Important information regarding Financial Aid Deadlines

Financial Aid is available for permanent residents and citizens of the U.S.  If you've applied for aid in the past, you know that heavy-duty paperwork is involved. The preferred deadline to apply for financial aid was March 1. 

The absolute final deadline is April 30.  If you want to apply for financial aid, we require a number of forms and documents including the FAFSA and the CSS Profile. If you do not complete all of these forms by April 30, you could miss out on being considered for certain types of aid. 

For more information, check out. :  http://www.virginia.edu/financialaid/enter12-13.php and/or http://www.virginia.edu/financialaid/appdeadline.php. 

Missing Documents: Round 2

Today, we sent out another email to 250+ students who are missing documents.  Please check your inbox and spambox to see if this is you.  Better yet, check your to-do lists and that will tell you if something is missing.  If you are no longer interested in applying, please email us and we'll stop hounding you for these materials.

Green

I can see that there’s been a lot of paranoia and confusion about your SIS accounts.  Let’s all take a breath.  Being April and all, we are reading applications and making decisions on them, but current decisions will not be final until May 1.  Final decisions are not being made at this time. I should add that we do not have rolling admission. All decisions will be released at one time. A green circle and a green check are good for application material submission purposes.  What I mean by this is, your application is complete and we can review it.   Once again, mid-year reports are not required.  Receipt of this on our end does not impact the green circle or green check.  I repeat. The green circle and green check have nothing to do with your decision of admit, deny or waitlist.  Thanks for your patience all!

Missing Documents

An email went out this morning to 670 students with incomplete files.  A few weeks ago, I think I mentioned that this would be coming. If you get one of these emails, log into your SIS account and see what's missing.  Don't panic because you're not in trouble.  We have reached a  point where we've gone through all of the mail we've received and we have sorted through everything on file. We want to do our best to make your file complete. See, we're human too. Sometimes transcripts are lost in the mail. This is the time we notify you of the issue.  If something is missing, please work on this as soon as possible.  In fact, the deadline for turning in these materials is April 4th.  If you have questions about  it, you may email us.  Please be patient and we will try and get back to you within 48 hours of your inquiry.

Can I ask a favor?

Decisions for first-year applicants (not you all, but those applying from high school) will be released online tonight at 5pm EST.  The system will be overwhelmed with the clicks of potentially thousands of anxious 17 and 18 year olds.  Could you do me the favor and stay off of SIS for tonight?   I realize it’s an odd request, but I think it will really help and … well, I was getting tired of looking at the snow seeing as how it is now 83 degrees out.  Phew!  Thanks readers!

Cleaning Up

Poe Alley off the Lawn at UVA

Tomorrow, we will send out an email to applicants who did not submit all three parts of the common application (basic, supplement, and application fee).  I doubt many of the readers here will be included.   However, it would be good to keep an eye out on your inbox.

In other news, we had a nice surprise of 4-6 inches of snow today.  It's too bad the students are on spring break and not here to enjoy it.  This is a pic from this morning.

P.S. The office will be closed this Friday, 3/9/12, for a University holiday.  

Looking towards March 1st

You can see from the calendar that there are just a few days left until March 1.  If you are putting the finishing touches on your application, that's great. Please know that the application must be completed by the end of the day on March 1.   Please make sure you submit all three parts - Basic Application, Application Supplement, and the Application Fee.  If you do not do this, you run the risk of our not receiving your application.

Materials such as transcripts, testing and recommended parts are just beginning to be added to your files.  We received 28,000 first-year applications this year and we are still in the throes of that process. This will conclude on April 1st.  It is not until the end of February that we start to zero in on matching up documents/transcripts/etc for transfers.

Please use your SIS account to monitor whether we have received your required materials.  Please do not call the office to check to see if we've received your materials.  It will take time to scan and process your documents. I'll try to give an update on here about how our file services team is doing in a few weeks.

I will not have any statistics on the applicant pool until the application process is complete.  I hope to give you more information in April, but per usual, about 600-700 students will be admitted. 

Finally, I would request civility and respect on this blog. Our admission blogs and the information we give are a courtesy to our prospective students.   Again, please do not criticize others for their inquiries.  As I have said in the past, we have the right to delete disrespectful commentary.  Please do not answer questions of other commenters.  In addition to the work we do during this extremely busy admissions season, we will answer your questions as best we can and in a timely manner.   Thank you for reading and thanks for understanding.

Rolling over the spring application for fall

This is quick reminder for those who were not offered admission for January and would like to try again for Fall 2012.  Please email undergradadmission@virginia.edu to let us know.  This is not automatic.  Please do this by March 1.

