Welcome! Thank you for your interest in the University of Virginia.

U.Va. is an exciting place where students with a wide range of interests will be challenged and supported in a diverse curriculum. There are some things that you should do in high school to prepare yourself for life at U.Va.

1. Take the best program available to you in your core subjects.

Make sure that your class schedule demonstrates that you are taking advantage of all that your school offers. Talk to your counselor and parents to help determine the right program for you. Colleges will want to see that you are pursuing a strong schedule, but they will also want to see good grades.

What do we mean by the core subjects? Those are English, math, foreign language, social studies, and science.

2. Prepare for your standardized tests.

Give yourself time to become familiar with the formats and timing of the standardized tests you’ll be taking. U.Va. requires you to take either the SAT or ACT. We strongly recommend the SAT II subject tests to supplement those scores.

By the way, we want to see applicants in the best light possible, so we look at the best combination of scores when we review standardized test information.

3. Get to know your school counselor and teachers.

Your school counselor and teachers have years of experience working with students preparing for college. They are a great resource to use as you navigate the college search and application process. They’ll also be writing letters of recommendation for you and you want to make sure they have some interesting things to tell your colleges.

4. Get involved in your school or community.

While we are obviously looking for talented students to enrich life in the classroom at U.Va., we are also looking for students who will add to our community in different ways. With over 700 student organizations  at U.Va., we value variety, so get involved with whatever activities you find rewarding.

Once you compile a list of colleges in which you are interested, you’ll probably be interested in the visit options for prospective students and families. You may also want to see cities where Office of Admission staff will be making visits to members in the coming year.

As you prepare for your senior year in high school, you’ll want to review the application instructions [link to new page with NEW content, “Admissions Instructions” file]. U.Va. is a Common Application school and there is a U.Va. Supplement to the Common Application.