“not for the school spirit” Actually, one of my kids went to UVa, and the great school spirit as well as D1 sports were part of what attracted him, in addition to the academics.
Taking the ACTs again to raise your score from a 34 makes zero sense. Are you getting any advice from adults in your world? No school that rejected you with a 34 would have accepted you with a 36. It is a difference that makes no difference.
UVs is well known–but not because it is simply more competitive for out of state students. It was founded by Thomas Jefferson who established it as independent from any religious doctrine-something revolutionary for its day. It has a fascinating history. It is an academic powerhouse that is known to be such by anyone who is knowledgeable about universities.
The school does not resemble a NY public university in any way. It actually gets very little funding from the state of Virginia (about 6%). It has typically compared itself to Ivy League schools as opposed to other public ones. It is viewed as an elite school in Virginia as well as in the rest of the country. It is among a few elite “public” schools strong enough to attract students away from elite private schools-due to its reputation rather than cost.
Seems like a great choice-not as a default option.
@sevmom Personally, do you think that the level of school spirit at UVA could be intimidating or overwhelming to someone who isn’t particularly attracted to that sort of thing? Thank you so so much for your help.
Also, I’d give no credence to that term “Public Ivy”. I know some NY State schools that use the term but are nothing like Ivy League schools in any way. But UVa is an outstanding school that has many of the characteristics of the most competitive private school in the US.
I consider UVa a near-Ivy because by alumni outcomes, it’s just a small notch below the Ivies/equivalents:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/1682986-ivy-equivalents-p3.html
Your problem is that you didn’t do your own research so you don’t realize that.
@lostatschool ,I think a lot of the kids that end up at UVa were very active in their high schools, as well as good students. There are fraternities and sororities but that is only about 30% of the students. It can be somewhat of a work hard, play hard school but there is something for everyone-lots of clubs and student organizations, rec and club sports, etc. A shy student or someone not into sports should still be able to find plenty of students to hang out with. An equestrian club, in this instance , sounds like a logical start.
Yes I probably should have said “not just for school spirit…” . As an institution, UVA is up there with the very best schools. It does not seem like the OP has a good grasp of the differences across schools beyond Brown. You’ll find that there are students accepted to Brown who opt for UVa. You’ll find that, as a group, the students at UVa are stronger than those at Goucher. Goucher will provide more individualized instruction and a smaller community but fewer academic opportunities. UVA is a far stronger school than the other public schools you are considering. This is not a comment about the students but about what the school offers to the students.
Wondering what OP has learned in the past day or so, on her own. You applied blindly, based on what your parents said to do. Don’t make your decision blindly now. Don’t just go on what another bunch of adults tell you to do. Strangers. Do this, do that.
And yes, any large U will have all sorts of kids.
Do not plan your next year around attempting to transfer into Brown. Transfer applications are far more exhausting than first year ones and the Ivies all have almost nonexistent acceptance percentages for transfers. Statistically, you’d just be setting yourself up for more heartbreak. Try to focus more on making the most out of the options you have.
TAKE A GAP YEAR! People are always scared of taking a gap year because it is not the traditional way of doing things, but it doesn’t mean that what you’re doing is wrong. Taking a gap year will give you a good chance to enhance your college app and improve some test scores, so you can re-apply next year. One year is not a whole lot in the grand scheme of life and it will be better for you than attending a school you know you will dislike and trying to transfer out because transfer applications are extremely stressful. You’ll need to fill them out after first semester and have 3 letters of rec from college profs ready to go. You also won’t have time to improve you SAT score, which held you back from being accepted the first time around
The SAT did not hold her back at all and there is zero point in retaking it. The only reason for a gap year is if she cannot see herself at either UVa or Binghamton. Starting at a school you don’t want to be at and that you are already talking about wanting to transfer out of before you have even stepped foot on grounds is , in general, not the best way to start off your college experience. And potentially costly for her family.
@sevmom well, even if she doesn’t need to retake the SAT, she can use the gap year to enhance her application for Brown. She clearly stated that she cannot see herself at either UVA or Binghampton, if you bothered to read all of her posts.
@notarobot124 If she doesn’t have a plan at this point, she probably won’t be doing anything in the 6 months after school and before applications are turned in to get her into Brown. Very few people get in anyway, taking a gap year for a second chance at a lottery (and probably just a second rejection, unless there’s something impressive in the next 6 months) is a ridiculous choice.
Applying to a better-fitting list of colleges is a different story. But honestly it seems like the OP’s concerns are a bit disproportionate to the problems, and I would guess stem largely from excess focus on the dream school.
I did bother to read the posts. I actually said early on that she does not seem to like or have much interest in either UVa or Binghamton. They both have no problem attracting students that actually want to be there. If she doesn’t want to be at either school, she can move on. There are plenty of kids that would be happy to take her place.
Okay, then I suggest forgetting about Brown. They didn’t want you and you should stop wanting them, it’s a waste of your time and energy. Instead, channel that energy towards doing well at UVA, which is known as one of the top schools in the country. They even travel with Harvard, Princeton and Yale when doing college presentations.
WHo they travel with has no bearing on Op’s choice.
Either OP can learn to like UVA (which may be very different from Brown but could be an excellent choice too, due to academic rigor and horses, two of OP’s factors) or s/he can take a gap year to apply to a suitable list of schools s/he’ll craft him/herself.
@MYOS1634 I agree 100%. There is no point in attending a school with the intention of transferring out. If OP will truly be unhappy attending any of the accepted schools, then it’s best to take a gap year. During this time, OP can take time to volunteer and put together applications for colleges including Brown that OP will be okay with attending
Post #55 nailed it. ^ points out that entering with the intention of transferring is not a good idea. However I don’t think that Brown is on the table for next year. A gap year would allow you to take some ownership of this process, which apparently was lacking. However my instinct is UVa.
By the way, S#1 applied to UVa as the back up school which he would have loved to attend. Affordable, prestigious, etc. Their very interesting program in art mentoring would have made it worthwhile for him, and he had the stats for Ivys. Couldn’t the equestrian aspect be that for you?
OP have you made a decision?
Don’t bother trying to get into Brown if you take a gap year. They’ve already seen your record and rejected you. Nothing you can do in a gap year will fix that. If you do take a gap year then develop a new list.
OP has dissappeared. Hope she/he has figured out what she/he is going to do.