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.

UVa Housing Blog

When people visit us, they really, really, really, really want to see the residence halls in which they'll live when they are students here. Unfortunately, our tours don't go into the halls for security reasons. The only people allowed in the halls are the students who live in them, their guests, and housing staff. I personally think this is a great idea.

I also think that showing you one room on a campus where there are so many varieties of housing doesn't make too much sense. Obviously, if we could go into the halls on tours, we'd opt for the nicest, newest hall to show you and you might wind up with a totally different style of room.

Here are a few resources that will help you learn about the many different housing options you'll have here.

UVa Housing Blog - written by the Director himself!




Incoming Student Housing Page - click on the building/area names at the bottom for floor plans, pictures, and a list of items that come in rooms

Returning Student Housing Page - pictures and floor plans of the rooms you may live in after your first year

Off Grounds Housing - website for students who are considering a move off Grounds after their first year

Welcome to the 2010-2011 application season!

The phones have started to ring with applications questions. Ah...it's the start of a new application season. The Common App went live at midnight on Sunday night and it's as if the starting gates at the Foxfield Races just opened. On my side of the Common App, I can see that thousands of students have started applications already and several have submitted. Sometimes I want to say "Slow down! You have plenty of time!" but I realize that many students want to get as much done as possible before school starts in a few weeks.

Even if you think you've finished your application, I don't think you should submit it right now. While I think submitting early is great, I don't think you need to be racing to finish this process in August. Set your essays aside for a little while and revisit them later. I bet you'll have some edits.

Good luck...and feel free to post questions in the comment section.

UVA and early admission deadlines

There's a lot of talk out there about whether UVa will bring back an early admission process. At this point, this is just talk. If you are filling out an application this fall, you have one deadline to remember: January 1st.

Any changes in deadlines or format would be announced well in advance of the application season. Behind the scenes, so much work has to be done to accommodate any changes to our process that we'd need a good amount of time to incorporate any change. The Common Application goes live on August 1st. The process is not going to change between now and then.



One small change we have made about this year is the gentle suggestion that those interested in the "at-large" process for the Jefferson Scholarship submit applications by December 1st. Let me explain the scholarship and the process...

Jefferson Scholars are students who attend UVa with a full scholarship, including tuition, room, board, fees, books, and a stipend. This is a small, highly accomplished group. The Jefferson Scholars selection process starts away from Charlottesville. Nominations are solicited from about 3,500 schools around the globe (though most are within the US) and regional selection committees interview the nominees. Last year, 101 finalists were selected to come to Charlottesville for a weekend during which the competition continued. By the end of the weekend, 27 scholars were selected.

The Jefferson Scholars Foundation allows the Office of Admission to nominate some applicants who haven't been nominated by their schools. Unfortunately, with almost 23,000 applications coming into our office and with the majority being submitted at the deadline, there are probably some great students whose files haven't been read by the time we're supposed to give the Jefferson Scholars Foundation our at-large candidates.

So, we've decided to be up front and let you know that if you think you have a shot at being a Jefferson Scholar (review their website to see the criteria), you should try to submit your application by December 1st so we are sure to have time to review it before our at-large names are due. Obviously, the application deadline is still January 1st.

Waitlist update #5

I'm out of the office currently, attending a Common App conference in Minneapolis.

The waitlist process has finished. We have filled the class and released the waitlist. Everyone who remained on the waitlist should now see a change in their status in SIS.

I realize this isn't the news you wanted, but at this point, I think most were eager to move on and fully commit to their other schools. Best wishes for a wonderful, relaxing summer, a smooth move in at a fantastic school, and a rewarding first year.

Thanks again for being part of this blog!

FYI...

If you are planning to visit this weekend, please check UVa's Emergency Information site for updates. A storm that came through Charlottesville on Thursday evening has left many parts of town without power and many roads littered with tree limbs and power lines.

I gave the morning information session to a packed Newcomb Theater and our visitors said their hotels had kept them safe and fed through the night. Power is back on in some parts of the area, but there are still roads without working traffic lights, so travel may be slow.

Our facilities group has done an amazing job clearing walkways and roads around Grounds. Check out the difference between 5:30 PM last night (left) and 2:00 PM today (right).

There were fallen branches under every tree last night.
This afternoon, people were playing under the same trees.

It's hard to tell in the picture from last night (left), but there was one tree blocking the road at the top and another blocking the walkway at the top of the stairs (on The Lawn).


CavDog assumed the grounds crews were picking up branches to play with him.
He had a great time "helping" them carry branches around.

2010-2011 Application Essays

For those juniors out there who are looking to start thinking about their college applications, here are the essay questions that will be on the UVa Supplement to the Common App next year. Keep in mind that there will be one general essay question on the Common App in addition to these shorter personal statements.

The most popular piece of advice from the seniors every year is "start early". I don't think you need to worry about filling out forms just yet, but essays are definitely something to start thinking about if you have a little free time this summer.

