UVA or UVA

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Virginia
1

<p>I've had a revelation today and until now I was really worried about college admissions. I had a list of schools comprised of reaches, matches, safeties all that jazz. UVA was the crown jewel of that list sitting way at the top. UVA is the only college I want, the rest of the list is backups. The question that always crossed my mind was "What if UVA rejects me?" Fear no more!!! I've formulated a plan now that ensures I will soon be a Wahooooooooooooooo.</p>

<p>Because now I have realized that even if I get rejected I'm practically guaranteed to get in two years after my initial rejection. Now all the pressure is gone and I know that one way or another I'll get into UVA...</p>

<p>Sure I'll still get good first semester grades and try to boost my SAT score and hope I get in as a freshman but now it doesn't seem like that big of a deal, even if I get rejected I'll just go to community college for two years for super cheap, work 30 hrs/ a week for two years, and then use the money I got from my job during those two years to pay for tuition at UVA and graduate with no debt... This seems almost too good to be true. </p>

<p>So now the plan is apply to UVA, if accepted, celebrate. If rejected from UVA , go to community college for 2 years and then get in GUARANTEED. This is awesome.</p>

2

<p>just remember you basically have no say in what classes you take at said community college because you have to fulfill all the requirements of UVA's college of arts and sciences while you're there. also, you need at least a 3.4 i think, so while it's not rocket science it's still going to require some work and some planning.</p>

3

<p>Yup, I've already looked over all that stuff and the courses required are not that strict, it's pretty generic really. It's the same set up my high school has take a math, a science, a history/social study, an english, a foreign language and throw in a few electives to meet the requirements. It seems pretty straight forward. Plus the required electives are all humanities based which should be no problem for me (I hate math and science).</p>

<p>Also, I've maintained a 3.93 GPA and scored a 2000 on my SATs... maintaining a 3.40 at community college shouldn't be THAT hard.</p>

4

<p>Congratulations :)</p>

5

<p>Go to a real four year college and get a good GPA. Community colleges are lame. You will miss out on two years of going to a residential college and you'll have to live at home.</p>

6

<p>


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<p>I've thought about this. But I also realized I wouldn't be entirely happy if I was attending anywhere but UVA. So why bother going into debt trying to find ways to pay $15000/year (tuition, room+board, other crap) at a 4 year state school when I can pay like $2000/year at community college and work full time in my neighborhood so I can save up for UVA... Seems like community college, then UVA will help me out financially in the future, a lot less debt.</p>

<p>Also, living with my parents for another two years is not that bad. I'll be sad when I have to leave them and hopefully, if I do have to go to CC first, I will be able to prove to them in that two years time that I'm a responsible adult and they won't have to worry about what I'm doing at UVA.</p>

<p>Besides... only Virginia Community Colleges have a statement in WRITING from UVA saying that if your students take these classes and maintain these grades they are guaranteed a spot in UVA. I know that if I go to JMU or Tech and get good grades there I'll have a really good chance of getting into UVA and should get in, but it's not guaranteed.</p>

<p>This is why I'd pick CC over a state uni. (other than UVA of course)</p>

7

<p>
[quote]
I also realized I wouldn't be entirely happy

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</p>

<p>you would be surprised at how many people think that and end up staying at the school they enroll in until they graduate instead of transfering.</p>

8

<p>That's not great reasoning, datkid. There are <em>so many</em> benefits to going off to college and getting out of the house at age 18. You're looking at the immediate financial costs of going to a four year school, but you're not considering the vast intangible benefits gained from spending two years in Blacksburg or Harrisonburg. You'd learn a lot about yourself and about dealing with other people - and you'd have a great time. Plus, getting a good GPA at those schools wouldn't be difficult and transferring into UVA as a fall transfer wouldn't be particularly difficult.</p>

