Demonstrated academic achievement in a challenging secondary school program is normally the primary criterion for admission to the first-year class. Outstanding grades, high rank in class, good performance in Advanced Placement and honors courses, and superior standardized test scores all help establish such a record.

As the committee prefers applicants who have completed the most rigorous academic courses available in their secondary schools, prospective students should not be satisfied with the minimal graduation requirements. The secondary program should include no fewer than 16 academic courses and must include the following courses:

Because full-time students at the University take five academic courses each term, the committee recommends that students take no fewer than four, and preferably five, academic courses (English, math, history, science, and foreign language) each year in grades nine through twelve.

The Committee on Admission examines the application form for what it reveals about extracurricular successes, special talents and interests, goals, background, and the applicant's ability to write effective English prose. A letter of recommendation from the secondary school is required.

Regular Decision The admission office publishes applications each fall for admission in the following September. All applications must be returned to the Office of Admission by January 2 with a non-refundable application fee of $40. Candidates who qualify for waiver of the College Board ATP fee may request a waiver of the application fee as well. For further information and an application for admission, contact the Office of Admission, University of Virginia, P.O. Box 9017, Charlottesville, VA 22906; (434) 982-3200; undergrad-admission@virginia.edu; www.virginia.edu/~admiss/ugadmiss.

The committee requires first-year and transfer applicants to submit SAT I scores. Scores from the American College Testing Program (ACT) may be substituted. Also required are three SAT II Subject Tests: Writing, Mathematics (either level), and a third test in science, history, or foreign language. Results of these tests should be reported to the Office of Admission directly from the Educational Testing Service in Princeton, NJ, or from the American College Testing Program in Iowa City, IA. For both first-year and transfer admission, the January test date is the last opportunity to complete the College Board tests, and December is the last date for the ACT. Applicants should consult their high school guidance counselors for the appropriate registration deadlines, which generally precede the test dates by several weeks. Because the SAT I and SAT II cannot be taken at the same sitting, applicants must register for two separate test dates. Students with a medically diagnosed learning disability are encouraged to take the SAT I or ACT on an untimed basis. For more information on special testing centers, call the Educational Testing Service at (609) 921-9000 or the American College Testing Program at (319) 337-1332.

The Committee on Admission evaluates applications during the winter and early spring months and informs all candidates of its decisions on or about April 1. Candidates offered admission must respond by May 1. At that time, the University requires a $250 deposit to guarantee space in the entering class. This deposit is not refundable. However, students who must rescind their decision to attend the University may receive a refund upon written request until May 1.

Early Decision Secondary school students with outstanding records may want to consider the Early Decision Plan. Under this first-choice plan, applicants agree to attend the University if offered admission and to withdraw all applications from other institutions if accepted. Some 25 percent of the first-year class is admitted under this program each year. The deadline for early decision application is November 1. The Committee on Admission, which responds by December 1, may deny admission, offer admission, or defer admission until the regular decision process, which ends on April 1. Once deferred, candidates are no longer bound by the Early Decision Plan and may freely apply to other schools. Deferred students must send the admission office any senior-year College Board or ACT test results as well as their first-semester grades.