Getting in without a super duper essay?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Virginia
1

<p>Hey all, I am a student who really really wants to go to UVA, but I am scared they count the essay alot. I am an excellent student(4.3 gpa ranked 1-6 out of 340 and only student in school who has AP Honors with Distinction) and I am into alot of sports and activites I am actually passionate about(xc for 4 years, absolutely love it and I got to run at states, also 4 years of track won some district awards). I am just really worried my essay will be my downfall.</p>

<p>Is it possible to get in with good(not excellent) grades and a passion to be a part of UVA? I have never been a good essay writer, and I know my essays will be mediocre at best, although I am trying to make them the best I can.
I am trying my hardest to write my essays, but I do not think they are comparable to those "bam, and blood rushing down my fingers" or the other eye catchy essays.</p>

<p>haha, sorry for my rambling, so I guess my question is, I know mediocre students with excellent essays and recomendations can get into a great school like UVA, but does a great student with mediocre essays and pretty good recomendations stand a chance?
-v</p>

2

<p>Mediocre students with excellent essays DO NOT get into UVA. Now relax. What counts the most is GPA and rank. You'll be fine.</p>

3

<p>I suppose it's how you define "mediocre student". I for one think I had a fairly mediocre high school record (or at least I often didn't maximise my achievement -- I made some bad choices, both EC-wise and work-wise, etc.). In the very least my transcript wasn't optimal. And I also went to a fairly mediocre high school. But what I did try to do was convey a sense of intellectual ambition and passion through my essays (along with dual-enrollment courses, and things like AP scores). You can be a good student I suppose, and not have your HS achievement record reflect that. </p>

<p>To me, essays allow intellectually ambitious people with mediocre high school records to get away from their hellhole environments of mediocrity and apathy (especially if they went to a high school in a 'blue-collar' town) and get into an environment where they will be stretched. ;)</p>

4

<p>Moviemania, I'll be posting essay tips soon in the thread below. For right now, check out the last post of the thread.</p>

<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-virginia/564034-prospective-students-read-me.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-virginia/564034-prospective-students-read-me.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>