Hi,
UVA is pretty expensive for OOS, so I’m looking at schools I can graduate in 2.5-3 years from. I know the business school is upper-divisional (only for juniors and seniors) so is it possible to graduate in 3 years or less?
I have taken 10 AP exams with scores of 4 or 5, and this year my senior year I plan to take 6-7 more. At a normal state school like UF/ PennState, I’d get 60-80 credits depending on how I do this year (obvi not using all of them), but I would like to graduate in the least time as possible while still getting the benefits of the program, clubs, and internships.
I don’t know if it’s possible (I doubt it), but as one of the finest UG business schools (and overall universities) , it’s not intended to be hurried. As you mention, the B school is for juniors / seniors. There are prereqs needed and the university will want you to experience their divisional level classes to make you a far more well rounded student.
But here’s the real practical challenge. McIntire is quite competitive. It has excellent placement in top firms within top industries (Banking, Consulting, Corp Fin, Asset Mgmt, etc.) Landing an internship / job at these firms is also quite competitive. It generally requires one to build a resume of on campus ECs (meaningful roles within student organizations - leadership), internships, grades, etc. This all takes time. Would be difficult at best and may not even be an option. Short of being a prodigy, not sure these firms even want to engage a 19 or 20 yr old beyond their “emerging leadership” type programs which typically last a few days summer after sophomore yr. Remember, you’ll be competing with older kids who have had extra time to marinade in college, study abroad, grow, etc. That’s a big part of what firms look for (the total package).
I would recommend finding a high quality school where you can afford a full four yrs. Perhaps you can double major, add a minor, etc. Embrace all that is college! It’s not a sprint.
I don’t see any way you could graduate business school in 3 years. You have to apply in the fall of your second year to get in your third. You could not apply in your first year because many of the pre-requites are classes that you can only take at UVA. You also have to have your language requirement completed before you start the third year. The third year has a set curriculum and the 4th year has classes in your concentration. Their website actually says you need a minimum of 2 academic years before applying/enrollment.
Echols scholars are exempt from area and competency requirements which makes it relatively easy to graduate in 3 years, since you can then use your AP credit in place of gen ed credits. But that only applies in L&S, and may not be the case if you move over to Batten or McIntire. Getting an Echols scholarship is also no easy task (it’s the top 5% of an already highly selective admit pool). My S18 strongly considered this option but in the end decided it wasn’t worth the premium over our in-state (CA) flagships.