<p>I'm just in the lowest low of my life right now.
I'm in love with the University of Virginia. I've never wanted to be anywhere else but there. For as long as I can remember, I've always wanted to be a Cavalier. I've wanted to be able to walk down to the lawn with my fellow classmates and enjoy UVA's beauty.
Can anybody please just tell me why I could have been denied? I don't really know.</p>
<p>GPA: 4.29. I've gotten straight A's all of high school. All A Honor Roll all throughout High School.
ACT: 31 (32 if superscored)
I'm in Student Government at my school.
I'm the Co-Chair/Co-President of a leadership organization called RSVP (sister group to Student Government)
I'm also in Key Club and DECA.
I've maintained two different jobs since my Sophmore year.</p>
<p>A few people at my school who have gotten in are near my criteria or even below mine and they still got accepted.
I'm heartbroken, and I just want to know why I've been denied.</p>
<p>UVA has a 28% acceptance rate. With those stats you should have never assumed that you’d be a lock for admission, lots of qualified applicants don’t get accepted.</p>
<p>I never assumed I was locked in, I just want to know why I didn’t get in. I thought I had a very good chance. It just hurt even more seeing people I knew who got in that were similar to me.</p>
<p>Are you in state? If you’re from NoVa, it’s much more competitive since that’s where the bulk of UVA’s applications come from.</p>
<p>UVA does not super score ACT so you’re in the middle of their 29-33 range.</p>
<p>Your GPA is average for UVA. If you’ve never gotten below an A, I’d question your course rigor with only a 4.29. Someone at my school who has never gotten below an A has a 5.0. What’s your class rank? # of APs?</p>
<p>ECs do not really show a clear focus. By that I mean they don’t stand out but now I’m just nitpicking.</p>
<p>It’s okay, we all get rejections. You’re definitely qualified for other great schools.</p>
<p>An A is a 4.0, so when I get an A it’s actually slightly bringing down my GPA. A+ bring them up at 4.3.
I’ve taken 5 APs (AP Psychology, Human Geography, Biology, Calculus AB, Language and Composition).</p>
<p>My class rank is 51, however, there’s around 470 students in my class. I’m about in the top ten percent (I’m above 11%).</p>
<p>There are still lots of schools that will LOVE to have you. The only one you hurt by focusing on it is yourself and only you can bring yourself to take on a new attitude and attack the world. Go get 'em.</p>
<p>I can’t comment on the GPA then since your school is different than mine. I was going off a 5.0 scale (As in: AP = 5.0, Honors = 4.5, Reg = 4.0)</p>
<p>Did you have people read your essays? What about your recs? Are you indeed from NoVa?</p>
<p>Appreciate it. It’s just that the only other “good” schools I applied to are UNC Chapel Hill, William and Mary, and Tech.</p>
<p>UNC Chapel Hill most likely won’t accept me. If I can’t get into UVA, I most likely won’t get accepted as an OOS to UNC. Even if I got in, I don’t think I could even afford to go there. Which is why I didn’t apply to other big OOS colleges like Duke, because I can’t afford it.
William and Mary, although a great college, doesn’t have that college feel. I’ve gotten tours there and it was way different than UVA. It didn’t feel like a college town. They’re known to be a boring school, which definitely takes away from the college feel.
Tech is also a nice school. However, I feel that I would be taking away from myself by going there. I don’t want to have to settle for Tech because I couldn’t get in anywhere else. I didn’t work hard all my school career just to settle for a college.</p>
<p>UVA is just a perfect combination of everything I’ve ever imagined in a college.</p>
<p>@teenbodybuilder, yes I did have people read my essays. My guidance counselor and two of my English teachers. They all thought they were awesome. One of my English teachers even read asked if she could keep a copy to show as a reference to her after school class she teaches about essay writing for college.
My recommendation’s were also very strong. My old Trig teacher wrote one and my guidance counselor. My counselor mentioned things such as how some of my work was sent to my School County Board so that they could show off my work to the whole county because they were so impressed by it (not to sound cocky, but it is true and she did write that).
Yes, I am indeed from NOVA. However, when a representative from UVA came to my school I asked her if they had a limit to the amount of people they accept from a certain area. She replied that there is in fact no limit and they don’t compare you to other people from your area.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t assume you would not get into UNC because you were denied at UVA. IT all depends. A lot of it has a luck component. I’m sorry you weren’t accepted there. You certainly have the material. With an accept rate like theirs, it comes down to standing out in the stack that you are placed. With your test scores and gpa, there were more kids than slots, so they looked at other attributes. No hook and there are plenty with your grades and scores that have something that UVA wants in additions. Your ECs are average for UVA as are your grades and scores. Not to say you still didn’t have a shot, but it was not going to be an quick “in”. Too many like you ,and that 'll do it in terms of a rejection. </p>
<p>You have excellent stats and would be a fine catch for any school. Tech is a great school as is James Madison. My brother is VT grad and is doing far better than most UVA grads, I can tell you that. And in his day VT did not have the lustre it now has. IT’s what you make of your opportunities.</p>
<p>@cptofthehouse, completely agree. VT is a great school and I’m definitely not bashing on it. Like I said, I just feel that I worked SO hard all my life. I worked hard knowing that one day it would pay off and I would get into the college I’d want to. Seems that’s not true and hard work doesn’t really pay off. All that hard work and I don’t want to just settle.</p>
<p>When you say “because I can’t afford it”: Do you mean that you’re high-income and will need merit? If so, lots of colleges would award you merit for these stats. In particular, check out Dickinson, Gettysburg, Franklin&Marshall, Sewanee. These have excellent merit aid.
<p>I don’t think you are really trying to imagine yourself anywhere but UVA. Its okay to be sad but now you are just ridding yourself of a great experience. There are other great schools that would love to have you and if you can’t find that school right now then it is because you aren’t looking hard enough. It’s time to move on from the University of Virginia and find the school that was meant for you.</p>
<p>@MYOS1634, it would most likely have to be in an in state school because those are more affordable for me. I also plan on going to medical school after my undergraduate, and therefore will have a large strain on my finances. I’ve already applied to many of the in states for the most part.</p>
<p>@JoBenny, I do like the other schools, don’t get me wrong. I’m just grieving over UVA. UVA had everything I wanted while the other schools I applied to had most of what I wanted but lacked some things.</p>
<p>@teenbodybuilder, man that’s just awful. Reading that honestly just made me more upset. Knowing that there was a limit and I might’ve been accepted if there had not been a limit on my area or if I was from a different region in Virginia is just ridiculous. I guess I didn’t get in because of luck. That just makes me feel a million times worse.</p>
<p>My advice is to let the grieving process run its course (you say you’ve applied to other instate schools). Give it another few days. Then as they say where I’m from, ‘bust a move’ and apply to more schools (check out the full ride scholarship thread perhaps?) It’s tough getting denied from your dream school but give it a bit and then move on (you’re awesome).</p>