VT this Friday?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every year this happens and every year I don’t understand why people get upset. It is the same story just about every time: “my super high stat kid was waitlisted”. Well did they visit? No. Was VT a priority? No. Did they ED? No. Was VT even near the top of your list? No. Then why be upset? VT took the kids that wanted to be there, and by the way, those kids had good stats too.

Did it all except ED. Tech was first choice by a mile but kid wanted to show A grade in challenging math course first semester. Got A. Was waitlisted and will likely go to GMU but a little disappointed in the end.

Flawed admissions strategy

[Anonymous]

VT is playing the social engineering game with the state kids and it is tiring and frustrating. A state school should represent the make-up of the state and any school that has the outright goal of 40% URM/1st Gen is not representing the population of the state that it is supposed to serve. Also, why accept lower stat OOS kids over high stat in-state?? That makes no sense at all to me. The majority of state schools do the opposite.
The theory of high stat kids using it as a safety shouldn't matter; look at Pitt - they accept high stat kids and are fully aware that many of them consider it a safety but a lot of those kids end up attending, loving the school and increasing the caliber of the school.

[Anonymous]

Also, why accept lower stat OOS kids over high stat in-state?? That makes no sense at all to me. The majority of state schools do the opposite.
The theory of high stat kids using it as a safety shouldn't matter; look at Pitt - they accept high stat kids and are fully aware that many of them consider it a safety but a lot of those kids end up attending, loving the school and increasing the caliber of the school.

First, Pitt has rolling admission and accepts lots of kids who apply early. Second, looking at the FCPS numbers, very few kids select Pitt, especially now that merit aid isn't as generous. A high stat kid who applies late is taking the same risk at VT. I fully support kids taking a shot at their favorite, higher ranked school, but they should do so with the understanding that VT may not be their back up (and, it likely won't be if they're applying for CS or engineering).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:VT is playing the social engineering game with the state kids and it is tiring and frustrating. A state school should represent the make-up of the state and any school that has the outright goal of 40% URM/1st Gen is not representing the population of the state that it is supposed to serve. Also, why accept lower stat OOS kids over high stat in-state?? That makes no sense at all to me. The majority of state schools do the opposite.
The theory of high stat kids using it as a safety shouldn't matter; look at Pitt - they accept high stat kids and are fully aware that many of them consider it a safety but a lot of those kids end up attending, loving the school and increasing the caliber of the school.

VA is 60% white. So 40% URM tracks.

VA is 6% Asian. So are you mad VaTeach is not aiming for 34% URM???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are you making this situation about URM & First Gen students? I question when VT became a 1st choice for most of the people whining on this thread. Did they ED or did it become their 1st choice after getting other rejections and deferrals or acceptances with high price tags? Also, what major did they apply for because the high demand programs really matter at VT. But blaming this on URM students is just lazy.

and racist

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every year this happens and every year I don’t understand why people get upset. It is the same story just about every time: “my super high stat kid was waitlisted”. Well did they visit? No. Was VT a priority? No. Did they ED? No. Was VT even near the top of your list? No. Then why be upset? VT took the kids that wanted to be there, and by the way, those kids had good stats too.

Did it all except ED. Tech was first choice by a mile but kid wanted to show A grade in challenging math course first semester. Got A. Was waitlisted and will likely go to GMU but a little disappointed in the end.

