Showing posts with label Hokies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hokies. Show all posts

Friday, August 31, 2012

A note on essays

By Kelly M. Rawlings, Associate Director, Undergraduate Admissions, Virginia Tech

Kelly M. Rawlings, Associate Director,
Undergraduate Admissions, Virginia Tech
A note on essays:

…or, as we here in the Admissions office at Virginia Tech call them, "personal statements." Folks often wonder if a personal statement is the same thing as an essay. Not really. Or at least I hope not. 
I've read a lot of essays in my life. I used to teach AP English Literature in what feels like a former life. (Truth be told it was only 12 years ago.) As many of you are currently experiencing, AP English Literature tends to be writing intensive. And if you think it's difficult to write all of those essays, just think of your teacher who is lucky enough to actually grade and critique not just yours but those of all your classmates. Yeah, while you're hanging out with friends on a Friday night, he/she is probably at home with a red/green/insert-color-of-choice Sharpie in hand slaving away at trying to provide you with constructive criticism that will help you become a better writer. And this is important.  
Regardless of your future profession, I guarantee that you will need to possess a decent command of the English language and the ability to communicate effectively to advance in your career. So don't ever underestimate the importance of doing well in English. However, these are NOT the types of essays I hope to read on your college application. Been there, done that. 
What we want from you are not essays. We want personal statements. We don't have the luxury of personally interviewing our applicants. After all, we will receive about 21,000 freshman applications and there are only 12 of us who review them all. So these personal statements are your only chance to share your personality with us.  
My biggest and best tip: use your voice; your own, genuine, unique voice. Address the writing prompts as if you were sitting down and chatting with me over a cup of tea, or coffee, or Red Bull (except I don't drink that).  I'm a real person, really. I go grocery shopping at Wal-Mart (but only because we don’t have a Trader Joe's in Blacksburg), am addicted to Starbucks, admittedly can't wait for the season premiers of "Modern Family" and "Parenthood," tuck my boys into bed each night after reading "Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See" more times than I'd like to admit, and will be one of the 66,000 fans jumping up and down to "Enter Sandman" as the Hokies enter  Lane Stadium for the opening game on Monday night. So please "talk" to me like I'm a real person. And in addition to using your own voice, make an attempt to employ these tips:
  • Don't introduce yourself in your essay. I'm holding your application that has, believe it or not, your name, high school, list of extra-curricular activities, etc. No need to review what I already know. 

  • Note the word limit.  There's a reason we prefer personal statements of 250 words or less. Reference above the size of the applicant pool. And each should answer at least one essay.  Many will choose to respond to the maximum of three. So let's say on average we get two from each applicant. That's 42,000 personal statements. That's a lot of reading; almost as much as your AP English teacher. So we appreciate brevity, clarity, individuality, and poignancy. And entertainment, but that brings me to my next point…

  • This is not the time or place to try to be funny if you're not naturally a funny person.  Enough said.

  • Similarly, this is not the place in which to demonstrate your extraordinarily colossal lexicon undeniably facilitated by the overemployment of the thesaurus option on your computer. Translation: don't use a thesaurus. Remember: we want your voice.

  • Lastly, proofread. This should go without saying. But every year I am reminded how apparently trivial this step is for many applicants. I'm often regaled with stories of how you "can't wait to walk the Lawn following in Jefferson's footsteps" or how you were "born to wear purple and gold."  Copying and pasting from another application is frowned upon. Really, that's just in poor taste. And it doesn't stop there. Please remember that THIS IS YOUR APPLICATION TO COLLEGE! Capital letters, spellcheck, the avoidance of acronyms, and punctuation are all, in fact, still greatly appreciated. 

  • In all seriousness, we do look forward to your personal statements. It is the highlight of my day when I come across a personal statement that makes me laugh out loud, shed a tear, or run down the office hall sharing that, "I just read the best personal statement. Listen to this!"  (And yes, we do that.) Personal statements are what make application review bearable; even enjoyable I daresay. So please, help me help you. Give some thoughtful reflection to your personal statements and make them just that, reflections of who you are as a person.

