2009-2010 University of Virginia Application Thread

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IAmMyOwnTwin said:
That's strange. I haven't gotten my financial aid email yet. Maybe it's because I'm out-of-state?
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The emails are personalized, so they're not all being sent out at once. I got mine 15 minutes ago. It's all loans, but I expected that. Their merit scholarship + parents covering the rest = a life-saver.
 
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I haven't received anything either (OOS too). Without prying too much, why are those who received it so stoked. If I remember correctly, the max aid was around 16k a year which still leaves total cost at 53k a year for OOS.
 
Steeler7588 said:
The emails are personalized, so they're not all being sent out at once. I got mine 15 minutes ago. It's all loans, but I expected that. Their merit scholarship + parents covering the rest = a life-saver.
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You had already been told about that merit scholarship, right?

So today we should expect loans, and for people with determined need, the standard grant, right?

FWIW, I am instate - actually in town - and haven't heard nuttin'
 
Irish2010 said:
I haven't received anything either (OOS too). Without prying too much, why are those who received it so stoked. If I remember correctly, the max aid was around 16k a year which still leaves total cost at 53k a year for OOS.
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Maybe they're in-state?
 
ThatQuestionGuy said:
I meant why they were excited about their packages
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Well, OOS people get an even bigger need grant if they qualify that brings their COA down pretty low, so I don't think this is the case.

Actually, as an instater, the COA blows. The stoked vs suckage factor is all relative, I guess...
 
flip26 said:
You had already been told about that merit scholarship, right?

So today we should expect loans, and for people with determined need, the standard grant, right?
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Correct. And yes, that sounds about right. I know they have a number of scholarships though, so either mine was one of the few they notified people about early or the majority of recipients aren't on SDN.
 
ThatQuestionGuy said:
I meant why they were excited about their packages
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I can only speak for myself, but I was fortunate to receive a merit scholarship, plus the full amount for need-based (I'm married, so no parent contribution.). So, all told, I could potentially go to UVA for a very modest amount.

To answer Flip's question, I was also e-mailed about 2 weeks ago about the merit scholarship.
 
GoodmanBrown said:
I can only speak for myself, but I was fortunate to receive a merit scholarship, plus the full amount for need-based (I'm married, so no parent contribution.). So, all told, I could potentially go to UVA for a very modest amount.

To answer Flip's question, I was also e-mailed about 2 weeks ago about the merit scholarship.
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Did you first hear about the merit scholly today? Or had you been previously notified, like Steeler?

I see your edit...thanks!
 
Just got mine (OOS)...

I'm not impressed. I was 100% sure on going to UVA and now I'm really not sure anymore, my instate schools are around 15k instead of 48k - basically the school's giving me nothing - the federal subsidized loan + unsubsidized loans is all.

Have all merit scholarships been sent out or is there a chance I might still have a shot at one?
 
Cyradis said:
Just got mine (OOS)...

I'm not impressed. I was 100% sure on going to UVA and now I'm really not sure anymore, my instate schools are around 15k instead of 48k - basically the school's giving me nothing - the federal subsidized loan + unsubsidized loans is all.

Have all merit scholarships been sent out or is there a chance I might still have a shot at one?
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I reckon there's a chance as some scholarship receivers go to other schools, but I would think it'd be a slimmer chance.
 
OK, so I got it.

But it is kind of hard to follow...why is it presented in such a convoluted fashion?

But no merit scholly, just the standard instate need based...

About what I expected. I got some thinkin' to do...
 
Now that I have digested it, here is my bitch:

First, their formula for calculating student and parental contribution is ridiculous. My parents aren't able to contribute anything, but UVA sez they should be able to. Etc.

Then, even after that, UVA doesn't meet all the remaining need. Before someone points out they never said they met all need -- I know that -- but they already delivered a massive hit with their internal EFC calculation that has ridiculous expected contributions from the parents and the student, so it feels like they are working both ends of this one.

Bottom line: I am disappointed in this finaid offer, even though it is pretty much what I expected. I guess I am disappointed that there wasn't a nice surprise in the offer.
 
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Does anyone know the actual formula for how they calculate parental contribution? Because the amount they calculated for me does not match up at all with what my parents can/will realistically help out with.
 
Cyradis said:
Does anyone know the actual formula for how they calculate parental contribution? Because the amount they calculated for me does not match up at all with what my parents can/will realistically help out with.
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I don't know the formula, but they gave us handouts at the interview (the finaid session) with examples that may shed some light. It is pretty much a black box, though.

Regardless, I agree with you - there is no freaking way my parents could come up with the contribution that UVA expects. It is absurd. Then to add insult to injury, they do not come close to meeting the need that they say I have.

