From the VT website:

"Rather than establishing a numerical minimum for GPA and test scores, the Honors College looks holistically at a first-year applicant's overall academic record and experiences. We value quality of engagement (rather than sheer quantity), self-awareness, reflection on involvement, and authenticity."

Anonymous wrote:Why is VT Honors so difficult to get into? With high stat admits, you'd figure the Honors College invite would be extended.

Try looking for criteria regarding what VT is looking for with the honors admits. You will not find it, and I don’t think it is based (or solely based) on stats. I say this from having two Hokies that have classmates from high school and friends in college who were admitted to honors (my kids were not, no sour grapes at all, they are perfectly happy without it).

One student I know offered honors is from a group generally underrepresented in engineering, another is a first gen college student. Both are dear friends of my Hokie, and she knows what their stats looked like compared to hers (they were not as strong). Please don’t read any judgment into this statement at all as none is intended. I am just providing info anecdotally based on what I have seen myself & heard over the years.

Unlike South Carolina that has a very extensive honors application, for VT all you need to do to apply for honors is check off a little box on your application. Nothing else is required. They are using some range of criteria to decide who to admit or not, and I wouldn’t be surprised if in part it was to encourage yield from certain groups.

I typically warn against banking on getting into VT honors if a student has high stats and honors admits to other schools, because it doesn’t necessarily translate!

Anonymous wrote:Why is VT Honors so difficult to get into? With high stat admits, you'd figure the Honors College invite would be extended.

Sure, let everyone be an honors student.

Why is VT Honors so difficult to get into? With high stat admits, you'd figure the Honors College invite would be extended.

Our kid, a current senior, didn't get into the honors college initially. However, after their first semester they was automatically extended an invite based on college grades without applying.

Virginia Tech does not give any merit scholarships that are not also based somewhat on need, as per a discussion I had on the phone with someone in their financial aid department.

The honors department has separate scholarships (also based on need) from general scholarships. You do not need to be in the honors department in order to receive a general scholarship.

How difficult is it to be accepted in VT Honors College?

Friend's kid has 1580 SAT, high rigor with perfect APs and GPA but did not get in to VT Honors (but did get admissions for the school). Great/friendly kid with part-time job and related internship and relevant ECs. From OOS public in Engineering. Was accepted to UVA and Deferred to GTech.

I guess that would mean that VT merit scholarships are also not in the cards if someone does not get into VT Honors?

Thanks for the input. We have a junior and bracing for what is to come next year.