Here they are. Hope you like them!

1. We are looking for passionate students to join our diverse community of scholars, researchers, and artists. Answer the question that corresponds to the school you selected above. Limit your answer to a half page or roughly 250 words.

• College of Arts & Sciences: What work of art, music, science, mathematics, or literature has surprised, unsettled, or challenged you, and in what way?
• Engineering: If you were given a $10,000 budget and the opportunity to build a small team of talented, motivated individuals, what would you propose to accomplish?
• Architecture: Discuss an experience that led you to apply to the School of Architecture.
• Nursing: Discuss experiences that led you to choose the School of Nursing.

2. Answer one of the following questions in a half page or roughly 250 words:

• What is your favorite word and why?
• Describe the world you come from and how that world shaped who you are.
• Discuss your favorite place to get lost. (This question was written by U.Va. students who live in one of residential colleges, Brown College at Monroe Hill.)
• In The Dumbest Generation, Mark Bauerlein asserts that social media and youth culture undercut the skills necessary to be a global citizen when he writes: “We need a steady stream of rising men and women to replenish the institutions, to become strong military leaders and wise political leaders, dedicated journalists and demanding teachers, judges and muckrakers, scholars and critics and artists. We have the best schools to train them, but social and private environments have eroded.” Do you agree with his assessment or not?

Waitlist update #4

This update doesn't contain all that much information...the waitlist process continues to unfold. I imagine that's that's good news for some of you.

Just as a reminder, the official offer will post to your SIS account. You'll accept and pay your tuition deposit through SIS. Obviously, it's fun when we call a student and we realize what their decision is immediately. Last week, I made called a student to let her know that we were giving her an offer and her voice started trembling when she replied. Her mother (I assume) started screaming and a dog started barking in the background. As she was hanging up the phone I heard her yell "No way!" I think I was grinning for the rest of the afternoon.

Rest assured, if you need to look over your aid package with your parents, you'll have some time to do that.

Hang in there! At this point, I don't think you should be sending any more updates in the mail since we are apt to see an increase in mail (and processing times) due to final transcripts arriving from matriculated students.

Remember, this blog is geared towards first-year applicants.
Transfers should see the Transfer Blog for updates on their process.

Waitlist update #3

We're still working through the waitlist.

From the comments on the last post, I think I need to direct you back to the original posts I wrote about the waitlist. This takes time because we are reading files. We don't make offers based solely on statistics (GPA, testing, rank, etc). This is a holistic process and it takes time.

I think some of you may have assumed that there are official "rounds" in this process. I used the term to describe why making waitlist offers takes time. We make some offers, we give students some time to think about them, some accept, and some decline. Then we make more offers to fill in the spots where offers were declined.

The timeline was spelled out in my original waitlist post and in the waitlist FAQ. We aim to have this wrapped up by the end of June. Some colleges out there will take longer and some schools are probably done already.

W e know the wait is tough.
We promise that we're working as quickly as we can.

Waitlist update #2

By this point, we've made what you could call a first round of waitlist offers and given students a few days to think about accepting those offers. Some have accepted our offer and some have not. We're moving on to making another round of offers. The cycle repeats.

My feeling (and this is totally unscientific) is that the waitlist will wrap up earlier than it did last year. I don't have any numbers for you at this time.

At this point, there is no action required on your part (unless you realize that you don't want to be on the waitlist anymore and you can remove yourself via the SIS). When we are done, I will post a note on this blog and letters will be sent to all students are have remained on the waitlist.

Waitlist update #1

The information I have to share today is great for some and not-so-great for others.

At this point, waitlist offers are going to select applicants to the College of Arts & Sciences and School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. We are not making offers to students who are on the waitlist for Architecture or Nursing at this time. As waitlist offers are made at other schools, it is possible that we'll see more room in the class, so I can't say that we won't make any offers for those two schools.

I realize this isn't the news some of you wanted to hear, but thought it best to let you know.

As I've explained before, this process takes some time. We are working in teams to reread files. To speed notification up, we will call a student we want to offer a spot to and if we can't reach a student by phone, we'll email. Obviously, it's nice to hear a big "YES!" on the other end of the line, but offers are officially made through SIS and responses must be made through SIS. A call will be made to let the student know to check SIS.

Keep in mind that we may have a certain number of spots open today, make some offers, and then have a few students get off waitlists elsewhere and withdraw tomorrow, which means we go back and find a few more students to admit.

We are working as quickly as possible. Please don't call our office at this time about the waitlist. We will be in touch if we are able to offer you a spot. When the class is full, I will post a note here. You will also get a final letter and see SIS change to reflect that we have released the waitlist.

I have to add, though, that coming across files I enjoyed reading months ago and being able to recommend an offer for some waitlist students has given me a little happiness during what has been a very sad week.

The waitlist process has begun

We have started to work with the waitlist. I don't have any numbers at this time.