VT does not look at senior year grades AT ALL. Your senior received bad advice if that was their only reason for not EDing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are you making this situation about URM & First Gen students? I question when VT became a 1st choice for most of the people whining on this thread. Did they ED or did it become their 1st choice after getting other rejections and deferrals or acceptances with high price tags? Also, what major did they apply for because the high demand programs really matter at VT. But blaming this on URM students is just lazy. [/quote

No one is blaming this on URM students. They are current with the news. Pushing the student body to over 40% URM and first-generation was something pledged by the current head of VT, Tim Sands in 2017 and is still very much an issue there today. https://vtx.vt.edu/articles/2022/09/admissions-fall-census-2022.html. Read also the Chronicle of Higher Education. There are only so many VT engineering seats so if Sands wants to engage in social engineering like this then someone is not going to get in. Hence, yield protection and caucasian and Asian students, especially TJ students, who used to get in (all else equal) are not getting in. This is very much a news issue being discussed in Higher Education. Some feel that the Commonwealth's only polytechnic school should not be engaging in this kind of social engineering, especially since the privates are doing it. Shouldn't VT be serving the students of the state? Also, as mentioned above, URM and first-generation IS a proxy for getting around test scores and GPA and accessing more Pell grant students, which, indeed, does push VT up the USNWR ranking. Query also whether the only public polytech institution in the Commonwealth should be trying to push its way up USNWR. Some commentators think this is OK, some do not. The parents of high-stats kids who used to be able to get into VT engineering, computer science and math programs(especially the TJ parents) disagree. It's that simple

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
No one is blaming this on URM students. They are current with the news. Pushing the student body to over 40% URM and first-generation was something pledged by the current head of VT, Tim Sands in 2017 and is still very much an issue there today. https://vtx.vt.edu/articles/2022/09/admissions-fall-census-2022.html. Read also the Chronicle of Higher Education. There are only so many VT engineering seats so if Sands wants to engage in social engineering like this then someone is not going to get in. Hence, yield protection and caucasian and Asian students, especially TJ students, who used to get in (all else equal) are not getting in. This is very much a news issue being discussed in Higher Education. Some feel that the Commonwealth's only polytechnic school should not be engaging in this kind of social engineering, especially since the privates are doing it. Shouldn't VT be serving the students of the state? Also, as mentioned above, URM and first-generation IS a proxy for getting around test scores and GPA and accessing more Pell grant students, which, indeed, does push VT up the USNWR ranking. Query also whether the only public polytech institution in the Commonwealth should be trying to push its way up USNWR. Some commentators think this is OK, some do not. The parents of high-stats kids who used to be able to get into VT engineering, computer science and math programs(especially the TJ parents) disagree. It's that simple

How many times are you going to post this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:VT is playing the social engineering game with the state kids and it is tiring and frustrating. A state school should represent the make-up of the state and any school that has the outright goal of 40% URM/1st Gen is not representing the population of the state that it is supposed to serve. Also, why accept lower stat OOS kids over high stat in-state?? That makes no sense at all to me. The majority of state schools do the opposite.
The theory of high stat kids using it as a safety shouldn't matter; look at Pitt - they accept high stat kids and are fully aware that many of them consider it a safety but a lot of those kids end up attending, loving the school and increasing the caliber of the school.

Interesting that you don't complain about UVA or W&M doing exactly the same thing - but refusing to acknowledge it. I'd much rather have a school that is transparent and honest than one that hides their admission goals. Any school that uses ED uses it to determine who is serious about the school vs who is not. Can't say I blame them.

Regarding OOS/in-state - where on earth are you getting this? How would you possibly know the stats of those accepted vs. rejected?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My personal theory of why people get upset at VT is because in some quarters it is viewed as beneath their child. To get waitlisted is viewed an insult. But VT knows if it is being viewed as a last resort break glass for emergency safety school. Why would they take that kid over a kid that really wants to be there?

VT has a lot of good programs for a good in state price. Lot of people are very happy to take that ticket with no complaints and aren’t shy about letting VT know that.

Oh, most definitely. I have no sympathy for the entitled parents (and kids) who seem to think they were owed an acceptance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are you making this situation about URM & First Gen students? I question when VT became a 1st choice for most of the people whining on this thread. Did they ED or did it become their 1st choice after getting other rejections and deferrals or acceptances with high price tags? Also, what major did they apply for because the high demand programs really matter at VT. But blaming this on URM students is just lazy.

