University of Virginia Information/Admissions Session

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Virginia
1

Have folks attended the UVa information and admissions session? What are your thoughts and what was your experience?

My D and I, frankly, were disappointed. UVa seemed too much like going through the motions. The session seemed to lack cohesion, energy, and spark. The tour guide (a student) meant well but provided a rapid, major information dump, which due to its sheer volume, D was able to recall little.

What saved the day was a tour of the Biology building and meeting a senior staff person, who allowed D to come into a live biology class to see what they were doing (obtaining DNA for later testing). The staff person was extremely helpful, energetic, and enthusiastic.

I’m a double 'Hoo (A&S, Law), but I think D already is inclined to look elsewhere. Hopefully, I can get her to reconsider.

2

My D will be attending UVa, and we went about 10 info sessions/tours at various schools, including UVa two years ago. I remember the tour quite well, and have basically no memory of the info session. Which I find to be generally true: tours are memorable, and only a few particularly good info sessions made any impression.

So I wouldn’t worry too much about the quality of info session. Some schools are better at selling themselves than others. I think you can tell more from the tour, and the tour guide in particular. Though if you happen to have an unengaging tour guide, this could give a possibly too negative impression as well.

3

@Wilson98 Thanks. The tour guide wasn’t much of a help. I asked two questions, one of which wasn’t answered and the other one (I found out later) was answered incorrectly. So I didn’t really feel we were being listened to. I think D will still come around and apply to UVa, but it would help things if UVa can get out of its own way.

4

Can you provide specifics? Our information session consists of a video, an overview of the academic structure of the University, and an explanation of the application review. We talk about what we look for as we read an application, knowing that the brochures and website provide the basic information and stats.

The students cover a lot of ground on the tour (seven schools, 900+ student orgs…tours could be way longer than 90 minutes!) and then drop the groups off in Peabody, where the deans/counselors are available to answer questions one-on-one. If you have lingering questions, we have a dean available during business hours to answer questions by phone and I’m happy to answer questions via social media.

We go through the tour/session feedback forms every day, so we really DO want to hear from you if there is something that could be improved. Granted, our resources are limited and we have to accommodate a lot of visitors, so we can’t always act on every suggestion.

5

We did an info session at another school twice (2 different kids) and after the first one I wasn’t overly impressed but after the second one I realized the tour guide was key! Our experience was the same at UVA. Our tour guide was a graduating senior and he was amazing. A few of his friends showed up along the tour to support him during his last tour ever and the sense of community was so clear! I have also found that everyone from admissions to housing and the academic deans have been super supportive and reachable either by phone or email. You may have gotten a new guide, but don’t hold that against him or the school. Perhaps go back for Open House in the Fall or another more specific tour to the program he is interested in. Good luck with the process!

6

@Dean J – Thanks for your response. You being on this site shows that you care, and that goes a long way. I’ve also visited your blog, which I’ve found helpful.

We’ve been on a number of these college information sessions and tours, and frankly, they do sound a lot alike. Maybe that’s my issue. UVa is a very special place, and as a double alum, it will always have a cherished place in my heart. The information session and tour, though, seemed, well, kind of ordinary.

Let’s begin by saying that for 90%+ of the HS students coming to the info session, this is their first face-to-face contact with the University. And the person leading the discussion (i.e., you) hold one of the Top 10 most important positions at UVa. For real. Why? Because you’re the first impression, the first live person, the first sense of whether they like UVa and see themselves attending there. And I hope you get salaried like a Top-10 person, because the visibility and stature of that position warrants it. God bless you for doing this, and shame on the University if the pay doesn’t reflect your Top-10 billing.

