Prior selectees please read (And current applicants with acceptance letters)

[S8G2F18]

I am trying to work with UVA on getting an acceptance letter. UVA has ranked as the #1 or #2 best public school in the country since they started the ranking. It's a very hard school to get in to. My HS grades were horrible and they don't like that. They said I should look for other selectees who have gotten in to good schools so they have something to compare to.

Think any of you guys can help out?

Somehow I think that what I've accomplished in the past 4 years in the real world outweighs the 4 years i spent in highschool goofing off and playing sports. I just need to figure out how to convey that to the selection board and that's why I'm looking for some help. Thanks.

Edit: More info:
SAT - 1350
Math - 640
Verbal - 710
I can take SAT again and get better scores if necessary.

A-School, NPS - 3.3 GPA
NPTU - 3.1 GPA, class standing 8/93, rate standing 1/20

College Courses: Excelsior College
Foundations in Technology Problem Solving I (Calc I) - 97% A
" " " " II (Calc II) - ~85% B
Information Literacy - Pass

 

[Van]

Have you taken any college classes since you joined and have the transcript(s)? Do they have your SAT or ACT scores and are they competitive? Have you given them your SMART transcript? Do you have any documentation of your grades from Nuke school (or other Navy schools)? Those are the kinds of things I can think of that might help quantify your accomplishments after high school that the University would take into consideration. I didn't go to a "top" University with super-competitive admission, but I did have a horrible college transcript before I joined the Navy. Doing well in my Navy schools, college classes, SAT exam, etc on active duty and providing documentation to prove it definitely helped me get into STA-21 and the Universities I applied to.

 

[Fog]

Thanks for your interest in Virginia, and let me wish you best of luck in the acceptance process. A great recommendation letter from your CO/XO and 1300+ SAT scores might help a lot. Assuming you've established VA residence, you might consider going to the community college there in Charlottesville if you don't get accepted directly into the Fall starting class. Get into CVCC (as it's called), bust your buns, and go to UVa summer sessions in the Summer. Get as many face-to-face interviews with the Admissions Department as they'll stand for. If you get a 3.5 GPA during your 1st & 2nd years at CVCC, go to UVa summer school w/ a "B" average, then I would wager you will be accepted as a full-time undergrad by your 3rd year.
It's a great experience & a unique school. Good luck from an old fart (College '65).

 

[boobcheese]

When I was selected in 03' I had a very hard time getting admitted to any of the schools I was interested in. I was coming in as a transfer student and while my high school grades weren't really a factor, my horrible college transcripts ( sub 2.0) were a major stumbling block. After getting a rejection letter from Auburn (my first choice) I called the director of transfer admissions and basically begged my way in. One thing that seemed to help was that they were vaguely familiar with the STA-21 program but were under the mistaken impression that the Navy would require me to maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA (I didn't bother explaining that that was only for nuke option guys). In the end it worked out as I graduated Suma Cum Laude with a 3.85 in Civil Engineering. While I can't imagine the admissions office at UVA would put a whole lot of stock in anecdotal evidence of a "success story" like mine, if there's anything I can do to help let me know.

 

[S8G2F18]

Have you taken any college classes since you joined and have the transcript(s)? Do they have your SAT or ACT scores and are they competitive? Have you given them your SMART transcript? Do you have any documentation of your grades from Nuke school (or other Navy schools)? Those are the kinds of things I can think of that might help quantify your accomplishments after high school that the University would take into consideration. I didn't go to a "top" University with super-competitive admission, but I did have a horrible college transcript before I joined the Navy. Doing well in my Navy schools, college classes, SAT exam, etc on active duty and providing documentation to prove it definitely helped me get into STA-21 and the Universities I applied to.

Some questions answered above. All my docs are en route to them. Pulling my grades from the pipeline may be a little tricky but I'm sure I can get it done. What school did you go to?

Thanks for your interest in Virginia, and let me wish you best of luck in the acceptance process. A great recommendation letter from your CO/XO and 1300+ SAT scores might help a lot. Assuming you've established VA residence, you might consider going to the community college there in Charlottesville if you don't get accepted directly into the Fall starting class. Get into CVCC (as it's called), bust your buns, and go to UVa summer sessions in the Summer. Get as many face-to-face interviews with the Admissions Department as they'll stand for. If you get a 3.5 GPA during your 1st & 2nd years at CVCC, go to UVa summer school w/ a "B" average, then I would wager you will be accepted as a full-time undergrad by your 3rd year.
It's a great experience & a unique school. Good luck from an old fart (College '65).

Was planning on getting a letter from my CO if I can. I am a VA resident, and unfortunately CVCC is not an available cross-town affiliate for STA-21. The face-to-face interviews I will definitely look into. Thanks for the input.

 

[S8G2F18]

When I was selected in 03' I had a very hard time getting admitted to any of the schools I was interested in. I was coming in as a transfer student and while my high school grades weren't really a factor, my horrible college transcripts ( sub 2.0) were a major stumbling block. After getting a rejection letter from Auburn (my first choice) I called the director of transfer admissions and basically begged my way in. One thing that seemed to help was that they were vaguely familiar with the STA-21 program but were under the mistaken impression that the Navy would require me to maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA (I didn't bother explaining that that was only for nuke option guys). In the end it worked out as I graduated Suma Cum Laude with a 3.85 in Civil Engineering. While I can't imagine the admissions office at UVA would put a whole lot of stock in anecdotal evidence of a "success story" like mine, if there's anything I can do to help let me know.