-You won't have to pay another application fee
-Please send us a list of your spring 2012 courses and course descriptions
-If you would like to add any new updates or short statements, feel free to include this in the same email
-Most importantly, you should mail us your most recent transcript with your Fall 2011 grades. Again, our mailing address is on the right panel of the front page of this blog. 

Test Requirements for Admission

We had a blogpost request for clarification on testing.  Oh, by the way, the GAA = Guaranteed Admission Agreement.

-Testing is required for all students applying under the GAA, no matter your age or your time out of high school.  If English is your second language, you may substitute the TOEFL or the IELTS for the SAT or ACT.  We look for a 90 or above on the TOEFL; a 7.0 and above on the IELTS. We do not have specific requirements for the SAT or ACT, but if Verbal and Writing scores are low - typically, below 500, we may contact you and ask for more proficiency testing.

-If you are applying as a regular transfer without the GAA, testing is required for anyone who has been out of high school for less than five years.  If you graduated in 2007, to be on the safe side and to be more competitive, we recommend you report scores.  You can submit old test scores as there is no need to take them again.

-If you are applying to the Commerce school... they like to see testing.  We sometimes tell students whose first language is not English is that it's advisable to take the TOEFL and the SAT or ACT.  They are really big on quantitative(math) skills.

I understand we are very different in our testing requirements for transfers.  As a selective institution, we appreciate the information that standardized testing can give us and thus, that's why we require it for most parties applying.

A deeper look into course descriptions

If you are reading this, hopefully you have started working on your application. If you have not, others can tell you that we are looking for some background information and if you're not careful, it will sneak up on you.  On the Common App Supplement, you will find a little box that says:

In order for us to perform preliminary evaluations of your coursework, you must email a list of all of your college coursework (through the current term/semester) AND the course catalog description for each course to transferadmission@virginia.edu   

It is important for all students to do this, even GAA and/or VCCS students.  We have found that this task makes students quite anxious. I can tell you it is a lot easier and faster than any assignment you'll complete at UVA.  While it is tedious, it's easy and it will help us to better evaluate your application.  It will also help registrars evaluate your credit if you're admitted.  Usually students make a word or excel document/table with the information.  Here are some examples...

Fall 2011 - SOC 211 - Principles of Anthropology I

Inquires into the origins, development, and diversification of human biology and human cultures. Includes fossil records, physical origins of human development, human population genetics, linguistics, cultures' origins and variation, and historical and contemporary analysis of human societies. Lecture 3 hours per week.

 Fall 2011 - HST 111 - Europe and the Mediterranean World to 1500

This survey of major developments in the Mediterranean world begins with the ancient Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations, continues through Greece and Rome and concludes at the end of the Medieval Age. The course will cover the rise and decline of civilizations, the transitions of great empires, change versus continuity in economic, political,
social and cultural institutions over time, and interactions and mutual influences among different people. 

The easiest way to do this is to simply cut and paste course descriptions from your course catalog.  Make sure to tell us if you've taken courses at different universities.  It's so easy, you can do it while watching TV or waiting for class to begin!     

Thank you!    
 

Spring Transfer Open House

Well, it's that time again for the open house.  This semester's event will be on Friday, February 10 at 10AM.  If you attended the event in November, there is no need to revisit.   Visitors will hear from current students and faculty about the application and transition process to UVA.  The day will begin in the Newcomb Hall Ballroom.  Please register for the event here .    We'll cross our fingers that it doesn't snow that day :)

Let's Talk about the High School Transcript

We noticed that towards the end of our spring semester review, we were requesting/pleading for the high school transcript or GED(yes, we'll accept it) from a lot of students who had done a great job of submitting the application and college transcript(s).  

We do require high school transcripts or the GED.

If you're planning on applying for Fall 2012 and you're home for winter break, get a jumpstart on gathering materials and request or collect your transcript from your high school.  If you completed a GED, order your official score report now.  You can hold onto until you apply or you can send it to us ahead of your application. We'll match things up as we get them.  You'll be able to mark it off your list early and not have to worry about it when you're juggling the application process, mid-terms and other things life throws our way. :)

Rollover Process

If you were not admitted for Spring 2012, there is a possibility that you can "roll over" your application for Fall.  You found some limited instructions on this in your electronic letter.  If you would like to be considered, please email undergradadmission@virginia.edu or send us a letter.   Email is faster, so I would recommend going that route.  When you write, put the word "rollover" somewhere in the subject line.   If you would like to switch schools (Commerce, Engineering, Architecture), please include that wish in your letter as well.

Students who are not eligible for rollover are current juniors attending a four-year university.  Unfortunately, these students are no longer eligible for transfer.  Please check out the main UVA website for information on our graduate programs.

Decisions will be released around May 1 for any rollover student who added to the Fall process.

