By Jonathan Schramm
Assistant Director
Undergraduate Admissions
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Here at Virginia Tech we're proud to say we review applications in a holistic manner, which means we consider the entire student: both their academic and personal qualities. I've discussed academics in my last three posts, so now I'd like to highlight the more personal side of admissions.
On the Freshman Application, there are a number of opportunities for applicants to get themselves across on paper. We consider:
- Diversity, in its many forms: ethnic, racial, diversity of thought, diversity of religion, geographic diversity, socioeconomic diversity if you happen to be the first in your family to go to college, etc.
- Interest in the Corps of Cadets: we see this as an indicator of leadership.
- Legacy: if you happen to be the son or daughter of a Virginia Tech graduate.
- Activities: we like to see quality vs. quantity.
- Community Service: as long as it's not court ordered. (just joking!)
- Optional Personal Statement/Essay: 7 different options to choose from.
- Letters of Recommendation are not solicited, but you can send them in (just make sure they are sent by your high school with your transcript).
As always, let us know if you have any questions. It's always nice to know we have readers.
Anyway, tune in next time when we talk about a rare disease high school seniors seem to catch this time of year, called S1N1.
More info:
I was denied admission recently despit my acedemic record and athletic achievements in the field of waterpolo :-( :'(
ReplyDeleteI really wanted to attended virginia tech.
Many students opt to transfer to Virginia Tech if they were not accepted as a freshman. You can transfer to Virginia Tech after as little as one year at another institution. The good news: when you transfer to Virginia Tech, you are not marked with a bit letter "T", nope, you are a Hokie! If you want to be a Hokie, please call our office and speak with an assistant director regarding transfer opportunities (540/231-6267). Learn more about transferring to Virginia Tech at
ReplyDeletehttp://www.admiss.vt.edu/apply/transfer/overview.php
We wish you all the best in your future aspirations.
Could you answer a few questions please?
ReplyDeleteIs it harder to get in Virginia Tech if you're not a resident of Virginia? I'm mostly looking at out of state schools, because I want the experience and I love being in new places and seeing new things, and I've been looking up VT a lot and I've read somewhere that residents of Virginia have an easier time of getting in.
Also, I do have an interest in the Corps of Cadets, but I'm not totally sure I want to join, but I probably won't be able to Spend the Night to really learn about the Corps unless I get accepted. However, I have been in ROTC at my high school for four years, and I have many leadership positions in it. Will you consider this as you look at my application?
One more thing: is it easier to get in some colleges of VT than others, because I read that one might have a higher chance of getting in with a major that isn't as popular, and then changing when we get in. I want to major in the College of Engineering, Computer Science more specifically, but I don't know if it would be harder to get in than if I chose a less popular major.
Sorry if I inconvenienced you with my questions, and I hope you have time to answer them, you don't have to answer them all if you don't have time, and thank you in advance if you do answer even just one. I'm just a little paranoid when it comes to college and I really like VT, and I want to do anything I can to increase my chances of getting in, because my grades aren't super competitive, but my standardized test scores are and I read that an imbalanced GPA and test score usually comes across as a lazy student, but I'm anything but.
I hope you can answer this because the last post I can see was from April and its August now, so I hope it's not too late. I called the school to get answers, but I got nervous and hung up. Sorry for rambling, I'll stop now. Okay.
Thanks again,
Kyira Schrock
Hi Kyira,
ReplyDeleteYou've asked some great questions! Please feel free to call our office and speak with an assistant director if you still have questions, as they are more than happy to answer questions (540/231-6267). You can also e-mail us at vtadmiss@vt.edu if you'd prefer.
Please check out our website as well at www.admiss.vt.edu. One place you might want to visit is our application process overview page: http://www.admiss.vt.edu/apply/freshman/overview.php. Here, you can review application deadlines and read more about what we are looking for. The application deadline for regular decision is January 15 (for fall 2011 admission).
To answer your questions:
1.) "Is it harder to get in Virginia Tech if you're not a resident of Virginia?" Nope! At Virginia Tech, we have students from 48 states and 37 countries. Regardless of whether you are from Virginia or from another state, you have the same opportunity as an applicant at Virginia Tech. Read more about what we look for on our website: http://www.admiss.vt.edu/apply/freshman/what_do_we_look_for.php
2.) "Will you consider [my ROTC involvement] as you look at my application?" Yes! We review applications holistically, meaning we look at both academic and personal qualities, attributes, etc. You can read more about this on the What Do We Look For page referenced above (see "Holistic Review" in the sidebar).
3.) "One more thing: is it easier to get in some colleges of VT than others?" Overall, choice of major does not affect admission decision. However, we do have four restricted majors to include: Architecture, Interior Design, Industrial Design, and Engineering. For Architecture, Interior Design, and Industrial Design competitive students will have almost all A's and a minimum SAT (critical math and reading) score of 1200. For Engineering, a competitive student will have a minimum of 600 on SAT Math.
4.) When applying, you should choose the major that interests you. If you are interested in computer science and you feel you are a competitive student, you should select computer science as your major on the application. We offer more than 70 undergraduate programs of study. Visit www.admiss.vt.edu/majors to learn more about the programs we offer.
Thanks again for taking the time to check out our blog and ask such great questions! If you would like more elaboration, or if you still have questions, please contact our office at 540/231-6267.
Best wishes,
Undergraduate Admissions