They've never heard of STA-21 and haven't had a Navy OC in at least 3 years. To be honest your anecdotal evidence seems to interest them, once I figure out what they want I'll get back in touch with you. Thanks for the offer.

 

[ELT(SS)]

I would try to get admitted as a transfer student. I was in a similar situation:
1440 SAT
NPS 3.33
A School 3.58
and high school... 2.67
I had taken one CLEP and got a 67 on it, because I went to the office to get study guides but they would not give me a study guide without taking a test, they were weird.
Anyway, I got admitted to U of Minnesota, U of Washington, Oregon State, San Diego State, U of Arizona, U of New Mexico and U of South Carolina. (I was afraid no school would admit me with my rocking high school GPA). I would go with the story I told Minnesota,
'I knew when I got out of high school I had a lot of maturing to do. I was not ready for the responsibility of college, so I joined the Navy. After (fill in the blank) years of dedicated service I am being given the opportunity to attend college and make the best of my abilities. I would greatly appreciate the chance to excel at your school and carry your name and traditions with me throughout my career and life.'
I had an acceptance letter in my mailbox 4 days later.

 

[Van]

I would think you have a very good chance of being accepted based on your info. Having as statement similar to what ELT(SS) posted is another great way to show you have matured since HS and bridged that gap. If you have to go through a lot of work I don't know if the pipeline grades will make a huge difference. What you've provided so far should be sufficient to show that you have the academic aptitude to succeed in college. If you can get them easily, then by all means send them in. But if you're pulling your hair out, I wouldn't worry about it too much.

I went to Old Dominion. They didn't like my sub 2.0 GPA in college prior to my enlisting, but the work I had done since that time got me admitted.

 

[EM3]

I am trying to work with UVA on getting an acceptance letter. UVA has ranked as the #1 or #2 best public school in the country since they started the ranking. It's a very hard school to get in to. My HS grades were horrible and they don't like that. They said I should look for other selectees who have gotten in to good schools so they have something to compare to.

Think any of you guys can help out?

Somehow I think that what I've accomplished in the past 4 years in the real world outweighs the 4 years i spent in highschool goofing off and playing sports. I just need to figure out how to convey that to the selection board and that's why I'm looking for some help. Thanks.

Edit: More info:
SAT - 1350
Math - 640
Verbal - 710
I can take SAT again and get better scores if necessary.

A-School, NPS - 3.3 GPA
NPTU - 3.1 GPA, class standing 8/93, rate standing 1/20

College Courses: Excelsior College
Foundations in Technology Problem Solving I (Calc I) - 97% A
" " " " II (Calc II) - ~85% B
Information Literacy - Pass

I am an selectee for Core this fiscal year so I am still working on getting into colleges. But you should definitely apply to UVA without hesitation. Your SAT is within the mid 50% of that school, and you are basicly going there with a scholarship. An article in "Surface Warfare" indicates that the annual attrition rate for STA-21 is only 3.5%! Which means it is a lot higher chance for some kid in UVA to drop out of school than for a STA-21 selectee to fail out of the program. Be proud of your accomplishments and make your military service the focus of your application essays.
I am in similar shoes. I have an acceptance letter from SUNY maritime, but I really want to go to MIT. Bad grades from high school, about 3.8 from two years of college and 1510 SAT(800 math, 710 verbal, highest from different tests). In fact I applied for freshman application back in 2004 and was denied. But this time I am pretty confident that I have at least a fighting chance. I feel the same is true for you, so keep up the good work and get into UVA.

 

[NukeRobot]

UVA Admissions

I applied to UVA last year and my best advice for anyone looking to go to UVA is to apply a year in advance and just hold onto that letter. (Sorry, I know this isn't much help now.) Their decision timeline was such that they were unable to provide any kind of acceptance letter early enough for us to get orders TO NSI and they were completely inflexible on that point. Their ROTC office told me that the admissions office has an attitude of "We have enough students applying that we don't have to care about STA-21". That said, both myself and another OC were notified of UVA's admission decision while we were at February NSI (late, like week 5-6ish), and the opportunity existed where we could have changed our school to UVA (I didn't get accepted to UVA and the other OC decided not to go).

HS, but more especially, college grades make a big deal to these schools when you apply. I know some of them are more accomodating to OCs than others (Citadel and SUNY Maritime have guaranteed admission, in fact), but I found out the hard way that there is only so much the colleges can or will do for us, even though we've been selected for a very competitive program. Unfortunately, our nuke grades don't really matter if you don't meet the hard criteria for admission (a minimum college GPA, for example).

Best of luck and get ready for NSI!

-OC Finlay

 

[S8G2F18]

Hey, thanks for the input and all the advice.

Finlay: UVA talked to the Dean and they said they'd make an exception to get me an acceptance letter by Jan. I'm in the May NSI class so that gives me time.