First of all, I’d like to say that I am extremely grateful to have been accepted to UVA as an OOS student.
Along with the excitement of getting in, however, as an aspiring Finance major, is the usual apprehension about getting into McIntire. I was curious to see if perhaps any alumni or current students at UVA could discuss the selection process for McIntire and perhaps give some anecdotes about the selectivity and such.
In your honest opinion, why should a student attend UVA (besides the fact that it is a beautiful school and a very impressive school to attend) in terms of a major and post-grad job opportunities, taking a chance with McIntire when McCombs and the Kelley School are both similarly respected in the business world and offer direct admission?
Obviously the question of the inherent risk is left to each student that, like me, has interest in attending McIntire, but I’d like to see if anyone has advice or information for me regarding the risk behind McIntire over a safer (though perhaps slightly-- maybe very slightly-- less acclaimed) option.
Thanks in advance for your insight. I really love UVA and I’m hoping someone can sell me on taking the risk on McIntire.
I’m a McIntire alum and my son is a recent McIntire grad. I think you first need to ask yourself what field of finance do you want to pursue? Investment banking, commercial banking, corporate finance, etc. Then consider the companies that interest you and see if they recruit at each of the schools you are considering. Also, consider the program format at each school. I’m not familiar with McCombs or Kelley, but the ICE program at McIntire is considered top notch. There is no question that setting your sights on McIntire carries risk. But, like everything in business, you must balance the risk against the possible rewards. Best of luck to you, wherever you end up.
The Comm school is highly coveted by many UVA first-years, but if you have around a 3.5-3.7 you have a good chance of being accepted.
The pre-requisites for the Comm school are easy and you should be able to get A’s in those, so just make sure the rest of your classes in your first 2 years are easy As for you and you’re pretty much guaranteed a spot. Many first-years take challenging classes which hurts their GPA, so they don’t apply to the school. You obviously can’t be completely risk-free, though, so if you want that go to the other perfectly good business schools.
However, I’m not sure if I would recommend UVA because it’s expensive out of state and the social scene isn’t easy for everyone; many people feel unhappy here since there’s a lot of division in the student body due to Greek life among other factors.
Robertr,
Thank you for the kind wishes and for the insight. I’m definitely trying to go I-banking so I would agree that UVA is just about as good as you can do for that. Seeing as you have some tangible experience with the McIntire school then, as your family has two generations of McIntire grads, would you say you have any advice in specific about getting in/succeeding there? Obviously GPA is a top notch consideration, but is extracurricular involvement a large consideration too? Thanks again for the reply.
Antsovergrass,
I appreciate your advice. So, If someone gets a B in Calc 2, would the admissions officers at McIntire really rank that lower than an A in Calc 1? Also, would you say that I shouldn’t opt out of many classes with AP credits then? In other words, should I deliberately take easy classes that I’ve been through already for the first two years? I was planning on using the credits to launch myself into a more difficult schedule to differentiate myself in that sense.
As for the social scene, I personally foresee UVA being a good balance of work and play, and I think I’d fit in relatively well in terms of who I am and the amenities UVA offers. Also, being from NJ, I would really like to be in a new place with new people and a little bit of a different mindset. Money is definitely a big factor and I guess I’ll see about financial aid (maybe,) but it seems like McIntire would return the investment relatively quickly, and perhaps even a degree in Economics from the CAS could do the same.
The McIntire says they look at rigor, but the most important thing is your GPA in their pre-requisites in Econ and Comm. Rigor won’t get you into the Comm school unless you get fantastic grades in those classes, and many people take the bare minimum and get excellent grades and are accepted. That would be the safest thing to do…
I don’t agree with the advice from @antsovergrass. Don’t expect to be admitted if you fill your schedule with gut classes. But, that doesn’t mean you have to try impress them with killer courses either. Clearly you need to do well in the pre-comm courses, but all A’s isn’t required (my son got a B in statistics). Some Econ courses are probably a good idea, but also fit in some stuff that really interests you. Once you’re in McIntire, there isn’t much room for electives. Lastly, get involved on Grounds with one or two things that you are passionate about.
It seems like you’ve thought this through and you have the right perspective. If you do select Virginia (which I hope you do), be sure to have a plan B for your major (good business people always have a good contingency plan!). McIntire or not, a Virginia education is an outstanding investment.
Thanks robertr, that sounds very reasonable. I’ve been doing some talking to business professionals that are family/ family friends and they all love Virginia (especially my uncle, who worked for a long time in HR.) It seems like my decision is pretty clear cut. I will just make sure to really work hard my Freshman and Sophomore years to get admitted to McIntire. I feel as though the people who don’t get in are the most outspoken about it, and so people like me get a negative viewpoint of the admissions process there when in reality it may not apply to us. Thanks again for the advice, and do you mind if I pm you with questions about McIntire/UVA ?
@Allbusiness2015 My son just turned in his McIntire application this past month. He met with McIntire admin staff on several occasions this past year to make sure he was on the right track. They were very pleased that he didn’t take all easy classes, and clearly specified that they want to see students take classes that aren’t just for the easy A, but also classes that are challenging and/or interested them. My son for example took several upper level psychology classes that he found very interesting and they really like that. In addition, they told him they like to see 3 solid extracurricular activities - this could be volunteering, clubs (officer if possible) or a job (even summer job). They really want to see a well rounded student - not just one going through the motions to get in. Lastly - my son had a B- in stats and was worried that would hurt him. He was told several times that one bad grade won’t make or break his entrance. He didn’t take Econ at UVA as he got AP credits for both classes - and he was told that was fine, because classes he took in it’s place were good ones (he took multiple McIntire classes that were open to non-McIntire students).
Who knows if he’ll get in, but he knows he did everything possible. He has an overall 3.74 GPA (prerequisite GPA is lower due to stats grade), many extracurricular activities and good solid schedules each semester (anywhere from 15-17 credits per semester). If he doesn’t get in, he has a plan B for fall back on but we are keeping fingers crossed he will hear good news in late March. I’d be happy to update you on the outcome and any advice he has (either way) once we know if he gets in or not. The waiting is the hardest for him! It was a hard decision for my son to “gamble” on McIntire when he came to UVA and pass up other business schools but for him it was a perfect decision and he is very happy at UVA - even if he doesn’t get into McIntire.
That prerequisite stats class has always been the most unpopular class at UVa - even among students who really like stats. It would be in the best interests of McIntire and other UVa departments to start offering their own customized stats class, like the bio dept. does.
My son definitely wishes he didn’t take it his first semester - but he learned so much about studying in college, rechecking his work, and not being able to breeze through his classes like in high school. It was quite the Welcome to college moment when he got his first exam back. Luckily he got an A+ in Calc and A in Accounting which should help him.
If you know you can get a 3.5- 3.7 then go to UVA. Getting that GPA is not easy to say the least. I mean no offense to the parent above who is “keep their fingers crossed” about a son with a 3.74 GPA - you don’t have to cross your fingers, I assure you. That is an excellent GPA. There are many, many smart kids who don’t have that GPA and are extremely disappointed when they don’t get in. The two schools you mention are excellent…don’t forget Michigan.