Thursday, April 29, 2010

Hokie Spirit


The Hokie Spirit is epitomized by our motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve). Being a member of the Virginia Tech community is more than accepting the fact that the colors maroon and orange truly do match. It's about learning both inside and outside of the classroom. It's about community service and helping your fellow man. To borrow from the spiritual and political leader, Gandhi, it's about expanding your horizons so that you can be the change you want to see in the world.
This means respecting your fellow Hokies – those who have also become Hokies by opting to learn, teach, or work at Virginia Tech. The university’s goal is to create a community filled with the Hokie Spirit. A community that nurtures learning and growing for all of its members. In orde r to do this, the university has adopted a few principles that we call the Virginia Tech Principles of Community.

As a new Hokie, we hope you too will adopt these principles and
embrace the responsibility that comes with calling yourself a Hokie.

Principles of Community
We affirm the inherent dignity and value of every person and strive to maintain a climate for work and learning based on mutual respect and understanding.
We affirm the right of each person to express thoughts and opinions freely.
We encourage open expression within a climate of civility, sensitivity, and mutual respect.
We affirm the value of human diversity because it enriches our lives and the University. We acknowledge and respect our differences while affirming our common humanity.
We reject all forms of prejudice and discrimination, including those based on age, color, disability, gender, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, and veteran status. We take individual and collective responsibility for helping to eliminate bias and discrimination and for increasing our own understanding of these issues through education, training, and interaction with others.
We pledge our collective commitment to these principles in the spirit of the Virginia Tech motto of Ut Prosim (That I May Serve).

More info:

Monday, April 26, 2010

Attention New Hokies: Key contacts and upcoming dates and deadlines

Congratulations are in order if you have been accepted to Virginia Tech as a member of the class of 2014! Below are some key dates and deadlines you should keep in mind.
  1. If you haven't already, you need to accept the offer of admission by paying your matriculation deposit. Deadline: May 1.
  2. Once you have accepted the offer of admission and paid your matriculation deposit, you need to create your VT PID. Please keep in mind that if you pay your matriculation deposit online, please wait at least 1 business day for us to process your payment. You will not be able to create your PID until your payment has been processed. (As soon as you accept the offer of admission)
  3. Look for your housing and dining contract (Complete in May)
  4. Get ready for July Orientation. (Sign up in May)
  5. Look for your computer specifications (Available in May)
  6. Submit your Immunization History Form (Complete in June)
  7. Submit your final high school and college transcripts (Deadline: June)
  8. Consider attending Hokie Camp! (Sign up anytime)
  9. Get ready for move-in (August).
We are looking forward to welcoming you to campus!

Here are some key contacts you might find useful in the coming weeks and months:

Undergraduate Admissions (?s about your offer of admission)
admiss@vt.edu
540/231-6267

Bursar (?s about money stuff):
bursar@vt.edu

Financial Aid & Scholarships (self explanatory!)
finaid@vt.edu

Health Center (?s about immunizations and health history form)
540/231-8104

Housing & Dining (self explanatory!)
housing@vt.edu

tracks@vt.edu

4Help (?s about computer stuff)
540/231-4357


More info:

Monday, April 12, 2010

Attention New Hokies!

If you were accepted to Virginia Tech as a member of the class of 2014 and you are still trying to make up your mind about whether the university is right for you, consider attending Hokie Focus this weekend.

Hokie Focus is a free, one-day event where you can take part in student-led tours, talk with representatives from the various colleges and see our beautiful campus. You pick which day - either Saturday (April 17) or Sunday (April 18).

If you already know that Virginia Tech is the place for you, no need to make an extra trip to campus this weekend. If that's the case, we'll see you in July for Orientation!

To view the Hokie Focus schedule, visit our website. If you do plan on attending Hokie Focus, you will need to register for the free event in advance.


Friday, April 2, 2010

Admissions, it's personal

By Jonathan Schramm
Assistant Director
Undergraduate Admissions

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).
So you can see, even though we receive over 20,000 applications we take everything into consideration.

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.