Virtual #UVA Days on the Lawn Starts SATURDAY!

 

All throughout April, we will have virtual events geared towards our admitted students. Admitted students got an email about this already, but I thought I'd link to the Virtual DOTL website in case it's been missed. The calendar link on that site will take you to a page where you can register for as many events as you'd like. The kick-off event is tomorrow, Saturday, April 3rd at noon. There will be a special guest at that session! Afterwards, there is a live tour and a student chat. 

I'll be posting a weekly reminder of the week's programming here on the blog and on my instagram account. There are sessions for every school/college and topics like housing, career services, research, and study abroad. 

I especially want to highlight our Virginia Ambassadors' chat sessions. The Ambassadors went live on the UVA Admission youtube channel every week for the last few months to talk about their UVA experience and answer questions and the sessions are available to watch there. Check out future student chat opportunities here.

 

Screen grab of last night's Virginia Ambassador session with Sheeba, Brightney, Abby, and Sophie

Let's Talk about #UVA22: The Offer of Admission

Admitted students can use this entry to talk. I imagine you might also want to join the UVA Class of 2022 Facebook group to chat with your future classmates. That group is just for students (I'm not even in there). Once the first-year class elects it's Class Council, the class officers run the group. 

 
I'll have post about admission statistics and in the coming days. Just for reference, below your letter are buttons to accept or decline your offer. If you accept, you will see a button to let you pay your tuition deposit online*. Orientation registration will open on April 2nd and you'll get more information about that in the future.

You have until May 1st to decide whether you'll be joining us at UVA. If you decide to go elsewhere at some point in the coming weeks, I hope you'll decline the offer via your self-service page.

Congratulations! We are so lucky to have you considering UVA!

*We have an e-check system for deposits. You'll type in the numbers on the bottom of a check. The system will take certain kinds of credit cards, but it's primarily an e-check system. Be sure to turn off your pop-up blocker when you go to pay the deposit!

UVA Admission Quotas for Northern Virginia

"Beyond our in-state to out-of-state ratio (2/3 of our students are Virginia residents), there are no restrictions, targets, or quotas regarding how many students we may take from a high school, town, county, or region."

I say this sentence during every information session, evening program, and high school visit. I've been at UVA for 11 years, so you can imagine how many times those words have come out of my mouth!

Rumors of regional quotas are pretty prevalent in my territory in Northern Virginia. My students in Fairfax, Arlington, and the continuous cities (cities are separate from counties in Virginia) are convinced that we have to balance out the class between the 95 counties and 38 independent cities in Virginia and that means it's easier to be admitted from the counties with smaller populations. Let's look at some of the most common things I hear and some data...

1. Only __ people are admitted from my high school each year.

Many conversations I see about admission quotas cite enrolled student numbers that have been confused with admission numbers. This is probably because many schools publish lists of college destinations for the graduating class and people count up the number of times a certain school is listed. What's missing is a discussion of yield. Yield is the percentage of admitted students who decide to matriculate at a school.

At UVA, we break down our admission and yield stats by residency. About 60% of the Virginians who get offers of admission wind up enrolling at UVA. When you see a certain number of seniors headed to Charlottesville, remember that there were probably some more who were offered the option, but turned it down to attend another school.

2. The students from my area are more qualified than students from other places.

The notion of "qualified" applicants is a little bit funny to me. Students have access to so much admission information between their counselors, data that we put out, and data that high schools collect that most of the people apply because they know they are qualified. 

In a selective admission process, academically qualified students get denied because the vast majority of the applicant pool is qualified. Those students aren't denied to make room for students who can't do the work. The applicant pool is full of people who are prepared and ready for UVA.

3. UVA doesn't like my school because last year's seniors didn't attend in high numbers.

This is a relatively new rumor and I hear it in different iterations. One student told me that someone  said that her brother turning down his offer from UVA and attending another school a few years ago was going to be held against her.

We don't hold grudges. Students say no to us every year. That's how this process works. Our feelings aren't hurt.

Okay, now let's look at some maps!

