iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

With the Common App for 2026-2027 opening soon, I thought I'd mention that the timestamp on an application has no impact on the review. While I know where to find that info in our system, it's not something I'd consult while reding a file.

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

I have books that I reread each year, like a little tradition! I can't imagine not revisiting my favorites.

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 27/08/2025

Hey #UVA, has anyone successfully registered for the Ketanji Brown Jackson lecture?

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 08/08/2025

GPAs aren’t standardized. GPAs aren’t standardized. GPAs aren’t standardized. That number doesn’t show grades, courses, or trends. That info is found on the transcript and is reviewed in the context of what the student’s school offers and how assessments are made there.

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

JJ Davis just started her segment of the faculty meeting by acknowledging that some know her for her snow day announcements. (I love those emails!)

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

There’s nothing more frustrating than working with a vendor who doesn’t think they’re a vendor. This vague message brought to you by a product webinar with no data. We don’t buy things off ✨vibes✨.

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 09/05/2025

I think each location is independently owned now, but one of the local foodies would know for certain.

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 09/05/2025

I think they might be individually owned? I couldn’t find a website or any contact info for the one on 14th.

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 09/05/2025

Three of my staff members were just treated abominably at the pizza place on the Corner. After a litany of outrageous comments, the guy behind the counter said “we serve men first” as he rung up a man who arrived after them and gave him something for free. Never going there again.

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 09/05/2025

I know the students will have a harder time with the exercise this year because the writing is somewhat grand, but I really hope they see the difference. (3/3)

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 09/05/2025

This year, a colleague whose spouse has the paid version of ChatGPT helped me update my examples. The AI writing was so overly dramatic and formulaic in structure that we were laughing. (2/3)

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 09/05/2025

I’ve been doing and “AI vs human” writing exercise with students for the last two years. The first year, when AI was new, they had a hard time. Last year, after one year of exposure, they all spotted the AI immediately. (1/3)

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 08/05/2025

Lots of Augustinians and some Villanova people in the Friends list.

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

Came across this @virginiasports.bsky.social video on youtube. THAT VOICE has a big smile on my face. If you know, you know. (If you don't, it's a beloved Hoo, Dawn Staley.) www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZoe...

youtube.com

VIRGINIA ATHLETICS: "Our Place"

YouTube video by Virginia Sports TV

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 27/03/2025

Probably! Good luck to them if they think we can be talked into that! They offer 8 plans and the cost doubles as you go up.

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 27/03/2025

The only way to get next year's pricing for a product we already use is to book a zoom meeting with them or watch a 30 minute, scripted webinar. This from a vendor almost every high school and all colleges work with. I'm exhausted. Just email the info.

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

Celebrity endorsements don't prompt any reaction from me with the exception of Dawn Staley. Do I need supplemental insurance after all?

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

That wasn't GD. It was The Warlocks. 😉

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

The student member of the UVA Board of Visitors, Lisa Kopelnik, just quoted her acceptance letter in her farewell remarks. 🥹

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

The UVA BOV is going to discuss testing policy this afternoon. Live stream: www.youtube.com/live/AGVsRvL...

youtube.com

Meeting of the Board, March 7th - Afternoon Session

YouTube video by UVA Board of Visitors

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 06/03/2025

The Garden Room/Hotel E was a faculty dining room when I first got to UVA. I went once and was intimidated. Feast, a sandwich/food market took over the space recently.

A sign for Feast taking over The Garden Room at UVA

The counter at Feast, a sandwich shop inside The Garden Room at UVA. The sign says “Feed Your Curiosity Feast”

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 05/03/2025

How does an admission officer know it’s March? The eye twitch comes back.

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 03/03/2025

Petition to start #UVA Spring Break today.

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

Hello, hello! Been here a while, but the students have me on other apps. 😁

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

Heyyyy! Thanks for the town hall recap.

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

Admission friends, @nacac.bsky.social’s Angel Perez is on @pbsnews.org right now talking about the Dear Colleague letter.