 
Application Dates & Deadlines
  • Early Decision Deadline: November 1
  • Early Decision Notification: December 15
  • Regular Decision Deadline: January 15
  • Regular Decision Notification: April 1
  • Deadline: February 15
  • Notification: June 1
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Friday, March 16, 2012

Consider visiting us this spring

Spring has arrived in Blacksburg, Va. Hokies are eagerly finishing their spring semester. This time of year, you often see a lot of activity on campus, be it Hokies feeding ducks at the Duck Pond; biking, walking or jogging the Huckleberry Trail; or enjoying the many other recreational activities on campus or in the surrounding areas. You'll almost always find some sort of activity on the Drillfield – Hokies playing sports, the Marching Virginians practicing, a special event, or people simply studying while sunbathing.


For those of you who are contemplating whether to apply to Virginia Tech in the future, we hope you will consider visiting our campus. Many choose to visit during their high school spring break. Others decide to visit during one of our fall Open House programs (October 20 and 21 and November 10 and 11). However, we accept visitors most any time of the year. If you do decide to visit, please take a minute or two to register so you can be sure to reserve a space in one of our admission information sessions as well as one of our student-led campus tours.

(Note: For those of you who have applied for the fall of 2012, you are most likely waiting to learn of your admission decision. Those who applied will learn of their decision no later than April 1 – the national notification date.)


We hope you decided to check out our campus this spring. However it's really hard to pick a bad day or time of year because Blacksburg truly is a beautiful and welcoming place throughout the seasons.
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Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Student's Story: Dabney discusses undergraduate research opportunities at VT

By Dabney, a junior majoring in Psychology

Video (below):
Michael, Hokie Ambassador
Michael is a fourth year student majoring in civil engineering. In this video, Michael discusses undergraduate research.

Virginia Tech, being a innovative research university, offers many research opportunities for undergraduate students. This is an excellent aspect of the many things Virginia Tech offers. Not only does undergraduate research expose you to hands-on experience of textbook concepts, but you also gain valuable resume builders for graduate school. As a psychology major, the Center for Applied Behavior Systems (or CABS, for short) was the perfect opportunity for me to become involved in undergraduate research. CABS is incredibly unique in that it gives both graduate and undergraduate students the opportunity to research under current projects and be able to create a research project yourself.

Currently, CABS has several projects running but one of particular importance for me deals with a movement on campus called "Actively Caring." The movement is an attempt to create a more compassionate culture throughout our community by encouraging people to actively care with a green wristband. Essentially, the idea is to see an act of kindness, thank the person for actively caring and pass the wristband to them. It's analogous to the idea of "paying it forward." Through the "Actively Caring" website and research conducted on campus, CABS works towards creating a more empathetic and positive world. This and other CABS projects on things such as pedestrian safety, bullying, and gossip can help create prosocial behavior and change our world dynamic. The whole reason for research is to find new ways to make the world a better place. It's amazing that Virginia Tech undergraduate research actually gives students that opportunity. Being a part of the Actively Caring movement with CABS at Virginia Tech is one of the many ways students may become engaged in the awesome undergraduate research offered.

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Michael, Hokie Ambassador
Michael is a fourth year student majoring in Civil Engineering. In this video, Michael discusses undergraduate research.


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Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Traditions at Virginia Tech

By Leigh Ann, a senior in the College of Liberal Arts & Human Sciences
Major: English

Video (below): Joe, Hokie Ambassador, talks about Hokie Spirit.
Joe is a Hospitality & Tourism Management major in Pamplin College of Business.

With everything from jumping when Enter Sandman plays before kick-off at each football game to hearing the bells tolling from Burruss Hall every afternoon, Virginia Tech is steeped in tradition. Hokies are very proud of our long, prestigious history and we take pride is preserving the history for those who walked across our campus decades before and for those who are Hokies-to-be. There are seemingly endless traditions, some that happen every day and some that happen only once a year, but they are all an equally important part of the culture at Virginia Tech.

Take just one step on campus and the beautiful setting of landscaping and architecture gives an aura of history and tradition in the sense that all the buildings are made of Hokie Stone. The cohesion in design and the use of the unique stone make our campus truly unique and gorgeous. Although there several older buildings hidden throughout campus that are not made out of Hokie Stone, today the limestone bricks dominate the design and are used in all recent and future construction.

Students today can expect many traditions revolving around our football games. We have been recognized for our football entrance by many sportswriters. As the Virginia Tech football team prepares to run out from the tunnel before each game, Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” blasts over the speakers and all 66,000 fans start jumping. Hokies standing in the bleachers of the North End Zone Stands need to hold on tight; they really shake. When the Hokies score there is a string of traditions that follow, and fans need to know the routine. First, the skipper of the Corps of Cadets sets off the canon. Then Hokie fans throughout the stands are lifted above the fans around them, one rep for each point the Hokies have scored. Small-framed Hokie fans need to be prepared to get tossed into the air if they find themselves between some large, male fans! Lastly, between the third and fourth quarter of every game, the Hokie cheerleaders and High-Techs lead the stadium in the Hokie Pokey.

