If you have a child that got accepted to Va Tech Engineering...
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Anonymous
| Did your child show extra curricular that supported interest in engineering or science? Something other than good grades in science & math classes? |
Anonymous
| ECs are overrated. A Science Olympiad or two is enough. Grades, test scores, letters of rec and essays count for much more. |
Anonymous
| This doesn't directly answer your question, but hopefully it will still be helpful. I have a nephew who much to our shock, did NOT get into Tech Engineering, despite getting into UVA, W&M, and much higher ranked private schools. This kid had over a 4.8 GPA, was 5th in his class, and had a 1440 on the SAT's. He took math through BC Calc, took AP BIO and AP Chem, he did not take physics, because the physics teacher quit the year before and they could not find a replacement. The only reason we could think of for not getting in is that he had absolutely no activities in math/STEM. All of his extra curriculars were in the arts and sports. So yes, I would say that Tech Engineering definitely wants to see a demonstrated interest in math and science. |
Anonymous
A Science Olympiad shows interest. |
Anonymous
I said it was enough, kids don't need to go crazy joining every STEM club they can find. Unless they really, really enjoy it and it's not a time suck. |
Anonymous
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You're probably better off having your DC pose the question to an admissions rep rather than looking for anecdotal evidence here.
One of DD's friends was accepted to VA Tech and other engineering programs and had no STEM-related ECs. I'm not sure she even took any AP science classes. My DC might apply to VA tech engineering next year. All of his ECs are music related and he's not interested in the academic math/science teams. If he doesn't get in to VA Tech, he'll just go somewhere else. |
Anonymous
Musical aptitude is a highly prized asset in engineering recruiting. I know that sounds dumb, but it's true. |
Anonymous
My son isn't applying to VT engineering (that I'm aware of anyway) but from an anecdotal perspective I've noticed a correlation between his mathematical and musical aptitude. He one day figured out how to read sheet music and that was that. From there on out he could read music and he seems to have a decent ear for it. It's the same sort of thing with math, once he figures it out (decodes it?) he's got it. He scored really high on some sort of spatial aptitude test in elementary school, so it seems to be an innate ability on his part. I think he's only beginning to discover where this is going to take him. |
Anonymous
OP here. This is interesting because all of my dc's activities are related to music. I started this thread because I was worried that he had no science related ec's but maybe it's ok. |
Anonymous
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It may be a touchy subject but admissions requirements for what qualifies as demonstrated interest in Engineering majors can be quite different for men and women.
I don't mean that GPAs or test scores or recommendations will be different, everyone has to be able to do the work. I mean that just by applying to an engineering school a woman is showing a pretty high level of interest among the applicants compared to the average male applicant. |
Anonymous
My DC who was admitted to Va Tech engineering had a 3.97 after his senior year and a 3.79 at the end of his junior year. (Weighted) The APs he took (and received mostly 4s and a few 5s) were AP Stats, BC Calculus, AP Chemistry, AP Physics C (E&M only), AP World, AP US, AP Gov. He took Gen ed English and Spanish for three years. His HS was at one of the top 5 DCUM Fairfax County High Schools. No C’s- this seems to be important, there is a feeling from people in our HS that Tech does not admit kids with any C’s- even if it is one In an elective or that they tried to stretch themselves in a higher level core class. I will say that DC received two B-s in classes that were very challenging for him. One was in Honor English in his sophomore year and was way out of his league- same for third year Spanish. The Spanish was mainly due to getting the easy teacher for Spanish 2 and the really hard stickler teacher for SPanish 3- it would have been better if they had been reversed (or that he had one or the other for both years). His grades in the math and science classes were excellent. He was in orchestra all four years going through the three levels of orchestras. He earned his Eagle Scout award in the spring of his sophomore year. He was active in our Congregation’s youth group and held a leadership position in our denomination’s mid-Atlantic HS group. That was basically it. I am an alumni that had donated a few hundred a year since graduation. My gut is that his Eagle Scout and subsequent large number of volunteer hours is what pushed him over the line as wel as taking the hard STEM AP classes and doing well in them. His AP Chem teacher wrote his recommendation. |
Anonymous
My son enjoys athletic/action related pursuits as well. Not just typical team sports but things that involve action, like roller coasters. I think that this also somehow ties in with his math/music ability. |
Anonymous
My DC was accepted to Va Tech Engineering with no extracurriculars in anything related to STEM. But was in his HS marching band for 4 years. He decided to go to UVA instead bc he wasn't sure he wanted to be an engineer. He is in the marching band at UVA and guess what, engineering majors are the biggest group of students in the band. |
Anonymous
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PP whose nephew did not get in ....
could be because he did not take AP Physics. Parents have been told that is a prerequisite for admission, though no one formally admits it ... it does seem to be a dividing line. |
Anonymous
My kid is in the same boat. Actually, I think he would rather be a music major than an engineering major but he realizes that's probably not a very practical course of action (plus he would likely need to go back in time and start private lessons a few years earlier). Still, I can see him being a music minor. FWIW, his music teacher has mentioned that VA Tech is not great for kids who want to keep playing in college (that may just apply to orchestra - obviously, they have a marching band). |