I thought I'd post a few UVa related videos for your enjoyment. First up is a video that was created by Global Student Council for international students. This group includes US citizens who have lived abroad (Virginia has many government/military families, so this might be more common here than elsewhere) and non-citizens. I was particularly charmed by the comment about singing at football games and the description of trick-or-treating on The Lawn, which must seem a bit odd to students from cultures that don't celebrate Halloween.
Here's a neat little video that was taken on one of the busiest sidewalks on Grounds.
I got a little lost in all the great videos on Youtube that show the UVa Jazz Ensemble in action. If you watch this, be careful that you don't lose half an hour to look at the related videos.
I may have posted this video in the past...I just love how it was filmed.
Here's an extremely cute slide show put together by a student in the Mainland Student Network featuring CavDog (!), a massive ice cream cone, the cutest mini-CavMan, Dean Parke Muth, and President Casteen.
No collection of videos would be complete without some a cappella. Here's a clip of the Hullabahoos with some of their alumni.
This just popped up on Youtube today...a reference to UVa on The Simpsons.
This video is a bit more random, but it has had people laughing. A few weeks ago, UVa loaned the parking lot outside the basketball arena to local car dealers who put on an event that they called "Car Wars". The promotional video for the event is definitely the most random video filmed on Grounds that I have ever seen.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Happy Birthday, Mr. Jefferson!
Happy Founder's Day! It's been a busy month for visits, between juniors coming to Grounds during spring break and seniors visiting us as they make their final decisions. It's been so much fun to meet you at Days on the Lawn, both those who came over knowing who I am and those who approached wondering why there was a dog at DOTL. CavDog has enjoyed the attention so much that he seemed a little sad that he wasn't coming to the office today. Friday will be here in no time and he'll be greeting another group of visitors then.
We're still working on reading transfer applications, but are also starting to make updates to the UVa supplement to the Common App for next year. It's amazing to think that the next application cycle will begin in just a few short months.
We're still working on reading transfer applications, but are also starting to make updates to the UVa supplement to the Common App for next year. It's amazing to think that the next application cycle will begin in just a few short months.
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Days on the Lawn redux
Days on the Lawn is more popular than ever! Every DOTL date filled up by the beginning of this week. While we really want to keep the crowds manageable, we've just added a few more slots for the 12th, 16th, and 19th.
Remember, these events are for students who are trying to make a final decision about coming to UVa. There have been times in the past when students have shown up after already depositing. They're on a victory lap of sorts. While we are happy to see you and I'm especially excited to meet anyone who read or commented on the blog, make sure the undecided students get a chance to have their questions answered. If you are already committed to UVa, it might be a nice gesture to let the undecided students pick up an extra class to attend (at registration, we have "tickets" for any classes that still have spots open in them).
Be sure to check the DOTL website for parking information. You have two options. The free option involves a 10 minute walk (or a bus ride). The other option is closer, but there is a fee involved.
When you arrive (please don't arrive too early...our students are up at the crack of dawn to get things set up for an on time start), you'll check in and get a folder full of information. Some of it will be repetitive if you have read the DOTL website. After the morning mingle time, some students will head to class. Others will go with their parents to sessions about each of the colleges (you can divide and conquer if you have interests in multiple schools, of course). After that, parents are free to attend a number of sessions about different aspects of UVa. There will be financial aid officers on hand to meet at that point.
Throughout the day, our staff will be around Grounds and in the Office of Admission to answer questions. There will be tours of three kinds of residence halls (traditional, suite style, and residential college).
You can see specific schedules on the DOTL website. If you have any questions about any of the logistics, post them in the comments.
By the way, someone recently asked if they could attend two Days on the Lawn. You can only register for one event. Please remember that while we try to pull out all the stops, we are on a budget and resources are limited. If you want to make multiple trips here, consider requesting an overnight with the Monroe Society.
Remember, these events are for students who are trying to make a final decision about coming to UVa. There have been times in the past when students have shown up after already depositing. They're on a victory lap of sorts. While we are happy to see you and I'm especially excited to meet anyone who read or commented on the blog, make sure the undecided students get a chance to have their questions answered. If you are already committed to UVa, it might be a nice gesture to let the undecided students pick up an extra class to attend (at registration, we have "tickets" for any classes that still have spots open in them).
