VT - what is is like currently?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Correct. It’s safety for those who will get into UVA and W&M and there is a whole broad swath of people who apply for whom it will be a reach or a match. And it’s a much bigger school than the other two.


Lol no.
VT and WM are peer schools

https://www.parchment.com/c/college/tools/college-...am+and+Mary&with=Virginia+Tech

W&M is NOT a peer school for students interested in engineering, since it does not have an engineering school.

They aren't peer schools based on enrolled student stats or on majors. If you apply to both and are admitted and decide to do engineering, you're going to VT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tech is a really weird school right now. There is just no telling if kids are going to get in so it's hard to get excited about it. A place like UVA or W&M, you kind of know based on you stats if you will have a shot. With Tech, it a total crapshoot. I know kids who were WL there but got into UVA and i know kids who got into Tech who would never have been competitive for UVA (and they didn't even bother to apply). Just no telling really. That said, it's a good school. Alot of people do stick with their HS groups from what my kids say though.

+1. It’s not that it’s a harder admit, it’s that it is unpredictable based on traditional metrics of gpa and test scores. They have different priorities. It’s not the “top” kids from each high school that get admitted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DC is applying this year and I was surprised that the guidance counselor said it was a reach school. It has gotten really difficult to get into, even for non-engineering majors.

Business school(undergrad) is getting stronger.
For some reason, most of the Tech oriented schools also have good business schools.

MIT, Georgia Tech, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, this doesn’t sound anything like my child’s experience. He is currently a freshman there and VT was the most popular school for applicants from his high school last year. It’s become incredibly competitive to get in *because* so many high-stats kids are applying (and not just for engineering). The only kids from his school who were accepted last admission cycle were at the top of the class. It’s no wonder to me that some high-stats kids are being rejected - they’re competing with other, equally talented kids! VT can’t take them all.

My kid is having the time of his life there. Challenging academics plus tons of social activities is exactly what he was looking for. It’s my younger daughter’s top choice too.

If anything, [b]VT seems to be the most popular university in VA. [/quote][/b]

+1 it got the most apps of any other VA state school at my kids' HS. DS is a sophomore there and doing well academically. I do think he found the size a bit intimidating socially and has ended up mainly with a friend group from high school. But he's happy, glad he chose VT, and doing well in a challenging major. So can't ask for more than that!

That is not the conclusion to draw. It receives more apps from your school because the chances of getting in (excluding engineering) are much better than for UVA and W&M. Hence, more students will apply to the larger, more easily accessible lpublic, then JMU, GMU, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, this doesn’t sound anything like my child’s experience. He is currently a freshman there and VT was the most popular school for applicants from his high school last year. It’s become incredibly competitive to get in *because* so many high-stats kids are applying (and not just for engineering). The only kids from his school who were accepted last admission cycle were at the top of the class. It’s no wonder to me that some high-stats kids are being rejected - they’re competing with other, equally talented kids! VT can’t take them all.

My kid is having the time of his life there. Challenging academics plus tons of social activities is exactly what he was looking for. It’s my younger daughter’s top choice too.

If anything, VT seems to be the most popular university in VA.

A lot of that is probably self selection; many more kids have the stats for VT vs UVA or W&M

Correct. It’s safety for those who will get into UVA and W&M and there is a whole broad swath of people who apply for whom it will be a reach or a match. And it’s a much bigger school than the other two.

Except that it’s not a safety at all. Plenty of high stats kids are rejected (and plenty accepted, as well). The point being, it’s a competitive school and anyone considering it a “safety” in any way clearly hasn’t done their homework. My own kid got into all three - VT, UVA, and WM. Chose VT (non-engineering).

VT non engineering is not even in the same universe as W&M or UVA in regards to academics

[Anonymous]

VT acceptance rate - almost 70%
W&M acceptance rate - just over 40%
UVA acceptance rate - just over 20%

none of them are comparable apart from all being from the same state in which they are based

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:VT acceptance rate - almost 70%
W&M acceptance rate - just over 40%
UVA acceptance rate - just over 20%

none of them are comparable apart from all being from the same state in which they are based

I have a friend who works there in admissions.

This is old data you're referencing. VT's admit rate is going down every year due to common app. Admit rates are very much dependent on major. Each major has a seat limit.

It's a great school and our DS's top choice over the other 2 above. The "This is Home" motto is very real there and the students feel it.

[Anonymous]

Some of these parents are reaching pretty far with some of these comments. I guess this will be the start of Hokie boosterism...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some of these parents are reaching pretty far with some of these comments. I guess this will be the start of Hokie boosterism...

What’s wrong with Hokie “boosterism”? Admittedly, as a VT graduate I am biased. That said, I am shocked it’s so competitive these days. I was a decent FCPS student - nothing special - and I never worried about whether I’d get in 15 years ago. I think you’ll find that a lot of others had the same perception/experience and so it’s just an axiom change.

By the way, it IS a great school and I have so many fond memories of my time there.

[Anonymous]

I would pick VT over UVA for engineering and many do. Funny how people make comparisons based on overall admissions rate. Doesn’t mean much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would pick VT over UVA for engineering and many do. Funny how people make comparisons based on overall admissions rate. Doesn’t mean much.

Simple, DCUM parents are insecure.

[Anonymous]

If you click the box for "i am interested in Corps of Cadets" you will up your chance of getting in by a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tech is a really weird school right now. There is just no telling if kids are going to get in so it's hard to get excited about it. A place like UVA or W&M, you kind of know based on you stats if you will have a shot. With Tech, it a total crapshoot. I know kids who were WL there but got into UVA and i know kids who got into Tech who would never have been competitive for UVA (and they didn't even bother to apply). Just no telling really. That said, it's a good school. Alot of people do stick with their HS groups from what my kids say though.

This. ALL this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tech is a really weird school right now. There is just no telling if kids are going to get in so it's hard to get excited about it. A place like UVA or W&M, you kind of know based on you stats if you will have a shot. With Tech, it a total crapshoot. I know kids who were WL there but got into UVA and i know kids who got into Tech who would never have been competitive for UVA (and they didn't even bother to apply). Just no telling really. That said, it's a good school. Alot of people do stick with their HS groups from what my kids say though.

I don't think it's a good thing that VT admissions is so unpredictable. (Saying it's a "total crapshoot" is taking things a bit too far, however.) A lot of that unpredictability is VT playing games with its yield rate. For example, waitlisting unhooked students with very high stats for some majors, while accepting unhooked students with notably lower stats for the same majors, because VT believes the former will likely choose higher ranked options. What's more important to VT, having the highest yield rate possible, or being more straightforward in its approach?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:VT acceptance rate - almost 70%
W&M acceptance rate - just over 40%
UVA acceptance rate - just over 20%

none of them are comparable apart from all being from the same state in which they are based

I have a friend who works there in admissions.

This is old data you're referencing. VT's admit rate is going down every year due to common app. Admit rates are very much dependent on major. Each major has a seat limit.

It's a great school and our DS's top choice over the other 2 above. The "This is Home" motto is very real there and the students feel it.

this is TODAYs data based on 2022 admits