<p>OOS here. Only two kids from my school applied when I was a senior. I had a 2250, 34 act, 4.7 gpa (at the time of applying), student gov and work xp and I got a likely letter, and my other friend who applied had a 2170, 4.3, and similar ECs and he got rejected outright. both OOS from a relatively competitive high school. to be honest though, I think UVa probably puts a lot of weight on essays because on paper, I’m pretty standard (for the standards of top tier schools like UVa) but I’d like to think I excel in writing.</p>
<p>I have to say I agree with thealbatross that UVa seems to put a huge emphasis on writing for OOS at least. My two supplemental essays were (not to brag or anything) some of my best work, and I got a likely letter + Echols, when I didn’t expect to be considered an outstanding applicant at all.</p>
<p>For those who like to study data, see the following for summaries of data UVa collects and publishes: [UVa</a> - Inst. Assess. & Studies Data Digest Home Page](<a href=“http://www.web.virginia.edu/iaas/data_catalog/institutional/data_digest/datadigest.htm]UVa”>http://www.web.virginia.edu/iaas/data_catalog/institutional/data_digest/datadigest.htm)
You have to scroll through the categories listed on the left under “Data Catalog,” but there is a lot of info captured there relevant to a number of the discussions here and elsewhere such as no. of students from each state, number from each county/city in Virginia, SAT score data (figure OSS best be in the top quartile or close to it without “hooks”), etc.</p>
<p>Top 10% of my high school here… 2230 SAT 34 ACT and decent extracurriculars. Extremely rigorous course load. Waitlisted and then denied from UVa. Fellow NJ kid. Going to Rutgers in the fall. Rejected from UPenn, Dartmouth, Cornell, and Vanderbilt. I really regret not applying to the schools you mentioned- Notre Dame, UNC, Michigan. I realize this is two years late and you might not even frequent the website any longer. Just wanted to get it off my chest.</p>
<p>AVA55: I sat on the first page and went and googled for 15min trying to find that =P It used to be called the common data set, and is a huuggee wealth of info on any and (most) all statistic for students/schools.</p>
<p>I suggest folks take a look there for some hard numbers (though 2013 isn’t up yet)</p>
<p>Hi shoe – Here is a current link to the data I was referring to: [Data</a> Digest: Institutional Assessment and Studies, University of Virginia](<a href=“http://avillage.web.virginia.edu/iaas/instreports/studentdata.shtm]Data”>http://avillage.web.virginia.edu/iaas/instreports/studentdata.shtm)</p>
<p>The “Common Data” set is on a different page, but also includes interesting data.</p>
<p>Be unique in your essays and make sure the admissions counselors get to know your personality. Don’t be afraid to choose the weird essay questions as those sometimes let you express yourself the most. Avoid cliches and the whole “I learned this about myself or the world,” just stick to a story, tell the story and make sure the story tells something about you. Trust me you can get in with average scores as long as you truly express yourself in the essays.</p>
<p>There’s isn’t really a trade-off between essays and testing. Testing doesn’t drive decisions they way it did years ago, though.</p>
<p>I was suspended this year for taking ungraded tests from my teacher. My friend was also part of this and also had several cheating incidents before. What is the probability of us getting into a college we want to get into.</p>
<p>Most colleges will ask the student and the guidance counselor if a student had disciplinary problems, including suspensions. They also typically provide room to explain what happened. Many colleges are willing to ignore minor incidents that are just part of being young. I have no idea how colleges would treat your situation.</p>
<p>If it becomes an issue at your preferred colleges, your best bet would be to set yourself up for a transfer. Your ability to transfer will be based entirely upon how you do at your first college, and there probably won’t be any questions about high school incidents.</p>
<p>UVA has a very strong honor code. I would probably recommend a different college.</p>
<p>I have no idea of UVa’s policies. (After the murder of a UVa student by another UVa student, people have been much more sensitive about past incidents of violence by an applicant.)</p>
<p>I do know one recent high school student who was accepted at a state flagship university after being caught stealing a laptop from his high school and after getting arrested for use of some hard drugs. I know of another recent high school student who was admitted to a somewhat selective public college after a drug sales arrest (in a school zone). Therefore, there are colleges that are willing to offer a second chance.</p>
<p>I would agree with Hazel. Instead of focusing on what school is going to ‘overlook’ personal conduct infractions I would pay close attention to that schools honor code and how they handle alcohol and drug infractions. In other words…fit. As Hazel points out UVa has an exceptionally strong honor code. When applying you need to think if this is the type of university community you are going to be comfortable in. Some find the ‘community of trust’ very comfortable. Others find the very harsh ramifications for honor violations extremely overbearing and prefer another environment. Neither is right or wrong, but you need to be aware this is very much a part of the culture at UVa and not taken lightly. </p>
<p>Also, some schools treat alcohol and drug infractions as a legal issue, others as a heath concern. You need to know the difference. On another schools forum a student had been suspended for what they reported as ‘a little weed’. The school is well known for their hard stance on drugs and treatment as a legal matter. If the student had done their homework this should have come as no surprise. If that was something they didn’t intend on giving up they should have chosen another university (preferably a state where it’s now legal).</p>
<p>When you’re looking at a single incident in a student’s record that’s one thing. When you are looking at repetitive behavior this may be an indication that the student finds a grey area and is likely to repeat in college. Choose your school wisely. Some are just more tolerant then others, or treat infractions on a graduated level, and it pays to do your homework.</p>
<p>For every single school my kids considere(r/d) I had them read the honor codes, drug and alcohol policies, dorm visitation policies, etc., which all vary drastically. None had ever had an infraction or issue with these, but a schools policies can indicate culture. I ask/ed them not to bother with a school where the culture was one that they found didn’t match with their own comfort zone.</p>
<p>That’s why using a fake ID to drink or buy alcohol is specifically exempt from UVa’s Honor Code.</p>
<p>Yeah, just don’t actually “try” to buy beer underage:</p>
<p>[Girl</a> buys water, spends night in jail](<a href=“Girl buys water, spends night in jail”>Girl buys water, spends night in jail)</p>