Be sure to check the DOTL website for parking information. You have two options. The free option involves a 10 minute walk (or a bus ride). The other option is closer, but there is a fee involved.
When you arrive (please don't arrive too early...our students are up at the crack of dawn to get things set up for an on time start), you'll check in and get a folder full of information. Some of it will be repetitive if you have read the DOTL website. After the morning mingle time, some students will head to class. Others will go with their parents to sessions about each of the colleges (you can divide and conquer if you have interests in multiple schools, of course). After that, parents are free to attend a number of sessions about different aspects of UVa. There will be financial aid officers on hand to meet at that point.
Throughout the day, our staff will be around Grounds and in the Office of Admission to answer questions. There will be tours of three kinds of residence halls (traditional, suite style, and residential college).
You can see specific schedules on the DOTL website. If you have any questions about any of the logistics, post them in the comments.
By the way, someone recently asked if they could attend two Days on the Lawn. You can only register for one event. Please remember that while we try to pull out all the stops, we are on a budget and resources are limited. If you want to make multiple trips here, consider requesting an overnight with the Monroe Society.
Sunday, April 04, 2010
CavBunny
We've been away for a few days, but will be back to chat tomorrow. I'll try to cover some Days on the Lawn, Orientation, and some other topics that would be of interest for admitted students in the next few days. If you have a topic you'd especially like covered, feel free to post a comment about it.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Admitted student chats
It's time to start our chat sessions for admitted students! There will be four chat sessions and each will run from 7:00-9:00 PM. The chat nights are:
Thursday, April 1st (tomorrow!)
Wednesday, April 7th
Tuesday, April 13th
Wednesday, April 21
These chats are for students only (sorry, parents) and you are welcome to join more than one. Come for five minutes or stay for the entire chat. The chats are run by students, so you'll be able to get information about academics and student life from the very best source!
I'll post a reminder before each chat, but here's a link to the chat room in case you want to bookmark it now.
Thursday, April 1st (tomorrow!)
Wednesday, April 7th
Tuesday, April 13th
Wednesday, April 21
These chats are for students only (sorry, parents) and you are welcome to join more than one. Come for five minutes or stay for the entire chat. The chats are run by students, so you'll be able to get information about academics and student life from the very best source!
I'll post a reminder before each chat, but here's a link to the chat room in case you want to bookmark it now.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
First batch of aid awards is up!
Student Financial Services posted the first batch of aid packages at noon today.
If you applied for aid and don't have a package, it's possible that you haven't submitted the UFAA (SFS requires the FAFSA and the UFAA) or didn't send some requested documentation. Check your to-do list and your email folders (including junk and spam) to make sure you haven't missed anything.
If you applied for aid and don't have a package, it's possible that you haven't submitted the UFAA (SFS requires the FAFSA and the UFAA) or didn't send some requested documentation. Check your to-do list and your email folders (including junk and spam) to make sure you haven't missed anything.
As always, questions about aid are best directed to Student Financial Services.
I also heard that UAA decisions should be made at the end of the week. I'll post an update when I get more information.
Flooded
Right now, many of you are writing directly to me about your decisions. Between giving information sessions, reading transfer applications, and other responsibilities, my days are packed. As those who have been reading the blog for a while know, I like to answer questions within a few hours. That just can't happen right now.
Interestingly, there was a time when people assumed "Dean J" was a team of people. I'm kind of wishing that was the case right now!
If you have questions about this process, the best way to get a fast answer is to call our office during business hours.
Interestingly, there was a time when people assumed "Dean J" was a team of people. I'm kind of wishing that was the case right now!
If you have questions about this process, the best way to get a fast answer is to call our office during business hours.
The Waitlist 2010
Now that you've been offered a spot on the waitlist, you are probably wondering what you should do next. First of all, you need to accept or decline the offer. Below the abbreviated waitlist letter in Student Self-Service are two buttons. Use them to accept or decline the offer of a spot on the waitlist. If you accept, you can always come back at another time and decline. However, if you decline, there is no going back. You are essentially withdrawing from consideration if you hit the decline button.
The rest of this post covers what is on the Waitlist FAQ sheet for first-year students.
