Innovation and Discovery: from autonomous vehicles to malaria, find a research topic that interests you

At Virginia Tech, we encourage our bright and creative students to participate and initiate undergraduate research.

Check out some of the student research projects at Virginia Tech:

• A senior majoring in Civil Engineering is researching ways to increase a building's life under the stress of fire and heat exposure.
• A junior majoring in Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise is researching beverage consumption patterns in middle-aged and older adults, an age group which is typically prone to weight gain
• As a freshman, one student become engaged in studying which activities reduce high-risk behavior on high school prom night.
• By her junior year, one student participated in two field studies and a literature review related to exploring the reasons behind marijuana use.

These are just a few of the many undergraduate research projects at Virginia Tech. From autonomous vehicles to malaria research, there is a research project out there waiting for you.

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Undergraduate Research at VT

VT's Research Ranking

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Lisa's story: Why should you do undergraduate research?

By Lisa, a senior in the College of Science

Major: Psychology

As a senior in the Psychology Department at Virginia Tech, I know a great deal about the undergraduate research opportunities here. My research in psychology began in the fall of my junior year and has grown into an essential ingredient in my experiences at Virginia Tech. Here are some reasons why undergraduate research is both enjoyable and important:

1. Because you're a student at Virginia Tech. We are ranked 42^th in the nation for university research, so it just makes sense to take advantage.
2. Because research is easy to find. Nearly every faculty member at VT performs research, so getting involved is easy. Simply ask a professor about an opening in their lab or just browse a department website to see which lab fits your interests. I've been a member of three labs (the Center for Applied Behavior Systems, the Stress & Coping Lab, and the Child Study Center) so anyone should be able to find at least one!
3. Because research prepares you for your future. Whether your post grad plans involve higher education or looking for a job, research is the closest thing in college to work experience in your field. Specifically, graduate schools consider research experience in their top criteria for making an admission decision. Plus, the professors you work for will usually write letters of recommendations and/or be a job reference.
4. Because you've been looking for that application of what you are learning. We've all been sitting in a class and wondered, "Why do I need to know the square root of pi?" Well, I don't know the answer to that question, but through research I've seen the real world application of various psychology concepts I learned in my classes. Sometimes, I understand and learn more about psychology in the research setting than in the classroom.
5. Because you make connections and start networking within your field. In a research lab, you interact with faculty members and other students in your department. It's a great way to make friends in your major and obtain that 1-on-1 time with your professors.
6. Because research is an easy way to earn class credits with flexible scheduling. When you join a lab, you choose how many credits you want to take and it gets added to your courses. Each 1 credit of research is equal to 3 hours of lab work per week. Most labs have set weekly meetings, but the rest of the time required of you can be completed during those times of the weekday (and often the weekend) that suit your schedule best.
7. Because there are opportunities to create, run, and publish your OWN research ideas. Research doesn't always have to be collecting data for other people – you can take the lead, too! This semester I created my own research experiment and supervised 40 of my fellow students who collected the data. While still getting class credit, I gained leadership experience and time management skills. This level of undergraduate research requires one to write a formal research paper. This paper can be submitted for publication in research journals, which is an amazing feet for an undergraduate student and provides an advantage over the competition in graduate school applications and the work force.
8. Because of UT PROSIM. Research at Virginia Tech is based on our motto Ut Prosim, and is therefore focused on ideas and inventions that benefit our community and the greater world. To be a part of such positive and purposeful research is rewarding in its own right.

Become a part of Virginia Tech's Undergraduate Research and go make a difference and learn so much more! I promise you won't regret it.

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The results are in

How does Virginia Tech rank? The following highlights some of Virginia Tech's academic, financial, food, and employment rankings.

General rankings:

• For the third consecutive year, U.S. News and World Report ranked Virginia Tech #71 among the 100 best national universities in its "America's Best Colleges" survey.
• Virginia Tech ranked 46 out of 679 universities, according to the recent National Science Foundation (NSF) ranking, which is based on research expenditures reported for the year ending June 30, 2008.

Academic program rankings:

• College of Architecture & Urban Studies: According to DesignIntelligence, landscape architecture program is #1 in North America; undergraduate architecture is #2 in the nation;undergraduate industrial design is #13 in the nation; undergraduate interior design is #9 in the nation. According to U.S. News & World Report, the undergraduate public affairs program is #27 in the nation.
• College of Engineerimg: ranked #14 in the nation, U.S. News & World Report
• Pamplin College of Business: among top 50 business schools in the nation, U.S. News & World Report

Financial rankings:

• The Princeton Review ranked Virginia Tech #8 in its list of the "100 Best Value Colleges for 2010."
• Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine ranked Virginia Tech as #16 in its "100 Best Values in Public Colleges."