Please do not call our office about the waitlist process. We are very busy with calls from transfer students (their decisions were posted over the weekend) and additional traffic on the phones and in the office will slow this process down quite a bit.

I know you want data. I will share it as soon as I can.

The National Candidate's Reply Date is upon us!

Admission deans around the country have been pacing the floors for the last month, asking for new numbers every 30 minutes, and analyzing past data in attempts to predict what will happen by the end of the day on May 1st.

Before midnight on May 1st, you need to pay a deposit at one of the colleges on your list. If you have questions, you have until 5 PM to call admission offices and up until 11:59 PM to post questions online in the various forums students use to talk about admission. If you actually expect responses to your question, I'd post it a little earlier. I won't be at a computer for most of the day on Saturday, so get the blog-worthy questions in tonight.

Simply hitting the "accept" button on our offer page doesn't put you in the Class of 2014. You must continue on to the payment process (turn off your pop-up blocker to do this) to become and official member of the class. The payment system is a secure, e-check system, so you have to type in the routing and account numbers on a check to pay the deposit. You can use a credit card, but I believe the credit card company's fee is passed on to you and I'm pretty sure one brand of card (Visa?) doesn't work with the system.

Good luck to those who are trying to make a last minute decision! If you have any questions about UVa, don't hesitate to post them here. If you have technical problems, email 4help@virginia.edu or call (434) 924-HELP.

CavDog wishes you were here

Let me address one practice that is not acceptable: double depositing. There are some people out there who encourage students to pay deposits at two schools, thus buying them extra time to make their final decision. These students sometimes remain deposited at two schools for weeks. Some even attend more than one orientation session.

I think double depositing is unethical and it drags out the waitlist process many more weeks than it should last. Most of the time, waitlist movement trickles down in a fairly predictable fashion, with most schools finishing up their offers by the end of June. Double deposited students sometimes cancel much later than that and some schools have resorted to keeping an extended waitlist to ensure spots that open late in the summer can be filled.

If a student double deposits, we usually hear about it from their school when two final transcripts are requested. Many guidance officers are quick to make sure we know that a student was not advised to double deposit by their high school.

EDIT at 6:30 PM: I got an email from someone who confused double depositing with being on a waitlist. It is perfectly acceptable to deposit at one school while remaining on the waitlist at another. Someday, perhaps the admission process will allow for some sort of first step before a final commitment is required, but for now, you have to pick one school.

Wherever you go...

Wherever you wind up next year, regardless of what you decide to study, please ignore whatever apprehension you may have and

GO

SEE

YOUR

PROFESSORS

Thank you so much to Brianne, a Darden student who posted this on her blog this morning. The staff shown are from the Darden Graduate School of Business at UVa.

The Welcome Book is online!

The Office of Orientation and New Student Programs publishes a beautiful booklet each year that serves as a great introduction to student life at UVa. The book just went up online, so you can take a peek at it now (you'll get a copy in the mail later in the summer if you enroll). You can flip through the book using the buttons at the top of the frame on the orientation page. If you've started to get digital copies of magazines, you're probably familiar with the format already.

Enjoy!

Happy Earth Day!

I thought I'd share a few videos that show big and small efforts to incorporate sustainability into life at UVa.

First up is a video about the 4th EcoMod. EcoMod is a collaborative project between the School of Engineer and the School of Architecture. The mod is built at a hanger near Lake Monticello and then transported to a site where an eager family will live in it. A resident of an earlier EcoMod once said that the energy monitoring is extremely precise in these homes, so living in one provides a bit of an education about consumption.

EcoMod 4 is a few blocks from my own home and it's a pretty cool looking house!




Here's a video that was just posted yesterday about student efforts around Grounds to recycle and make decisions with the environment in mind. With the Foxfield horse races coming up this weekend, I thought it was interesting that some students are opting to bike to the event. I imagine they cruise right past cars that have to wait in line at the gate.

By the way, there's a cameo by Noble, the official dog of the University. He lives on the Lawn. :)



Here's one more video, a little older than the others, about storm water management here. Many people assume the pond near the Curry School of Education is decorative, but it's part of the management plan.

How to join the Class of 2014

With May 1st around the corner, I want to make sure you're aware of a few things.

1. You are not officially part of the Class of 2014 until you hit the accept button and pay your tuition deposit. Hitting the accept button without paying the deposit will put you in a little limbo zone where you are deemed to be intending on depositing.

2. You have to turn off your pop-up blocker to pay your deposit.

3. Deposits are made online. The system is an e-check system (you'll have to type in the routing and account numbers on your check, just as you do on your tax return if you get a refund). You can use a credit card, but the fee will be passed onto you and the system will not take Visa cards.

4. If you have any technical problems, call (434) 924-HELP or email 4help@virginia.edu. Do not post a comment here...I don't have any access to the e-check system. My response will be to call 4-HELP.

Hope that helps! Good luck with those final decisions!