<p>Dear Dean J,
YOU JUST MADE MY DAY. I'm currently a junior in highschool and basically live on College Confidential fretting about how I don't have the perfect essay or perfect SAT score. After reading this:
"If you truly, truly think your application was flawless and some mistake was made, that's one thing. However, I see virtually every student on College Confidential saying every single item in their application was perfect and I have to wonder if people are being honest with themselves. For example, everyone seems to think their essays are amazing, but the vast majority of essays are solid, but not great. Everyone says their recs were incredible. Almost all recs are positive, but the truly incredible ones aren't as common as some seem to think."
I feel so much better. I knew that it couldn't be true that everyone on here has a 2250+ on their SAT, amazing EC's, and excellent Essays... I'm, well you could say, "below par" compared to most CC'ers. I have a 3.85 gpa and am hopping to just get past the 32 mark on my ACT. And you know what I feel I have a great shot at UVA. I'm sure you and other admissions officers recieve thousands of app's per year of students who have around the same stats as me. Although many applicants on here tell their storys of how they've been denied (yes I feel increadibly bad for all of you) I find it really hard to believe they had all the "perfects" that they said they do.
While your on this thread Dean J would you mind awnsering a couple of questions:
1. I will probably be denied when I app to UVA. Do I still have a chance if I sit out a semester and re-apply or should I just go to another college.
2. I am writing my essay on Forrest Gump's quote "life is like a box of chocolates". Is it possible to send a box of chocolates with my essay (I know your process is all online but I compare parts of life to different chocolates and I think my essay will be better understood if you have the chocolates which I was comparing to)
3. I've reviewed the UVA lecture numerous times about having a "Mc Essay" and am trying to stay as far away from the Mc Essay as possible. Is the essay I'm thinking about something new or just another run of the mill Mc Essay.
4. Would providing another essay about why I love UVA be overdoing it? I've loved UVA since I was 8 and would like to share why with the admission councilers.
Thanks for your help, reading "notes from peabody", your posts, and all other cc'ers posts on this thread has helped immensly in my Apping process.</p>
<p>lololololololololol</p>
<p>Dean J is awesome isn’t she! She makes the entire process so open and less scary. I love the pictures of stacks and stacks of all the application packages they have to go through sitting on their desks. It puts it in perspective what they go through on their end, and all the hard work they put into making sure each applicant is reviewed fairly.
The only thing I would offer on your essays is to avoid what I have heard referred to as the ‘McEssay’. This was something an associate Dean of Admissions at UVa, Parke Muth, spoke about extensively and is highly respected. If you google it you can find an article from the Washington Post that gives his theory very clearly. It’s not hard, but reminds you of key principles of things that will make your essay personal and stand out.
Dean J, If this information is outdated, or you would advise otherwise please pop in and let us know. My intentions are pure, but I am certainly not the expert and would rather UoB have correct direction if I am misguided.
Good luck to you UVAorBUST!!! :)</p>
<p>It’s really true though. I think a lot of people on CC post extremly high stats in order to raise their confidence and feel superior to others. The average gpa and act excepted to duke from my school is 3.81 and 31… If I were to post these stats on here people would tell me that I would be lucky to get into my community college. Don’t get me wrong, the majority of people on CC have extremly high stats and very nice shots at HPYSM however you’ve got to think. Not everyone that gets into theses competitive schools has a 4.0 , 2400/36 , cured cancer , and speaks 12 languages.</p>
<p>i sooo agree UVAorBust. I have personally stopped coming on CC cause the sats are just f****** ridiculous. It makes me feel like crap and also like I have no shot at colleges. I am now seriously thinking about not even applying to Duke bc the stats are just: 4.0, 2400’s.</p>
<p>@eagles: I know how you feel… I felt that way for a long time, so I personally stopped going to any type of chance me thread… I only look at stats around april 1st time because the decisions around that time came from people with an actual say in someone’s chances… With that said, I would still apply to Duke because its true that you really won’t get in if you don’t apply… and even though stats are one thing, I think what you can bring to the college community is also as important :)</p>
<p>thnx sandra.</p>
<p>Thanks, all.</p>
<p>Obviously, if you are flawless, you’re going to be admitted here and many other wonderful places, but I really think the number of flawless applications is exaggerated here. </p>
<p>The McEssay is still alive an well. Don’t get me wrong…it’s a perfect way to write for school or for the SAT people, but it’s not always the best way to get across your voice and your personality.</p>
<p>[Essays</a>, Admission Information, Undergraduate Admission, U.Va.](<a href=“http://www.virginia.edu/undergradadmission/writingtheessay.html]Essays”>http://www.virginia.edu/undergradadmission/writingtheessay.html)</p>
<p>A question, Dean J are you the one who gave that speech about the Mc. Essay? I visited UVA as a sophomore last year and was going to send a thank you letter a month later once my summer ended but I forgot who gave the speech. Any ways I think you should post the McEssay speech on the essay topic section of this site. I think that speech really helps students realize that being themselves helps them get into college. Not participating in sports which they do not enjoy just to look good to colleges. Also Dean J, UVA is by far my #1 choice. I was wondering if the ADCOMs at UVA take any notice of the UVA summer program. I mean some of the programs offered look intersting to me and I would love to spend a month on the UVA campus but by doing so I would have to stop working for a month. Does participating in the UVA summer courses help my chances of getting into UVA or should I continue working every day.
Also heres a question I’ve really been contemplating. I work, a lot. I’ve worked at the same job since 8th grade. I work 10+hrs a week during the school year and work 30hrs+ per week during the summer. Do the the fact that I work so much a lot of my time has been taking up. I really enjoy work and during my highschool career (I’m a junior) I’ve progressivly have been participating in sports and spend my time working more and more. Is work a good extra curricular?</p>
<p>Actually, Dean Parke Muth wrote the McEssay essay. It was an article originally published by US News. Click the link in my last post to see it on our website. :)</p>
<p>Work is definitely part of your extra-curricular involvement. Don’t apologize for your list…keep doing what you enjoy.</p>
<p>Alright thanks, that raises my confidence greatly. I know UVA is nearly impossible to get into OOS and I need to do whatever I can to help me get in. Also Dean J thanks alot for the responses so quickly. I’ve been really worried latley about getting into UVA and your posts have helped me realize I actually have a chance.</p>
<p>My pleasure.</p>
<p>I should warn you that I’m going to step away for a while. There has been some UVa talk (not in the UVa forum, of course, you all are lovely) that has me a little uncomfortable and I think I need a break.</p>
<p>Thanks dean j, good luck with whatever trouble your having right now on he campus. Also do you mind if I ever PM you questions?</p>
<p>Nothing is happening on Grounds.</p>
<p>It’s just good to step away from College Confidential every now and then. I don’t use the PM feature here. The best way to get in touch is to use the blog. :)</p>
<p>Alright thanks, I’m not really sure if I can post my question on a public blog so I’ll find your email and send it there if thats alright.</p>