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

The older I get, the shorter I want my bio to be when I'm introduced.

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

Jamie Luckie isn’t even there. What is this? #uva

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 14/12/2024

Don’t keep us hanging! What did you get?

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 11/12/2024

A student posted on another social channel that they wrote to my office and a bot replied. We don't have a bot. Our staff answers every email (though they have templates to use for the most common inquiries). Is formal communication suspicious now?

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 06/12/2024

A local reporter just did a live spot from the #UVA Lighting of the Lawn. He said there will be a dance performance and an a capella group. He’s new in town, so doesn’t know he’s about to see an absolute spectacle. It’ll be live streaming 7-9 PM: www.lightingofthelawn.com

lightingofthelawn.com

Lighting Of The Lawn

Stay tuned for information about the 22nd annual Lighting of the Lawn!

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

With the amount of reading we do, a few of us in admission have talked about how we deliberately "end" the work day (whatever time that may be) with some leisure reading. It's a nice ritual, like coffee at the end of a nice meal.

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 01/12/2024

Just getting these ready for any trash talk texts. 💙⚔️🧡

UVA Athletic Director Carla Williams standing behind rows of NCAA championship trophies.

A graphic showing UVA’s Olympic medal count: 7 gold medals, 5 silver medals, and 2 bronze medals.

Four UVA students wearing their USA Olympian jackets in the Rose Garden at the White House.

A graphic showing the dates and sports for UVA’s 34 NCAA championships.

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

If you're at Oxford and didn't post the little foxes playing in the snow, who are you?

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

I've been watching a student group called Cosplaying, Costuming, & Crafts show off things they've created in our Makerspace for a few weeks now. Such a cool resource!

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 15/11/2024

This is interesting. I think I had a little more than 11,000 followers on Twitter when I left in 2023. I just checked my profile and I'm down to ~9700 followers. College admission people, if you're here, say hello!

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 15/11/2024

I set up "reading sprints" for my staff, during which we commit to read files with no interruptions. We sign into zoom to chat for a moment, then turn off mics to read. Later, we discuss interesting files before ending the session. Thanks to bookstagram/booktok for the idea!

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

My content is about college admission and sometimes UVA events. Viral posts will have people unloading, often about things that are barely related to the topic of my post. So after that initial excitement about something starting to go viral, I change the privacy settings to slow things down.

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

Something I learned to do for my own peace of mind is stunt the engagement on viral posts. Going viral feels awesome at first because it means your content is interesting to your followers. Once followers have engaged, algorithms show your content to more people and things can get weird.

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 13/11/2024

An old clipping from a high school profile. Students are always surprised when I tell them there's school with a 12 point GPA. We don't use GPAs to make admission decisions. We have to look at coursework and grades on a transcript to understand a student's preparation.

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 12/11/2024

We have multiple instances of students leaving the generative AI intros in application essays. As in “here is an example response to this question” or “here is a revised…” I don’t begrudge a student for being familiar with today’s tools, but they need to be used appropriately.

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 12/11/2024

For the new people, I work in undergrad admission at UVA. I like to talk about how and why we do things in the admission world. I have a cute dog named Jack.

The cutest golden retriever standing in front of the giant Pratt ginkgo tree at the University of Virginia.

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 12/11/2024

I did it last year, but kept my account so no one could take my name. I have a note in the bio that I was not using the app, but the bots still follow.

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 12/11/2024

It looks like we have an influx of new people around here! I’ve been waiting for about a year for more higher ed types to come over. Wonderful to see you all!

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 24/09/2024

A defunct news magazine says we're a good school based on these criteria.

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 24/09/2024

We have a few more people than this! 17,618 undergraduates and 8,326 graduate students.

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Jeannine Lalonde @uvadeanj.bsky.social · 19/03/2024

There are three high school seniors in my life who have multiple offers of admission to great colleges among them. The one that has made his choice was the one whose parents started the college search with a short list of the things he needed to be happy in mind.

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