It is not news that UVA (University of Virginia) is a competitive school. It is also a well-known fact that Arlington is home to high-achieving, academically motivated students. This combination makes for a very high number of UVA applicants in the region, especially at the school.
This year, more than 500 students at the school had the opportunity to talk to Ms. Elysse Catino, the College and Career Counselor of the school. Her job is to support students throughout the college application process. At the school, Catino talks with students who are considering attending various colleges. However, UVA remains a consistent name in her office.
“This year we have about 250 kids applying, but percentage-wise [of applicants], it’ll stay consistent [at around] 30 to 40%,” Catino said.
UVA, which is ranked #4 in Public Schools, boasts an extremely selective acceptance rate of 17%. The university seeks out academically excellent students who will bring passion and purpose to the campus. Students may have a “UVA or Bust” mentality which means viewing UVA as their sole option. To fit this description, many students will center their extracurriculars and courses around UVA.
“[Colleges are] also looking for students who maybe share similar values or different things that maybe they highlight in their mission statements, [they are looking for] activities they’ve done in high school that [are] matching what the college, like the student body of that college, can offer,” Catino said.
For many students, such as Eva Sanchez-Armass, who is a senior at the school, UVA serves as the best choice for their future. However, the pressure to get in can be intense.
“[The week the decisions came out] I was so stressed. I was throwing up, I wasn’t sleeping,” Sanchez-Armass said.
Since the school has such a large, academically inclined population, not everybody in the school will be accepted into UVA. However, Catino prefers to think of rejection as redirection.
“It’s certainly disappointing, and for some students it has been their number one for years and years and years, right? But you just have to remember that there’s a good college for everybody,” Catino said.
“I think it’s very important to remember that [rejection] does not define you whatsoever,” Sanchez-Armass said.
These rejections can be particularly crushing to “legacies” or relatives of alumni. Oftentimes, familial pressures can play a large role in the college decision-making process. In Northern Virginia, this is especially true when it comes to UVA.
“[Many students have] gone to games growing up, or they just hear a lot of pride about the school,” Catino said.
Sanchez-Armass experienced the competitive nature of academics growing up in Arlington.
“We’re in Northern Virginia, and specifically, we’re in Arlington, where there’s a very, very big emphasis on education,” said Sanchez-Armass.
These backgrounds add fuel to the fire for UVA applications. The median household income in Arlington is $142,114, one of the largest in the nation. Additionally, Arlington is consistently ranked as one of the most educated cities in the U.S. Many families are highly educated and do not need to worry about money. Students in Arlington are being pushed by their parents to aim high and receive a well-renowned higher education. The wealth prevalent in Arlington reinforces the emphasis on taking hard classes, as parents can afford SAT tutors and specialized help and have connections to colleges. This further increases the difficulty of getting into UVA and living in Arlington.
The pressures of UVA have spread deeper than the surface level.
“Being from Arlington, I was very sure that I would have gotten in 100% if I were from another area. I’m competing against so many kids. I have perfect grades and perfect extracurriculars. It’s hard to make yourself stand out,” said Sanchez-Armass.