1. How does this work? When will I hear?
The timing of this all depends on the students who were offered admission. If fewer than 3,240 students accept offers of admission, we will offer admission to some students who have placed themselves on the waitlist. While we'd love to move forward before May 1st to save you from paying a deposit at another school, it isn't fair to force admitted students to rush their decisions. Waitlist movement usually starts in late May.
The waitlist isn't ranked, but you could think of it as having eight parts - Virginians and out-of-state students for each of the four colleges. When we go to the waitlist, we might know we have room for in-state engineers or out-of-state Arts & Sciences students, for example. We work in teams to reread files of waitlisted students that fit the criteria needed. It takes a few weeks for us to review waitlist files. We usually make a round of offers, then give students a week to think about things, and then make another round of offers if some students in that group don't take us up on the offer. Because of this see sawing, the waitlist process can get drawn out. We like to have the entire process wrapped up by the end of June, but there have been times (last year being one of them) when it stretched into July. This is obviously not ideal. We want to fill the class as soon as possible.
2. How many will get in?
Right now, there are about 1600 students on the waitlist. We don't know how many students will come off the waitlist this year. We won't know until the beginning of May. There is no "typical" number, either. Consider the numbers from the last few years:
2009 - 288 waitlist offers
2008 - 60 waitlist offers
2007 - 159 waitlist offers
2006 - 145 waitlist offers
2005 - 83 waitlist offers
3. Why are so many offered a waitlist spot?
First of all, we know that only half of the students offered a waitlist spot actually take us up on the offer. Second, those eight groups come into play. Third, with more students applying to more colleges, it's hard to know how interested a student is in UVa. Yield may go up, as students perceive public schools to be attractive financially, but yield might go down because students have applied to many other schools and are inevitably getting attractive offers to go elsewhere.
With that said, the waitlist has been cut down a bit this year. If you look back to past years, we've been criticized for offering spots to a very large number of students. As I mentioned before, about half of them take us up on the offer, but that's still a large number.
4. What should I do to improve my chances?
Keep your application file current. When the marking period ends, send along your grades. You may write a letter, but understand that the letter should provide us with new information. If you receive any honors or awards, feel free to email us about that and we'll file your email with your application. We don't track visitations, so you will not improve your chances by coming to our office. If you have questions, feel free to call.
5. What now?
The wait list is unpredictable. Therefore, you need to commit to another university by paying a deposit and completing their enrollment process.
Rest assured that as soon as we have spots available, we will spring into action. We are eager to pull students off the waitlist and are not interested in prolonging this process.
The rest of this post covers what is on the Waitlist FAQ sheet for first-year students.
1. How does this work? When will I hear?
The timing of this all depends on the students who were offered admission. If fewer than 3,240 students accept offers of admission, we will offer admission to some students who have placed themselves on the waitlist. While we'd love to move forward before May 1st to save you from paying a deposit at another school, it isn't fair to force admitted students to rush their decisions. Waitlist movement usually starts in late May.
The waitlist isn't ranked, but you could think of it as having eight parts - Virginians and out-of-state students for each of the four colleges. When we go to the waitlist, we might know we have room for in-state engineers or out-of-state Arts & Sciences students, for example. We work in teams to reread files of waitlisted students that fit the criteria needed. It takes a few weeks for us to review waitlist files. We usually make a round of offers, then give students a week to think about things, and then make another round of offers if some students in that group don't take us up on the offer. Because of this see sawing, the waitlist process can get drawn out. We like to have the entire process wrapped up by the end of June, but there have been times (last year being one of them) when it stretched into July. This is obviously not ideal. We want to fill the class as soon as possible.
2. How many will get in?
Right now, there are about 1600 students on the waitlist. We don't know how many students will come off the waitlist this year. We won't know until the beginning of May. There is no "typical" number, either. Consider the numbers from the last few years:
2009 - 288 waitlist offers
2008 - 60 waitlist offers
2007 - 159 waitlist offers
2006 - 145 waitlist offers
2005 - 83 waitlist offers
3. Why are so many offered a waitlist spot?
First of all, we know that only half of the students offered a waitlist spot actually take us up on the offer. Second, those eight groups come into play. Third, with more students applying to more colleges, it's hard to know how interested a student is in UVa. Yield may go up, as students perceive public schools to be attractive financially, but yield might go down because students have applied to many other schools and are inevitably getting attractive offers to go elsewhere.
