<p>The process varies from school to school. We’re still over a month from deadline, but we’ve already read about 900 completed applications. I like the gentle start to the year that getting rid of ED has givne us at UVa. I can take my time on apps right now. In January, the pace will be much faster.</p>
<p>During our first round, every folder at UVa gets read at least twice and sometimes three or more times. If the decision is difficult or there’s an interesting case, we’ll take it to committee. The Committee at UVa is every person who reads applications. In the meeting, the first reader for each application will present it and be the student’s advocate. After the presentation will come discussion, followed by a simple hand vote. </p>
<p>After that round, we’ll look at the decisions we made and see where we stand with the numbers needed for each school. During the next round, we’ll work in teams to fill in the gaps. For example, we might have a team working to pull up x number of out of state engineers, another working to pull up x number of in state nursing students, etc. (by pull up, I mean move students we had thought of waitlisting to the admit pool). It’s a tedious round, but I always enjoy digging around and finding some really great kids to pull into the class.</p>
<p>Last round is for scholars program decisions and special requests from scholarship committees around the University. </p>
<p>Now, I know of a schools where every single folder goes to committee. I know of a school where all admits and waitlist students are brought to committee…it really is done differently at different schools.</p>