bigwill11205

1) SAT: 1920 (640 CR / 610 Math / 670 W)

2) SAT IIs (if sent): Taking this month

3) Weighted GPA: 4.49

4) Rank: 14/579

5) All Honors and AP classes (excluding electives)

6) ECs: Book Club, Academic Team, Community Service, Summer Internship at Genworth
Financial (IT Department), Skills USA Competition (Extemporaneous Speaking) --- 1st in Region & 5th in State

7) Hook (legacy, recruited athlete, etc.): African American, In-State

8) Location: Chester

9) State or Country: Virginia

10) School Type: Public

11) Ethnicity: African American

12) Gender: Male

13) Prospective Biology Major

oneguy21

Raise that SAT score by at least 100 points. Right now, I think it's bit of a reach with that SAT score.

3rings

AA and recruited athlete makes you a slam dunk

bigwill11205

Maybe I should make it clear... I am not a legacy or recruited athlete. Those are just examples of "hooks."

The only hooks that I have are that I'm an in-state URM.

novaparent

Oneguy21 is wrong -- UVA is not a reach for you with that SAT score. You are in state, you have an excellent record, and you and are an underpresented minority. There are many students at UVA with SAT scores similar to than yours, including mine. I'd recommend taking the SAT a second time if you haven't already, as there's no downside to it, but if you don't do better I wouldn't worry too much.

UVA doesn't pay any attention to the SAT scores of an in state student once they see 600s. After that it's all about grades, courses, and extracurriculars.

bigwill11205

Thanks novaparent (:

Barq45

I agree with the previous posters, your SAT score is fine if you are a URM (the average URM SAT scores from what I have seen and read are significantly lower than the general SAT scores- I don't mean this negatively, it's just what I've seen).

Although, generally, I'd have to respectfully disagree with you on one point novaparent, It doesn't seem very likely that UVA disregards scores after they see 600s (which just generally aren't high scores on the test, 670+ seems more typical for a good shot), although UVa really seems to focus more on grades than SATs compared to comparable schools.

wahoomb

(the average URM SAT scores from what I have seen and read are significantly lower than the general SAT scores- I don't mean this negatively, it's just what I've seen).

Where have you seen this? Can I get a link?

novaparent

Well, all I can tell you is this. First, U-Va posts its numbers right on its website, and they show that 1/4 of this year's entering class had lower SAT scores than bigwills's. That's nearly 1500 enrolled students, not to mention the ones who got in and went elsewhere. Second, I've had two of my own kids get into U-Va, one a couple of years ago with a 1310 on the SAT and another just this last year with a 1260. Neither got a 670 on anything other than writing, neither was an athlete, they're white and not poor, and both are from a top nova high school. Neither had bigwills's class rank or anything close to it. One wasn't even top ten percent. In other words, they had everything going against them that everyone worries about, but they STILL got in. U-Va is just not going to look twice at bigwills' SATs -- they're good enough not to ring anyone's alarm bells. All they're gonna care about is if his stellar class rank was achieved while taking hard classes.

barboza

That's a huge generalization to make and assume that if they see 600's on SATs, they won't pay attention.

Barq45

I agree with Barboza. And frankly if that's true, then it seems like it's easier to get into U.Va from NoVA. From my very competitive high school outside of NoVA, most students attending UVa were straight-A type students with 1400 SATs or more.

novaparent

Here's the thing, Barq45. That "most" students from your high school attending UVa have "1400 SATs or more" is anecdotal evidence that doesn't really tell us much of anything. Who may have gotten in with less but went elsewhere? Who got in with a 1400 and could have gone to Duke but went to UVa instead for money reasons? That there are lots of highly qualified kids from your school attending UVa doesn't mean that less qualified kids couldn't or didn't get in.

UVa's own website, on the other hand, reports that the entering first year class this year had an average SAT score of 1326. It also says that a quarter of the class had a 1230 or lower and that ten percent had an 1100 or lower. These numbers confirm that "most" UVa student do not have 1400s on the SAT or even close to it. And while they don't report the numbers, you have to figure that the out of state kids' numbers are generally higher than in state, which means that the numbers for in state are actually lower than the reported numbers.

And before anyone says that this is because of really low numbers for rural virginia, remember that the vast majority of in state students come from nova, hampton roads, or richmond. they're aren't enough rural virginians to account for the low numbers.

I never said that UVa won't ever pay attention to SATs once they hit 600s. I said they won't pay attention for an in state student IF the student's grades are stellar and the coursework is top notch. Bigwill will be admitted to UVa if his transcript is as strong as he's painted it to be. I can almost guarantee it. And they're not going to care about his SATs.

bigwill11205

Well it's good to hear some good news novaparent.

And yes, my transcript is as strong as I painted it to be. (: And I'm keeping my grades up this final year.

By the way, Chesterfield is located in the Central VA region, so that might make a difference.