Football is certainly not the only aspect of our campus that is rooted in tradition. Class rings are an important part of preparing for graduation from Virginia Tech. In the spring of each year, the junior class participates in a weekend-long celebration when they receive their class rings. Each year a ring is carefully and beautifully designed. The students of the current junior class attend a formal dance and are presented their class rings at the end of March each year. The event is a symbol of both the students’ progress and success so far and a celebration of their forthcoming senior year.

Traditions will continue to be added in the future as the community continues to grow, but there are certainly already traditions that are very important to Hokies. There is so much to be proud about this university and participating in such traditions pays tribute the history of the school.

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Joe, Hokie Ambassador, talks about the Hokie Spirit.
Joe is a Hospitality & Tourism Management major in Pamplin College of Business.



Related Posts:


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Monday, February 21, 2011

Sara's story: themed housing at Virginia Tech

By Sara, a student in the College of Science
Major: Biology

Video (below): Michelle, Admission Advisor Michelle shares her experience with The WING, themed housing for incoming freshmen.


When I got accepted to Virginia Tech, I immediately began planning activities for my freshman year, as I was now officially a Hokie. I grabbed my computer and started to explore the Virginia Tech website, researching everything from intramural sports to where the best sandwich is made on campus. I stumbled across housing and residence life and noticed a tab called “themed housing.” I had never heard anything about “themed housing” from any of the ten colleges I applied to earlier that year so I decided to check it out. Hours later, I submitted my application to become a member of the Residential Leadership Community (RLC) and the rest is history.

My first class of freshman year was my leadership class in which my professor asked us, “What is a good leader?” We debated over the many answers to this seemingly simple question for the rest of the year. Not only did the RLC expand my problem solving skills and force me to debate with my peers, it brought the learning experience outside of the classroom. Virginia Tech Relay for Life, The Big Event, The International Street Fair, and Gobblerfest were only a few of the events on campus where the RLC as a whole was an active participant. Volunteering on Saturday mornings with the YMCA of Blacksburg with 200 other RLC members was one of the most rewarding experiences of my freshman year. This community provides the university and its students with endless possibilities. I am very fortunate to have been a member of the RLC and was given the opportunity to give back to the citizens of Blacksburg, Va.

Whether you join the RLC or one of the dozen other themed housing options, it will be a great way to expand your horizons while a student at VT. From the first day of my college career, students that shared similar values and interests about leadership surrounded me. Through the RLC, I was able to become involved in other organizations on campus and make the most of my four-year experience as a Hokie. The RLC provided me with the tools I needed to become a successful leader at Virginia Tech.

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Michelle, Admission Advisor
Michelle shares her experience with The WING, themed housing for incoming freshmen.




More info:

College of Science
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Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Study Abroad: There are Hokies all over the world!

By Annie, Admissions Advisor, 2010 Graduate

Major: Interdisciplinary Studies


I've heard it said that Hokies are all over the world. But I didn't believe it until I actually went to the other side of the world!

In July 2008, I traveled to South Africa to begin a semester abroad. I arrived in Cape Town, South Africa late on a rainy night with no reservations, phone numbers, or contacts because my luggage was lost. I was terrified and clueless because my plane had arrived hours later than my scheduled landing.

I met a woman who took me to the only local hotel. So I went into the hotel only to learn that that they were completely booked. Tears came to my eyes. I was in alone, homeless, and lost in an extremely dangerous foreign country.

As I stepped back from the front desk and began to evaluate what my next move would be, I noticed a Virginia Tech t-shirt in the corner of my eye. So I ran over to the strangers and introduced myself. And, by the grace of God, I ran into a small group of Virginia Tech students who were traveling through Southern Africa and they just happened to be in Cape Town.

My fellow Hokies, and new friends immediately, offered to let me stay in their room. They let me crash in their hotel room, fed me dinner, and clothed me. Could I ask for anything more? Thankfully, in the morning I was able to contact my new university and arrived safely. My first day in a foreign country immediately proved that there are Hokies all over the world.