Agreed. Notice how no one answers when asked if their rejected kid applied ED or not. Because it's obvious - they didn't. They just thought they could rack up an acceptance but go elsewhere. Those who truly had VT as their first choice, applied ED.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My personal theory of why people get upset at VT is because in some quarters it is viewed as beneath their child. To get waitlisted is viewed an insult. But VT knows if it is being viewed as a last resort break glass for emergency safety school. Why would they take that kid over a kid that really wants to be there?

VT has a lot of good programs for a good in state price. Lot of people are very happy to take that ticket with no complaints and aren’t shy about letting VT know that.

Level of applicant's interest was not considered by VA Tech this cycle. This can be found in the common data set published on their website. We are in state (have lived in VA for 20+ years) and would have passed on schools with lower acceptance rates for the in state tuition. So we did not look at the school as a safety. We will probably be paying out of state or private tuition now. I am sure we are not the only family in this situation, especially those interested in engineering. This was not unexpected as we went thru this with a 2021 hs grad. However, it is frustrating to see in-state kids be accepted to schools like ND, GA Tech and CMU (all with lower acceptance rates) and not get into what we consider the state flagship for engineering.

So did your kid apply ED to VT? Also, regarding interest - it's always struck me as common sense to display interest to any school a student is applying to. Even the ones who say they don't track interest. Why would you not? Who just shoots out an application to a school they've never visited or participated in any online informational sessions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are you making this situation about URM & First Gen students? I question when VT became a 1st choice for most of the people whining on this thread. Did they ED or did it become their 1st choice after getting other rejections and deferrals or acceptances with high price tags? Also, what major did they apply for because the high demand programs really matter at VT. But blaming this on URM students is just lazy.

This! Our DS did not get in a couple of years ago and he was upset. However, he was already in at 4 of his top choices (reaches/matches) and VT was on his list of safeties. I suspect a lot of people here are like us. More upset at being dissed rather than at not getting in. The other thing is that, admissions have become a lot more of a crapshoot thanks to Test Optional with resultant increases in applications. If you really really want a school, go ED.

+1
I thought this was common knowledge, but some seem to really want to blame for VT for... something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:VT is playing the social engineering game with the state kids and it is tiring and frustrating. A state school should represent the make-up of the state and any school that has the outright goal of 40% URM/1st Gen is not representing the population of the state that it is supposed to serve. Also, why accept lower stat OOS kids over high stat in-state?? That makes no sense at all to me. The majority of state schools do the opposite.
The theory of high stat kids using it as a safety shouldn't matter; look at Pitt - they accept high stat kids and are fully aware that many of them consider it a safety but a lot of those kids end up attending, loving the school and increasing the caliber of the school.

VA is 60% white. So 40% URM tracks.

VA is 6% Asian. So are you mad VaTeach is not aiming for 34% URM???

Wrong. Almost 70% white and 7% Asian. 20% Black. Negligible hispanics. What were you saying again?

https://worldpopulationreview.com/states/virginia-population

Virginia Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Virginia was:

White: 66.32%
Black or African American: 19.05%
Asian: 6.7%
Two or more races: 4.77%
Other race: 2.83%
Native American: 0.27%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.07%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Also, why accept lower stat OOS kids over high stat in-state?? That makes no sense at all to me. The majority of state schools do the opposite.
The theory of high stat kids using it as a safety shouldn't matter; look at Pitt - they accept high stat kids and are fully aware that many of them consider it a safety but a lot of those kids end up attending, loving the school and increasing the caliber of the school.

First, Pitt has rolling admission and accepts lots of kids who apply early. Second, looking at the FCPS numbers, very few kids select Pitt, especially now that merit aid isn't as generous. A high stat kid who applies late is taking the same risk at VT. I fully support kids taking a shot at their favorite, higher ranked school, but they should do so with the understanding that VT may not be their back up (and, it likely won't be if they're applying for CS or engineering).

Completely agree.