<p>Your plan now is terrible, IMO. I wouldn't let my son do it.</p>

9

<p>Datkid has the right idea. This option has been available to kids going to community or junior colleges in California since the 1960's. It is surprising that it took Virginia so long to catch on. If Virginia is anything like California, it is a bad idea to go to another state college, because the Universities in California (Berkeley, UCLA, Davis, etc.) discourage transfers from state colleges to the universities. In fact, there is a strong preference for junior college transfers to the Universities. That likely will also happen in Virginia, because the Universities of Virginia and William and Mary have to fulfill their pledge or guarantee to the community college transfers first, and then start accepting other applicants from state and out of state colleges. Best of luck Datkid.</p>

10

<p>The right idea? No.</p>

11

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<p>What will be the difference between the vast intangible benefits I gain if I leave for UVA at 18 or 20? I'll still have to grow up one way or another and to me it doesn't matter which way, long as I get to UVA. </p>

<p>Plus I'm not looking only at the immediate financial costs, I'm also looking at the long term financial costs. </p>

<p>Immediate financial costs:
- Tuition at state school: $5000-6000+, Tuition at CC: like $2200
- Room and board at state school: like $7000, Room and board at home: FREE
- Personal expenses,books state: let's say $2500... at CC: not sure, but probably cheaper...</p>

<p>All that is an estimate, obviously, real figures could be higher or lower... but I'm fairly close</p>

<p>Long term financial costs:
-if I attend a state school for all 4 years at an average of $15,000 per year it comes out to $60,000 for the whole shabang... let's say I get about half of that in grants... that's $30,000 I still need to pay with for loans and other means... I have no cash saved up for college so that means I'm gonna have to take out loans and then probably won't be able to repay those loans until after I graduate and interest and crap kicks in... probably be paying that ish off for atleast 10 years... I also plan on attending grad school so this is a big negative
-If I attend community college I can easily pay off the first two years by working a part time job and be able to save up for the next two years at UVA at the same time, significantly reducing my debt...</p>

<p>I don't know... I like my community college back up plan...</p>

12

<p>$30,000 is nothing over the course of a 40 year career. Four years in college is infinitely better than two. HTH.</p>

13

<p>Well that all depends on what career you pick... I'll still be going to college for four years, just because I won't be getting the total "college experience" for two years doesn't mean that I'm only going for two years. I'm really digging this guaranteed transfer stuff, it's a win-win for me.</p>

14

<p>Rather than planning on going to a community college for 2 years and transferring, you should be working on getting those SAT scores up. Your GPA is pretty solid, and with a slightly higher SAT score (and assuming you've got some good EC's), you'll have a pretty good chance.</p>

15

<p>If finances or maturity cause someone to stay home and go to CC, that is completely understandable. However, if someone choses the CC route because it's the path of least resistance, I think they're cheating themselves out of a challenging, important experience.

[QUOTE]
If Virginia is anything like California, it is a bad idea to go to another state college, because the Universities in California (Berkeley, UCLA, Davis, etc.) discourage transfers from state colleges to the universities.

[/QUOTE]
Virginia's higher education system differs dramatically from California's in many, many ways. We do not discourage transfers from the other state colleges.</p>

<p>We've always been clear about our expectations when it comes to coursework (on the transfer pages of the UVA website), but with the agreements, people actually seem to be planning their coursework with our recommendations in mind.</p>

<p>Keep in mind that the VCCS agreements are rewritten each year. The requirements may change.</p>

16

<p>Datkid, your plan is very reasonable, a question: are you in-state? </p>

<p>


At this point, the <em>latest</em> you could take the SAT I over is January, and that's for <em>regular</em> decision, and if this is your top choice, datkid, i'm assuming you're going to apply EA/ED. And the latest you can take retake SATs is November, not a lot of time to study.</p>

<p>


Because you can't have a great time AND learn to deal with people at a community college!! Heavens no, not community college! Cavalier, no offense, but you seem kinda snobby...a real college>?</p>

<p>"I wouldn't let MY kid go to a community college, no way. Community college is such a disgrace, you have the wrong idea man. People that go to community colleges don't grow and have an awful college experience, forget the debt & pick an obscure 4 year college that will cost more and will at least rid you of the title Went To Community College."</p>

