<p>Reading through the 2008 US News & World Report Ultimate College Guide (the volume that's about 2" think), under the UVA Admissions Facts and Figures, on pg 1641, it discusses "Factors that Count in Admissions Decisions", both Academic and Non-Academic. Multiple criteria are noted such as the usual GPA, class rank, essay, along with others such as character, volunteer work, etc. Each are rated very important, important, considered, not considered, etc.
It also lists one criteria called "Minority Status". And to my disgust and disbelief, UVA has this rated as VERY IMPORTANT. I find this revolting, disgraceful, sickening and unbelievable that any college would consider minority status to be VERY IMPORTANT. I looked up many other schools and none listed minority status as such.<br>
I would like to have UVA Admissions, which we all know reads this site, comment back and verify this. If this is indeed true, I will be pulling my application to UVA immediately and forever look upon this school with disgrace!
I voted for Obama and am thrilled to see him as president, but to see any school continue to rank minority status as a top criteria is blatantly racist. SHAME! (if true)</p>
<p>i'm sorry but ****!</p>
<p>I honestly hope i take your spot. Chao :)</p>
<p>It's called affirmative action, and almost all top schools still abide by it. Sorry, but UVA isn't the only application you should be pulling if you're this upset. Many schools want to enroll more minorities. This doesn't always mean they do, but they try. This is going to be true of most things in life, not only schools. Sorry you're this upset, but it's the way it is. If you're not smart enough to give up a spot at a top university because of something like this..well...good luck to yo.</p>
<p>I think you are a disgrace for making such an unnecessary comment. Do you know that UVA is lacking in racial diversity compared to the likes of Stanford, Harvard and Berkeley? With mandatory in-state/out-of-state ratio rule, it makes it hard enough to recruit minorities. You should be disgusted with yourself, and please withdraw your application.</p>
<p>He's Quite the character that's for sure </p>
<p>With a 3.3 HS GPA? LOL Try VA Comm College. And 1 more thing to learn...what goes around, comes around. Why do you think your parents make only $20K???
Try competing on merit, rather than hand-outs
-Sincerely jumpseat</p>
<p>I personally don't like the affirmative action either(i'm Asian who gets the MOST disadvantaged) But if you have problem with that, there are not many schools that you can apply. In my knowledge, just UC schools. UCs accept all the qualified people and that's why they have about 45% Asians. You see.. Why Asians get disadvantaged right??</p>
<p>I know what affirmative action is and it's not this blatant. The significant note is UVA's determination of MOST IMPORTANT, as opposed to CONSIDERED or even IMPORTANT, for the criteria of minority status. I can't find another top school that ranks minority status this important. I'm well aware this goes, but not as blatant as noted. BTW, UVA is 8% black, very much inline with Harvard, 8%; Stanford, 10%; Berkeley, 6%. </p>
<p>Seriously, should skin color be as critical a factor as your SATs, GPA, rank, essay, etc?</p>
<p>It's 2009 now folks</p>
<p>In your first post you said it was "very important" but this morning you say it's "most important." Huge difference.</p>
<p>I wouldn't put a whole lot of stock in the US News publication. Having said that, as others noted above, all schools want to attract URMs - plus UVA is a public school and as such is tied to the VA state govt regarding its admissions.</p>
<p>It's noted as VERY IMPORTANT, which is the top criteria of those listed; I stand corrected.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>The Office of Institutional Assessment answers all of those surveys (US News, College Board, Princeton, Petersons, etc.). </p></li>
<li><p>I have addressed how we review applications many times, both here and on my blog. If the message that your transcripts (that's program rigor and grading) isn't the biggest piece of the puzzle hasn't come across yet, I encourage you to revisit my past posts.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>All factors are important to us. We don't group a student's characteristics into categories the way some of these groups have tried to. The very fact that they attempt to assign a weight to different characteristics is misleading to their readers (most of the veterans have read about my problems with the CB site before and I believe they do this as well). There are no formulas, charts, graphs, or points in the review process. We use prose, not points.</p>
<p>Dean J-
Your reply to this is much appreciated. USNWR and such are always taken with a grain of salt, but it was disconcerting to see that printed. Your reply is refreshing.</p>