**Most importantly, you need to send your updated college transcript including your Fall 2011 grades when they become available.  These will be due by March 1, 2012**

Spring 2012 Transfer Decisions

Hi everyone!  Sorry to have disappeared for so long.  The spring transfer process coupled with early action
for high school applicants is keeping us very busy.

All transfer decisions will be posted online this evening at 5PM EST.  Remember that you have to consult your SIS account to get your decision. You'll have information about this in your UVA confirmation email. We will post all decisions online, but we will only be mailing letters to admitted students.  A student is either offered or not offered.  There is no waitlist process for spring admission.

Do not call the office to ask for your decision.  We do not give out decisions over the phone. To get to your account, go here and click on the "SIS Login."   If you don't remember your account information, seek out the help information on the left-hand side of that same page. 

Good luck! 

Transfer Open House

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, we will have an transfer open house on Friday, November 11. We would greatly appreciate if you would register and you can do that here: https://virginia-uga.edu.185r.net/Event/
Make sure you click "Transfer" and that will give you the option to register for the Nov 11 session that starts in Maury Hall, Room 209.

The program will have three parts:
10:00am -10:45am: Transfer Information Session (tentative student panel planned)
10:45am - Noon: Walking Tour of Grounds
12:15pm - 1:00pm: Individual School Sessions

In the individual school sessions, you'll have the ability to visit the Architecture, Engineering, Education and Commerce schools. A session for the College of Arts and Sciences will take place in Maury Hall as well.

We encourage you to have lunch on grounds and visit classes on Thursday afternoon or Friday morning. Check out the Open Class List for a listing of available courses.

We hope you can join us :)

More VCCS Visits

We will be attending fairs at various Virginia community colleges and high schools until the end of the month on what's called the Virginia Tour. Please check with your counselors.  Some of the NVCC fairs are this week, so keep your eyes peeled.  We'll be making non-fair visits during the dates and times below.

NVCC- Loudoun - 10/12/11 from 10-4pm
GCC - Fredericksburg - 10/25/11 from 11-2

For more information and sign-ups for these, please contact the school's transfer offices.

Spring Deadline is Approaching

As many of you know, the spring (January admission) deadline is October 1, 2011. Let's go over the basics.

-We only take students in January who are entering the College of Arts and Sciences and the Architectural History program.  We want to admit students who truly want to matriculate and graduate from these programs.  This is not a back door for the Commerce School, Engineering School and the like.
- The application is online at www.commonapp.org.  Yes, there are essays, but I promise you that they are not difficult to answer. Take the time to really think about why you are applying to UVA and go with that.
-In order to do our review, we require the high school transcript/GED, the college transcript and standardized testing (SAT or ACT). For applicants who have been out of high school for more than five years, we will allow you to apply without the SAT or ACT. For applicants whose second language is English, we require the TOEFL exam.  The deadline to mail these materials is a postmark deadline.
-UVA is a selective institution.  We require these parts in order to admit the most qualified and best prepared students no matter your age or where you are in your education. These requirements are on our website and they were required long before the internet.
-On the right panel of this blog, you'll see tips on the forms offered to you by the common app.  We do not require any of these, but see the right panel for more info.
-Unfortunately, we are only able to admit about 10-15% of the students who apply for January. If you don't gain admission at that time, and you are not a college junior at this time, you will likely be eligible to apply again for fall, where we admit 35-40% of applicants.

Transfer Open House

The next transfer open house will be on November 11. We are working on the details, but we hope you can join us. Plan to visit us for most of the day. Registration and schedules will be available soon.

Community College Visits

Representatives from our office will be visiting a small number of community colleges next week. If you are interested in coming to meet with us and discuss the ins and outs of transfer admission, contact your transfer counselor or student/academic services office for details.

NVCC - Manassas -- Tuesday, September 6 - 10am-2pm
NVCC - Annandale -- Wednesday, September 7 - 9am - 6pm
NVCC - Alexandria -- Thursday, September 8 - 9am-6pm

We'll be visiting other campuses later in the fall.
Stay tuned for those details and information on a transfer open house here in Charlottesville.

The Common Application is Completely Live!

Hello everyone!

I hope you had a safe and happy summer. I want to welcome any new readers to the blog. Thanks for stopping by to see us.

Some of you may have noticed that there was a hang-up with the supplement. That has been fixed and the ENTIRE application is now live. Once again, the deadline for the spring application will now be October 1. We hope to release decisions in mid-late November, but that notification date is tentative.

With the spring process, we only take applications for the College of Arts and Sciences and the Architectural History major. Typically, 300 or students apply and we will make offers to about 40 students. It is very competitive for spring, but if you are not admitted and still eligible for transfer, you may apply for the following fall.

Best of luck with the start of the school year! See you on the blog again soon!