<p>My D and I were just at Days on the Lawn and went to talk to admissions about the Echols program. She is an OOS and received a likely letter. She has VERY impressive stats and was admitted to several other really good schools (including the honors programs at some) but did not get an invite into Echols. We were a bit perplexed on how Echols recipients were determined, so we thought we’d ask. The person we spoke to said that it’s somewhat subjective. She said whoever reads your application might see something in your essay that perhaps he/she believes sets you apart from the others. This subjectivity, of course, accompanies your objective data such as your GPA and test scores. Supposedly, this is why there are Echols/Rodman recipients who aren’t necessarily the top 5% of the applicant pool strictly from a GPA/AP/SAT/EC perspective. She did indeed say that you can apply at the end of your freshman year to gain entrance into the program as a sophomore. My D will come into the university with 12 AP credits (all 5s thus far); consequently, she will most likely start as a sophomore. Therefore, the Echols incentive to eliminate core requirements isn’t that big of a deal; the recognition, on the other hand, is. I realize Dean J has said that many students at UVA are doing great things without being in the honors program, and I feel quite certain this is true; nevertheless, it could definitely be a swaying point for her when making her decision. When asked how many freshman applicants apply and how many are accepted, the admissions person we spoke to had no idea.</p>