Does D Have a Chance?

editor · May 10, 2011, 1:17pm

My D is just wrapping up her sophomore year in HS and has expressed interest in UVA. She'd like to visit this summer (we're OOS).

Currently, she has a 95 average (4.0). For what it's worth, she scored pretty high on the practice ACT.

So far, she's taken: 3 years of language; honors earth science, honors biology, and honors chemistry; honors algebra, honors geometry, honors algebra & trig; honors english; honors history; gobal conflicts (elective); two years of design & draw (art requirement)

Junior years she's taking: AP lit; honors history; honors physics; honors pre-calc/intro to calc BC; college level language; environmental research (elective); health

Senior year she'll take: AP language; college lit; honors history; AP calc BC; an upper level science class and probably some other elective(s)

She's a member of the Italian club, has been playing varsity basketball since freshman year, will be running cross country and track, performs community service, and will be a published illustrator come the end of this year.

Is she UVA material?

Thanks!

novaparent · May 10, 2011, 2:31pm

Please, let your daughter enjoy high school. Come back to the board after her junior year and ask then.

rodney · May 10, 2011, 2:43pm

....and in the meantime, find out how other students in your HS have done with admission to UVA.......

sabaray · May 10, 2011, 2:57pm

With UVA offering unrestricted early action beginning this fall, it will be interesting to see how the statistics change. Your daughter seems to be preparing well for college. Dean J writes an admissions blog that is a good source of "official" information - if you weren't aware of it, you may want to check there from time to time.

Notes</a> from Peabody: The UVA Application Process

brishe · May 10, 2011, 3:06pm

Re: visiting -- while it's a lot easier to take the time to visit in the summer, your daughter will only get a feel for grounds, and not a lot of exposure to student life. There are students who take summer classes, but it's a far cry from the 14000 students during the academic year. Depending on how far you are, you might try to arrange a visit for her spring break next year, or an earlier time if she has the chance/time off school.

Vot123 · May 10, 2011, 3:11pm

She's definitely in the game, either for in-state or OOS.

editor · May 10, 2011, 3:36pm

Sabary, thanks so much for the link to the blog!

novaparent, this is her choice, not mine. She's excited and enthusiastic about starting her college search.

Originally we were going to visit during her junior year. However, she wants to visit her top picks over the summer. This way she knows what she needs to do, if anything, during her junior year.

Most of the students in our HS stay close to home and do not venture that far. Many stay in state. This makes comparisons difficult.

blueiguana · May 10, 2011, 3:46pm

A note if she does decide to visit during her spring break, students are discouraged from visiting during UVa's accepted students days, known as Days On The Lawn held in April. You can do a search on Dean J's blog to see the dates for previous years.

I'd suggest subscribing to the blog as it's a great inside look to admissions at a top university and has a lot of information that can be helpful if you know BEFORE your student is in the thick of it regardless of the university your student picks. Understanding a year ahead of time the things students go through can make the process smoother when it's your students turn. Being plugging in and informed doesn't mean rushing your student.

theman44 · May 10, 2011, 6:06pm

One AP wont cut it, and why is she taking the ACT sophmore year...

guillaume · May 10, 2011, 6:17pm

How many APs are offered at her school? Is she taking the most rigorous curriculum? Those are very important questions.

sabaray · May 10, 2011, 6:30pm

editor, check for posts by jc40. Her child was an OOS admit and she has written some excellent posts on the subject of admissions to selective schools.

UVAorBust · May 10, 2011, 6:33pm

Killer essays and a 33/2200 or higher couldn't hurt. I was admitted OOS (NY) with a 33 ACT, 5% ranking, and what I thought were good essays (but who knows).

suburiboy · May 10, 2011, 7:17pm

one thing is that opinions can change. When I visited in my freshman year I HATED UVa. Now I'm a senior and UVa bound, choosing it over 5 other schools.

That being said. Applications are NOT AS HARD AS PEOPLE SAY; It's just writing, no time limit, usual open-ended. After you have one or two good safety schools and 2 or 3 good academic matches, She should just fill out as many as she wants. If there is a chance that your D likes UVa, then she should just fill out the app, when time comes. Worst case scenario is being rejected. As the proud reject of 4 different top 15 school, I attest to the fact that she will get over it.

It's just a bit of strategy.

editor · May 11, 2011, 8:39am

theman44, she'll have three AP classes. She took the practice ACT at the beginning of sophomore year. She'll take the pre-SAT at the beginning of her junior year. ACT and SAT will be taken at the end of junior year and beginning of senior year.

guillaume, her school offers plenty of AP classes (she will have 3 under her belt). She is staying away from AP classes that she feels she will not perform well in. She'd rather have an A in honors, than a lower grade in an AP class.

blueiguana · May 11, 2011, 9:27am

Keep in mind that what appears perfect can be boring. It's okay to get an occasional B in an AP class, really. Some may argue, but I'm hear to tell you that kids do get into UVa with a B here and there. Straight A's with fewer APs (while many were offered at her school) may raise the question that your D did not challenge herself as much as she could have. She obviously doesn't want to take classes that she can not handle, or take so many that the workload in addition to her ECs is unmanageable, however taking the more difficult class and getting a B may pay off. She may actually surprise herself and do better that she anticipated. Students get scared away from an AP subject or teacher based on reputation. Their experience may be entirely different.

I would really recommend talking to your DDs GC to see what successful candidates to selective universities from your school have done. Good luck to your D!

editor · May 11, 2011, 11:46am

That's exactly it blueiguana. She is concerned that too many APs will be a burdon. She is involved in clubs, varsity sports, community service, and tutoring. Actually, her GC also recommended not to take too many APs.

jkiwmom · May 11, 2011, 12:18pm

The GPA protection will be noticed. The adcoms know how many AP courses her school offers and it will hurt her more in the longrun to not take the most difficult curriculm offered. Better to get a couple B's in AP courses. 6+ AP's would be my advice.

jkiwmom · May 11, 2011, 12:22pm

But most of the applicants are involved in vasity sports, community service, and other EC's, and they still keep the GPA up. Not much of a reason to not take AP's when the competition is this tough now. GC is giving you bad advice to do "gpa protection". They'll see right through it.

editor · May 11, 2011, 1:14pm

I understand the AP thing. I'll pass this info on to her.
Thanks!

novaparent · May 11, 2011, 3:37pm

I keep forgetting that this is college confidential, where insanity rules and where parents and students become obsessed with college admissions from the womb. Not a single response to this post other than mine expressing the view that it's just too early to "chance" this student? Wow. We are talking about a student who still has two full years to go.

Stop feeding the beast, people!