<p>We're trying to prepare for every eventuality, so we'll ask the question: how many students does UVA usually wait list each year? How many are ultimately admitted?
Also - if a student is waitlisted, what can they do to improve their chances for admission? Additional letters of recommendation? Letters from alum? Visits? Gifts? Just kidding about that last one.
Finally, when would all hope be gone?
Thanks for any help you can give.</p>
<p>VAMom11, you can refer to DeanJ’s blog for a great deal of information on the waitlist. To start you off, here’s a post from last year regarding the waitlist process. </p>
<p>[Notes</a> from Peabody: The UVA Application Process: The Waitlist 2010](<a href=“http://uvaapplication.blogspot.com/2010/03/waitlist-2010.html]Notes”>Notes from Peabody: The UVA Application Process: The Waitlist 2010)</p>
<p>Thanks very much! I’ve been following DeanJ but somehow wasn’t able to find this information. Thanks for the direction. It sure looks like the wait list is a significant long shot. We’ll just keep praying for a straight-up acceptance.</p>
<p>I believe UVa is one of many colleges that has a very long wait list. You can see definite recent numbers if you google UVa’s “common data set.”</p>
<p>^but at least UVA accepts a good amount people off the waitlist. For 09-10, they accepted ~10% of all the people who accepted a spot on the waitlist.
[Common</a> Data Set: Institutional Assessment and Studies, University of Virginia](<a href=“http://www.web.virginia.edu/iaas/datacatalog/cds/admission.shtm]Common”>http://www.web.virginia.edu/iaas/datacatalog/cds/admission.shtm)</p>
<p>I’m still pretty horrified about the length of these wait lists. I feel like they set up unfair hopes for so many kids. I know the schools tell the kids not to count on anything, but of course they do, especially when it’s the school of their dreams. I feel like the length of these lists is just patently unfair to the students and really just benefits the admissions numbers. I admire that UVA has reduced the number of kids on the list, but still - only taking around 10% of that reduced list? Horrifying. To think of all those kids holding out hope while having a hard time commiting somewhere else breaks my heart.</p>
<p>There’s no way around it: waitlists are long. As I wrote in my blog post, only half of the students who are offered a waitlist spot actually take it. From there, there group is split into 8 sections: </p>
<p>Virginia Arts & Sciences
Virginia Engineering & Applied Sciences
Virginia Architecture
Virginia Nursing
OOS Arts & Sciences
OOS Engineering & Applied Sciences
OOS Architecture
OOS Nursing </p>
<p>While every admission dean tries to figure out how many students they need to admit to fill the different parts of the class, the fact is that there is a lot of uncertainty. On May 1st, part of the class could be full one year and on May 1st the next year, that same part of the class could be short by a little bit or a whole lot. There’s a lot of uncertainty on our side of the desk, too.</p>
<p>Our goal is to consider the class enrolled and see you move on to working with the folks in orientation.</p>
<p>I would honestly rather be waitlisted than denied simply because it makes it easier to not take it personally, knowing that the school did want you. It’s hard either way not to think that the school didn’t like you and to feel resentment toward the decision, but a wait-list would lessen that, even if very slightly. 10% is more than many other schools accept.</p>
<p>I’m praying I don’t get waitlisted… it just prolongs the college process. If I get rejected, I can just focus on being excited about my second choice :)</p>
<p>I agree with you, idreamofUVA. In or out on Friday will allow you all to move on and begin to be happy elsewhere.</p>
<p>Thanks for your reply DeanJ. I’m very grateful for your support of these students and for the way you keep everything above board and honest. You’ve certainly made this process less painful for all of us, and I thank you for your candor.</p>
<p>My pleasure. I know it doesn’t take the string of a non-decision away, though.</p>
<p>BTW, sorry about the typo…“the group” not “there group.”</p>
<p>I completely forgot about the possibility of DD being waitlisted. All decisions so far have been ‘accepted’ so, as the day to the decisions she REALLY cares about gets closer, I just kept thinking “Well, it will be a yes or a no.”</p>
<p>I really hope she doesn’t get waitlisted. Then we just have more…WAITING. LOL.</p>
<p>Sting, not string. Sorry.</p>
<p>I picked the wrong week to cut back on coffee.</p>
<p>@vamom11 - I have nothing to add but I do love your screen name!</p>
<p>I think we should stop worrying about the waitlist, and begin worrying about which dorm to pick. Geez, gotta look at the glass as half full!</p>
<p>I would try not to play “what if” right now. Focus on the offers you have on the table. Get excited about the possibilities you already have!</p>
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<p>Although I LOVE your optimistic attitude, you can’t choose your dorm at UVa. </p>
<p>Both old dorms and new dorms have advantages. When you attend Days on the Lawn, you’ll be shown both. D wasn’t impressed; however, I reminded her to try and envision the possibilities. Her dorm room, IMO, turned out to be worthy of an HGTV before and after episode. In fact, she and her roommate plan on sending photos to housing for their website. UGA has a contest whereby interested students compete for cash awards for the most functional, decked out dorm room. It’d be fun if UVa tried something similar so prospective students could be shown what can be achieved with careful planning and a bit if creativity. Also, remember – you’re only required to live on campus your first year, so if you don’t like it, you can always move to one of the many off campus facilities.</p>
<p>Lol, I guess I am wrong :D. Thanks jc40!</p>
<p>PS - if your daughter does send you pictures and doesn’t mind anyone else seeing them, be sure to share! I’ve actually seen a good amount of dorm pictures and have already begun thinking of what is a necessity ;)</p>
<p>Ha! Love yours too, 2011VAMom!</p>