UVA Magazine published an awesome article about the Class of 2020 that includes a lot of admission data. My favorite part is the map area, where you can hover over a county (or state or country) and see how many students in the first-year class are from a particular area. If you hold the shift key and click on multiple areas, you can get a summary. 

Above, we saw that 3,720 students are in the Class of 2020. If I add up the counties/cities in Northern Virginia, I can see that 1,130 students are from the area. So, four counties and four cities are pretty well-represented in the class. So 2,590 students are from the other 91 counties and 34 cities that make up the Commonwealth.

Side note: Back in the day, I'd set aside a day or two for Loudoun County visits. These days, one of my colleagues covers Loudoun while I cover Fairfax, Arlington, and Alexandria. The number of Loudoun high schools has increased as the area has been developed!

You can see how the numbers increased in our student body on the map:

Keep in mind that when you see charts with admission data on them, you are seeing the results of an elaborate review process plotted using just a couple variables. Things like scattergrams don't tell you how we make decisions. 

 

 As always, I'm happy to chat with you via the comments!

Overlap Season Begins

It started a week ago, but I just actually had a moment to stop and think about what is going on. We're trying to wrap up the Regular Decision review, we're reading transfer applications (their deadline was March 1st), and the juniors have started to descend upon the UVA Grounds in huge numbers. It's overlap season.

Overlap Season. So tired. (outtake from CavDog filming this last summer)

I thought I'd share a little bit of advice for each of the groups with which we are working right now...

1. Regular Decision Applicants

We are seeing the news from our colleagues at other schools on Twitter, so we know you are starting to hear from the colleges on your list. Rest assured that we are working as quickly as possible to get decisions finalized and ready to release. If you read the blog, you know that while April 1 has always been the official notification date, we always post decisions as soon as they are done instead of waiting for that day. We're getting there! Hang in there a little while longer.

2. Transfer Students

If you are reading this blog and you are a transfer student, be sure to visit the UVA Transfer Admission Blog. My colleague who writes that blog is the expert on transfer admission in our office. Even though I've been at UVA for over a decade, I still find myself running down to her office to ask questions about courses or transfer credit. She is the best. Use her as a resource!

3. Juniors

We are probably seeing over 1,000 visitors right now due to high school spring breaks. We are getting a lot of questions about GPA and course selection. I've addressed GPA fairly regularly on the blog, but please remember that it is not standardized. We are more concerned with courses and grades than with a number. Your GPA is an attempt to summarize that information, but remember that two students could have identical GPAs and very different coursework behind them.

When it comes to course selection, remember that high school is the time to create a solid foundation for the more advanced work you'll do in college. Pay attention to your cores subjects (English, Math, History, Foreign Language, and Science). Electives are wonderful, but you should not be doubling and tripling up in an elective area because you think it will "look good" while dropping a core subject.

Social Norming, College Admission, and Stress

The concept of social norms was emerging when I started my career (I was in student affairs) and isn't really discussed in admission all that much. With a social norms approach, we talk about what is normal instead of what is happening with outliers when discussing behavior or outcomes. I use a social norms approach when talking to students about the college application process and I've been thinking that students could benefit from more widespread use.

I spoke on a panel at a Fairfax County summit on teen stress last weekend and it is so clear to me that many people draw conclusions about the college admission process based on stories they've heard about outliers. Outliers are probably interesting because their stories amaze and excite us. The outliers get so much air time that even the most calm, rational people lose sight of what is normal. If we focused more on norms, maybe there wouldn't be as much pressure to do what the outliers are doing.

Let's look at something as simple as the number of college applications high school students are submitting. This New York Times article says:

...In 1990, just 9 percent of students applied to seven or more colleges. By 2011...that group had risen to 29 percent.

In the class of 2014, according to Naviance, 16.5 percent of seniors using the system said they intended to apply to 11 to 20 colleges.

Flip that around so that the normal behavior is highlighted:

In 2011, 71% of students submitted six or less college applications.

In the Class of 2014, 83.5% of students who use Naviance intended on applying to 10 or less colleges. 

