30 AM Lee High School
11:00 AM Edison High School
12:45 PM WT Woodson High School

I'll be back in the area in two weeks for another five days of visits.

NACAC

In the wee hours of tomorrow morning, I'll be on way way to St. Louis for NACAC's annual conference.  NACAC is the National Association of College Admission Counseling.  Most of the admission officers you encounter during your college search are members and many of your college counselors are, too.

Right after the conference is my first trip to northern Virginia, so the blog might be a tad quiet for a few days. 

Here's a CavDog picture to tide you over until the next entry...

Introducing the Pre-Comm Blog

 

Photo from the Pre-Comm Blog

I'm so excited to announce that there is now a blog dedicated to pre-comm students!

At UVa, we have two schools for students interested in studying business.  The McIntire School of Commerce is the school for undergraduates and offers Bachelor's and Masters degrees.  The Darden School of Business is the graduate school that offers M.B.A. degrees.  McIntire is located in Rouss and Robertson Halls on the Lawn in the middle of Central Grounds and Darden is located on the outskirts of Grounds.  Obviously, readers of this blog who want to study business are more interested in McIntire than Darden.

If you want to be a student in McIntire, you'll be applying to the College of Arts & Sciences on your first year application.  You'll spend your first two years getting ready for the move to McIntire (see the coursework you'll need on their website).  Applications to move into McIntire are filed in your second year and you'll spend a whole lot of your last two years at the University in Rouss and Robertson Halls if everything works out.

Here's a glimpse into the buildings, which were reopened after renovation in 2008:

And here's a more in-depth video about McIntire:

One the road in Tidewater, Hampton Roads, the Penninsula, etc.

I offered my colleagues the opportunity to share their travel plans on the blog and Merav Frazier has already taken me up on the offer!  Aside from being an admission counselor in our office, Merav coaches the UVa Color Guard, part of the Cavalier Marching Band.  This means she's one of a handful of adults sitting in the student section at football games (lucky duck!).

There is another staff member visiting a slew of other schools in this same area, so please don't be worried if you don't see your school on this list.  

Monday, October 4^th 

8:50am           Indian River High School

10:30am         Nansemond-Suffolk Academy

Tuesday, October 5^th 

9:00am             Stonebridge High School

10:30am           Hickory High School

12:45pm          Great Bridge High School

2:30pm             Deep Creek High School

Wednesday, October 6^th  

9:00am           Western Branch High School

11:00am         Ocean Lakes High School

12:25pm         Kempsville High School

2:30pm           Oscar F. Smith High School

Thursday, October 7^th 

8:00am            Landstown High School

9:00am            Floyd E Kellam High School          

10:30am          Princess Anne High School          

11:45am         Bayside High School

1:15pm           Green Run High School

Friday, October 8^th 

7:15am              Tallwood High School

9:15am              Frank W. Cox High School

10:45am            First Colonial High School

12:30pm            Cape Henry Collegiate School

Monday, October 18^th

7:00pm             Hayfield High School (College Fair)

Tuesday, October 19^th

7:00pm              TC Williams High School (College Fair)

Thursday, October 21^st

9:00am              Essex High School (College Fair)

1:00pm              Northumberland High School (College Fair)

5:00pm              Gloucester High School (College Fair)

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.

Upcoming visits in Northern Virginia

It's almost NOVA time! I'm on my way to Northern Virginia for two weeks of high school visits in October. I've heard that some schools send rookie admission officers to NOVA as an initiation because of the notorious traffic and the advanced questions that get asked there. I personally love my time in northern Virginia, probably because I grew up in an area just like it. I enjoy being asked questions about topics that are far more interesting than SAT scores and deadlines. Hearing the current rumors that are getting passed around is interesting, too.

I'm so excited that I was able to work visits to most of the public schools in Arlington, Fairfax, and Alexandria into my schedule. If I am not coming to your school, it is due to my own scheduling conflicts or a visit being made by another staff member or at another point in the season.

With the exception of the STEM program at Battlefield (link opens a PDF invitation) and the College Night program at Paul VI, these visits are for students who attend each of the schools below. If your school is on my schedule and you'd like to come see me, you already know the drill. Your Career Center Specialists have probably made you aware of the sign up procedure you need to follow to get a pass.