With that said, the waitlist has been cut down a bit this year. If you look back to past years, we've been criticized for offering spots to a very large number of students. As I mentioned before, about half of them take us up on the offer, but that's still a large number.
4. What should I do to improve my chances?
Keep your application file current. When the marking period ends, send along your grades. You may write a letter, but understand that the letter should provide us with new information. If you receive any honors or awards, feel free to email us about that and we'll file your email with your application. We don't track visitations, so you will not improve your chances by coming to our office. If you have questions, feel free to call.
5. What now?
The wait list is unpredictable. Therefore, you need to commit to another university by paying a deposit and completing their enrollment process.
Rest assured that as soon as we have spots available, we will spring into action. We are eager to pull students off the waitlist and are not interested in prolonging this process.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Signing off until Monday morning
Just a heads up that I'm signing off for the day. I've been in admission mode 24/7 for the last few months. I bet you've been thinking about admission a whole lot, too. Let's all take a break to enjoy some time with friends and family.
Until tomorrow...
Until tomorrow...
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Battle of the blog dogs
Admissions_Daniel at Hopkins loves to brag about how awesome his lacrosse team is when we do evening programs together in the fall. Interestingly, Hopkins has had a pretty hard time beating the UVa lacrosse team over the years.
So, CavDog is going to issue a throwdown to Admissions_Daniel's dog. If UVa loses to Hopkins today, he pledges to pose in front of The Rotunda with a crab hat on if Soze (Admissions_Daniel's dog) does something equally ridiculous if we win.
Do you think they'll take us up on the throwdown?
Friday, March 26, 2010
Days on The Lawn 2010
Days on The Lawn is an annual series of open houses for admitted students who are undecided about the University. You are not required to attend.
The DOTL dates for this year will be:
April 9th
April 10th (Echols/Rodman/College Science Scholars only)
April 12th
April 16th
April 19th
Please note that registration is not open until offers are released, as these are for admitted students only. You must register to attend. For more info, read this post from last year and see the "wrap up" posts I wrote after each DOTL event.
In the past, we've had many students show up for what some call a "victory lap", meaning they are already decided to attend. Some have deposited at UVa. While we love having you here, keep in mind that these events are crucial for students who are still weighing their college options. We want to allow those students to get as much time with us as they need so that all of their questions can be answered.
If someone in your party has a disability that requires an accommodation, please call us at (434) 982-3200 as soon as possible so we can plan an easy, seamless experience for you.
There is information about lodging on the website, but we're happy to chat about the options, too. There are number of hotels within walking distance of Grounds or on the bus/trolley route. If you will be driving to Grounds, please be sure to read about the parking options. We rent out one garage so there is plenty of free parking available, but that comes with a 5 minute walk to the Lawn.
Juniors and sophomores, if you are planning to visit us in April, please try to avoid these days. The Grounds are packed full of visitors and parking is very, very difficult as a result.
The DOTL dates for this year will be:
April 9th
April 10th (Echols/Rodman/College Science Scholars only)
April 12th
April 16th
April 19th
Please note that registration is not open until offers are released, as these are for admitted students only. You must register to attend. For more info, read this post from last year and see the "wrap up" posts I wrote after each DOTL event.
In the past, we've had many students show up for what some call a "victory lap", meaning they are already decided to attend. Some have deposited at UVa. While we love having you here, keep in mind that these events are crucial for students who are still weighing their college options. We want to allow those students to get as much time with us as they need so that all of their questions can be answered.
If someone in your party has a disability that requires an accommodation, please call us at (434) 982-3200 as soon as possible so we can plan an easy, seamless experience for you.
There is information about lodging on the website, but we're happy to chat about the options, too. There are number of hotels within walking distance of Grounds or on the bus/trolley route. If you will be driving to Grounds, please be sure to read about the parking options. We rent out one garage so there is plenty of free parking available, but that comes with a 5 minute walk to the Lawn.
Juniors and sophomores, if you are planning to visit us in April, please try to avoid these days. The Grounds are packed full of visitors and parking is very, very difficult as a result.
Let's talk about decisions: The Offer
Admitted students can use this entry to talk. I imagine you might also want to join the UVa Class of 2014 Facebook group to chat with your future classmates.