 

The data that the Common App puts out about the number of applications the average user submits might help back up the norms approach. They've been putting these charts out for years and the numbers haven't changed all that much. In fact, in our mid-Atlantic region, the average number of applications submitted was lower in 2014 than in 2012 at every kind of high school except the ones with religion affiliations. The number for those schools stayed the same.

It's still interesting to marvel at outliers (that NY Times article cites someone who applied to 56 schools!), but maybe we can take things down a notch by talking more about what is normal.

Let's Talk about Class Rank

Once upon a time, class rank was really simple. Students in a class were put in order by average or GPA and assigned a rank based on that order. The person with the top GPA got the #1 spot. Now and then, you'd hear about a tie or a school where there were TWO valedictorians. Imagine that!

Many schools still use a fairly straightforward methodology for determining rank, but there are schools where class rank has become a bit more complicated. There are schools where large groups of students are huddled at the same spot in the class. There are school that give the #1 spot in the class to anyone with a 4.0 GPA. Most of those schools are on weighted GPA scales where the highest GPA in the class is in the neighborhood of 4.50. There's a school where 114 students are holding the first spot in the class right now.

 You're in good company, at some schools.

So why is rank interesting to us? When it is reported, it can help us understand how strong an applicant's work has been in the context of their class and their school. We're aren't ruled by rank, just as we aren't ruled by testing, GPA, or other statistics. The reported statistics contribute to review.

Some schools have stopped reporting rank. In those cases, we often get GPA and grade distribution charts (via the school profile...see the second half of those post for more about that) that provide context for us.


Here's an example of a GPA distribution chart:

Here's part of a (much longer) grade distribution chart:

We publish a chart that shows where students who were admitted ranked in their high school class (if they attended a high school that provides rank to colleges) in case you are curious. Just remember that your admission decision doesn't rest on one statistic. All of the information in your file is used to arrive at a decision. 

Quotas. Again.

Here's the CavDog image I pull out anytime I fear I'm covering a topic so much that regular readers will be horribly bored by the post:

Really? You're talking about this again?

He's only about six months old in that picture. I think the dog was born to be on a blog because he gives me so many great expressions to use here. Anyway...


Let's talk about quotas
I'm going to talk about quotas again since it came up in the Washington Post today. Reporter Michael Chandler linked to my last post about quotas (unfortunately, it was the mobile version, so folks won't see that big, beautiful picture of CavDog), but I thought I'd revisit the topic just in case it will help quell some of the anxiety that will come up if people see this tweet and the related article:

I'll say something I've danced around through all of my posts about this topic. I think quotas are dumb. I want to concentrate on reading applications, not constantly have an eye on some counter that will stop me from admitting people. Quotas get in the way when you're building a great class. I don't think I could ever work for a school that has a cap on how many students we could take from a particular high school.

Look at posts on my Instagram account from the fall travel season and you'll see that I adore my high schools. I adore my applicants. I adore their Career Center Specialists (I'm resisting the urge to do shout outs right now). I spend a lot of time telling my colleagues about my fabulous visits to schools in Arlington, Fairfax, and Loudoun. If someone suddenly told me there was a cap on how many students we could take from each of those schools, I would be completely gobsmacked. Honestly, I would leave if that ever happened.


About those numbers...
A parent quoted in that WaPo article cited his daughter's GPA. The GPAs at many schools these days are approaching 5.0, so it's hard for some of us who grew up with unweighted 4.0 scales to understand what the numbers mean. What's more, the GPA doesn't tell us about the courses the student selected and the rigor of the applicant's high school program is hugely important in this process.

Each high school sends us a profile that explains how they calculate GPAs so admission officers understand the context. The profile explains the hierarchy of the curriculum at the school so we can assess how challenging the student's chosen program is. When you have lots of fabulous options, the expectation is obviously that you'll take advantage of them. Every school is different, of course.

If you haven't seen your school's profile, google it. You can usually find them online. If you don't see yours online, your school counselor can show it to you.


