If I have a friend who’s applying for history major in the College of Arts and Sciences, will he be compared to other students applying in that major, or other students in the College of Arts and Sciences? Also, if I go to a competitive high school and I am the only one applying into a certain college, how does that effect my chances of admission i.e. are students compared only to their high school or to everyone applying?
I believe Dean J said that all students for each UVa college/school are considered together, and your chances are not affected by the number of applicants or quality of applicants from your high school. In other words, there is no quota by high school or by region of Va.
I believe Dean J said that there are specified numbers of seats available each year for the following groups, and admission is based upon these grouping: in state college of a&s, out of state college of a&s, in state engineering, out of state engineering, in state nursing, out of state nursing, in-state architecture, etc. Therefore, it would not matter which major within the college you identify in your first year application.
It is very common for UVa students to change their intended major within the college during their first year or two.
Also, you are not typically admitted into a major in the college until you meet certain requirements, which often occurs towards the end of your second year. Until that time, you are simply a student in the college.
Yep, major is not a factor within the College of Arts and Sciences. We don’t expect 17 year olds to be completely committed to a major. 
So does that mean someone applying for a history major is considered the same as someone applying for a biology major?
You’ll notice that you aren’t applying for a major. You’re apply to a school/college within UVA and we ask for two academic interests.