I'll be back tomorrow to answer questions, but know most of your questions can be answered online. Just below your letter are buttons to accept or decline your offer. If you accept, you will see a button to let you pay your tuition deposit online (it's an e-check system...you type in the numbers on the bottom of your check or use certain kinds of credit cards). I believe orientation registration will open after April 1st, but I will verify that and post about it next week.
You have until May 1st to make your decision about whether you'll come to UVa or not. If you decide to go elsewhere at some point in the coming weeks, I hope you'll decline the offer immediately via your self-service page. That will allow us to move to the waitlist more quickly.
Again, congratulations! We are so lucky to have you considering UVa!
I'll be back tomorrow to answer questions, but know most of your questions can be answered online. Just below your letter are buttons to accept or decline your offer. If you accept, you will see a button to let you pay your tuition deposit online (it's an e-check system...you type in the numbers on the bottom of your check or use certain kinds of credit cards). I believe orientation registration will open after April 1st, but I will verify that and post about it next week.
You have until May 1st to make your decision about whether you'll come to UVa or not. If you decide to go elsewhere at some point in the coming weeks, I hope you'll decline the offer immediately via your self-service page. That will allow us to move to the waitlist more quickly.
Again, congratulations! We are so lucky to have you considering UVa!
Let's talk about decisions: The Waitlist
Waitlisted students can use this entry to talk.
We have traditionally offered waitlist spots to a large number of students. In the past, this has been because there are so many different segments to the population here (CLAS/SEAS/SARC/NURS for both VA and OOS students). We have cut the waitlist down a lot this year for a few reasons. This means there aren't as many of you feeling like you are in limbo.
We won't know how large the waitlist is until you all accept or decline your offers (yes, you have to respond online to the offer of a spot on the waitlist). You are not ranked. You have until May 1 to make your decision. There have been years when we've taken 50 students off the waitlist and years when we've taken 250 students off the waitlist. Last year, we offered admission to 288 waitlisted students.
For now, you need to look at your other options and think about which one feels right to you. Some of you will want to hold on and see what happens with the waitlist and others will want to fully invest themselves in another school. Either way, you need to submit a deposit at a school by May 1st to ensure yourself a spot in another school's freshman class. If you are offered a spot in our class and you decide to accept it, you'll have to write to that other school and withdraw your name from the class (you may lose your deposit at that school). Just remember that you can't "double deposit".
Feel free chat here and stay tuned over the weekend for replies to questions. Also know that your envelope will contain a "Waitlist Frequently Asked Questions" sheet that will answer the most common questions (is the list ranked, what do I do now, what's the time line, etc.).
CavDog hopes you find a peaceful place to think about your options
We have traditionally offered waitlist spots to a large number of students. In the past, this has been because there are so many different segments to the population here (CLAS/SEAS/SARC/NURS for both VA and OOS students). We have cut the waitlist down a lot this year for a few reasons. This means there aren't as many of you feeling like you are in limbo.
We won't know how large the waitlist is until you all accept or decline your offers (yes, you have to respond online to the offer of a spot on the waitlist). You are not ranked. You have until May 1 to make your decision. There have been years when we've taken 50 students off the waitlist and years when we've taken 250 students off the waitlist. Last year, we offered admission to 288 waitlisted students.
For now, you need to look at your other options and think about which one feels right to you. Some of you will want to hold on and see what happens with the waitlist and others will want to fully invest themselves in another school. Either way, you need to submit a deposit at a school by May 1st to ensure yourself a spot in another school's freshman class. If you are offered a spot in our class and you decide to accept it, you'll have to write to that other school and withdraw your name from the class (you may lose your deposit at that school). Just remember that you can't "double deposit".
Feel free chat here and stay tuned over the weekend for replies to questions. Also know that your envelope will contain a "Waitlist Frequently Asked Questions" sheet that will answer the most common questions (is the list ranked, what do I do now, what's the time line, etc.).
CavDog hopes you find a peaceful place to think about your options
Let's talk about decisions: The Deny
Denied students can use this entry to talk.
I'm so sorry this sort of entry is needed. I hope you all can look at your options and get excited about one of your other schools. If your immediate reaction is "I'll transfer", don't let that plan keep you from getting involved in campus life at the school you choose. I think many students come to think of their next choice as "home" and can't imagine leaving it after a little while.
