<p>Lame12345, I think it is wrong to single out an applicant and say they are not qualified. You should not judge a person's ability. Whereas the Deans saw the entire application, you only knew a few facts about the applicant. There could be unusual circumstances behind the applicant or the applicant could have a strong passion for something that they do. </p>
<p>Also, when you say "extracurriculars to fill your days" I think you might be missing the point of e/cs. E/cs aren't supposed to just "fill your days" they are supposed to allow you to allow yourself to grow and then reap the fruits of your journey. They are an outlet for you to find ways to expand your mind and strengthen character, not just for a dean to look over. I do strongly believe that some people have many e/cs and have passions for all of them and can juggle that but nobody should have "extracurriculars to fill their days," as it implies that their reason for having e/cs is simply to have a long list of e/cs.</p>
<p>To me, SATs are not an excellent indicator so to me, that argument is flawed. It may give some kind of indication, but not necessarily a significant one. I know many people who are very intelligent, pick things up incredibly fast, yet do not have spectacular SAT scores. There is a correlation between family income and SAT scores. I'm glad UVA does not focus too much on SAT scores (according to them) and more on essays because why should we allow a privatized "Scholastic Aptitude Test" to determine our success?</p>
<p>they dont admit ppl on pure numbers. no college does, and if there is a problem w/ UVa's admissions committees procedures, its not like they're alone. a good number of ppl admitted to any top institution is based on <em>fuzzy</em> factors. maybe that person wrote a good enough essay to make up for that dismal 3.3.<br>
i dont think at all that it sends the message that you dont have to study hard. this is because no matter how many "unique" ppl UVa admits, they like any other college do look at rankings. no matter what, they will still aim to have ppl with high gpa's, sat's, etc for those rankings.
but no matter what, if that disgusted applicant is truely qualified, and was rejected, it would be UVa's loss and does not reflect at all how that person would do in life. my suggestion would be for the person who wrote the letter to calm down and drop the loser attitude (understable tho if its written at 6:45 pm friday). it may be difficult to swallow, but UVa, Duke, UC's, Ivies, have routinely rejected 4.0's and 2400.</p>
<p>Your friend is bitter and jealous. With an attitude like that, I'm not suprised he/she wasn't admitted. This person has NO reasoning skills whatsoever. ONE person that SHE deems less qualified and UVa is no longer a "good" university? HA.</p>
<p>i wouldn't say that the person can't reason. again, if he/she wrote the letter at 6:45pm friday and really ****ed off, there's no surprise that there's bitterness and harsh accusations. its a matter of emotions and clouded judgement, not ability to reason</p>
<p>While I agree that the person in question does not appear to be on a trajectory to extreme academic success, she may have had very good EC's or essays. It's also possible that she was a development case.</p>
<p>
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it may be difficult to swallow, but UVa, Duke, UC's, Ivies, have routinely rejected 4.0's and 2400.
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</p>
<p>I would be disgusted to find that my university was routinely rejecting people with 4.0s and 2400s.</p>
<p>Okay people. Calm down. Did you ever think that perhaps I (yeah I wrote it) DID see her essays, and maybe I know more than a "few facts" about the applicant. Why are you all sooo defensive? Similar credentials? (Try harder.) I don't see how you could be supportive of a school that's supposed to be so great accepting someone with no qualifications. Don't automatically assume I don't know what I'm talking about because I actually questioned a school's admissions. Honestly, do you think I would write something like that without knowing the facts? Point being, I know everything she did to get in, and it all involved weaseling and sucking up, the past four years and to the university itself, and personally I feel as if that completely debases the whole process. It just shows how merit apparently isn't as important as manipulating to them. And to the person who said no wonder I didn't get in? Think again. I didn't apply early.</p>
<h1>Excellent performance in a rigorous secondary-school program</h1>
<h1>Results from the SAT I or ACT (including writing section)</h1>
<h1>Results from two SAT Subject Tests (strongly recommended; any two subjects of your choice)</h1>
<p>Those are the first three things that UVA lists as their most important "credentials". Therefore, they should be the most important factors in the decision process and for a person to get a 3.3 and get in over people with over a 3.7 and 3.8's is ridiculous. No extracurricual, or "passion" as you people put it, should be able to make up for it. Extracurricuals should be deciding factors between people that have equally good grades, not something that puts you in over students clearly more qualified. There's no way you can justify a 3.3 gpa getting in over a 3.8 gpa; it simply doesn't make sense nor is it consistent with what UVA says are their most important admission factors.</p>