My D is looking at UVa, Va Tech, JMU, and VCU. At this point, the chances look good that she could get into all of them, so cost is important. UVa is roughly $20,000 more to attend than the others. If we were out of state, the difference swells to $60-$80,000. So UVa needs to offer value so that someone going $20,000 or more in debt thinks it’s worth the debt (and interest payments). Yes, it’s highly ranked, but other colleges now have Honors Colleges, and these are top students at these other institutions that get individualized attention and significant resources allotted to them (e.g., counseling, small class sizes, preferences in co-ops and internships, etc.) that UVa doesn’t offer the general student body. My son is in engineering, and passed up UVa, Va. Tech, U of F, and Texas A&M to attend UCF, largely because of its impressive Honors College and the presence there of one of the nation’s largest technology research parks (with Lockheed, Siemens, Harris, etc.).

So the questions I asked on tour was whether there are Honors Programs, and whether there is an Honors College at UVa, because I hadn’t researched anything. The response received was solely a description of the Distinguished Majors Programs. I was initially confused and disappointed, until I spent time researching it and found that UVa still has Honors Programs and the Echols Scholars Program (which I guess functions a bit like an Honors College). OK, maybe not a big deal, because it was only two questions, but if I had not researched it afterward, D might have written off UVa altogether because she feels very attracted to Honors Programs/Colleges because of the opportunities they offer.

OK, you wanted to hear about improvements, and again, terrific that you are all ears on this. So here we go:

(1) The brochure. D was disappointed that what we received was essentially last year’s brochure. I understand it takes time to get the stats and it’s costly to crank out these brochures, but UVa can certainly place an insert – even if temporary – showing the 2017 admissions statistics such as GPA, SAT scores, etc. That’s not a heavy lift. Especially this year, given that it’s not useful to cite Old SAT scores since they can be quite different from New SAT scores. Your blog indicates that UVa had these statistics as early as late March. By the time of our visit (June), an insert should be readily available to put together.

(2) You apologized several times for various things. Please don’t apologize – you represent UVa, you have nothing to apologize for. Remember, you guys rock.

(3) Focus on the HS students’ situations, not UVa’s. It’s OK to ask where students are from, but it comes across as self-serving when it’s announced that UVa is trying to get someone from every state. And the statement about UVa wanting to require everyone to study abroad comes across as elitist and slightly tone-deaf. Not everyone has the money, much less the inclination, to go abroad to study. Focus instead on what UVa can offer students on its own campus.

(4) Here’s something I haven’t seen yet in any college information session that’s sure to stand out among the HS student visitors: before the information session begins, take 5-10 minutes to go into the auditorium, approach a family, introduce yourself, have them tell two or three things about themselves, thank them for coming, and ask if they have any questions – right there in the auditorium. If you can approach 3 or 4 families during that time, you’ll be a hero to those families, and others there will see that you care and are genuinely glad that they are there that morning/afternoon (which I’m sure you are). That’s the kind of action that wins HS students over. Bonus points if you do that with more than 3-4 families. And super bonus points if every now and then, you can get a well-known figure (such as the UVa basketball coach or Larry Sabato or the UVa President) to come speak to the group for a few minutes.

Dean J, thanks for letting me share these things. I hope D will apply to UVa, because it’s really one of the nation’s best schools. All the best to you and UVa.

7

VABogart - sorry you didn’t have the same experience as my DD and I had at our information sessions. We left that day exhilarated and excited about the prospect of DD applying to UVA. We found the hour in the auditorium interesting and informative, followed by a tour with a personable, intelligent 3rd year student. And what more can you say about that campus? Regarding involvement of Dean J - I as a parent, I so appreciated her blogs and constant updates on CC throughout the year. My DD is a rising 2nd year BME and in the Rodman Scholar Program which she loves! I cannot say enough about her experience at UVA and am happy to pay the UVA supplement as this is the right fit for her. Subsequently, I have a son at VT in Engineering and cannot say enough wonderful things about that institution! We are so fortunate to live in VA.

8

it is very competitive to become a University Guide. I guess anyone can have a bad day.

The one thing I didn’t like on the tour I went on a few years ago was too much emphasis on the secret societies. They don’t have too much impact on the lives of students except for some fundraising and except for the one strange costumed group that occasionally wakes everyone up.