So, here is where I'm headed:

Monday, October 4
9:30 AM Freedom High School
11:00 AM Park View High School
12:45 PM Herndon High School
2:30 PM Potomac Falls High School

Tuesday, October 5
8:30 AM Wakefield High School
10:00 AM Stuart High School
11:45 AM TJHSST
1:00 PM Annandale High School
7:00 PM Lake Braddock High School

Wednesday, October 6
8:00 AM James Madison High School
9:30 AM Oakton High School
11:00 AM Fairfax High School
1:30 PM Marshall High School

Thursday, October 7
8:30 AM Langley High School
10:00 AM McLean High School
11:30 AM Yorktown High School
1:30 PM Washington-Lee High School

Friday, October 8
8:15 AM Hayfield Secondary School
9:30 AM Lee High School
11:00 AM Edison High School
12:45 PM WT Woodson High School


Monday, October 18
9:30 AM Stone Bridge High School
12:00 PM Broad Run High School
1:30 PM Briar Woods High School
2:30 PM Academy of Science
3:15 PM Dominion High School

Tuesday, October 19
7:30 AM South Lakes High School
9:30 AM Westfield High School
11:00 AM Chantilly High School
1:00 PM Centreville High School

Wednesday, October 20
8:00 AM South County Secondary School
10:00 AM Mount Vernon High School
11:15 AM West Potomac High School
1:45 PM West Springfield High School
7:00 PM Paul VI College Night

Thursday, October 21
9:30 AM Loudoun County High School
11:30 AM Tuscarora High School
1:30 PM Heritage High School
3:15 PM Loudoun Valley High School
6:00 PM STEM Program at Battlefield High School (PDF of the invitation)

Friday, October 22
8:00 AM Falls Church High School
10:00 AM Robinson Secondary School

Please feel free to suggest options for a good, quick lunch if you're from a school I'll be hitting just before or just after lunch. Panera gets a little old after a while. :)

FYI, another admission officer will be at TC Williams for a fair on Tuesday, October 19 (7-9 PM) and I'll be at Woodgrove High School for College Night on Tuesday, November 16.

Planning your visit to UVa

If you're thinking of heading to Charlottesville this fall to visit the University, there are a few things you should know about.

First of all, visitors always seem to want appointments for information sessions and tours. We run sessions and tours regardless of how many people are going to show up, but we decided to institute a reservation system so we can plan our room reservations and give the University Guide Service a heads up about how many tour guides they'll need to schedule.

The tour and information session schedule is always posted online and once you pick a visit date and time, you can move to the reservation page to let us know when you'll be coming. Even group visits can be scheduled via the reservation system.


You can contact the Monroe Society if you'd like to stay overnight and shadow a student during their day. If you want to plan your own visit without an official host, you can consult the Open Class List to select a couple classes that interest you.

Feel free to post questions about visits in the comments. We hope to see you on Grounds soon!

CavDog is not a fan of travel season

New England Group Travel

In a little over an hour, I'll be meeting up with old friends from Johns Hopkins and Northwestern, plus a new one from UC Berkeley for the first of five evening program in New England. If you're on any of our mailing lists, we probably already know this because we mailed and emailed invitations to these programs last month. However, if you'd like to join us this week, you can RSVP via our "UVa Visits You" page.

Our evening programs:

Sunday, September 12 - Noble & Greenough School (MA)
Monday, September 13 - Andover High School (MA)
Tuesday, September 14 - Providence Marriott Downtown (RI)
Wednesday, September 15 - Darien High School (CT)
Thursday, September 16 - Simsbury High School (CT)

We'll also be hosting counselor breakfasts each morning for your guidance staffs, who also received invitations by mail and email last month.

Hope to see some of you this week!

News from the front desk

Our administrative staff went on retreat the other day and the deans took turns covering the phones at the front desk. I actually enjoy this little tradition (much like I enjoy opening mail during the heaviest mail days of the year). First of all, it's interesting to hear the questions that come in to the front desk. Second, I enjoy hearing the surprise in someone's voice when I tell them I'm a dean and am happy to answer their more complex question. There are also a few callers who won't tell the front desk why they're calling...they just insist that they must talk to an admission officer directly.

