Vibe at VT

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How is VT for an introvert? DD is in there for engineering, and the idea of a big campus appeals to her, but we’re worried about her falling through the cracks. We’re going to leave it up to her, but I’d love to hear about experiences of kids who aren’t the outgoing, advocate for yourself type.

We have found that it made all the difference for our own introverted child. She made friends freshman year with roommate and hallmates, and continued finding "her people" through clubs and intramurals. Not at all interested in Greek life, along with the majority of students there. DC *became* more outgoing and advocating for herself - we could tell a difference after only the first semester. It's amazing how much confidence she has now whereas prior to college she was relatively shy and reserved. She's now even dating a guy who is also somewhat introverted and they have a great group of friends. I think she'll always be an introvert (like me!) but her world has opened up so much from going to VT.

I could have written this exact same thing about my Engineering Hokie daughter. Except she has a girlfriend instead of a boyfriend

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:VT is a serious top pick for my junior. Two questions:

1) For a boy that HATES football and basketball, is this an issue? He is really social and likes sports, just hates these two sports, so he's really looking for a school where the social culture doesn't revolve around football or basketball games.

2) I hadn't realized the part about no on-campus housing after freshman year. That's concerning. For kids coming from OOS, who likely won't know anyone in their freshman class, how do they find people? This seems stressful for a freshman, but maybe I'm just projecting that it would be stressful for me.

Football game days are big, but there a lots of students who don't participate in the sports stuff. Not a problem.

As for housing, my older Hokie stayed on campus 2 years and my younger will as well. Some living learning communities require a 2 year contract, so choosing one of those will guarantee 2 years on campus with the option to stay on longer. Other LLCs offer the opportunity to stay on as mentors after freshman year. My daughter has 2 friends who've stayed on campus all 4 years this way. My younger one planned on doing this, but the LLC he was in this year isn't continuing next year. So he applied for a different one and will be there next year. There's also a housing lottery and some students apply to be SLs (like RAs) who live on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:VT is a serious top pick for my junior. Two questions:

1) For a boy that HATES football and basketball, is this an issue? He is really social and likes sports, just hates these two sports, so he's really looking for a school where the social culture doesn't revolve around football or basketball games.

2) I hadn't realized the part about no on-campus housing after freshman year. That's concerning. For kids coming from OOS, who likely won't know anyone in their freshman class, how do they find people? This seems stressful for a freshman, but maybe I'm just projecting that it would be stressful for me.

Football game days are big, but there a lots of students who don't participate in the sports stuff. Not a problem.

As for housing, my older Hokie stayed on campus 2 years and my younger will as well. Some living learning communities require a 2 year contract, so choosing one of those will guarantee 2 years on campus with the option to stay on longer. Other LLCs offer the opportunity to stay on as mentors after freshman year. My daughter has 2 friends who've stayed on campus all 4 years this way. My younger one planned on doing this, but the LLC he was in this year isn't continuing next year. So he applied for a different one and will be there next year. There's also a housing lottery and some students apply to be SLs (like RAs) who live on.

A few follow ups. What are some of the LLCs that require 2 years?

Was your son in Ujima or Lavender? I was hoping the new Governor would somehow reinstate those LLCs. Which one is your son looking at instead?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:VT is a serious top pick for my junior. Two questions:

1) For a boy that HATES football and basketball, is this an issue? He is really social and likes sports, just hates these two sports, so he's really looking for a school where the social culture doesn't revolve around football or basketball games.

2) I hadn't realized the part about no on-campus housing after freshman year. That's concerning. For kids coming from OOS, who likely won't know anyone in their freshman class, how do they find people? This seems stressful for a freshman, but maybe I'm just projecting that it would be stressful for me.

Football game days are big, but there a lots of students who don't participate in the sports stuff. Not a problem.

As for housing, my older Hokie stayed on campus 2 years and my younger will as well. Some living learning communities require a 2 year contract, so choosing one of those will guarantee 2 years on campus with the option to stay on longer. Other LLCs offer the opportunity to stay on as mentors after freshman year. My daughter has 2 friends who've stayed on campus all 4 years this way. My younger one planned on doing this, but the LLC he was in this year isn't continuing next year. So he applied for a different one and will be there next year. There's also a housing lottery and some students apply to be SLs (like RAs) who live on.

A few follow ups. What are some of the LLCs that require 2 years?

Was your son in Ujima or Lavender? I was hoping the new Governor would somehow reinstate those LLCs. Which one is your son looking at instead?

I was sad to see Ujima and Lavender closing, but he's not part of either. Both Orion and Rhizome are not continuing next year - the latter due to funding (they apparently received some from the art/design school). Not sure why Orion isn't continuing. He'll be moving to West AJ. Some students are in WAJ as a regular dorm, and others are part of the Residential College. Freshmen have to sign a 2 yr contract to live there as part of the Residential College, but he won't have to going in a sophomore. I know the Leadership and Social Change Residential College in Oshag also requires a 2 year housing contract.

[Anonymous]

VT is a serious top pick for my junior. Two questions:

1) For a boy that HATES football and basketball, is this an issue? He is really social and likes sports, just hates these two sports, so he's really looking for a school where the social culture doesn't revolve around football or basketball games.

2) I hadn't realized the part about no on-campus housing after freshman year. That's concerning. For kids coming from OOS, who likely won't know anyone in their freshman class, how do they find people? This seems stressful for a freshman, but maybe I'm just projecting that it would be stressful for me.
———
My son graduated from VT engineering as an OOS student. He has little interest in sports. Was not a problem. I will say that the sports add to a sense of school spirit even for students that don’t go to the games. In terms of housing, he was thrilled to get out of the dorm to move off campus. Had an apartment with more room and privacy and his own bathroom. Could do his own cooking or eat on campus. He had roommates that he met freshman year.