9

Of the 20 or so college tours we’ve been on, UVA’s was the best because the student guide was so excellent. This was in the spring of 2016. He was personable and knowledgeable, which most tour guides should be, but the key difference was that he was also honest. For example, he answered thoughtfully when someone asked about things he considered negatives about UVA. I remember him talking about how ridiculous it was that the older dorms didn’t have air conditioning. But the overall impression of UVA was that it was a vibrant and interesting educational community full of opportunities for students. Now for an OOS student to be able to get in!

10

I was quite impressed by our “official” tour of UVa… The info session was essentially a summation of much of what Dean J puts in her blog but at the time I was unaware of Dean J so I found the information quite useful. Our tour guide was also very good in terms of her enthusiasm and knowledge. My only very slight criticism might be it seemed the actual tour pretty much stayed on central grounds but I know time is a factor. My son did come back and tour the Engineering school and was on grounds for another occasion related to his high school, plus Days on the Lawn. So if you are in-state, I would encourage more than one visit to make sure it’s the right choice.

My S only applied to 4 schools and only took an “official” tour at another in-state school. I thought UVa’s info session was much better than the other school, which seemed to focus more on “selling” the school and even insinuated that if you apply closer to their deadline that it “may” be looked upon unfavorably by the admissions. What was good about the other school was their presentation of service opportunities. The other school’s tour guide did a good job but the biggest contrast was the UVa guide spent a lot of time talking about interaction with professors and utilizing UVa’s resources to further your interests and the other school’s guide spent much of the time talking about her school’s food quality.

I know our UVa guide told us she writes her own script and pretty much what she shows us is up to her so I can see how some tours might be better than others. But I also think that probably leads to an honest tour.

But I don’t think any perspective student should base their decision simply on the “official” admission info and tour. My son really liked another in-state school, was on that campus twice, but never met with any university staff. But we interacted with current students who I really feel gave an honest review and were very informative.

11

I have a son at UVA who is starting his 4th year, and a daughter who is a rising senior in HS. We have done MANY college tours and they can vary a great deal. The info sessions are what they are and there can be some variability.
I actually don’t remember much about both info sessions that I have attended at UVA. It really can vary on the particular speaker. The most memorable two were one that was actually terrible (he just kept saying “I won’t tell you this as it is on our website” and another dynamic AdCom who I still quote 6 years later). The student tours with a current student really can make or break one’s impression of a school…that isn’t necessarily fair but has been our experience. Our family still refers to one young engaging woman at a southern school and that was 6 or 7 years ago! My son’s strategy became to 1ry to pick the tour guide that he thought he could relate to the most. Some schools introduce tour guides and let you choose who to follow around. Other schools introduce them and then will split the room up. We quickly learned that what worked for us was for my son (and more recently my daughter) to try to choose the person that seemed to be the most like “his people”. There were a few tours that we were assigned to a certain student and we hung back and jumped into a different group. Nothing personal against any particular student but it worked for him to pick somebody he could relate to more in that moment. Whether it was where they were from, their major, or whatever “struck him”. When you have flown, rented a car and a hotel room you want to get the best out of the day. We also find that whenever possible it is great to connect with anybody that you know at a school for a “private tour”. My S18 is not a University Guide but loves to give tours to anybody that reaches out to him.

12

By the way, air conditioning is now being installed in phases in the old dorms, but will not be ready for this august.

13

Whew, there’s a lot to cover here. I’m more than happy to chat by phone (just ask for me) or email (deanj at you-know-the-rest), but I’m going to try to address some of the big ideas…

[url=http://www.cavalierdaily.com/page/faculty-salaries-2015-2016]Our salaries are public/url. I don’t think admission officers will ever be top earners at universities. We work hard, but we aren’t professors.

To many UVA students, that might be a foreign term. Most experienced guides would know to shift to talking about the four scholars programs. Keep in mind that Echols, Rodman, College Science, and Arts Scholars aren’t sequestered (though all Rodmans take their intro engineering course with Dana Elzey). The scholars also asked for their shared housing to dissolve, so most of the perks are purely academic.

