Waiting List

We truly appreciate your continued interest in attending the University of Virginia and thank you for your patience as you wait to receive a final decision. Please remember that Early Decision and Early Action students must opt-in to the waiting list in their applicant portal by March 1st and Regular Decision students must opt-in by April 15th to be considered again. We wish you all the best as you take your final steps in choosing a college or university.

Who is on the waiting list? Why is the waiting list large?

Each year, there are many talented students who find themselves on the waiting list – students whom we’d very much like to offer admission if spaces become available in the entering class.

The applicant pool can be seen as having several parts, in-state and out-of-state for the five different academic entry points. It's hard to predict which part of the class might have space after May 15th, so we have to have a waiting list that includes students from the different areas of the pool. 

Students offered the waiting list join it via a form in the portal. Some decide not to pursue further consideration. 

Why wasn't I deferred?

Last June, we announced that we would no longer defer students who applied under Early Decision or Early Action. Since fewer than 5% of students were admitted during the defer review in previous cycles, we made the decision to eliminate deferral and offer the waiting list option to give students a more accurate sense of their chances of admission. 

What is the timeline?

We will know how many spaces in the class are available after May 15, the deposit deadline for admitted students. If spaces become available, we will spend about two weeks determining how many additional offers of admission we can make. Because most colleges require a deposit by May 1, we strongly encourage you to pay a deposit at another school, even if UVA is your first choice.

Deadlines for opting in to the waiting list

Early Decision: March 1
Early Action: March 1
Regular Decision: April 15

You can remove yourself from the waiting list after accepting a spot, but opting out is permanent.

How do you decide which students to admit off the waiting list?

If we are able to take students off the waiting list, we’ll determine which schools or programs – the College of Arts and Sciences, Architecture, Engineering, Nursing, and Kinesiology – have spaces available. Because we need to achieve the proper ratio between in- and out-of-state students, we’ll also see how many spaces we have available for Virginians and for non-Virginians. We’ll review the applications of students on the waiting list and consider our original evaluation along with any new information we have received.

How many students will get admitted?

The number of students admitted from the waiting list can be quite different from year to year. Here are the numbers from the last few years...

Year

Students Admitted from the Waiting List

2023 360
2022 7
2021 83
2020 915
2019 9
2018 13
2017 117
What happens if I get an offer?

We’ll be in touch with students who have accepted their place on the waiting list between the second week of May and the end of June. After we reach out to students by phone and email with an offer of admission, they’ll have 48 hours to accept or decline the offer in their student portal.

What can I do to improve my chances?

Please upload your mid-year report in your portal when it becomes available. Although you are welcome to send additional letters of recommendation via your portal or the general admission email account, they should only be sent if they tell us something new that we haven’t learned about you yet.

While we’re happy to answer your questions, calling, writing, or visiting won’t have any impact on your admission decision. You've already given us a lot of information and the only additional item we need is your updated grades when they become available. 

The waiting list opt-in form submitted through the portal takes the place of a Letter of Continued Interest (LOCI).

 

Is the waiting list ranked?

We do not rank the waiting list. We will re-evaluate a student’s application and consider any new information submitted to make our decisions. This also means you have until the reply deadline to decide if you want your application considered again. Those who reply earlier do not receive preferential treatment. 

UVA Wise Deferred Admission Option for Virginia Residents

If you’re a Virginia resident on the waiting list for the College of Arts and Sciences, you have the opportunity to enroll at the UVA College at Wise, located in southwest Virginia, for one year before automatically enrolling at UVA in Charlottesville. Students in this program must complete 30 hours of transferrable credit during their first year at UVA Wise and earn a 3.0 cumulative GPA or better. You may accept this option and continue to remain on the waiting list for first year admission to UVA.

This agreement provides entry to the College of Arts and Sciences. Students pursuing this opportunity will not have the opportunity to major in the McIntire School of Commerce within a four year timeline. It is recommended that all students pursuing this opportunity identify a top choice major within the College of Arts and Sciences.