<p>Just make sure you put as much effort into your other applications as well so you have some back-ups. Continue to treat UVA as your dream and aim for it certainly, but don’t let that show in your other apps because even though right now you may say UVA or nothing, if you do end up visiting oter schools should UVA not work out, you may find a new dream. Also, while I certainly understand not visiting now, at least make sure you have a well thought out list of schools to apply to that appeal to you as best you can discern on their websites/brochures so you already like them should you need to visit them. Good luck though with UVA :)</p>
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<p>Yea I already know a list of schools that I’m applying to for sure: USC, UNC, Duke, Dartmouth, UPENN, UF (saftey), Vanderbilt, Emory. If I get into any of these schools and get denied from UVA I will visit them. Otherwise it’s UVA for me. YEA BABY! lol</p>
<p>My daughter sounds very similar to you! She fell in love with UVa the moment she set foot on campus her sophomore year. We just came home from a 2 week college tour and it was very beneficial. My daughter still loves UVa, but now has options at other great schools that she would be happy to attend. I think it would be to your advantage to look at some other schools and get a feel for which ones you would be happy to attend, just in case! I know you are well aware of how hard it is to get into UVa as an OOS, but please take it to heart. And know this, you have absolutely no control over the admissions process. The only thing that you can do is prepare yourself to the best of your ability, the rest is a crapshoot.</p>
<p>I will also comment on your safety. I think you need to have a true safety on your list as UF is not a sure thing for anyone. I know kids with 2350 SATs, excellent ECs and GPA that were not accepted at UF. I know several vals and sals over the past few years who didn’t get in. These kids came from top prep schools in-state. I also know kids with stats below this that were accepted. In this economy, with lots of kids who traditional chose OOS privates now accepting spots at state schools, the competition is stiff for everyone. I would have a discussion with your guidance counselor about some other choices for a safety. All you need to do is read through the accepted/denied at UF thread on this board to be convinced that UF is NOT a safety school for anyone. </p>
<p>Best of luck to you in your UVa quest. And remember, when the time comes, to bloom where you are planted!</p>
<p>Alright thanks a lot</p>
<p>Couldn’t agree more with your logic. By and large the visits are a waste. Your approach seems reasonble. You need however to keep an open mind about the others. Each year lots of great applicants are rejected by UVa and go on to great schools elsewhere. The only benefit I see to your visiting some of these other places is to help you open your eyes to the fact that Charlottesville and UVa are not the center of the universe.
If you go through with not visiting, make sure you set aside a chunk of April to visit these other schools.</p>
<p>You don’t want to hear this, but visiting the other schools would be a good thing. If you don’t get into UVa (just that tiny chance if…), it will not be so upsetting if you have visited other schools and have been accepted to one that you feel you could be happy at. You may want to check with adcoms about how they view gap years. It may be more advantageous to go to another school for a year, do exceptionally well and apply to UVa as a transfer student. I know a friends of my S’s who has been set on UVa since a very young age. She did visit and found Duke was a close second. She also liked William and Mary. I’m sure you know OOS admissions are tough and in the event that you are not accepted right out of high school, you will want another option. Yes, you may visit again to determine you best option, however you should look at this trip as a chance to see although UVa is pretty darn awesome, there are other schools that are great as well and you may find you feel another campus doesn’t rank as high on your ‘awesome-meter’, but you feel you might be happy there. You will put more effort into admissions packages, feeling that there may be another choice out there for you, and not feel your entire future rides on one single admission.
You will have a great future. Don’t hang all your hopes on a single envelope. Make the trip.</p>
<p>UVAorBust, you should definitely listen to your parents. Always have a back of plan. UVA is very selective. That’s not to say that you don’t have the creds to get in. I’m sure you do. It’s just that UVA does not have enough space to admit all qualified apps. At my kids school (a top notch hs in noVA), half of the students who applied to UVA did not get in. I’m sure that if these kids applied, they met all of UVA’s stats. However, you never know what type of student a school is looking to admit from year to year. For the class of 2014, it may have been intended STEM majors with a fetish for the harp or intended History majors with high Math SAT and AP Calc scores. Who knows? Bottom line is, you have to cast your net out far. A safety, mid-reach, and reach school is a good way to go; and definitely visit the campuses. You’ll never know which school might really “fit” you until you give it a try.</p>
<p>I would strongly dvise that you look at a few other schools, at least. You want to make sure that you have some other schools that you know you will be comfortable at, even if they don’t exactly “click” like UVA does. Obviously I’m just echoing others with this point, but since UVA is extremely competitive, it’s probably a good idea to have some solid other options.</p>
<p>That being said, in the worst-case scenario where you do not get in to UVA (although I sincerely hope you do, as you seem to be absolutely in love with it!), where are you going to go? I completely understand visiting after you are admitted - that was my philosophy for several schools that were too far away to visit before I knew if I was accepted - but I would highly advise that you at least look at at least a few other places before applying to colleges. If your parents don’t care about the costs, then it truly cannot hurt!</p>