The incoming class was completed on June 13. Getting a publication, even a small one, from concept to delivery takes weeks of back and forth between a several offices at the University. Edits are made, designs updated, files get submitted, proofs are returned, and after proofs are approved, we can go to print. Our yearly reprint order usually arrives in August, just as we are getting ready to hit the road.

Thankfully, most people are carrying internet access in their hands these days and we can make updates available more quickly online.

I’m not sure what this is referencing, but I’m happy to hear more via email. There are two things we apologize for: summer construction (because some don’t realize that summer is when the work crews come out) and some of our random session locations (admission doesn’t have it’s own auditorium for large crowds).

Neither of those things are true. I’ll touch base with the tour guides to make sure they are clear.

Most of us greet visitors if AV doesn’t need our attention. This is the norm at all of the schools at which I’ve worked (including when I was a wee student worker), so I’m a little surprised you haven’t seen it yet. As many staff members as possible greet the tours when they come to Peabody so we can answer questions one on one. That’s also where the visit feedback forms are collected, btw.

There are times when the morning visitors (who return from their tour around 12:30 PM) or inquiry calls keep you from getting to your session well in advance. Our student interns greet the visitors and get the AV set up so we can take care of things at Peabody and then run to the 1:15 info session.

President Sullivan and many distinguished faculty speak at the 7-8 Days on the Lawn we put on each Spring. They are busy people and we’re thankful that they work us into their schedules. :slight_smile:

14

@VABogart You mention the overall additional $20,000 cost of UVa compared to other VA schools. (This is true for schools other than W&M, which I guess your D isn’t interested in).

My D was able to compare the cost of UVa, W&M, and VA Tech after being given financial aid, and it turned out that for her UVa costs slightly less than W&M would, and significantly less than Tech would have. Everyone’s different, of course, but I think UVa is likely to be better on need-based aid than some other VA state schools.

On the other hand, my impression is that some other schools might have relatively larger numbers of scholarships than UVa. Or at least might have more scholarships that an excellent (as compared to extraordinary) student is likely to get.

15

This post struck a chord for me because I, too, felt a little let down by the info session we attended in March 2015. I graduated from UVA in 1990. Since I loved my college experience (with only one complaint, which I will get to in a second), I expected to be wowed. UVA is an amazing school, right? It’s the #2 public school in the country, as we all well know. But, why is that? As parents of prospective students, we want to be told why at an info session.

The thrust of the info session I attended with my daughter (when she was a sophomore) seemed to be “How to Get Admitted to UVA.” Yes, it is definitely helpful to know how the applications are read and what UVA is looking for in an applicant. (Maybe a video clip on the website could have covered that if short on time in the info session). However, there was very little of the “Why You Should Choose UVA” or “How UVA is Different/Unique/Better than our Peers,” or “What UVA is doing to address safety concerns on issues of drinking/sexual assault” or “How UVA helps your student grow into a thriving adult” or “Research/Internship/Career Services at UVA” or “What is UVA’s track record for employment after graduation.”

In-state folks are comparing UVA to other in-state colleges, so I assumed that everyone from in-state must have heard everything there is to know about UVA already. Based on some of the student posts on this blog, it appears that in-state students are particularly obsessed with being “good enough” to get into the state’s “top” school. So, it does make sense that UVA wants to address those students’ concerns in the info session. However, it seems that UVA ONLY does that instead of answering the “Why Choose UVA” question. Out of state residents, like myself, want to know why our students should chose UVA over other elite schools – big and small. I have had many discussions with fellow alums who have attended the info session and we all wonder why UVA doesn’t sell itself. Maybe with 36,000+ applications, it doesn’t need to do so. UVA appears to have no trouble filling its class.

As an aside, I will say that when I stayed after the tour to ask in Peabody Hall about advising, I didn’t receive a great answer. A perceived lack of sufficient advising “back in the day” is a complaint that I have heard expressed by almost all of my UVA alum friends. When I asked about advising after our tour, what I took away from the conversation with the staff member was “yes, we have advising if the students need it and come ask for it.” I don’t expect hand-holding, but other schools are not shy about telling you how pro-active their advising is at their institutions. Sometimes, students don’t know they need advising until it’s too late to ask for it.

