<p>Hello from Pennsylvania!!...ok, so does that mean it's much harder for me to get in? I'm applying to CAS / Echols (?)</p>
<p>I am an Asian female.
GPA: i think around 4.9? (weighted)
SAT I: 650 CR, 780 M, 730 W (70 MC, 10 essay)
SAT II: 700 Biology M, 730 US History
Class rank: school doesn't rank.</p>
<p>ECs: president of two clubs, heavily involved in music (oboe, piano - competitions, played at Carnegie etc.), 200+ hours of community service, research at a university lab, etc., small awards here and there</p>
<p>would that 650 in CR hurt my chances? AH. I'm applying as a biology major..</p>
<p>What's your family's background? Any exceptional circumstances? (It's not a critical question, but rather an aspect that could be very helpful in admission.)</p>
<p>From my experience, you don't really "apply". They called me in... february or march I want to say? to tell me that I was being considered, and then I got an email saying that I was accepted in early april. Good luck!</p>
<p>There's no formal application for the Echols program for incoming first years. The admissions committee automatically considers you when they read your application. I do feel that the 650 in CR will hurt you. Your EC's are pretty typical of our applicants, I don't know anyone who's come in who hasn't been president or an officer of at least two clubs, in honor societies, volunteered the daylights out of them, or had tons and tons of honors.</p>
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I don't know anyone who's come in who hasn't been president or an officer of at least two clubs, in honor societies, volunteered the daylights out of them, or had tons and tons of honors.
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<p><em>raises hand</em> :p </p>
<p>Well I have been part of honour societies, but my senior year debate team was in its first year (we did win good awards though -- third in state!), I played tournament chess with classmates as fellow comrades outside (both with other schools and older players, but we weren't formalised as a school team because we only had 4 dedicated people), and Wikipedia sysop is not an officer of any club, etc.</p>
<p>galoisien, i have no special circumstances at all, so nothing is really going to give me a bump in admissions.
is UVA really like what melli said it's like? because quite frankly, i'm not really into an extremely cut-throat competitive school where everyone is ready to jump on each other. it kinda seems like it would be from everyone being "president or an officer of at least two clubs, in honor societies, volunteered the daylights out of them, or had tons and tons of honors."
my two clubs aren't academic based nor are they competitive in any way. one is an artsy club and another is a fundraising club. (those are kind of understatements..) and i myself am not competitive.</p>
<p>i'm visiting UVA later this week. i guess i'll see it all for myself then. any suggestions on what i should do while i'm on campus?</p>
<p>uva isn't cutthroat. most people i know slack off a lot. maybe pre-med people have to work hard to get straight A's, but that's really it. uva is a state school. most stereotypes therefrom are true, but that isn't at all a bad thing. it's just something you need to consider. it's not a small liberal arts college, and it's not ivy league. but it's an AMAZING state school.</p>
<p>ps. where in PA? i went to high school in montgomery county near philly.</p>
<p>i think UVA might be what i want (i'll find out in a few days during my visit!) because i'm not exactly ivy material, and i think liberal arts colleges are too small for me. UVA is a great school, and i want a great school and have a good college experience, but i don't want to DIE. know what i mean?</p>
<p>there are a significant amount of people here from montco for oos, my year alone i personally know one girl from wissahickon, a guy from abington friends, and me. weird we're all jewish actually lol. i went to udub. my year's class president is also from near philly (media). there are more in other years, and i bet there are a ton more i dont actually know personally, lol.</p>
<p>you won't die at uva from a normal arts and sciences course load.</p>
<p>If you're in pre-med then students would probably jump on each other to get on top of the curve, so in the end, it really depends on your major. But students here were at the top of their hs, and are super involved in their activities.</p>
<p>And oops sorry, yes indeed I meant people who are Echols. It's just that people like to get involved in their interests at UVA, so the student body in general is likely to be involved in one to two clubs at any given time.</p>
<p>jrpar, by ivy material i meant that my guidance counselor told me not to bother with them except for maybe cornell. and i believe her. i don't have a jaw dropping SAT score or amazing ECs, but i guess i'll be needing those for UVA (and basically every other school i'm applying to) too...ahh. should i just pray that i get in with my 650 in reading?</p>
<p>Crystal, your guidance counselor could give you the best indication of your chances at UVA, based on the stats of students getting into UVA from your high school over the last couple of years. My only advice would be to write some great essays for UVA - I do think that can make a difference.</p>
<p>thanks everyone for the input! i just visited UVA this past weekend and LOVED LOVED LOVED it. i'll try to do my best on everything and hope that i can get in :)</p>
<p>No, I do not think you can just pray to get into UVA. Hit at least 700 for your reading portion and hope for the best. Also, essays are very important for UVA.</p>