Both the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering and Applied Science offer school-wide honors programs. In the College, the Echols Scholars Program enrolls students who have excelled academically and exhibited unusually intellectual curiosity. Echols Scholars enjoy priority registration and exemption from all area requirements such as science, English, and foreign language; they're free to take any academic courses that interest them, and we encourage them to use this freedom to create a stimulating, often interdisciplinary academic program. In the School of Engineering, the Rodman Scholars Program is somewhat more traditional. Rodman Scholars enjoy special seminar classes and design projects in the first year, specially designated courses throughout their undergraduate program, and possibly some financial compensation. No special application is necessary for either the Echols or the Rodman program; everyone who applies for admission to the College or the School of Engineering is considered automatically.

Almost every department in the College also participates in the departmental "Distinguished Majors" programs. U.Va. students may apply to these programs, which require the preparation of a fourth-year thesis, after they have completed some work in their major subject. It is through these programs that U.Va. students can graduate with honors.

Students wishing to live on Grounds after the first year will enter a housing lottery and most of these students will be successful at securing housing space. At present, U.Va. can accommodate approximately fifty percent of its students on Grounds, and each year there are still housing facilities with empty beds once the academic year begins.

Because students living off Grounds are usually within walking distance and are not isolated from the University community, many upper-class students choose to live in the charming neighborhoods that surround the University. Living off Grounds need not be more expensive than living on Grounds.

Know that students with a wide range of scores have been admitted. Several more important factors come into play in the admission process including academic program and grades, essays and involvement in extracurricular activities. However, our average score is 1320. For more on admission, see below. Our entering class is comprised of 2985 students, 66% in state and 34% out-of-state. In most years, about 65% of the applications we receive are from outside of Virginia. Approximately 15% to 22% of the out-of-state applicants will be admitted, and 45% of the in-state and legacy applicants will be admitted. Successful candidates will be in the top of their class and take many honors and Advanced Placement courses in high school. Usually the candidate's senior year courses are the most rigorous offered in the school.

• Basic Application, also called Part 1
• First Year Supplement which asks for extracurricular activities, awards and essay responses, also called Part 2
• School and Transcript Report, included in Part 3
• SAT I or ACT test scores
• Three SAT II test scores in English composition, mathematics - Level I or II - and a third test in science, history, or foreign language
• TOEFL test score for international students
• Completed Mid-Year Grade Report Form, also called Part 4

The Regular Decision application deadline is January 2nd. Notification date is April 1st. Candidates submit the Basic Application, Part 1, along with the application fee, as early as possible. December 1st is recommended. The Basic Application asks for name, address, telephone number, anticipated dates for taking standardized tests, parents' names, etc. The Virginia Residency Form is included in the Basic Application and is completed by students wishing to declare Virginia residency.

In the First Year Supplement, Part 2, we ask for a list of extracurricular activities and awards as well as responses to essay questions. Ideally, this information gives us insight into what a student has to offer the University. The quality of thinking, as evidenced in the essays, and the depth of commitment to intellectual/community efforts outside of the classroom will significantly affect our decision. The First Year Supplement is especially important for out-of-state students as that applicant pool tends to be quite large and relatively strong. Mid-year grades are reviewed before a decision is mailed and are very important. Our middle 50% SAT testing range is 1230 to 1410. Our average TOEFL test score is 250 (computer) and 600 (paper).

Students take the School and Transcript Report, Part 3, to their guidance counselor as early as possible so that the counselor may thoughtfully complete the recommendation form. Also, students may want to have teachers write recommendations for them. Along with recommendations, the form asks for the student's transcript and information about the school's curriculum.

Academics - The University is considered one of the premiere academic institutions in the United States. In this atmosphere there is a great love of the liberal arts and an emphasis placed upon active intellectual inquiry and dialogue. Over the years, forty-three Rhodes Scholars have graduated from Virginia. Only five other American institutions have produced more. For five of the past six years, U.S. News and World Report ranked the University of Virginia as the top public university in the country.

Faculty - University of Virginia professors are women and men who are highly respected in their fields. They are a distinguished group, including Guggenheim fellows, Fulbright Scholars, winners of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award, and a two-time poet laureate of the United States.

Student Self-Governance - The emphasis on student self-governance has produced one of the most actively involved student bodies in the country. Students have a hand in the day-to-day running of the University, and leave U.Va. with valuable leadership and management experience as a result. Opportunities for involvement range from the oldest student-run Honor System in the nation, to the University Judiciary Committee, Student Council, The Cavalier Daily, the Chinese Student Association, University Democrats and over 300 other student-run organizations.

Technology - U.Va. has led the way in integrating technology into the learning experience through special initiatives such as the Electronic Text Center, which offers an on-line collection of thousands of books and other materials formatted so that they can be accessed and searched by computer. Most buildings and all undergraduate dormitories are wired for direct network access. All students have access to 24-hour computer facilities, and most classes at U.Va. have a website associated with them. Students and faculty exchange more than three-quarters of a million e-mail messages each day.

Diversity - The University is composed of a diverse student body. U.Va. students come from throughout the United States as well as from over 100 foreign countries. They are of various socioeconomic, ethnic and racial backgrounds. By living and learning in this environment, students develop an enhanced understanding of distinct cultures and broaden their knowledge of human behavior.

Thomas Jefferson - Our founder, Mr. Jefferson, said of his University, "Our aim from the beginning has been to make this establishment the most eminent in the United States, in order to draw to it the youth of every state." The University still bears the imprint of his far-ranging intellect: his love of every species of learning, scientific and artistic, beautiful and useful.