Applying to Colleges In-state
Deadlines and information on applying to Va. Schools
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With the new year only two months away, seniors are in crunch-time. Colleges across the country have application deadlines coming up, ranging from early decision on Nov. 1, or regular decision in early Jan. Many seniors have been preparing their entire educational careers for college and have most likely made up their mind about where they would like to attend school.
| Average GPA of former graduates who have attended this university | Average SAT score of accepted students across the country | Average ACT score of former graduates who have attended this university | Accept Common App? | Require Additional Essays? | |
| CNU | 3.78 | 1230 | 25 | Yes | No |
| GMU | 3.76 | 1210 | 24 | Yes | Optional |
| JMU | 3.92 | 1200 | 25 | No | Optional |
| Longwood | 3.39 | 1060 | 22 | No | Yes |
| NOVA | N/A | N/A | N/A | No | Yes |
| ODU | 3.27 | 1160 | 21 | Yes | No |
| Radford | 3.30 | 1050 | 21 | No | Optional |
| Richmond | 4.19 | N/A | 29 | Yes | Yes |
| UVA | 4.39 | 1400 | 29 | Yes | Yes |
| VCU | 3.64 | 1170 | 24 | Yes | Yes |
| VT | 4.14 | 1280 | 27 | No | Yes |
| W&M | 4.36 | 1410 | 29 | Yes | Optional |
This table lists several different colleges and universities in the state of Va. along with their average requirements.
Some seniors, like Karis Roberts, did not understand the academic expectations of where they are applying. Roberts is applying to Virginia Tech University and College of William and Mary (W&M), and felt as if she was prepared for college.
“W&M is a reach and I think I could maybe get into [Virginia Tech] but the admissions process scares me,” said Roberts.
Roberts felt confident in what she knew about the requirements of the universities she is applying to.
“[William and Mary] is around a 4.1 [GPA] and [Virginia Tech] is like a 3.8 [GPA],” said Roberts.
Little did Robert’s know, the average GPA at both schools is roughly three-tenths higher.
Some seniors, such as Collin Williams, had a better idea of what they were getting into. Williams had done research about what it takes to get into Virginia Tech, his top-choice school.
“I’ve read all the statistics of this past year’s freshman class,” said Williams.
Williams was not phased by the information put in front of him, either.
“I never took the ACT, so I don’t even know how I would compare to that, and my GPA is a bit lower, but I try not to worry about numbers so much,” said Williams confidently.
Some of these academic expectations are daunting for seniors and also frustrate others, like Ben Ortt.
“I think it makes me mad at my freshman self for not trying freshman year, but I still am hopeful that I’ll be able to get into James Madison University, my number one,” said Ortt.
A majority of Va. schools use the Common Application, a single application that allows you to apply to multiple schools simultaneously. This helps students save time and show their best quality work once rather than mediocre work repeatedly. In order to learn more about the Common Application, go to www.commonapp.org .
“The Common App makes it a lot easier to apply to multiple schools, so I don’t have to fill out a ton of separate applications,” said Ortt.
MaryAnn Ottenberg, the Potomac Falls College and Career specialist, gave some valuable advice to seniors who are still in the process of applying to college.
“Be prepared and work on one application at a time. Work on your essays and personal statements with your English teachers. Finally, get personal. Make the admissions office feel as if they’ve just had a conversation with you.”