<p>Lastly, where can one find your blog on admissions?</p>
<p>Jump, the link to my blog is on the Office of Admission website, in almost every email we send, and in my profile here. It's also the first hit returned by a "UVa admission blog" and even "UVa blog" google search.</p>
<p>Of course affirmative action is a stupid idea, jumpseat, but so is marijuana prohibition. You can only rage against the machine but so much. UVa is still easy to get into for instaters, regardless of how many black applicants with 1100 SATs are given scholarships to attend. Maybe you should get started on your essays?</p>
<p>Jumpseat, the University of Virginia prides itself on being one of the most diverse public institutions in the United States. We have over twenty student groups that focus on creating a welcome and diverse atmosphere at the University. All new first years are required to attend Grounds for Discussions program, which promotes openness and acceptance to all students regardless of where they come from, how much money they have, etc. What's repugnant is your attitude toward the diversity that we so value in this school. You need to study up on your history a bit...did you know that even into the seventies, blacks had to still pay a poll tax to vote? The state of Virginia has an ugly history where race relations is concerned...read up on "massive resistance"... and it will take many generations to level the playing field. Do you have any idea how much better UVA is as a place now that it is more diverse? Do you have any idea how smart the African Americans, Asian Americans, Indian Americans, Persian Americans, Latinos are who go to UVA? I hope you do pull your application from UVA because the school will be a better place without you.</p>
<p>I agree one hundred percent with jimmysson. Jumpseat, try another school.</p>
<p>
[quote]
You need to study up on your history a bit...did you know that even into the seventies, blacks had to still pay a poll tax to vote?
[/quote]
Objection, your honor! Irrelevant.</p>
<p>perhaps irrelevant to you, xSteven, but relevant in regard to the history of Virginia and why it is so critical to understand the importance of diversity, especially in the South. What jimmysson probably was trying to say is that racial oppression in Virginia is part of our very recent history and that it takes more than a couple of generations to undo its effects.</p>
<p>
[quote]
And to my disgust and disbelief, UVA has this rated as VERY IMPORTANT. I find this revolting, disgraceful, sickening and unbelievable that any college would consider minority status to be VERY IMPORTANT. I looked up many other schools and none listed minority status as such.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>If you feel sick, go vomit. And then please rescind your application. No one from UVa wants you with an attitude like that. Think before you post.</p>
<p>And it seems like you aren't really interested in UVa. How in the world could you not know about Dean J's blog? There are links everywhere to it. On the undergrad page, half of the replies here make a reference to it, and when you google "uva admissions" it's the 3rd hit. Everyone here on CC who is part of the UVa community (Dean J, UVa students, UVa parents, etc.) have ALWAYS stressed the importance of your transcript and essays, above all else. URM status helps slightly, but in comparison to the rest of your application, its effect is minuscule. If you did your research before applying to colleges, you would know that.</p>
<p>US News also publishes a list of the most and least diverse schools in the country. Perhaps you should take a look at the least diverse section and apply to some of those schools instead. Want a link? Try [url=<a href="http://www.google.com%5DGoogle%5B/url">http://www.google.com]Google[/url</a>]</p>
<p>db, URM applicants receive a fairly substantial boost in the admissions process at every school. There was some UVa-specific data to support this that I've posted here before, but I won't dig it up not because it's not very important. Go back to feeding the troll.</p>
<p>Affirmative action is some of the biggest BULL out there. UVA is the school of my dreams and I'm probably not going to get in- yet I know at least 5 people with very similar stats who will get in because they are "minorities." They have not been disadvantaged one bit from their minority status and the majority of the minorities I know are a heck of a lot more wealthy than I am...</p>
<p>I don't see why it's wrong to think that this is unfair at all. Affirmative action is no more than racism to white (and when it comes to college admissions, apparently Asian) people. Race should not be considered in the college admissions process AT ALL. Affirmative action would never make me rescind my application..but I probably won't get in because of it.</p>