The University of Virginia has recently agreed to guarantee admissions to transfer students from all 23 college campuses of the Virginia Community College System if the applicants meet certain academic standards.
Effective immediately, the agreement guarantees admissions only to the University's College of Arts and Sciences for the fall semester.
"We believe that this program will broaden the economic diversity of the student body," University spokesperson Carol Wood said. "But it will also bring students who might not have otherwise thought that U.Va. was a welcoming place for them. This will allow them to look at the University as a next step in their academic career."
VCCS students must have received a two-year associate degree while maintaining a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.4 in order to qualify for the guaranteed admissions program.
In addition, the applicants must have fulfilled the College's distribution requirements in the sciences, humanities, foreign language, writing, historical studies, and non-Western perspective studies.
"[This program] gives community college students a road map or game plan so they can prepare as they go through the community college system so they can transfer to U.Va.," University Transfer Dean of Admissions Gregory W. Roberts said. "It tells them how they need to plan their curriculum for the next four years to satisfy being admitted as a transfer student in their third year."
In the past, many VCCS transfer applicants have been denied admission because they lack the necessary requirements determined by the College.
"We want to make sure that they can come here, do the work and graduate on time." Roberts said. "But sometimes we see transfer applicants who have not prepared adequately and we cannot accept them. If they don't take a math or science course or a foreign language, it will be tough for them to be admitted."
Prior to this program, the University had a matriculation agreement with the VCCS, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions John A. Blackburn said. However, the University has been hesitant to implement a guaranteed transfer admissions program.
"We've not wanted to do this in the past because we've wanted to have some control [over transfer admissions.]" Blackburn said. "We've set very high standards and we still have final approval."
Many of the transfer departments at VCCS college campuses were happy about the University's new admissions program.
"We think it's a great opportunity for our students because they know that if the maintain a certain GPA, they will have guaranteed admissions to U.Va." said John W. Albright, Piedmont Community College transfer counselor. "You don't have to go through the stress of waiting for two months."
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