So that was our impression in March, 2015. (We did have a very good tour with our University Guide). Not willing to let that be my daughter’s only source of information, we did suggest that she review the UVA website and social media and, to a certain extent, take it on faith in deciding to apply to UVA.

My daughter was accepted to 9 schools. I can tell you that UVA was the ONLY school that didn’t sell itself during the info session. (Just for the sake of comparison, the schools she was accepted to were UVA, Davidson, W&L, Wake Forest, Univ. of Richmond, Clemson Honors College, Indiana Honors College, Denison and Sewanee, with scholarships offered at the latter 4). Surprisingly, we received more information from, and a feeling of connection with UVA, after she was admitted. We could not attend Days on the Lawn, but from what I have heard from other people, that was definitely UVA selling itself.

Fast forward to the present. My daughter accepted her offer of admission to join the UVA Class of 2021.

We just returned home from Summer Orientation and my daughter is absolutely thrilled that she chose UVA! I was extremely impressed by the orientation programming for parents. I was happy to see the safety initiatives that have been implemented – Hoos Got Your Back program, Safe Ride, Green Dot…and the list goes on. A lot of things have changed at UVA since '86-'90 when I attended – all for the better. I am also happy to say that advising seems much improved! I have no doubt that UVA will be a great fit for my daughter. I just wish that all the great things I have learned about UVA since she was admitted were known to us earlier in the process.

16

For every info session, there is someone who is saying it was the best ever and someone else who will say it was the worst. We read all the feedback sheets and make adjustments as we see themes. We really do try to please, I promise! I totally expect people to do way more research about a school than to go to a session and take a tour. I’d be surprised if anyone picks a college without doing a deep dive into the department websites, social media, etc.

We get 30 minutes to cover seven schools and colleges, advising, and the admission process. I can’t tell you how much of my talk has been cut down over the years. We had 60 minutes when I first got here, but I think people’s attention spans have changed because the overwhelming feedback was that it was too much information!

Also, you visited before the video was implemented. We made an overhaul of our sessions last summer. We start with a beautiful, little movie that would probably feel more in line with the selling you expected. :slight_smile:

And as a little aside, it would be against our professional code of ethics (Section 1 of the Mandatory Practices in NACAC’s SPGP covers this) to make disparaging comparisons between UVA and another school. I will wish you safe travels if you tell me you are on your way to x school next, but that’s it. :slight_smile:

17

It’s funny…even in this thread, we’ve had conflicting reactions to the “sales” approach in college information sessions. We’ll never have consensus on that one. :slight_smile:

18

For what it’s worth, I literally can’t remember the UVA info session–who spoke, what was said, or even form a mental picture of the building it was in. After going to so many of these, only two info sessions have stood out. Penn, because they did the best job of truly differentiating themselves from other colleges that I’ve seen, and UC Davis, which was done by a current student who was phenomenal–organized, informative and enthusiastic–and very different from the other sessions we’ve been to. But bottom line, I so agree with Dean J. Info sessions and tours are just one part of the research that should be done on a school.

19

I will echo what wahoo90 mentioned. Days on the Lawn for Accepted Students was a well orchestrated presentation of the University. On the flight home my S said “I think this is the place for me” even though he was still waiting to hear from a few other schools (that were higher ranked). That day I really felt like UVA sold itself as the great university that it is.

20

Days on the Lawn ultimately sold my daughter on UVA as well. We attended in April of 2014 straight from JHU’s accepted students’ event. Despite the rainy weather, the friendly and outgoing UVA community made quite an impression. As my daughter summed it up on the ride home to NJ, everyone was so happy to be at UVA and enjoying the moment - it was more than just a stepping stone to graduate school or a career. Now, as a rising fourth year, she can’t believe she only has one more year left!

Also, back when D was in high school (so this may have changed) alumni could meet with an admissions liaison through the alumni office who could offer legacies advice on applying. Our liaison gave us personalized tips for high school courses, ECs, essay topics to avoid, etc.