Feel free to ask questions in the comments. As always, this is anonymous, but please pick a nickname to use.

Picking the Right Topic for a UVa Application Essay

There's a rule that most admission officers learn during their rookie year. Never, ever tell anyone exactly what you do for a living in a social setting. When I was a new professional, I couldn't fathom why this rule was important, but I learned soon enough. Here is what happens when you tell someone you work in admission at a party, meeting in the community, or on a plane:

There are two common themes in the barrage of questions we get. First, people want to discuss the rumors they've heard about our process. Second, they want to know if we really read the application essays and what topics are the best ones.

That dovetails with Andy's question in the comments on yesterday's post.

The quick answers:

1. How do admission counselors feel about essays with a religion bent? Fine.

2. Are they cliche right from the start? No.

3. Do you get a lot of them? Plenty. (How many would a lot be if the pool is 90,000 essays?)

4. Are you tempted to skip them or give them a skimming over? No.

5. Or is there a negative bias if, say, the school itself is a public or secular institution? No.

The long answer:

I think people "over think" essay topics. They spend a lot of time trying to figure out what the "right" answer is or what answer will be most pleasing to the admission officers. Here's the thing:

The essay topic is a vehicle that you are using to convey something about you, your personality, and/or your voice.

There is no "right" topic for me or my colleagues. There isn't a topic that we see that is instantly pleasing to us. There is a "right" for you to use, though. You need to settle on a topic that lets you be interesting and authentic in your writing. 

One of the fun parts about working for a public school with 14,000 students (and about 30,000 applicants) is that we get to read all sorts of essays. The essays we see cover everything under the sun (and some stuff beyond that, too). The variety makes this process interesting, educational, and, at times, entertaining. 

Oftentimes, we are put on the spot to describe a favorite or great essay. What comes to mind are the outliers. So, we rattle off a few lines from the quirky or strange essay that stuck in our head and I imagine that some think they have to say something shocking or weird to get our attention. That isn't necessarily the case. Most students write about every day things. They talk about an academic area that interests them, an activity, a family member, or an experience that might be somewhat common to teenagers that affected them. What makes those essays successful? They are deeply personal and give us insight into the person behind the application. 

What other topics would you like me to cover? I have a great list of future blog posts going and I'm happy to add to it.

Notes from the Road

My last week on the road for the 2013 travel season is coming to an end. This week has been full of college fairs in Northern Virginia. Some of these events have been huge and I'm so thankful that our alumni have come out to help answer questions and talk about life at UVa.

Last night's table team at the Ballston Commons Mall

College fairs are always interesting. While we get the same questions over and over again, we also get insight into what rumors are floating around about admission to UVa this year. Some of the more interesting ones I've heard:

Rumor #1 
Only 2,000 students from Northern Virginia are allowed at UVa.
I've been answering the quota question for years (we don't have them), but I'm surprised that someone attached an actual number to that rumor. The number makes no sense. There are about 14,600 undergraduates at UVa. Using a pretty strict definition of "Northern Virginia," I counted well over 4,000 students from the region when I added up headcount totals.

Many students in densely populated areas worry about restrictions or quotas affecting them when it comes to the college admission process. I assure you that we don't have them for areas within Virginia.

Rumor #2
Having a Virginia529 college savings plan affects admission to UVa.
When someone told me this, I asked them for clarification. They said that some believe we are easier on applicants with Virginia529 plans because "UVa gets more money from them."

First of all, I don't know how the Office of Admission would even know that a family had set up a 529 plan for an applicant. The group that oversees that plan in Virginia is an independent state agency. They aren't part of University of Virginia.

In addition, our application review system has no financial data in it. That information is between you and Student Financial Services. When I review a file, I don't know if you applied for aid or if you have a college savings plan. My job does not include guessing about how you'll be paying your tuition bill.

Rumor #3
We don't recognize International Baccalaureate programs.
This one really surprised me. IB programs are extremely common in Virginia and have been for years. From the IBO.org:

"The states with the largest number of IB World Schools are California (120), Florida (114), Texas (102), Colorado (79), Virginia (73), New York (63), Georgia (57) and North Carolina (55). 

