UVa increases early admission offers to 5192 for the Class of 2020

University of Virginia

Early applicants to the University of Virginia’s Class of 2020 received decisions late last week—well ahead of the January 31st published release date.  With a huge snow storm poised to hit the east coast, the admissions office decided to give over 5000 prospective ‘Hoos some good news to consider for what was to become an extended vacation from school for many.

“We received the largest number of early-action applicants in our history and we are proud to offer admission to students who we believe have the ability to shape this University for years to come,” said Dean of Admission Gregory W. Roberts. “We are excited to welcome this incredible group to UVa and we hope they join us on Grounds next fall.”

Just looking at the numbers, UVa’s continued increase in early action (EA) applicants provides impressive proof that admission to the Commonwealth’s flagship university remains a highly sought-after prize among high school students—both from within the state and across the country.

And even with plans to increase undergraduate enrollment, the competition for admission under UVa’s five-year old EA program continues to be intense, as the overall number of applications grew to 16,768—about a 4 percent increase over numbers reported the same time last year.

Predictably, most of the early applicants, 12,308 (or 73 percent) came from out of state. The balance—4,460 applicants—came from within Virginia.

Out of this year's EA pool, 5,192 students were admitted—about seven percent more than for the Class of 2019, which experienced a six percent jump in EA admits from the year before. Of those admitted, 2237 were from Virginia (50 percent offer rate—up three percentage points), and 2955 were from out of state.

Among the offers, 3,945 were for the College of Arts & Sciences, 1,025 were for the School of Engineering and Applied Science, 96 were for the School of Architecture, 65 were for the School of Nursing, and 62 were for the Curry School of Education.

Typically, more offers are made to nonresidents because the “yield” among students faced with out-of-state tuition is significantly lower. But it’s worth noting that offers made to out-of-state students increased by over five percent from last year. 

According to assistant admissions dean Jeannine Lalonde (Dean J), those offered early admission bids were very well qualified. The middle range of SAT scores of this year's admitted students fell between 2020 and 2270 (ACT between 31 and 34). And 95 percent of the offers went to students in the top ten percent of their high school classes (this number only reflects those who attend schools that report rank).

Although over 7500 students were denied admission during the first round of consideration, another 4065 were thrown a lifeline by being deferred to the regular decision pool, which stands at just over 15,730 applicants. The entire group will receive decisions before April 1, while deferred applicants are specifically encouraged to send new test scores and midyear grades as soon as possible.

All students will have until May 1 to make up their minds. And those who were lucky enough to be admitted to UVa’s Class of 2020 can expect to receive significant encouragement to commit as soon as possible.