I am sick of all of this.
 
Anyone still waiting to hear about the fin aid?

I have yet to hear back from them.. OOS
 
I'm no longer waiting. I got mine this afternoon and was pleasantly surprised.
 
IAmMyOwnTwin said:
I'm no longer waiting. I got mine this afternoon and was pleasantly surprised.
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yeah, but...didn't you get into several great schools? Was the UVA offer enough of a pleasant surprise to matriculate there?
 
flip26 said:
yeah, but...didn't you get into several great schools? Was the UVA offer enough of a pleasant surprise to matriculate there?
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Good question. I am still agonizing over this very difficult decision. I am an older student (late 20s), and most schools are giving me nothing other than the opportunity to borrow $60-$70K/year for four years, which would get stacked on top of my existing student debt. UVA is the only school that considers me to have financial need, so it's not a school I can pass on without a lot of thought.
 
IAmMyOwnTwin said:
Good question. I am still agonizing over this very difficult decision. I am an older student (late 20s), and most schools are giving me nothing other than the opportunity to borrow $60-$70K/year for four years, which would get stacked on top of my existing student debt. UVA is the only school that considers me to have financial need, so it's not a school I can pass on without a lot of thought.
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I am in the same boat. I am an older nontrad, and UVA is definitely my "cheapest" option, although it is not my #1 choice, so I am in a quandary...still, I was disappointed by the UVA offer, but I have to set that disappointment aside and crunch the numbers.
 
flip26 said:
I am in the same boat. I am an older nontrad, and UVA is definitely my "cheapest" option, although it is not my #1 choice, so I am in a quandary...still, I was disappointed by the UVA offer, but I have to set that disappointment aside and crunch the numbers.
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It's always good to "meet" another non-traditional student. My mentor (a physician I shadow on Tuesday mornings) recommended this morning that I go to the most reputable school regardless of finances, and I may very well end up doing that, but not before driving myself to the brink of insanity with making this tough decision.

Good luck with the number crunching.
 
IAmMyOwnTwin said:
It's always good to "meet" another non-traditional student. My mentor (a physician I shadow on Tuesday mornings) recommended this morning that I go to the most reputable school regardless of finances, and I may very well end up doing that, but not before driving myself to the brink of insanity with making this tough decision.

Good luck with the number crunching.
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Numbers have been crunched.

Head says UVA...heart says NYU...gut says..........NYU

Sleeping on it, but withdrawing tomorrow.

Good luck to everyone.
 
Steeler7588 said:
What do you like better about NYU?
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Both schools are going to 1.5 year pre clinical next year, and both are P/F. As far as reputation, prestige, etc., these are peer institutions. So no diff here.

I much prefer the clinical opportunities at NYU - Bellevue, etc. I do not like the out of C'ville clinical rotations - the biggest turnoff for me.

Plus - I am looking forward to NYC. Don't own a car, and don't want to own a car.
 
I'm glad that you were able to come to a decision. I'm sad that we won't be classmates though because you seem like a good applicant.

For current UVA students, have you been inside the new South Lawn Project? I heard that there was a study lounge exclusively for graduate students; is this true? I like having some flexibility in where I study and the project is right next to the medical school.
 
Does anyone know what the maximum amount of need-based scholarship/grant UVA offers?
 
$14,500 IS; $17,000 OOS, although they take a portion back through parental contributions.
 
I've had mine for months. Try looking yourself up in the directory and it will tell you your UVA computing ID. I don't remember how I was actually able to register it and set it up, but you can.
 
flip26 said:
Now that I have digested it, here is my bitch:

First, their formula for calculating student and parental contribution is ridiculous. My parents aren't able to contribute anything, but UVA sez they should be able to. Etc.

Then, even after that, UVA doesn't meet all the remaining need. Before someone points out they never said they met all need -- I know that -- but they already delivered a massive hit with their internal EFC calculation that has ridiculous expected contributions from the parents and the student, so it feels like they are working both ends of this one.

Bottom line: I am disappointed in this finaid offer, even though it is pretty much what I expected. I guess I am disappointed that there wasn't a nice surprise in the offer.
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Ditto, on every count - EFC is a crock, why should a parent deplete what's left of their savings to send their kid to med school, after paying for four years of undergrad?

Agreed that the numbers don't quite add up, and that the offer was disappointing - yet expected - and again, disappointing.

Decisions, (depression), decisions ...
 
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withdrew, cost too high, aid too low(including the reasonable loans).

