Virginia Tech parents...

[Anonymous]

Not totally related, but did you know they pay to keep The Math Emporium running 24/7, even when nobody is there?

Collegiate Times said the electric bill is about $12k per month because they don't turn the lights or computers off...ever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eyG8VcLXE4

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The math emporium brings Tech’s prestige down a peg, IMO. Not the way to learn calculus.

Can you elaborate? What’s the better model and where is it employed?

How about a classroom, like how most professors are teaching math?


This is not normal.

Agreed. They should give a tuition break for those taking math emporium.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:W & M had 15,000 applications last year so it appears that somebody applied.

Just saying that it's not like all kids are applying to UVA or W&M as first choices, with VT as the safety.

Maybe back in the day this was the case, but it seems now that the three are of equal stature in the kids' eyes, just different types of kids are applying to each one. That's a good thing I think that they're trying to find the right fit vs. just legacy status. Legacy not as in alumni but legacy as in the past.

My kid is at a STEM magnet so maybe my views are skewed by DC and friends. They report that W&M is more of a SLAC, while VT is the STEM school and UVA is big state U, but they're all equally good according to the kids.

Didn't mean to knock W&M.

You say VT is the STEM school, but I don't think you can say it is stronger in science than UVA or W&M. That isn't to say it isn't good. UVA has the same percentage of majors as VT in Bio/Biomed, Math/Statistics, Computer Sciences, Chemistry, Physics, and W&M has a higher percentage than either. STEM at VT is heavy on engineering. Among national public universities, only Berkeley produces as many STEM PHDs on a per capita basis as W&M. And referring to UVA as Big State U when VT is significantly larger seems like a misnomer.

I was just saying what the kids are expressing these days. I suppose it matters if the parents feel that the kids went to a less-than university, but I would hope it matters more what the kids think, and the kids seem to think that the three are equal. Technically I suppose the kids shouldn't give a cr@p what anyone else thinks, but I don't think we can expect that from most high schoolers with their social media lives these days.

I wrote the prior response. I agree that ideally kids should just make their choice and/or live with the options they had and move on. College shouldn't define you or what you can achieve in life. My comment was simply about any implication that UVA and W&M aren't STEM. They have strong options and have the same percentage of students or higher in areas like Bio/Biomed, Math/Statistics, etc.

[Anonymous]

Given the alumni and student spirit for VT, I'd say there isn't any feeling of "settling" by attending VT. I've never seen anything quite like it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Given the alumni and student spirit for VT, I'd say there isn't any feeling of "settling" by attending VT. I've never seen anything quite like it.

It is really a special place. I truly don’t know anyone who didn’t love it. I mean no ill will toward other VA schools, but there really isn’t that sense of spirit and pride that you see in VT graduates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:...do you think your DC settled because they didn’t get into UVA or W&M?

I got into all three -- UVA, VT, and W&M-- and I chose VT. I preferred the campus, the student life, and the program at Tech over any other school to which I applied.

For graduate school, I took classes through VT, UVA, and GMU, but I preferred GMU's program to complete my degree.

There is no "best" school because there is never a one-size-fits-all campus or program. Therefore, I would never feel my kid settled if he/she chose the school at which he/she was happiest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:...do you think your DC settled because they didn’t get into UVA or W&M?

I got into all three -- UVA, VT, and W&M-- and I chose VT. I preferred the campus, the student life, and the program at Tech over any other school to which I applied.

For graduate school, I took classes through VT, UVA, and GMU, but I preferred GMU's program to complete my degree.

There is no "best" school because there is never a one-size-fits-all campus or program. Therefore, I would never feel my kid settled if he/she chose the school at which he/she was happiest.

^^^Amen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Virginia Tech is the “big state u” now. They aspire to be a school of 30,000. Admissions doesn’t look at recommendations or essays. They dont even want a transcript, they want the student to list their courses and grades on Coalition.

They’ve been on this path for years - just look at the Math “emporium” situation (you take math in a giant computer lab at the mall in a defunct store.)

Nothing wrong with that, you just have to go in with your eyes open.

Uh, Tech is already at 32,000. And it's getting more and more difficult to get into every year. GMU is at 35,500

[Anonymous]

Tech is at 35,000.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tech is at 35,000.

Another reason to avoid. You're just a number in a 700 seat auditorium being "taught" by a TA with bad english.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The math emporium brings Tech’s prestige down a peg, IMO. Not the way to learn calculus.

Can you elaborate? What’s the better model and where is it employed?

How about a classroom, like how most professors are teaching math?


This is not normal.

Personally I learn a lot better through Computer Based Education than being taught by a professor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Given the alumni and student spirit for VT, I'd say there isn't any feeling of "settling" by attending VT. I've never seen anything quite like it.

It is really a special place. I truly don’t know anyone who didn’t love it. I mean no ill will toward other VA schools, but there really isn’t that sense of spirit and pride that you see in VT graduates.

+1 Another Hokie here. It really does seem that everyone loves their time at Tech. The school has a ton of spirit and this was even true when I was there in the early 90's before they started going to all the bowl games.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The math emporium brings Tech’s prestige down a peg, IMO. Not the way to learn calculus.

Can you elaborate? What’s the better model and where is it employed?

How about a classroom, like how most professors are teaching math?


This is not normal.

Personally I learn a lot better through Computer Based Education than being taught by a professor.

It you can acknowledge that you are unusual, yes? Most people would prefer a classroom to a giant computer lab at a mall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The math emporium brings Tech’s prestige down a peg, IMO. Not the way to learn calculus.

Can you elaborate? What’s the better model and where is it employed?

How about a classroom, like how most professors are teaching math?


This is not normal.

Personally I learn a lot better through Computer Based Education than being taught by a professor.

It you can acknowledge that you are unusual, yes? Most people would prefer a classroom to a giant computer lab at a mall.

First of all, it is not a secret that this is the set up. Anyone who doesn’t like it is free not to apply or to find other accommodations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tech is at 35,000.

Another reason to avoid. You're just a number in a 700 seat auditorium being "taught" by a TA with bad english.

This has not been my DC's experience at all. I think his largest class has been 30-40. I think he would agree that the "Empo" is less than ideal, but he wasn't a fan of online classes in HS either. But, it's only a couple of introductory math classes and there is a ton of fact-to-face help and tutoring available. I think Tech is actually out in front in this area and you will see more of it at other schools in the future.