My son is an OOS from a small rural high school who is second year in SEAS. I find this thread interesting. He discovered that first year students from NOVA had a much more thorough background in calculus and chemistry than he had. He skyped us and said that there were so many smart kids here that he wondered if he really belonged there. He dug in and used Khan academy to help him fill in the gaps. By the end of first year (he got B’s with one A), he felt that he was on an even playing field so-to-speak with NOVA students. Now in his second year, he finds the work even more challenging but not because he has gaps, because it is. In my opinion, it’s not about where you come from so much as grit and determination. Kids from smaller rural high schools can and do succeed at UVa.