@ReadytoRoll We didn’t seek advice of guidance counselors when my son applied to UVa last year. He just loved the school. After we applied, we learned that no one from his high school had ever been admitted to UVa. We also learned how difficult it was to get admitted as an OOS but only a month AFTER applying. We didn’t realize that the stats for admission were different for OOS students. Oh well, we thought. He was admitted to SEAS as an OOS during the early action round. I’m glad we didn’t ask the guidance counselors and he just applied where he wanted to go. He is in his first year and loving UVa. He was salutatorian, 34 ACT, a few interesting extracurriculars he had a long history of dedication to (over 6 years). Even so, I think our guidance counselors probably would’ve discouraged him, they seem to push only in-state schools (his high school is a small rural one).