[Anonymous]

The vibes are immaculate. DS had an awesome four years. We loved visiting Blacksburg and miss it already.

Fabulous school, adorable town.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of our kids is an upperclassman there. Loves it, but VT is a perfect fit for kid's personality. Kid is self sufficient (kid applied to colleges all on their own, said they didn't need our help at all and got it done solo other than needing our debit card for the application fee), disciplined, competitive, smart, driven, independent, humorous, down to earth, a hard worker but doesn't boast, has stepped up and slayed in the hardest classes, can pull an all nighter as need be, works a retail job like it's a real job without complaint, is planning to get a Ph.D. Is smart enough for UVA, but would be highly, HIGHLY repelled by the haughty atmosphere there. Go Hokies. It's a great school!

I'm sure your kid is smart enough, but how do you know so much about the "haughty" atmosphere there? Lol.

I, like my kid, have met UVA people. In our own neighborhood, for starters. Not just one, but a dozen. They are, [b]without exception, quite haughty. Always have to one-u[/b]p. Never can be down to earth, or light in step. Always have a condescending veneer. Never really have much of a sense of humor. Take themselves WAY too seriously. Always need to appear superior to others. It's all in the eyes. I see it in their eyes. I met a neighbor for the first time and it was in the eyes. I thought to myself "Hmm, I wonder if they went to UVA" and sure enough, within a few minutes, they announced how they went to UVA. Ding, ding, ding for the win. Like a Canadian mentioning they're from Canada, or someone who does Cross Fit mentioning they do Cross Fit, the UVA person cannot keep it to themselves. They. Have. To. Let. You. Know. They are obnoxious. They are all similar.

No, they are not. This is a myth perpetrated by moms whose kids were rejected, were not contenders (like one of my kids) or were rejected themselves. WITHOUT EXCEPTION. My other kid did go to UVA, so I met manystudents and their parents, have now served on parent groups, have gotten to know the faculty, and now counsel the new students. I have never met a "haughty" person amongst them. It is a PUBLIC school with almost 1/3 from OOS. How on earth can you conclude that all 26,000 students are "haughty". The students there are grateful to have gotten in. And very nice. So please go fling your trash elsewhere.

Anyone who trades in always/never is bound to be wrong. There are shitty people who go to VT, and there are nice people who go to UVA. But I have more experiences of haughtiness from UVA people than VT. I have literally lost count of the UVA people who've smugly commented about what a shame is that people who went to other schools weren't able to get into The University (and if you can't see how even the phrasing the school uses to talk about itself isn't a bit haughty, your vibe-checker may be off). If you're not tingling with just the tiniest bit of irony, too, at refuting an assertion of UVA snobbery with the just-jealous approach, well, again, recalibrate that vibe-checker, my friend, you may be one of the haughty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:VT is a serious top pick for my junior. Two questions:

1) For a boy that HATES football and basketball, is this an issue? He is really social and likes sports, just hates these two sports, so he's really looking for a school where the social culture doesn't revolve around football or basketball games.

2) I hadn't realized the part about no on-campus housing after freshman year. That's concerning. For kids coming from OOS, who likely won't know anyone in their freshman class, how do they find people? This seems stressful for a freshman, but maybe I'm just projecting that it would be stressful for me.

1. The social life definitely doesn’t revolve around football and basketball! I mean, yes - football game days are very fun and I think it’s fair to say most kids look forward to them. But it’s a big enough school that he would absolutely meet other people who have no interest. You say he’s very social - that’s pretty much what is so fun about game days. Tailgating, hanging out with friends, etc. I think the actual football is secondary for many.

Also, there are lots of intramural and club sports he could join if interested!

2. No on campus housing after freshman year is very typical at most larger schools. That said, I believe they do have limited on campus housing for upperclassmen. At any rate, the vast majority will happily be moving into townhouses and apartments after freshman year. My own DC became really close with three OOS students with whom she moved into a townhouse. Quite a few of their other friends are also OOS (Colorado, NY, Tennessee, Florida, Michigan, off the top of my head).

No one knows anyone when they first arrive and no one cares who is in-state vs OOS. They quickly make friends with roommates and dorm mates. Your son won’t have any problem making friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:VT is a serious top pick for my junior. Two questions:

1) For a boy that HATES football and basketball, is this an issue? He is really social and likes sports, just hates these two sports, so he's really looking for a school where the social culture doesn't revolve around football or basketball games.

2) I hadn't realized the part about no on-campus housing after freshman year. That's concerning. For kids coming from OOS, who likely won't know anyone in their freshman class, how do they find people? This seems stressful for a freshman, but maybe I'm just projecting that it would be stressful for me.

Football game days are big, but there a lots of students who don't participate in the sports stuff. Not a problem.

As for housing, my older Hokie stayed on campus 2 years and my younger will as well. Some living learning communities require a 2 year contract, so choosing one of those will guarantee 2 years on campus with the option to stay on longer. Other LLCs offer the opportunity to stay on as mentors after freshman year. My daughter has 2 friends who've stayed on campus all 4 years this way. My younger one planned on doing this, but the LLC he was in this year isn't continuing next year. So he applied for a different one and will be there next year. There's also a housing lottery and some students apply to be SLs (like RAs) who live on.

DP. This is true, I forgot about the LLCs!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The vibes are immaculate. DS had an awesome four years. We loved visiting Blacksburg and miss it already.

Fabulous school, adorable town.

+100
Ours graduates this May and I will so miss VT/Blacksburg! What a four years.