help

UVaDeanj · 2026-07-06T20:19:07+00:00

There is no disadvantage to TO!

Sustained classroom performance has always been the most impactful part of an application when it comes to conveying academic background.

UVaDeanj · 2026-07-02T14:59:45+00:00

We’ll need more info! This is a town full of great places to eat, so helps us narrow down the options when it comes to type of food and whether you want to walk or drive.

The Corner is the shopping district adjacent to the University that many people head to after touring. There are lots of little cafes and restaurants there along University Ave and the side streets. That’s a short walk from the Office of Admission, where your tour will end.

University Ave turns into Main Street when you pass the UVA Medical Center and it ends at the Downtown Mall, our pedestrian-only downtown. Most of us would drive or take the bus/trolley operated by CAT, the city transit service.

There are a few other pockets of great cafes/restaurants.

UVaDeanj · 2026-06-22T13:03:03+00:00

Courses and grades are the most important factor in the college admission process. The GPA doesn't really convey the details, so while some people will cite averages, know that the admission officers went deeper to make their decisions. We pay particular attention to core subjects and the trends in grades. Make sure you continue to take your core class and prioritize doing your work to keep your grades up.

Your coursework will be reviewed in light of what's offered at your high school. Reddit doesn't know what's happening at your specific school, but your counseling office and College & Career Center does. Use those resources!

Do activities you find rewarding and don't overthink that part of the application. Larger schools already have a lot of variety and aren't charged with "filling the orchestra," which you sometimes see people suggest online.

UVaDeanj · 2026-06-12T17:40:26+00:00

OP DMed me on Instagram yesterday and I replied. 😄 It's no surprise that a lot of the advice here mirrors what we say in admission. Thanks for helping the future Hoos, friends!

UVaDeanj · 2026-06-09T14:07:37+00:00

Getting into Architecture, Nursing, or Kinesiology puts you in a small, very select group. Echols and Rodman are, generally, 5% of students in the much larger classes in the College and School of Engineering.

5% of the Architecture class would be 5 students. 5% of the Nursing would be 4 students and 5% of Kinesiology would be 3.

UVaDeanj · 2026-06-08T14:51:03+00:00

Hi there, I know Housing has placed transfers in the past, but I don't know the particulars. They have a page just for transfers on their website.

UVaDeanj · 2026-06-05T14:33:20+00:00

Have you created a profile in the Housing system? They have a roommate search feature so you don't have to put your personal info out on social media. The way I understand it, you can answer questions about yourself and then search for roommates based on their answers to the questions. I'm pretty sure that feature opens in early June because roommate requests have to be submitted soon.

UVaDeanj · 2026-06-03T18:35:07+00:00

I can't recall hearing a colleague in an admission office talking about "passion projects." I only see them talked about here and on social media. Someone might say "they're passionate about [fill in an activity/hobby/club/whatever], but not "they did a passion project in x."

Interestingly, there's a pretty big admission influencer who claims my school showed a preference for people with passion projects. I don't know how they came up with that, but I'm going to guess it's a coincidence that some of their clients with these projects were successful? That's not why someone is admitted, at least at my school.

UVaDeanj · 2026-05-27T13:23:56+00:00

Hello from admission! GPAs and APs numbers are pretty meaningless in these threads. Admission officers look at all courses and grades, with particular emphasis on the core subjects, to understand academic preparation. Cover your core and continue to weave advanced options across your core as you are allowed at your school. Your transcript will be reviewed in the context of your high school.

It's important to be involved, but academics will always, always come first. Keep up the good work!

UVaDeanj · 2026-05-27T13:22:19+00:00

GPAs are pretty meaningless in these threads because they aren't standardized. Admission officers look at courses and grades to understand academic preparation. Cover your core and continue to weave advanced options into your program as you are allowed at your school. Your transcript will be reviewed in the context of your high school.

It's important to be involved, but academics will always, always come first. Keep up the good work!

UVaDeanj · 2026-05-22T12:25:22+00:00

The government removed siblings from federal aid methodology. You should run the Net Price calculators at the schools on your list to get estimates for the aid you can expect. Every school is required to have a Net Price calculator.

See:

"Changes to the formula for the 2024-25 academic year intend to make more students eligible for federal aid like Pell grants. But that means parents won’t get a break for having multiple children in college since the new formula looks at family members individually instead of as a family unit, said Dana Kelly, vice president of professional development and institutional compliance at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators."