Food rankings:

• The Princeton Review ranked Virginia Tech Dining # 1 for Best Campus Food in it's "Best 371 Colleges: 2010 Edition."

Career/Employment rankings:

• The PayScale College Salary Report ranked Virginia Tech among the top 10 colleges and universities for potential starting and mid-career salaries of its graduates.

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Application Review Process: We Care About Curriculum

By Jonathan Schramm

Assistant Director

Undergraduate Admissions

As promised in my earlier post, Holistic Review, we're going to talk a little bit about curriculum choice and how it is viewed in the application

review process.

Whenever I'm giving an information session, whether on campus or at a high school, I always ask students what they think the most important thing is we consider in the review process academically. Inevitably I get a "GPA!" or "SAT!" shout-out well before I get one for "Curriculum!" In reality, course

selection is the one of the most important things we consider. Why? Because the better you do in tough courses during high school the better prepared you are for college.

Essentially, we want to see that you've challenged yourselves by taking the most difficult courses available to you as a student. At the same time,we're not going to penalize you for attending a school that doesn't offer as many Advanced Placement, Dual Enrollment, Honors, or International Baccalaureate courses as another. Remember, we evaluate students within the

contexts of their high schools.

How do we know how many advanced courses your school offers? It's on the school profile, which your guidance counselors attach to each application. If you haven't seen it yet, you should run down to the guidance office as soon as you can. On second thought, you better walk. We don't want you getting a detention now do we? The school profile not only tells us how many

tough courses your school offers, but it also shows us the grading scale, the average GPA, average SAT/ACT and tons of other stuff.

Thanks for your detention -- I mean attention. Tune in next time when we discuss grades -- not GPA! To find out the difference you'll have to check back.

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What do we look for

Virginia Tech Guest Account Invitation E-mails

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Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets

When you hear Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets, do you think that means that you have to join the military? Well, think again! You do not have to enroll in ROTC (Reserves Officers' Training Corps) to be a part of the corps of cadets at Virginia Tech. Our civilian track program is a great way to gain leadership experience without incurring military obligations after graduating. And, you may also be eligible for some scholarships if you plan to enroll in the corps of cadets program.

Incoming freshman who choose to apply for corps of cadet status at Virginia Tech are eligible for the following scholarships.

1. Emerging Leader Scholarship (no military obligation) Deadline: January 15
2. Army ROTC Scholarship, Deadline: January 10
3. Naval ROTC Scholarship, Deadline: January 20
4. Virginia Tech Regimental Band Scholarship (provided to all band participants), Deadline: January 15

Emerging Leadership Scholarship
To apply for the Emerging Leadership Scholarship, you will need to complete the FAFSA. This scholarship is awarded based on merit. Up to 100 in-state and 100 out-of-state scholarships can be awarded each year. In recent years, more than half of our entering freshman cadets were awarded this scholarship. In-state students receive up to $8,000 and out-of-state students receive up to $12,000. For more information visit, www.vtcc.vt.edu/Prospect/Scholarships.php.

Army ROTC Scholarship
The deadline for the Army ROTC Scholarship is fast approaching. Please visit www.goarmy.com/rotc/scholarships.jsp for more information. Those awarded the scholarship will incur military obligation. However, there is no military obligation by simply applying.

Naval ROTC Scholarship
The Naval ROTC Scholarship deadline is January 20. Please visit https://www.navy.com/careers/nrotc/ for more information. Those awarded the scholarship will incur military obligation. However, there is no military obligation by simply applying.

Virginia Tech Regimental Band Scholarship
The Virginia Tech Regimental Band Scholarship deadline is January 15. All students who enroll in the Virginia Tech Regimental Band receive a $1,000 scholarship and the opportunity to receive an additional $1,000 grant. The Highty Tighties have a long standing tradition at Virginia Tech. They are retired champions of the Presidential Inaugural Parade. They received this honor after wining the parade competition in 1953, 1957, and 1961. To participate din the Virginia Tech Regimental Band, you are required to enroll in the corps of cadets. However, there is no military obligation.

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Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets

Virginia Tech Guest Account Invitation E-mails

Invent Your Future

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