<p>Seriously man, ***?</p>

17

<p>kurrupt, a "real" residential college provides many, many valuable experiences that a community college cannot. If finances are such a big problem for him and his family, he will get financial aid. And if there's a gap between what he and his parents can pay, he can engage in what many americans do every day - deficit spending. It's the american way! The cost of the two years would be easily paid off during his career.</p>

<p>
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forget the debt & pick an obscure 4 year college

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Virginia Tech is an obscure 4 year college? My ass.</p>

18

<p>I don't think you are making a bad decision going from community college to UVA - its a big money saver. If I was in your shoes, I'd do it. </p>

<p>The problem is that there shouldn't be an easy back-door into UVA. It is destructive to both students and the university to create a system which encourages students to get two years of inferior education.</p>

19

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<p>Will it change this year? Let's say a kidstarted community college this school year because he heard about the guaranteed transfer program... would the requirements for him change as well, or only people who enroll in community college the year after?</p>

<p>In other words once the agreement is reviewed in March that will be the requirements that I have to meet regardless if it is changed the next year, correct? </p>

<p>Also, I am currently working on getting my SAT scores up and having a great first semester so I have the best shot at UVA as possible. But I am asking all this stuff just in case I do get rejected.</p>

<p>Also I would apply to ED to UVA but I heard that if money is a big concern you should never do ED... and money is a HUGE concern since my parents make under $25K/year combined... anyhow I'll go ahead and post my stats and you guys can judge my chances...</p>

20

<p>Stats:</p>

<p>9th Grade:</p>

<p>English Honors - A
History Honors - A
Geometry - B+
Biology - A
Latin I - A
Gym - A
Band - A</p>

<p>GPA: 4.07</p>

<p>10th Grade:</p>

<p>English Honors - B+
History Honors - A
Algebra 2 - B
Earth Science - A
Latin 2 - B
Gym - A
Grafx Img. Tech I - A</p>

<p>GPA: 3.79 (I didn't take 10th grade seriously)</p>

<p>11th Grade:</p>

<p>English Honors - A
AP US History - A
Trigonoetry - B
Pre-cal - A
Chemistry - A
Latin 3 - B+
Grafx Img. Tech II - A (2 credit class, so it counts as 2 A's on the GPA)</p>

<p>GPA: 4.00</p>

<p>12th Grade Schedule:</p>

<p>AP Literature
AP US Gov't
AP Calculus AB
AP Comp. Sci. A
AP Latin Vergil
Physics Honors
African American and Peace Studies</p>

<p>TOTAL WEIGHTED GPA: 3.93
Class Rank: 33/598</p>

<p>SAT I: 730 Verbal, 650 Math, 620 Writing (will retake in November)
SAT II: 720 US History... still have to take one more in October</p>

<p>Other info: well... it appears that the average 11th grader at my school only takes 1 AP class (US History) but quite a few took 2 because they could take AP Biology as well... I messed up 10th grade year and took Earth Science instead of Chemistry, so I didn't really have the option to take AP Bio. Some even took 3 because they were super accelerated math and could fit in AP Calculus in junior year. And then the top 1-5 kids likely had 4 APs because they had an AP language junior year. But basically one AP is the norm for most college bound kids junior year. Also, I'm Asian and in Virginia.</p>

<p>ECs:
Varsity Hockey: 10-12, maybe asst. capt. in 12</p>

<p>Rec. Roller Hockey: 9 -12</p>

<p>CyberSeniors (community service thing where you teach elderly people how to use the computer): 10-12, President 11-12, 150+ hrs. of comm. service</p>

<p>Latin Club: 10-12</p>

<p>National Honor Society: 11-12</p>

<p>Summer internship at a jewelery store this summer</p>

<p>Who's Who, National Honor Roll, National Society of High School Scholars...</p>

<p>Chances.</p>