Help with UVA application process

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Virginia
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<p>Hi guys, I have a couple of questions that I know you guys can help me with. I've been dreaming of going to UVA since I was 8. In school I have been trying to take the hardest possible curriculum because I remember the dean who gave the tour said that course load is very important. But my question is should I have taken Latin? At my school freshmen are required to take Latin, but after freshmen year kids can take whatever language they want. I chose to continue in Latin and to also take Spanish but I don't know if that was the right choice. In Latin I got an 'A' freshmen year, "B" sophomore (this is the lowest grade on my transcript), and a "A" juinor year. However, instead of taking both Spanish and Latin I could have just taken Spanish and gotten straight A's. Was it a smart to take Latin and Spanish at the same time? If I hadn't taken Latin I would have a 3.85gpa right now, instead I have a 3.78 because of the "B" I got in Latin.
Alright, time for question number two. I've been working at the same job since 8th grade (I will have been working at the job for 5years by the time I app to UVA). I know that this is very very good for colleges because people from my job have recieved letters from colleges saying that the reason they accepted them was because of the commitement to their job. I consistantly work 10+ hours a week during the school year and 30+ hours a week during the summer. I figured that since I had worked so much at the same place and showed a great amount of commitment it would be a good idea to have my boss write a reccomendatino. HOWEVER, when I asked my guidence counsler this question she told me I should just have 1 reccomendation from her and 2 from accedemic teachers. She also said that "the heaviest folders sink first". I know that my boss will write me a killer recomendation because I have been working for him so long but my guidence counseler says its a bad idea. What is your guys opinion?</p>

<p>Note; Dean J if you respond to this thread thank you a ton! I've been reading your posts for years now preparing for when I app.
Also, if anyone has the name and email of the dean who gives the tour at UVA can you please provide me with this information. His tour was awsome and I would like to send him a thankyou letter.
Thank you guys</p>

<p>Ohh I almost forgot, while your on this thread if it isn't to much of a hasle chance me :)</p>

<p>My App to UVA
Location: OOS
I attend a Jesuit Prep School (not many people have applied from my school to UVA, less than 20 in the last 3 years)</p>

<p>SAT: 2130 (this is not superscored)
GPA: 3.85 (if you read above you will see why it is so low)</p>

<p>Freshmen
English 1 H: A
Algebra 2 Adv H: B+
Global 1: B+
Biology H: B+
Latin 1: A
Religious Studies 1: A
Intro to computers: A
Intro to music: A</p>

<p>Sophomore Year
English 2 Adv H: B+
Geometry H: A
Global 2 H: A
Chemistry: A
Latin 2 H: B (grrr)
Spanish 1: A
Religioius Studies 2: A</p>

<p>Junior Year
AP english lit and comp: B+
AP US History: A
Trig-log-calc H: A
Physics H: A
Latin 3 H: A
Spainsh 2 H: A
Religious Studies 3: A</p>

<p>Senior Year (anticipated)
AP Lit and Comp: A
AP Calc: A
AP Macro: A
Latin 4 H: A
Engeneering Science H: A
Religious Studies 4: A</p>

<p>Extra curriculars:
I have worked at a local hardware store since 8th grade (for 5 years) for
10hrs+ p/w durirng the school year and 30hrs+ p/w during the summer.
Indoor track: freshmen/junior year
Cross country: Freshmen/sophomore year
Outdoor track: Freshmen/sophomore year
100hrs as a junior community service at local community house</p>

<p>Summer activities:
Freshmen: Went on a NOLS trip for 1month in wyoming/worked
Sophomore: Traveled through Europe for 3weeks/worked
Junior: Worked </p>

<p>If anyone has any tips to getting into UVA please let me know. I know the admissions look closely at the essay so I plan on writing a killer!
Thanks for the help guys!!!!!!</p>

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<p>Dear UVAorBust,</p>

<p>As you requested, I incorporated your scores, GPA, leadership, and extracurriculars into a systematically devised function of calculatory means that I developed to precisely calculate percent chance of admission to various universities in the US and abroad. The results are as follows (these are the percent chances that you will be accepted at the below named institutions of higher educatory education): </p>

<p>Duke University: 10.450%
University of Pennsylvania: 8.394%
USC = more specific university name required
Johns Hopkins University: 14.501%
University of Virginia: 34.166%
UNC = more specific university name required </p>

<p>Please note that these are only derived from my own personal formula which seems to accurately predict admissions chances pretty well. Hope that helps!</p>

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<p>alright thanks</p>

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<p>Are those percentages in the above post not just really the admittance rates for those schools (or they are just pretty darn close)? It’s not going to hurt you that you took latin, latin is harder than spanish. Secondly on the job thing, I’m sure they will probably like the fact that you have been so dedicated to your job, but is it honestly a huge player in the decision? I doubt it. I worked during the summers for a couple weeks each year, but I doubt that had any effect on if I get in or not (though I did get in). I wouldn’t send any more recommendations than the required counselor, two teachers, and possibly one more. Anything after that is probably overkill.</p>

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<p>Folks, I think newstudent is joking :)</p>

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<p>UVAorBust, you need to just calm down and stop posting these long and useless threads. NewStudent was joking and someone of your intelligence should know that.</p>

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<p>UVAorBust as well as other repliers,</p>

<p>I do my calculations by hand (I use a calculator to do the actual mathematical processes, but I mean that I “plug in” the values into my formula by hand and solve the DE). I double-checked, and my calculations were accurate. If they are lower than you expected or if they seem close to “the admittance rates for those schools,” then that may simply be because your statistics are close to those of the average applicants at those schools. If you were expecting higher numbers, it may also be due to the fact that extracurriculars are largely grouped, as I simply don’t have the statistical data needed to personalize my formula to every extracurricular or award possible. Sorry if this is not what you expected—who knows, you may get accepted into every school you applied to—but this is what my formula gave me. Best of luck!</p>