In the college application season, our school’s seniors are often found in the atrium or the library frantically comparing SAT scores, essay drafts and even some early action results. Living in Arlington, we are lucky to be in a state that consistently ranks at the top for public higher education. But with a plethora of options from downtown Richmond to the Blue Ridge Mountains in Blacksburg, it can be hard to know which Virginia state school fits your needs best.
The best school isn’t always the one with the lowest acceptance rate; it’s the one that matches you best. Whether you want to spend Saturdays chanting Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” at Lane Stadium, or researching in a quiet colonial library, Virginia’s public universities each have a unique vibe and specific type of student they are looking for.
The Virginia school that is regarded as the most prestigious in the state is the University of Virginia (UVA). Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, UVA is often referred to as a “Public Ivy” with a historic, high achieving and very preppy vibe. Most students who attend have a near perfect GPA and want a top-tier resume boost. From our district specifically, the average weighted GPA is 4.34, and the average SAT is near a 1450. There has been a 1 percent rise in acceptance rate, going from 17 percent to 18 percent. UVA is known for its school of arts and sciences and its business school, Darden, which is one of the best business schools in the country. UVA offers the rigor of an elite university while also giving a somewhat big state school vibe with its division one (D1) sports teams, and serves as the main target school for students from our school.
The second most selective public school in Virginia is William & Mary. Founded in 1693 in Williamsburg, Virginia, it is the second oldest college in the US. William & Mary is normally described as intellectual and even quirky. It’s better for the students who prefer small seminar style classes over giant lecture halls.
In terms of admissions, our district actually isn’t doing the best at William & Mary. Our district’s acceptance rate drops to 21 percent, down from the national rate of 33 percent. The average GPA drops only slightly from a 4.36 to 4.3 weighted. William & Mary superscores SATs, with the middle 50 percent of applicants scoring between a 710-760 on the reading and writing portion, and a 680-760 on the math portion. While access to data on students’ superscored SATs isn’t available, the total average SAT is still around 1440 from our district.
If you’re a student who’s loaded up on AP classes and founded a club or two, then these two in-state schools should be on your radar.
Virginia Tech takes a step in a different direction from William & Mary, with a huge 31,000 undergraduate student body and a big sports culture. Rather than humanities, Virginia Tech is known as the big STEM school of the state. So if you are a student who loves the big school feel, packed out football games and is interested in engineering, Virginia Tech could be the school for you.
James Madison University (JMU) in Harrisonburg is often cited for having some of the happiest students in the state. It offers a good middle ground in terms of size: not quite as massive as Virginia Tech, but large enough to give you that spirited D1 sports atmosphere. JMU’s admissions are more relaxed than the schools previously mentioned, with a 76 percent acceptance rate. However, that high percentage can be deceiving, as from our district the rate drops down to 43 percent. That number can probably be explained by a thing called yield protection, where schools reject students who have good applications because they don’t think they would go to their school if accepted.
If you are a student who is dead set on attending UVA rather than the other state universities, there are other options. Particularly if you are on the waitlist for the UVA College of Arts and Sciences, you are eligible for the “Year in Wise” program. It’s a pathway where you attend UVA Wise for one year, complete 30 transferable credits and maintain a 3.0 GPA, and then the following year transfer directly to the UVA main campus in Charlottesville. While only 75 students can enroll in this program annually, it’s still a great option for students that are passionate about going to UVA.
The close to home options in Virginia are great too. George Mason University is just 30 minutes away in Fairfax, Virginia, and offers a very high quality degree. Often ranked as a top five school in Virginia, it shouldn’t be overlooked as a viable option.
For many of our school’s seniors, the road to a four year degree may begin right in our open backyard at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA). As a community college, NOVA accepts almost all applicants and provides an accessible and affordable bridge to Virginia’s most prestigious universities. Through a partnership with George Mason known as the ADVANCE program, students can save over $10,000 in tuition while still receiving a degree from George Mason University. Beyond George Mason, NOVA is a powerhouse for transfers across the state; in recent years, hundreds of NOVA’s “Nighthawks” have successfully transitioned into UVA, Virginia Tech and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). From our school there have been many students who have chosen to attend NOVA, as it serves as a financially and academically flexible option.
VCU and Richmond University down in Richmond are excellent universities as well. As students in this region, we are lucky to have a plethora of options for higher education and you really can’t go wrong with any. There is a college out there for everyone in our school and wherever this year’s seniors decide to go. Whether in-state or far from home, they’ll be achieving great things in their future.
