Hi, Wahoowa1234:
I’m an alum of the UVA School of Law. My sons are both rising Second Years. My daughter, a rising high school sophomore, might apply to UVA, but very well may not get in. As you know, it’s very competitive even for in-staters when it comes to winning acceptance into UVA. So continue striving for good grades in rigorous classes that interest you, keep up with the extracurriculars that you enjoy, write some essays that speak to who you are (my guys wrote about favorite rock bands, novels, and the joys of summer swim), and prepare well for the SAT’s. BUT PLEASE…
Start learning about – and getting excited about – other schools. I’d tell this to anyone with a hoped-for college in this ultra-competitive, kids-applying-to-20-schools environment. Start to think about what you like about UVA. Is it the size? The college town? Being fairly close to home? The school spirit and/or athletics? A particular major? The proximity to the mountains and orchards? Certain clubs or activities? Once you answer these questions, see which other schools meet your criteria, start to read about them online, and perhaps visit once your grades / SAT’s come together your junior year. In addition to UVA, my sons – who hate cities, like college athletics, and wanted to be very close to home – applied to VA Tech, W&M, Penn State, Maryland, JMU, and Villanova. (I was a fan of Penn State, too.) My daughter, whose academic credentials will likely not be as stellar, is likely to check out JMU, Penn State, The University of South Carolina, Clemson, The University of Delaware and Christopher Newport University, among others. (Since she’s just finishing her freshman year, we haven’t really started to think about colleges for her yet.)
I promise, there is no one “perfect” or “best” school out there for any one individual. There are many terrific schools out there that will provide you with an amazing college experience, assuming you go to class, study hard, get involved with clubs and activities, meet your professors, and fully explore your new college and town. I love UVA. My sons love UVA. But they would have had a great experience at any of the schools to which they applied. And I totally loved my undergraduate college, too, which was not even ranked in the top 100 colleges and universities. But I had a great time there, loved my professors, watched a ton of college basketball and football, did very well academically, and ended up at UVA Law with a scholarship. So please don’t get hung up on which college you attend. Nothing is sadder on these sites than the student who can’t enjoy having won admission into a handful of great schools because he or she didn’t get into the designated “favorite.” Keep UVA on your list and work hard (without going batty), but develop a list of favorites with their own terrific attributes. Good luck out there!