VA Tech - how to make it seem less imposing

[Anonymous]

We visited VA Tech last weekend for the spring open house. We are trying to sort through our feelings because our reactions kind of took us by surprise and we all still want you to keep it in the running for our dd. But we all came away feeling like it seemed a little cold and off-putting. The drill field was so vast , the limestone buildings were all the same, there were few trees or natural landmarks to differentiate and help us find our way, it just seemed a little severe. There were no meandering paths or benches or trees to make everything come down to a human scale. Everybody love love loves their experience there so did we not get the right experience? What parts of the campus and the experience make it warmer and friendlier and more relatable? We will be keeping it on our list but want to make our visit next time more inclusive of places that give us a better sense of the community. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Was this your first college visit?

Sound like Tech is not for you. Perhaps a smaller school would fit your needs.

[Anonymous]

No, it was not our first college visit. It was about our fourth or fifth. And we had just come from GMU which is also a large school so ?

[Anonymous]

Virginia Tech is not for your kid. The same thing happened to ours. We toured William and Mary the next week and they felt much more at home. Crossed all big schools off the list and targeted 2k-8k undergrads instead. Sibling toured VT and loved it. Different strokes.

[Anonymous]

Everything op says plus I was shocked to learn, with all that vast space and good food, housing is essentially only for freshmen. And it’s really bad (neighbor DD said room temp was 98 degrees one dreadful night in September).
Besides that, everyone I know loves Tech. So my kids all applied and all found better fits elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

This is a tough one. Almost all kids decide what school to go to by vibe. I recommend applying, looking for good alternatives, and then seeing how accepted students’ day goes.

[Anonymous]

No school is for everyone. You didn’t like or feel comfortable at VT, and that’s okay. It’s not like you can change the buildings, or the drill field, or any of the other things you didn’t like.

If your DD really didn’t like it, trying to force it isn’t a good idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We visited VA Tech last weekend for the spring open house. We are trying to sort through our feelings because our reactions kind of took us by surprise and we all still want you to keep it in the running for our dd. But we all came away feeling like it seemed a little cold and off-putting. The drill field was so vast , the limestone buildings were all the same, there were few trees or natural landmarks to differentiate and help us find our way, it just seemed a little severe. There were no meandering paths or benches or trees to make everything come down to a human scale. Everybody love love loves their experience there so did we not get the right experience? What parts of the campus and the experience make it warmer and friendlier and more relatable? We will be keeping it on our list but want to make our visit next time more inclusive of places that give us a better sense of the community. Thanks!

You could visit another time but if this is your experience during an Open House, perhaps it's not the right school.

[Anonymous]

I thought that at first, but the campus is pristinely clean and so lovely in the other seasons with colorful leaves and spring blooms. It is a large campus, but my Hokie takes the bus around so they’re not walking across the drillfield multiple times per day. There are really nice spots- Hahn horticulture garden, Torg library, Moss arts, etc. that feel quite warm. It takes a bit of effort to know your way around the buildings but I think my son felt comfortable with getting around by his first weekend there.

It might not be what you envisioned, but I would keep an open mind about Blacksburg because there is a really nice sense of community.

[Anonymous]

I loved, loved the look of the VT campus. I thought it was beautiful with lovely buildings and plenty of trees. But I like to walk, and I much prefer limestone to red brick.

I would encourage your daughter to apply. If she gets in, then she can tour again on an admitted students' day.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, 10:09 and 10:19. This is kind of the advice I was searching for. (Though I do appreciate the fact that it may not ultimately be the school for her, just felt certain there had to be more we had missed). True, we were seeing things in the dead of February grayness. Would love to hear from others about ways it felt more doable to their student or about places/positive aspects we did not see on that one, busy day.

[Anonymous]

You don't pick a school based on a reaction to the campus based on one visit. At a big school, a student simply needs to find a smaller group to be part of, for example through clubs. Go see the duck pond. The campus is big but your student won't need to be in all parts of the campus. My son had a great experience at Virginia Tech. I would not write off Virginia Tech based on some initial impressions of the campus or vibe.

[Anonymous]

We visited in February, too. I understand what you mean about the vast feeling. My daughter was there the following summer for a program and loved her time there. If she had enrolled there, we are sure she would have found her groups and friends. It’s fine to take it off your list; you could also apply and visit again if accepted when you can go to major-specific stuff and maybe student activities will have a date.

[Anonymous]

Yes! We felt the exact same. My kid crossed it off their list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You don't pick a school based on a reaction to the campus based on one visit. At a big school, a student simply needs to find a smaller group to be part of, for example through clubs. Go see the duck pond. The campus is big but your student won't need to be in all parts of the campus. My son had a great experience at Virginia Tech. I would not write off Virginia Tech based on some initial impressions of the campus or vibe.

Wrong. People do this all the time. I fell in love with my college immediately. The location, the campus, the people, the vibes — these are all important.