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Streamlining College Admissions in VA

Four Virginia colleges have hopped on board to try to streamline the college admissions process. University of Virginia, James Madison University, Virginia Tech and William & Mary will provide a new set of online application tools to high school students.  

For some… the college application process… can sneak up on you senior year.

“Sometimes it’s a mad rush, you’re trying to track down or remember ‘How many years did I work in this?’ Or ‘What were the hours for that?’”

Tim Wolfe is Dean of Admissions at William and Mary -- one of the Virginia schools that has joined the Coalition for Access, Affordability and Success. That group has created a new online tool to help high schoolers organize application materials starting as early as freshman year.

“A little bit like a locker where a student can store materials, records, accomplishments -- things that they’ve done or put together and then ultimately a student could perhaps include some of that as part of their application.” 

Wolfe says the goal isn't to increase pressure for those who already are thinking about college as underclassmen, but to reach out to those who aren’t.

“We cannot forget that here are students out there that aren’t having a chance to really engage in this process until much later on in the ballgame, and we want to make sure that we are engaging with them earlier on.” 

The new platform won’t be available for schools and students to use fully until this upcoming summer.

Mallory Noe-Payne is a Radio IQ reporter based in Richmond.
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