The questions were pretty interesting. One woman had questions about a pension plan and thought we could help her. She wasn't a former employee of the University, but I guess I should be flattered that she thought we could explain how her plan worked. Many wanted to know if their credit would transfer if they came to UVa. They didn't seem to realize that there's a handy transfer credit analyzer on the website.

The most unexpected question, though, was from a woman from my own home state. She wanted to make sure we'd keep her tour appointment for Friday. We get a lot of people who think they need reservations or to sign in for tours and information sessions. So many, that we looked into implementing a reservation system (we're going to demo one today and will probably launch it in the coming weeks). After chatting for a minute, it became clear that she thought Charlottesville was at the beach and that Hurricane Earl would affect us.

UVa is about 2 1/2 to 3 hours from the beach, so we'll be open as usual today and over the weekend. Any changes to our schedule get posted on the Plan a Visit page on our website, which is where all info about tours, information sessions, open classes, and shadowing can be found.

In a NOVA state of mind

Travel season is around the corner and I'm in the middle of planning my favorite trip of all.

I Love Northern Virginia

I grew up in an area very much like NOVA, so going there always makes me feel like I'm home. Our dean grew up there, so I'm not the only one in our office who likes visiting.

In past years, I've spent a week trying to get to as many schools in Fairfax, Loudoun, Alexandria, and Arlington as possible. I'm never able to get to them all. This year, I get to spend two working weeks (ten days) in the region. I decided to try to visit every public high school in the area and as many privates as I can fit in. I'm not sure I can do it even if every single school is able to fit me into their schedule, but I'm going to try!

So, if you live in northern Virginia, keep an eye on the blog in the coming weeks. I'll be posting my travel schedule when I get my itinerary worked out (most schools, from what I understand, are back in session next week and I'll start making appointments then). I can't wait to meet some of you on the road!

CavDog using a dog water fountain in Old Town Alexandria

It's ranking time again

I'm happy to report that all the ranking methodologies out there still produce results that say UVa is a good school. Whew!

I have to admit that rankings are a source of entertainment for me. I don't know anyone who subscribes to the biggest name in the rankings business, but for some reason, they have become a must read for anyone interested in higher education. When the lists start leaking, emails fly and speculation ensues. I take solace in the number of comments on College Confidential that are critical of the rankings, though there are always a few who take them very, very seriously.

If you are interested in the rankings, I think the UVa press release about the most recent round of US News & World Report rankings would be of interest. It breaks down some of the numbers behind the methodology and some of the program rankings, too. If you were in any way interested in the Forbes rankings that came out earlier this month, please read the release about that. It's far more diplomatic about the methodology than I would have been!

You can see all sorts of rankings we've been given on the Facts At a Glance Rankings page.


Regardless of what the lists say, visit schools and decide if they deserve a top ranking on your list.

A quick note about the Common Application and timing

I got a call yesterday from a mother who was pretty worried that her son hadn't received a confirmation email from UVa about the submission of his application. She cited the application instructions, which state that students will receive an email containing Student Information System login information within 4-5 days of submitting their application. Had the mother been here in person, I first would have hugged her for actually reading the application instructions. We pore over them to make sure they are thorough, but it's apparent that many (dare I say most?) don't read them. It is very, very early in the application season. So early, that we are not yet taking delivery of applications from the Common App system. If you are one of the intrepid students who submitted an application via Common App already, you can probably see on your main Common App page that it has not been downloaded yet. That means it is resting in the Common App system for a little while. When we start up the Common App's scheduled delivery service (the automatic process that feeds your applications to us in the wee hours each morning), you'll see that download item update. Within four or five days of that download, you'll be getting an email from our system with your login information. For now, you should make sure to add UVa's admission email addresses to your address book, which will hopefully limit the chance of our email going to your spam folder. The email address is undergradadmission@virignia.edu. Don't worry about your confirmation email just yet.

Here's CavDog biting off more than he can chew during a recent trip to Walnut Creek, a county park just south of Charlottesville.

Scholarship information

The application season has just started and I'm already getting questions about scholarships. I hope you've noticed that there's a link on the main Office of Admission page called "Paying for UVa". On that page, you'll find links to lists of scholarships and grants. You'll also find links to the financial aid website.