<p>I want to study finance so I'm applying as an economics major. As the title states, I'm OOS and very concerned that the OOS/IS ratio makes it impossible for me to get in.</p>
<p>Objective:
SAT I: 2320 (w/ 780 Math)
SAT II: 800 Math II, 800 (1 science test), 780 (1 science test)
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): Between 3.75 and 3.8 (strong upward trend and very rigorous courseload)
AP: Took 14 AP exams, none of which were self-studied (this should give you some idea of my course-load). I took 8 exams in junior year alone.
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): School doesn't rank, but colleges will know I'm in the top 13% based on my weighted GPA.
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Finalist, US Physics Olympiad Semifinalist, won competitive $2500+ scholarship, 2nd place in state econ challenge, 3rd place in state finance challenge, Physics Bowl 1st place team</p>
<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): business club (president and founder), organized a concert that raised $9000+ for charity (in 10th grade), math team, MHS, NHS, orchestra pit (in 10th grade), tutor for P2P, tutor at local learning center.
Job/Work Experience: One paid internship in financial analytics where I built a credit analysis tool for a BB, one internship in CS, upcoming internship in finance.
Recs: One from Econ teacher, one from math teacher. Econ rec should be pretty good, math teacher rec should be fairly good.
Additional Recs: One from summer mentor.
Essays: Common App essay is quite personal IMO. </p>
<p>Other:
Ethnicity: Asian (***)
Gender: M
High School Type: Competitive Public. Not a magnet school, but offers a lot of AP and advanced courses.</p>
<p>That’s a very competitive profile. Not sure why you are so skeptical. Yeah, UVA is tough for OOS but honestly Virginians are always *****ing about how high the OOS % is. It could be worse. That said, if you poke around the forums nothing is guaranteed for in-state OR out-of-state. GO FOR IT.</p>
<p>Oculus - I’m curious where you are seeing/hearing Virginia residents ‘always’ complaining about the number of OOS students? I think what you’ll find many Virginians complaining about is having our hands tied by a state legislature and governor that won’t properly fund public education (specifically higher education here) and yet won’t allow us to accept more OOS students to help the budget.</p>
<p>There are a couple politicians who lead the charge on the OOS %. Every year, they introduce bills to change the ratio and people rally around them. The bills often fail in appropriations.</p>
<p>Last year (I think), they added a bit about the lost revenue being made up by OOS tuition, but I think most realized that it wasn’t a great idea.</p>
<p>It’s been 2/3 VA : 1/3 OOS since I’ve been at the University.</p>
<p>That’s for the student body, but each incoming class tends to be right around that same ratio. Generally, there are many more OOS applications, which is why the offer rates are lopsided. We admit a greater percentage of the VA pool.</p>
<p>“I want to apply to UVA but I’m not sure that I have a shot at getting in.”</p>
<p>Fate – Seriously? If the stats you posted above are real, then this is a pretty dumb question for someone as smart as you to be asking. A NM finalist type student is going to be a competitive applicant at UVA. Or at any other college in existence.</p>
<p>Having said that, nobody is a lock at getting in at any particular school that is highly selective. UVA for an unhooked OOS applicant is highly selective.</p>
<p>UVA’s acceptance percentage for IS is in the 40s. Overall OOS acceptance percentage is in the low 20s. If you back out legacies, athletes and other hooked applicants, that percentage goes down to somewhere in the teens. </p>
<p>So treat UVA like you would any other school you’d apply to which has an admissions percentage in the teens (Duke, Cornell, Vandy, Wash U, etc.). Go ahead and apply, but make sure you also apply to some schools where your chances are higher.</p>
<p>Interesting about the statewide 10-point grading scale. I think I remember a 74 being an F when I was a student in a large Virginia school system in the 70’s and 80’s</p>
<p>I hear it every year! Granted, it is usually spearheaded around admissions time by parents of those that don’t get in (Yes, biased argument). There are plenty of Virginians that feel entitled to a UVA education for their children and think out of state students are “stealing” their spots. This is <em>my perception</em> based of following the admissions process every year. I don’t have a problem with the ratios myself; I believe it makes the university stronger/more diverse/more competitive, among many other benefits.</p>
<p>Interesting Oculus. I’m sorry that you experience that kind of negativity. That’s not what I hear from my area, but it’s all relative, and could very well be the vibe in another group of parents even from my kids hs that I don’t know well enough to chat about college with. </p>
<p>The parents I speak with understand that UVa is a ‘reach’ for all students instate even if your stats say otherwise due to holistic admissions. It’s never a sure thing, and you help your student manage their expectations accordingly. Where we are the acceptance rates are less then 40%. We understand the concept of the ratio. The spots in the 1/3 ratio for OOS are never available for instate students in the first place. The competition comes completely from the number of students that apply in state. </p>
<p>I completely agree that the diversity is an excellent thing and adds to the university. My son was thrilled last year not only to have a rm not from his area of Va, but from OOS. It’s been a great experience for both of them.</p>
<p>It is a low match for you, if anything. Not guaranteed by any means, but I would expect to be accepted. They do not accept that many OOS applicants, but you’re stats are high and you have a complete app.</p>
<p>Great stats! I thought NM finalists have not been announced yet and wouldn’t be until at least January 2013.</p>
<p>My DS said when he logged into SIS it shows his application status incomplete. Missing item is the mid-year report, which won’t be available for a few more months. Does everyone who applied EA have the same “incomplete” status?</p>
<p>Thank for the information everyone! Also, I just want to clarify that I’ve heard very mixed information about UVA’s admissions. One of my friends who was waitlisted at UVA last year later got accepted to two Ivy league colleges. At the same time, another friend, with lower scores and grades that I had, was accepted as a Rodman scholar for ChemE. Many people have warned me about how competitive it is to be accepted OOS. I definitely underestimated my chances however. Right now, I have a much clear picture of what its like to apply to the university. Thanks to everyone who posted!</p>
<p>Also, it baffles me that Virginia would enforce a mandated IS/OOS ratio. Out of state students pay much more in tution, so it seems logical to give OOS students a fairer shot. I don’t know how much of that revenue goes directly to the state, but I think non-Virginians contribute much more.</p>
<p>IMHO, it would be better if UVA had the same system that the University of Michigan has: a “soft” ratio that only gives a slight advantage to in-state students. If you look at the numbers, the admit rate for OOS students at Michigan is only a 5-10% below the IS rate. But that’s my $.02. I know very little about Virginia politics (although I do see political ads for their candidates).</p>
<p>Fate, are you currently taking a gap year? One thing you would do well to remember is that admission to UVA is a holistic process. It is more than grades and scores, which is why your friend may have been accepted as a Rodman in spite of his lesser grades and scores. Students in SEAS apply for their majors in their second semester. </p>
<p>NYMOM17, if all that is missing from your son’s app is the mid-year, he should be fine. Obviously those aren’t available yet. Keep checking Dean J’s blog for the best and most recent information directly from the source- [Notes</a> from Peabody: The UVA Application Process](<a href=“http://uvaapplication.blogspot.com/]Notes”>http://uvaapplication.blogspot.com/)</p>
What I mean is Virginians complain about how many out-of-staters UVA admits.</p>