<p>Celtic, I don't know your source where you got that information but it seems apparent throughout the entire UVA website and such that they place a large emphasis on the rigor of your secondary school record and essays and not so much as SATs.</p>
<p>When I called the office one time, a lady kept stressing to me work on those essays, they are very important.</p>
<p>actually i go to the school they are talking about...i got deferred...i'm not upset about that and i completely understand it, but i have talked with all my friends that went to the virginia governor's academy with me (which UVa. supposedly ADORES)....and they aLL got deferred...some of them have 2 sports plus band plus at least a 3.8 gpa and amazing SATs...i mean i havent seen their essays or anything....its just rather annoying that someone who has obviously (known by so many students) cheated her way into getting a 3.3 gpa got into such an amazing presigious university, early decision at that...i mean every one of you that got deferred/rejected (even those of you accepted), you know that if someone you knew at your school was clearly a cheater and got into uva (who hates that kind of stuff) in front of YOU...youd be a little upset about it as well...this is not a hate letter by any means, just a little background on the subject at hand right here</p>
<p>that lady that talked to me when i visited (dean for nursing school?) also emphasized the essay. its really a wildcard when it comes to essays. if the person became overconfident and it showed or he didn't work as hard on it, it may have made an impression. idk, tho i am quite shocked to find that a 3.3 gpa w/ nothing special would make it over a much qualified candidate.</p>
<p>I'm sure essays are important and so are extracurriculars and recommendations, but can you honestly argue that they are MORE important than your academic record? It's somewhat understanble for those factors to give someone with a 3.6 gpa an edge over a student with a 3.8 gpa, but the difference from a 3.3 gpa to a 3.8 gpa is too large to make up. Can you honestly argue that those factors should be more important than your grades from four years of high school?</p>
<p>i agree that the 3.8 should have gotten in. it is indeed unfair. i am not defending UVa's decision. </p>
<p>but again, the college app process is <em>fuzzy</em> ACROSS THE BOARD AMONG TOP INSTITUTIONS so i think it would be unfair to just point the finger at JUST UVa. change needs to be across the board because there are practical considerations that UVa still takes into account such as donating $ and such.</p>
<p>i think we are missing an important point tho. college doesn't indicate future success. if the 3.3 cheated into UVa, he won't get very far in UVa. the other one w/ 3.8 or something may go to a less prestigious university but would prob rise to the top of his class, or catch the eye of someone important. eventually reality balances things out and cheating will only get someone so far. </p>
<p>and yes dan3241, $ may have had to do w it.</p>
<p>I obviously do not know much about this situation, but it seems strange to me that people are accusing this girl of extensively cheating and of sucking up all the time yet this girl only has a 3.3. People who fit the cheating/sucking up category should be a lot closer to 4.0</p>
<p>Excuse some blubbering from a college student who doesn't go to Virginia--well, yet. I'm thinking about transfering from a college out of state.</p>
<p>I hate to say it, but cheating happens everywhere. If you're going to get obsessed with it, you're going to go crazy. I didn't get into UVA, but I didn't see the kids who got in as taking my spot. I just figured that I didn't have whatever they were looking for at the time. You should know by now that you can't make sense of admissions---they don't just pick the kid with the best statistics. </p>
<p>I don't how that girl cheated, but if you think she took your spot, you're crazy. If she's rich, get over that, too. There are plenty of rich kids who probably shouldn't be at my school. There are also plenty of athletes here that shouldn't be here. It's not fair, but it happens.</p>
<p>I like to think that karma will catch of with people who do shady things to get in.</p>
<p>exactly...she should have received a D last year in physics...instead she got a B because of her, literal, constant begging of the teacher...that happened in so many classes...so really instead of that "highly earned" 3.3gpa she received she should have something under 3.0...maybe we all should just give UVa. lots and lots of money then we'd for sure get in!</p>
<p>Holy ___. What kind of teachers do you have if someone can talk them out of a D and get a B!?!</p>
<p>Seriously, get over it. She'll get hers at some point. When she gets to college, her profs won't tolerate that kind of crap. She'll be in for a big wake up.</p>