I hope you'll read this post and remember that this decision is probably about our numbers. You didn't do anything "wrong" (a common question). I'll leave you until tomorrow, when I'll be back to answer questions.
Please be polite and respectful of others when posting.
I'm so sorry this sort of entry is needed. I hope you all can look at your options and get excited about one of your other schools. If your immediate reaction is "I'll transfer", don't let that plan keep you from getting involved in campus life at the school you choose. I think many students come to think of their next choice as "home" and can't imagine leaving it after a little while.
I hope you'll read this post and remember that this decision is probably about our numbers. You didn't do anything "wrong" (a common question). I'll leave you until tomorrow, when I'll be back to answer questions.
Please be polite and respectful of others when posting.
CavDog wishes he could make this easier on you
Statistics for the Class of 2014
Here are some preliminary numbers for you to crunch on. Please understand that I do not have additional statistics. I am giving you all I can right now and the office is very, very busy today. Statistics for previous years were shared last week.
The Office of Institutional Assessment is the source of all official statistics about UVa. Their website will update in time with more data.
Total number of applications: 22,516 (up from 21,839 last year)
Total number of VA apps: 7,964
Total number of OOS apps: 14,652
Overall offers: 6,907 total offers
Total VA offers: 3,380 offers (42.4%)
Total OOS offers: 3,527 offers (24%)
Enrollment goal: 3,240 first-year students
Middle 50% on the first two parts of the SAT (offers only): 1300-1480
% in the top 10% of their high school class (offers only): 93.8
The offers numbers for VA and OOS are similar because yield for OOS is generally lower.
The Office of Institutional Assessment is the source of all official statistics about UVa. Their website will update in time with more data.
Total number of applications: 22,516 (up from 21,839 last year)
Total number of VA apps: 7,964
Total number of OOS apps: 14,652
Overall offers: 6,907 total offers
Total VA offers: 3,380 offers (42.4%)
Total OOS offers: 3,527 offers (24%)
Enrollment goal: 3,240 first-year students
Middle 50% on the first two parts of the SAT (offers only): 1300-1480
% in the top 10% of their high school class (offers only): 93.8
The offers numbers for VA and OOS are similar because yield for OOS is generally lower.
They're gone
It took a few trips to the mail truck, but your decision letters are in the hands of UVa Mail Services. Their machines with seal and meter all of the envelopes and then release them into the US Postal Service system.
Logistics
Just a quick run down of some things of which you should be aware.
1. The release of decisions is pre-programed. The system will show the decisions at 5 PM Eastern. The system has been tested many times and we don't anticipate any problems. Click on "View decision" and you'll be taken to the abbreviated language from your formal decision letter.
2. I will post three entries for you to talk about offer, waitlist, and deny decisions. I will step away from the blog until late tonight so you all can chat about things. I will write a post dedicated to the waitlist over the weekend.
3. I realize that some will want to blow off steam and that's fine. Last year, we had some offensive language on here. Those sorts of comments will be deleted as soon as I see them. You all have done a great job of moderating yourselves and I will leave you to do that.
4. As stated before, I hope you'll be gracious and compassionate when it comes to sharing your news with classmates. There have been times when a reader has written about another school in a comment (as in "I'm going to go to ____ instead." and they have been chastised by other readers. We don't look at other institutions as competition at this time of year (in fact, we're friends with admission officers at many of the schools that are considered our peers!). I don't think you should put down the other options that you or your friends have.
5. I'll be posting a few more times today to pass the time. I'm the Dean of the Day, so I'll be away from my desk at times today. I will have some statistics to share with you later this afternoon.
6. If you don't know how to log into SIS or have trouble with logging in, call (434) 924-HELP or email 4help@virginia.edu.
Good luck, everyone!
1. The release of decisions is pre-programed. The system will show the decisions at 5 PM Eastern. The system has been tested many times and we don't anticipate any problems. Click on "View decision" and you'll be taken to the abbreviated language from your formal decision letter.
2. I will post three entries for you to talk about offer, waitlist, and deny decisions. I will step away from the blog until late tonight so you all can chat about things. I will write a post dedicated to the waitlist over the weekend.
