<p>Do undergraduate Echols Scholars get any preference over non-Echols students? In other words, do Echols Scholars have a slightly higher chance to get into McIntire? (assuming other things like SAT score and GPA are constant)</p>
<p>…No.
[Frequently</a> Asked Questions (FAQ) : Echols Scholars Program — Echols Scholars Program, Arts & Sciences, U.Va.](<a href=“http://artsandsciences.virginia.edu/echols/faq/index.html#a7]Frequently”>http://artsandsciences.virginia.edu/echols/faq/index.html#a7)
Here are how McIntire students are chosen for admission
[Application</a> Process: UVa Students](<a href=“http://www.commerce.virginia.edu/admissions/undergraduate/Pages/current.aspx]Application”>http://www.commerce.virginia.edu/admissions/undergraduate/Pages/current.aspx)</p>
<p>Wait, but doesn’t getting into the Echols program count as an achievement? And the comm school looks at accomplishments, so you could list your getting into the program in the comm school application</p>
<p>Hazelorb, I don’t think your response answered OP’s question. That’s not what he’s asking.</p>
<p>SAT score doesn’t really matter for McIntire, you don’t apply until spring of your second year so by that point you have 3 semesters worth of grades to look at.</p>
<p>Echols Scholars get to register earlier than non-Echols students.</p>
<p>The OP is implying that a program whose main benefits are priority registration in the College only would have an effect on another school’s admissions. Which is completely untrue. The achievement is more of a high school achievement, because it has nothing to do with how well you do at the University.</p>
<p>If you use your Echols status to take a particularly rigorous and nontraditional course load as well as do well, then of course in a cause and effect way it would give you an edge. But that wasn’t the question being asked. The OP wanted to know if being an Echols scholar in itself was some kind of admissions boost… No, why would it be. It’s a College program, and McIntire is a separate school. Now, it would be interesting to see the statistics of Echols scholars who apply to McIntire, and if that percentage is statistically higher based on how Echols scholars achieve things, but that information is not available.</p>
<p>SAT score clearly matters, as it’s listed on the admissions page I linked above.</p>
<p>I also want to menion, Echols is a College program because it is completely opposite of McIntire or any other professional school. Echols (and the Echols Major) is about College undergraduate academia at its best, not about producing a skilled trade/profession such as commerce, engineering, etc.</p>
<p>If you transfer to McIntire, you lose your Echols status obviously. Such as when someone switches between Eschool and College. Usually if they are Echols/Rodman they get the other through application but it’s not some kind of direct switch.
It might give you a boost in getting into those prerequisite classes because of your priority registration, but that’s the only direct benefit I can see at this moment.</p>
<p>I mean, this question is just as absurd as asking if a student in a 500 person lecture gets a better grade solely on the fact of being an Echols scholar… No. They might be able to get unique opportunities with professors through Echols, etc, but if they are failing all of their tests they aren’t going to pass, and if they have the same test grades as a non-Echols student those two students will receive the same course grade. Does that analogy make sense?</p>
<p>I mean think of it like this.
You and another student are up for admission with the same SAT and GPA.
They still need to compare your course rigor, leadership in extracurriculars, and achievements, etc.
So if you have equal course rigor, and leadership in ECs, and you have Echols and they don’t, then you would have more of an achievement than them and that would give you an edge.
However, if your course rigor is less, you have less leadership through ECs, or they have an equal achievement, then that would no longer give you an edge.</p>
<p>Hazelorb: If a student is an Echols or Rodman, they can switch directly over to the other. DS is a 2nd year Rodman and roomed with an Echols scholar last year. The Echols scholar decided to switch to the Eschool this year and is now a Rodman and he did not apply, it was automatic. He needs to make up the first year seminar that Rodmans take. I also remember hearing it was automatic when we went for Days on the Lawn in spring of 2010.</p>
<p>I realize this wasn’t the OP’s question, just an FYI.</p>
<p>Oh that is good to know! I was under the impression you had to do some paperwork to get that switch, but that it was pretty much guaranteed if you had been in good standing.</p>
<p>(In any case, the point was there is no such program in McIntire that would have the same effect).</p>
<p>Just to clarify, while you aren’t an Echols Scholar after you start at McIntire, you do retain the early registration benefits. Early registration isn’t as important in McIntire though because the small size of the school/two year program really limits the amount of people that can actually take a class.</p>
<p>Thanks, guys. I was under the impression that Echols Scholars have an advantage because my friend who’s a third year said that basically all her Echols friends who applied to the comm school got in</p>
<p>Well Comm isn’t that hard to get accepted to… it has a 60-70% acceptance rate. Your friend’s Echols friends probably got Echols because they are impressive people and kept it up at UVA. Self-fulfilling prophecy.</p>