More than 55% of all U.S. IB World Schools are located in these eight states. California has the largest number of DP, while Virginia has the most MYP and Texas has the most PYP."

We also offer credit to students to score well on their higher level IB exams. This isn't new. I've been referencing the chart on that webpage for years.

Something else to consider, from an IBO report:

If you have a rumor you'd like to check out, feel free to post it in the comments.

How UVa Uses Demonstrated Interest

Many years ago, I experienced a college fair unlike any I had experienced before. My experience at that fair has become sadly common.

The college fair was organized by a consortium of private schools in a nearby state. It was a massive fair, held in the field house of a college. I set up my table, found the refreshments too late to have anything to eat (and kicked myself for not stopping somewhere on the way), and watched as crowds of attendees gathered outside the doors of the building. In my mind, the opening of the doors had a similar sound to the opening of the gates at a horse race. The doors opened, the crowd poured in, and the massive space was immediately filled with noise. Then the thing that made this fair so unusual happened.

A receiving line formed at my table. One after another, students stepped forward, stuck an arm out to shake hands, and simply said "Hi, my name is ___ ___." I'd reply "Nice to meet you, I'm Dean J. Do you have any questions?" The answer was almost always "no." It was a long fair. There were times when I wondered why I was there. Those 15 second exchanges weren't helpful to anyone.

I left that fair so confused. Looking back, I wonder if that was my first experience with something that has become almost ubiquitous. People assume that demonstrated interest matters. Everywhere. Some folks think that if they can just get some "face time," they will be in a better position later in the process. In reality, the names of the students at that fair fell out of my head the moment they stepped away from my table.

Today, we have students doing all sorts of things to put their name in front of us before they apply. They send emails that either contain questions easily answered on our website ("Is it true that I can't apply to McIntire until my 2nd year?") or no questions at all. They reply to the mass email that alerts them to programs in their area. They send thank you notes for tours.


We don't use demonstrated interest in our application review. The message doesn't seem to be getting through, so I put it on the "Contact" page on the Office of Admission website:

In my mind, your application is how you demonstrate your interest. When you visit us for a tour and information session or come to see us at your high school or a hotel program, you are gathering information about us. We are not making an assessment about you as a candidate.

About Demonstrated Interest

Demonstrated interest is the admission world's term for activity that shows how much a student desires to attend a school.

Some colleges and universities will try to determine interest based on the number of contacts they've had with a student via visits, emails, and online activity. The benefit of using demonstrated interest in an admission process is that it can lead to a higher yield rate.  A school's yield rate is the percentage of admitted applicants who accept their offers of admission.  If you're trying to "wag the dog" when it comes to your yield rate, using demonstrated interest in the application review process can help.

UVa does not use demonstrated interest during the early action or regular decision review processes.  We know people don't believe us when we say this.  They come to our office dressed to the nines after already submitting an application.  They come to our college fair tables without any questions, but want to shake our hands and say their names.  They send us cute packages.

The way I see it, your application is how you demonstrate your interest.  After all, submitting a Common App takes more than the few clicks some people say it does. Those who can afford to travel to Charlottesville to visit us do not get an advantage on our side of the process.  We obviously think a visit is really important for your side of the process.  Soon, you'll have to decide which school you'll be joining as a student and a visit can really help with that.

Do I have to wear a tie?

Let's talk about demonstrated interest

I often find myself saying that filling out our application is the best way to demonstrate your interest in UVa.  There are many schools out there that track contact with students and use demonstrated interest as a factor in admission, but UVa does not.  Sending notes/emails, dropping business cards or resumes, and getting "face time" really doesn't affect application review here.  Similarly, visiting the Grounds or coming to evening programs will not increase your chances of admission.

So, see the interaction you have with us prior to filing your application as a huge opportunity.  Ask us questions.  Ask us about the things that are really on your mind.  Ask us about the rumors you're hearing from friends, family, and the guy down the street.  No one will connect the questions you ask now with the application you may file in the coming months.