I learned a few things on my trip:
  1. When traveling, keep the contact numbers on you in case your luggage is lost!
  2. Once a Hokie always a Hokie.
  3. Whenever anyone asks me what a Hokie is, I say, "I AM."

Check out what Hayden, 2010 Admissions Advisor, has to say about her education abroad experience:


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Wednesday, October 6, 2010

College of Architecture & Urban Studies Insights: Megan's story

By Megan, a second year graduate student in CAUS

Major: Public and International Affairs


In 2009, I officially became a Hokie and have not left Blacksburg, Va., since. The reason for this is not because I have nothing better to do, but because I have found a new family and a new home at Virginia Tech. It is hard to explain the bond that comes with being a Hokie. In fact, I don't think it can be put in words. It's something along the lines of seeing someone wearing a VT shirt in the Dominican Republic when your flight is cancelled and knowing you can spend the whole day with them and they will look out for you. This did, indeed, happen.

The reason I have had opportunities such as these to see how far the Hokie Nation truly does extend across borders, is because of Virginia Tech’s many opportunities. Clubs, groups, sports, arts of all sorts are at Tech. Therefore, diversity of our students, and subsequently alumni, means that there are service projects, like Cailin McHale’s ('06) Project Esperanza in the Dominican Republic aiding Haitian refugees or Emily Barry’s ('09) community development partnership with El Porvenir, Honduras.

There are also ample research opportunities, like College of Architecture and Urban Studies'student initiated research grant that helped, along with funds from the School of Public and International Affairs and programs managed by the Office of International Research, send me to Ecuador this summer to research women in agriculture and funded Andrew Puhl ('10) to research historic pole-barns in New River Valley and create illuminated fine art photographs of them. Additionally, opportunities for academic competition and conferences, most notably the Solar Team that built a solar house, LUMENHAUS, and competed in, and won, an international Solar Decathlon this summer in Madrid, Spain.

All of the above mentioned relate in some way, whether that be guidance or class participation or student participation or funding, to the College of Architecture and Urban Studies and represent just a small portion of the many opportunities offered for real world education and collaboration across academic fields.

Because Virginia Tech is focused on research, this allows students to have opportunities to learn outside of the class and put their book knowledge to work. Students from every major have the opportunity to work on research and projects that are current and innovative. The College of Architecture and Urban Studies has four schools: the School of Architecture + Design; the School of Visual Arts; the Myers-Lawson School of Construction; and the School of Public and International Affairs. There are plenty of opportunities to work with leaders in the field and cooperate in interdisciplinary research to broaden your horizon.


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Tuesday, September 28, 2010

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Insights: Allyson's Story

By Allyson, a junior in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Major: Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise



It's freshman year and after a class period packed with bonds, electrons, and the periodic table of elements, I settle into my seat in my Introduction to Foods and Nutrition class. I breathe a breath of fresh air because this is my favorite class. This is a class that I love to come to, interact in, and a class where I don’t mind studying for tests or doing homework assignments. Introduction to Foods and Nutrition is where my fascination with nutrition began. Before I knew it, I was a Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise major in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Agriculture and Life Sciences is a great college to be in (although I'd have to say that you are in a great place anywhere if you are at Virginia Tech, but I may be slightly biased). The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences has provided me with many more classes, besides just the introduction class, that are fascinating and enjoyable rather than a chore. Food Selection and Preparation is teaching me not only how to follow a recipe and cook, but the reasons behind why food is prepared the way it is and how sometimes recipes need to be altered based on altitude, ingredient substitution, and other factors. My Athletic Injuries class gives me the inside view of what it is like to be in sports medicine from the mouth of the actual Athletic Trainer, who we trust with the health of our beloved Hokies.

Being in this college has opened my eyes to countless opportunities that I didn't even know were available. I receive weekly updates from the department concerning events on campus having to do with our college; clubs and organizations that are geared toward my interests; service opportunities on campus; and numerous other ways to get involved. And all of us students have the opportunity to get our hands dirty by getting involved in undergraduate research or getting a job that goes right along with our major. A close friend of mine actually puts what she's learned in class to use when she goes to Virginia Tech's barn, where she works, and obtains samples, makes observations, and takes care of a lot of the livestock. That's just one of the many great things about Virginia Tech, and about the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in particular. So I encourage anyone that may have an interest in this particular college at Virginia Tech, to check it out. Who knew that an interesting nutrition class could open up so many doors? But it did, and it could for you too.


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