3. I realize that some will want to blow off steam and that's fine. Last year, we had some offensive language on here. Those sorts of comments will be deleted as soon as I see them. You all have done a great job of moderating yourselves and I will leave you to do that.
4. As stated before, I hope you'll be gracious and compassionate when it comes to sharing your news with classmates. There have been times when a reader has written about another school in a comment (as in "I'm going to go to ____ instead." and they have been chastised by other readers. We don't look at other institutions as competition at this time of year (in fact, we're friends with admission officers at many of the schools that are considered our peers!). I don't think you should put down the other options that you or your friends have.
5. I'll be posting a few more times today to pass the time. I'm the Dean of the Day, so I'll be away from my desk at times today. I will have some statistics to share with you later this afternoon.
6. If you don't know how to log into SIS or have trouble with logging in, call (434) 924-HELP or email 4help@virginia.edu.
Good luck, everyone!
Echols, Rodman, and College Science Scholars update
Echols, Rodman, and College Science Scholars invitations are set to be mailed early next week. Knowing that some will want to plan to attend Scholar's Day on the Lawn on Saturday, April 10th, we're going to email abbreviated versions of the invitations letters.
About two hours after decisions are released, we'll start emailing the notifications. It's going to take a while, so bear with us. Each group is going out separately, so it's possible that a handful of you could get two emails if you happen to be invited into both Echols and College Science Scholars (not the norm, but it's possible).
The email will come from undergradadmission@virginia.edu or uvaapplicationinfo@virginia.edu. You might want to add those to your email address book to lessen the chances of the emails going into your spam filter.
Decisions will not be given out over the phone. Remember, the official invitation is coming by mail. We are emailing a short note just to give those invited into the programs a heads up.
For more information about these programs, click the links at the beginning of this entry. Also remember that if you are not invited into Echols or Rodman, you can apply to join them in your first semester.
About two hours after decisions are released, we'll start emailing the notifications. It's going to take a while, so bear with us. Each group is going out separately, so it's possible that a handful of you could get two emails if you happen to be invited into both Echols and College Science Scholars (not the norm, but it's possible).
The email will come from undergradadmission@virginia.edu or uvaapplicationinfo@virginia.edu. You might want to add those to your email address book to lessen the chances of the emails going into your spam filter.
Decisions will not be given out over the phone. Remember, the official invitation is coming by mail. We are emailing a short note just to give those invited into the programs a heads up.
For more information about these programs, click the links at the beginning of this entry. Also remember that if you are not invited into Echols or Rodman, you can apply to join them in your first semester.
A note of thanks
It's become a bit of a tradition for me to write this post on the morning of decision day...
Some of you won't be visiting after today, so I feel that this is a good time to say thank you for being part of this blog. My first two years of doing this were terribly lonely. I firmly believe that without comments, a blog isn't all that successful. Blogs are supposed to initiate conversation and discussion. This blog is successful because you read it and you write comments.
Last year was a rough year for us. Working with you all has brought the joy back to a process many of us struggled to get through last year. I am so thankful.
Now, let's talk about what is going to happen today. At 5 PM, you'll scroll down to the bottom of your SIS status page and hit the "view decision" link. This time, instead of seeing a message about decisions not being released yet, you'll see an excerpt from the formal decision letter that is on the way via US Mail. I'll talk more about what comes next in a few hours.
We're going to make some of you very happy, but we're going to make many more of you sad or upset. One of the drawbacks to this job is that we have to say "no" more often than we get to say "yes". I console myself with the knowledge that you will all have many other attractive offers, some from our 14 public sisters in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Regardless of what your status page says, you are going to be just fine. You are going to attend a great school and you are going to grow tremendously while there. You're going to have "ah ha" moments like you've never had before. You're going to learn from amazing, inspirational professors. You're going to meet people with whom you will stay friends for the rest of your lives. You're going to pull all nighters studying. You're going to pull all nighters not studying. You are going to have highs and lows, you're going to have great successes and you're going to fail miserably at something, possibly for the first time in your life. While I obviously think UVa is a great, suppotive place for those things to happen, I believe that what will make those experiences valuable is what you learn from them, not necessarily your location when they occur.
Remember that your decision is not a statement about your value. With the number of applications we had, we were not able to admit all of the qualified students. Many of those who wind up on the waitlist and deny list are perfectly capable of doing the work at UVa. Our first-year class just isn't large enough to accommodate everyone.