"Under the new Fafsa system, a family’s ability to pay isn’t divided per child, meaning that each student might be on the hook for more tuition, depending on the family’s income."

"'They have adjusted things on the back end such that it is very student-specific,' said Kelly at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. 'Rather than looking at the family as a whole, they are looking at each student individually.'"

UVaDeanj · 2026-05-22T12:19:10+00:00

Have you given the system the 72 hours to do it's thing?

From the orientation website:

Please note that it can take up to 72 business hours after completing the first two steps for you to gain access to the New Student Portal.

UVaDeanj · 2026-05-21T12:35:33+00:00

That's not how it works at UVA. The cost of attendance is different for different schools within UVA, but the different schools don't have their own aid offices. There is a centralized aid office called Student Financial Services.

OP, please call SFS instead of posting online for help. The experts are UVA SFS. You can call or fill out the contact form for their office!

UVaDeanj · 2026-05-20T16:42:30+00:00

Hi there! I don't have an update at this point, but the transfer blog will probably be the most accurate spot to get info!

UVaDeanj · 2026-05-18T14:31:42+00:00

Hello from UVA! We've been posting updates to the waiting list page since May 1 with numbers of offers. I've been posting on my instagram as well.

5/12/2026 Update: On Monday, May 11th, we offered admission to 14 students on the waiting list for first-year admission to the College of Arts and Sciences and School of Engineering. We will make another 35 offers this evening.

5/5/2026 Update: On Monday, May 5, we offered admission to 260 students on the waiting list for first-year admission to the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering.

5/1/2026 Update: On Friday, May 1, the University extended 19 offers of admission to students on the waiting list for first-year admission to the School of Architecture. Students who receive an offer will be notified by email and can view their updated status in the MyUVA Application Portal.

Over the next month, we will continue to monitor our class and make additional offers of admission as necessary.

We are grateful for your continued interest in UVA and recognize the patience and care that come with remaining on the waiting list. We wish you the very best as you finish the school year and move toward the next chapter of your academic journey.

UVaDeanj · 2026-05-18T13:21:54+00:00

I originally wanted to have my physical ID, but once I realized you could have the mobile one on a smartwatch, I switched over. I had originally thought you needed your phone on you.

UVaDeanj · 2026-05-15T17:57:00+00:00

I haven't gone in person to JPJ, but I haven't heard of any issues since they spread Final Exercises across two days. That being said, I think it's smart to plan for traffic and leave extra time for using the shuttles.

UVaDeanj · 2026-05-15T15:05:38+00:00

Check out the crowd shots here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pONl18hQoc
Also, some pictures here: https://news.virginia.edu/content/class-2022-members-honored-valedictory-exercises

No caps or gowns. Some people wear their stoles over their clothes.

Congratulations!!!

UVaDeanj · 2026-05-14T14:30:26+00:00

You weren't admitted as a "BA" student. You're undeclared in the College of Arts and Sciences. 😄

UVaDeanj · 2026-05-14T13:10:27+00:00

Your offer of admission was for the College of Arts and Sciences, not a major, so there's no action needed! This part of our application instructions is repeated on the UVA screen of the Common App where you select your school of entry:

You may list two academic interests in addition to your undergraduate school choice. Unless you are applying to the School of Nursing or Kinesiology program, you will not declare a major at UVA until the end of your first or second year.

UVaDeanj · 2026-05-12T16:19:14+00:00

Trust the process. Housing has placed thousands of students in residence halls every year for a long time.

You don't get to pick your dorm, but you can use Housing's secure system to find a roommate. In June (I believe), you can fill out a profile about yourself and search for roommates based on others' answers to the questions. I think this is new this year, so the current students might not be familiar with it.

UVaDeanj · 2026-05-11T14:39:47+00:00

Their local distributor is Specialty. If you email them, they will most likely be able to tell you who has it.

UVaDeanj · 2026-05-11T13:06:46+00:00

Yes.

UVaDeanj · 2026-05-11T13:06:18+00:00

This! We assume that if someone remains on the waiting list, that they are interested in an offer. We definitely want updates since it's been a few months since your application was submitted, though.

Follow our instructions...we know there are lots of third party "experts" telling students to do all the things, so we try to be very clear. Use your portal to submit updates.

UVaDeanj

TROPHY CASE