UVA

[jkl444]

Anyone heard from UVA English? According to the board, they're considering applicants in the finals. Any knowledge of how many?

[Pamphilia]

I don't know how many finalists they consider, but I believe they have enough funding for eight spots (I think it's eight...) in a normal year. Though, I know they are being pressured to cut their number of funded candidates, which they are resisting strongly because they only won a big fight to fully fund their PhDs a few of years ago. I also know that they received over 500 applications this year, and that they tend to admit in rounds as they work down a long wait list.

Sorry, this was probably not what you were looking for, but maybe it's helpful?

Edited January 31, 2010 by Pamphilia

[Venetia]

I thought it was helpful, thanks Pamphilia! It's good to know that even if I don't hear right away there's still a chance of acceptance...

[robobaggio]

I'm still curious as to how the UVA poster deduced that the department's request for a writing sample meant that they're in the finals. Writing samples are the first thing considered, not the last; I would imagine that if they've just begun to ask for missing materials of crucial importance that they're just beginning to review applications.

Agreed. The only thing that I can think is that maybe the poster means by "finals" the applicants who get past the original screen (for low GPAs, GREs, etc). It would make some sense that the writing sample not be needed prior to that screening process.

[ecg1810]

Agreed. The only thing that I can think is that maybe the poster means by "finals" the applicants who get past the original screen (for low GPAs, GREs, etc). It would make some sense that the writing sample not be needed prior to that screening process.

That does seem logical. Some schools do evaluations in rounds--GRE/GPA consideration--then SOP/LOR--then writing sample. Certainly possible UVA works that way too.

[intextrovert]

Some schools do evaluations in rounds--GRE/GPA consideration--then SOP/LOR--then writing sample. Certainly possible UVA works that way too.

Yeah...I can't blame them for not being able to read all 400 25-page samples. Makes sense for them to do cuts in other ways first.

Eight spots? Yikes. That's significantly less than my friend's cohort (he started in Fall 2007).

[Pamphilia]

Eight spots? Yikes. That's significantly less than my friend's cohort (he started in Fall 2007).

Maybe it's twelve. I can't really remember, though I'm fairly certain it's a low multiple of four for some reason, not sure why...all of these other numbers floating around in my head are getting mushed together. Anyway, I know it's not too, too many, and I did get it straight from the horse's mouth that they received more than 500 applications.

Edited January 31, 2010 by Pamphilia

[intextrovert]

Maybe it's twelve. I can't really remember, though I'm fairly certain it's a low multiple of four for some reason, not sure why...all of these other numbers floating around in my head are getting mushed together. Anyway, I know it's not too, too many, and I did get it straight from the horse's mouth that they received more than 500 applications.

Ha, that's funny that you remember it that way. Twelve sounds more in line with what I was expecting, though I think my friend's cohort was somewhere in the mid-teens. The difference between eight and twelve is probably totally trivial - but somehow in my mind it's so much better! And I guess it IS infinitely different if you're one of those golden four...

[Belltolls]

I was confused about the 'finals' post too. I doubt that UVA has a select group of finalists without having at least skimmed most of the writings samples. Then again, what do I know? Sigh. I'd love to live in Virginia...

[ecg1810]

Thanks for the inside info., Pamphilia. Out of curiousity, do you happen to know when UVA starts to make offers to first-choice candidates (i.e. Accepted right away, not off of the wait-list)? The history on Results Search seems to indicate anytime between now and the next two weeks, but I was wondering if you had any additional input.

Edited January 31, 2010 by ecg1810

[intextrovert]

Sigh. I'd love to live in Virginia...

God, I know. I do think Virginia is the most beautiful US state, and Charlottesville is pretty much Paradise on Earth. UVA was my second choice for undergrad, and though I made the right decision, I've dreamed of that place ever since. (Doesn't hurt that the program is a pretty perfect fit for me as well!)

[Belltolls]

God, I know. I do think Virginia is the most beautiful US state, and Charlottesville is pretty much Paradise on Earth. UVA was my second choice for undergrad, and though I made the right decision, I've dreamed of that place ever since. (Doesn't hurt that the program is a pretty perfect fit for me as well!)

So beautiful! I was born in Virginia and promptly moved to Chicago. The few pictures I've seen of my parents house there were incredible. And it certainly doesn't hurt that its a pretty amazing program as well. Oh, UVA you have my heart.

[Pamphilia]

Thanks for the inside info., Pamphilia. Out of curiousity, do you happen to know when UVA starts to make offers to first-choice candidates (i.e. Accepted right away, not off of the wait-list)? The history on Results Search seems to indicate anytime between now and the next two weeks, but I was wondering if you had any additional input.

Sorry, I have no idea about that one. I wish I did!

I do think Virginia is the most beautiful US state, and Charlottesville is pretty much Paradise on Earth.

Ain't it the truth! Wahoowa.

Edited January 31, 2010 by Pamphilia

[hinesaj]

I don't know about the exact size of the cohort at UVA the way Pamphilia would, but a good indicator would be how many students are in last year's admissions class. Because of the current economic situation, funding for this year is going to be heavily based on last year's class size, which unfortunately for us, UVA doesn't post their graduate students on their website (at least I couldn't find it, while quickly doing a little research for this post.)

We can already see this at Penn, who underestimated their yield for last year, and because of this, can only admit 5 students this year. I imagine they'll accept in rounds with a large wait list. In other words, they'll probably initially accept five students, and if they get any rejections, will fill that slot with a wait-list student, so that they don't end up with the same problem they did last year. I would predict, and this is really just a gut feeling and not based on any conversation with anyone of any significance, that most schools will be using that same model for acceptance this year, because they simply can't afford for too many admits to matriculate.

If inextrovert's friend was in last year's cohort, which sounds like a class that is a little larger than usual, I'd expect that somewhere between 8 and 12 sounds about right, though probably leaning on the bottom half of that range.

What does that mean for us eagerly waiting? Well, hard to say since most departments haven't made decisions yet, but I get the feeling we will see very small groups admitted (probably just enough to fill a class size--i.e. assuming a 100% yield) in the next few weeks. Because of this, there will be large waitlists, and they will be doing a lot of waiting. When one student turns down an offer, another will receive their offer and the process will continue until all the allotted spots are filled. This leads to a very long drawn out decisions season, but after thinking about it for awhile, it seems like this is what we should expect.

Though this is all total speculation, and I'm just trying to think this through. The idle, waiting mind...