Thank you for reading and sharing yourselves with me for the last few months. Best wishes to those who won't be back to the blog after this. To the rest, I hope you'll chime in now and then while you're a UVa student to give the next group of students a little advice and comfort as they take their turn on this roller coaster.
The big day is finally here! I'll be at the switch at 5 PM to turn those decisions on, thinking about you all. Good luck!
Give the students a hand, CavDog!
They gave us some great applications to read this year!
Some of you won't be visiting after today, so I feel that this is a good time to say thank you for being part of this blog. My first two years of doing this were terribly lonely. I firmly believe that without comments, a blog isn't all that successful. Blogs are supposed to initiate conversation and discussion. This blog is successful because you read it and you write comments.
Last year was a rough year for us. Working with you all has brought the joy back to a process many of us struggled to get through last year. I am so thankful.
Now, let's talk about what is going to happen today. At 5 PM, you'll scroll down to the bottom of your SIS status page and hit the "view decision" link. This time, instead of seeing a message about decisions not being released yet, you'll see an excerpt from the formal decision letter that is on the way via US Mail. I'll talk more about what comes next in a few hours.
We're going to make some of you very happy, but we're going to make many more of you sad or upset. One of the drawbacks to this job is that we have to say "no" more often than we get to say "yes". I console myself with the knowledge that you will all have many other attractive offers, some from our 14 public sisters in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Regardless of what your status page says, you are going to be just fine. You are going to attend a great school and you are going to grow tremendously while there. You're going to have "ah ha" moments like you've never had before. You're going to learn from amazing, inspirational professors. You're going to meet people with whom you will stay friends for the rest of your lives. You're going to pull all nighters studying. You're going to pull all nighters not studying. You are going to have highs and lows, you're going to have great successes and you're going to fail miserably at something, possibly for the first time in your life. While I obviously think UVa is a great, suppotive place for those things to happen, I believe that what will make those experiences valuable is what you learn from them, not necessarily your location when they occur.
Remember that your decision is not a statement about your value. With the number of applications we had, we were not able to admit all of the qualified students. Many of those who wind up on the waitlist and deny list are perfectly capable of doing the work at UVa. Our first-year class just isn't large enough to accommodate everyone.
Thank you for reading and sharing yourselves with me for the last few months. Best wishes to those who won't be back to the blog after this. To the rest, I hope you'll chime in now and then while you're a UVa student to give the next group of students a little advice and comfort as they take their turn on this roller coaster.
The big day is finally here! I'll be at the switch at 5 PM to turn those decisions on, thinking about you all. Good luck!
Give the students a hand, CavDog!They gave us some great applications to read this year!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Update on Financial Aid
Student Financial Services aims to post financial aid packages around our notification date. We moved our date up a week, which means you are going know your decision for a little while before getting your aid package.
SFS anticipates posting a batch of packages on Tuesday, March 30th. I imagine that if all of your documentation (FAFSA, UFAA, and supporting credentials) was in by the priority deadline, you'll be in that first batch. They'll have another batch ready by the next Tuesday, April 6th.
Packages are only available via SIS. When your aid is ready, there should be a "View Financial Aid" link to click. You'll probably want to print out the screen to share it with your parents.
I'm not a financial aid officer, so questions about aid need to be directed to Student Financial Services.
If you're interested in current students' perspectives of AccessUVa and Financial Aid, check out the Hoos for Open Access blog. It's a great team blog that was started by and continues to be maintained by students. I'm sure they'd love to answer your questions!
SFS anticipates posting a batch of packages on Tuesday, March 30th. I imagine that if all of your documentation (FAFSA, UFAA, and supporting credentials) was in by the priority deadline, you'll be in that first batch. They'll have another batch ready by the next Tuesday, April 6th.
Packages are only available via SIS. When your aid is ready, there should be a "View Financial Aid" link to click. You'll probably want to print out the screen to share it with your parents.
I'm not a financial aid officer, so questions about aid need to be directed to Student Financial Services.
If you're interested in current students' perspectives of AccessUVa and Financial Aid, check out the Hoos for Open Access blog. It's a great team blog that was started by and continues to be maintained by students. I'm sure they'd love to answer your questions!
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