Situated in charming Charlottesville, Virginia, the University of Virginia provides its students with stunning architecture, is ranked second as the Best Public National University by U.S. News and World Report, and second as the Best Public College Value by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance. Sounds like a great place to go, right? If you’re considering applying, keep reading to learn more about the UVA acceptance rate and admissions statistics that can help get you in.

What is the UVA acceptance rate?

In its last application cycle, the UVA acceptance rate hit 28.9%. Roughly 88% of the students accepted into UVA were in the top 10% of their high school graduating class, meaning this school has tough academic demands for anyone who comes knocking on their admissions doors. Of the total 30,840 applications their admissions department reviewed, only 9,186 were offered a place in the UVA acceptance rate.

When we take a closer look at the newest batch of accepted applications, it’s easy to see how competitive the admissions process for UVA really is.

•    Middle 50% range for ACT composite scores is 27-31
•    Average Evidence-Based Reading and Writing SAT score is 710
•    Average Math SAT score is 705
•    Average Redesigned SAT score is 1420
•    Average GPA is 4.22

Although these scores aren’t impossible to reach by any means, they do still make for some hefty competition. If you’re someone who’s up for the challenge of meeting and even exceeding these numbers then be sure to keep reading for my tips to help you surpass the UVA acceptance rate.

So You Want to Go to UVA

Whether you’ve been working with your college consultant or by researching colleges on your own, the University of Virginia is an amazing choice to spend the next four years of your life. With college admissions becoming increasingly competitive, you’re going to need to do everything in your power to ensure your application packs a punch to the UVA admissions team.

The tips I offer below might not be enough for everyone to be sent an offer of admission from UVA, but they will get you into the place you need academically to be seriously considered by other colleges and universities in a similar league. I’ve included a list of other potential schools for you to check out towards the end of this post.

Let’s get started.

Get Good Grades

Pretty obvious, right? You can start by going over your academic strengths and weaknesses with your college consultant and connecting with a tutor to help you get your GPA to a more competitive place. You know how 4.22 is the average GPA? Look at that as your minimum. To do so, you’ll need AP and IB classes on your high school transcript. Most high schools offer a boost to your GPA, which will help you get over that 4.00 mark. Show how excited and prepared you are for college by taking classes in English, a foreign language, mathematics, science, and social studies all four years of your high school career.

Rock Your Standardized Tests

Remember those average scores I gave you earlier? Those are your new minimum scores. You will need to work with a tutor who earned a top score on the standardized test you’re taking in order to get your scores to a competitive level. Doing quality test prep outside of your tutoring sessions is one of the best ways you can boost your score. It’s equally important that you develop good study habits and a schedule that you stick to while you prepare for the SAT or ACT. Also, don’t be afraid to take them more than once. It’s normal.

Show What Gets You Excited

Your brain is going to need a break from all that serious academic work and test prep. That’s where your extracurricular activities come in handy. You can take a break, socialize with your friends, and help your college application stand out to the admissions team. Make an impact on your community by volunteering or participating in after-school clubs or even hold down on a part-time job if you need the extra cash to help support your family. Just show UVA that you’re doing something meaningful with your spare time.

Other Schools to Consider

If you know that you like UVA, but want to look into other schools like it, I’ve compiled a list below with locations and standardized test score averages. Keep in mind their admissions statistics will be different than UVA’s so you should evaluate each university on an individual basis.    

Because the UVA acceptance rate is just shy of 30%, it is definitely a competitive school for you to be considering. But if you follow the suggestions I offered above, you’ll be on your way to having your application noticed by the admissions committee. Remember to always have other schools to apply to. I even included a list to get you started.

Have any additional questions about UVA? What school should we profile next? Let us know in the comments section below.