Enjoy
 
squiddy said:
Ditto, on every count - EFC is a crock, why should a parent deplete what's left of their savings to send their kid to med school, after paying for four years of undergrad?

Agreed that the numbers don't quite add up, and that the offer was disappointing - yet expected - and again, disappointing.

Decisions, (depression), decisions ...
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If people don't feel it's too personal, what is the general range for parental EFC? Are we talking 20-30K/yr.? Less / more?
 
ksmi117 said:
Mine was much more.
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And the 'black box' EFC calculation that UVA uses - in my case - came up with a parental contribution that was ludicrously high compared to their income and assets.

UVA makes no promise of covering your full need anyway, so why do they go to such lengths to exaggerate family EFC on the front end, only to fall well short of covering the now understated need? Seems like a very disingenuous finaid process at UVA - they screw you on the parental contribution, and then they come up short on covering your need.
 
flip26 said:
And the 'black box' EFC calculation that UVA uses - in my case - came up with a parental contribution that was ludicrously high compared to their income and assets.

UVA makes no promise of covering your full need anyway, so why do they go to such lengths to exaggerate family EFC on the front end, only to fall well short of covering the now understated need? Seems like a very disingenuous finaid process at UVA - they screw you on the parental contribution, and then they come up short on covering your need.
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That's interesting. The reason I'm asking (if anyone cares) is that this year, my parent's EFC was zero because I'm married and my wife will work next year. So, that helped me out a lot on the need-based aid part.

Next year, my wife is hoping to be in school full-time, so I suddenly need to have my parent's contribution in mind. So, I was just curious how that will change my fin. aid next year.

Anywho, getting very close to withdrawing from Virginia.
 
GoodmanBrown said:
If people don't feel it's too personal, what is the general range for parental EFC? Are we talking 20-30K/yr.? Less / more?
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More, and way above the FAFSA estimate...they should probably just leave that figure out because its ridiculous and just show you the max loans out you can take out and how much is left after that.
 
The parental EFC is a very odd calculation and completely screwed me over. From spending an hour on the phone with UVA Fin Aid, this is what I was able to roughly gather.... (this might be VERY far off btw, this is my own personal conjecture based on my own parental EFC, my parent's numbers, and what they told me over the phone)

Contribution from income:
There's tons of adjustments so this might vary a lot from person to person - but roughly 1/3rd of (combined parental adjusted gross income minus 40-50k).

Contribution from assets:
I was very unclear on this one... it's either (assets minus 150k) divided by 3.... or roughly 10% of your net assets.... I don't think I really understood what the fin aid guy was saying on this one. I suspect there might be variability based on individual details though.

If anyone else has talked to UVA fin aid and wants to correct my guesses that'd be good.

P.S. I don't really think figuring this out will really help any of us at this point - it's honestly more of a curiosity. I think I'm still coming to UVA, but now I'm coming with significant reservations whereas before I was pretty happy to be.
 
Are people getting much better need-based financial offers at other schools? I didn't.
 
Cyradis said:
The parental EFC is a very odd calculation and completely screwed me over. From spending an hour on the phone with UVA Fin Aid, this is what I was able to roughly gather.... (this might be VERY far off btw, this is my own personal conjecture based on my own parental EFC, my parent's numbers, and what they told me over the phone)

Contribution from income:
There's tons of adjustments so this might vary a lot from person to person - but roughly 1/3rd of (combined parental adjusted gross income minus 40-50k).

Contribution from assets:
I was very unclear on this one... it's either (assets minus 150k) divided by 3.... or roughly 10% of your net assets.... I don't think I really understood what the fin aid guy was saying on this one. I suspect there might be variability based on individual details though.

If anyone else has talked to UVA fin aid and wants to correct my guesses that'd be good.

P.S. I don't really think figuring this out will really help any of us at this point - it's honestly more of a curiosity. I think I'm still coming to UVA, but now I'm coming with significant reservations whereas before I was pretty happy to be.
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Wow! Thanks so much. Even a quick and dirty rundown is extremely helpful. So, doing some really rough math on my parent's info, it seems pretty clear I'd lose a good portion of my need-based aid for M2-M4.


Withdrawing from UVA this afternoon. Have fun, guys! It seems like an awesome school and I'll be really interested to keep up with friends going to there. The new building and curriculum seem awesome!
 
VOP said:
50,800 dollars.
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What was your parent's gross income?

I haven't gotten my package yet, because my mom hasn't filled out her taxes yet, but I suspect it's going to be a weird year... she was deployed to Iraq for over half the year last year, and if her deployment to Kuwait was any indication, they don't include her pay during those months in her AGI, so it looks like she made a very small income.
 
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