Since no one has made a discussion yet, I thought I would start it off! I’d like an idea of who else was waitlisted for Tech.
GPA: 3.56
SAT: 1260/1600 1800/2400
ACT: 31
AP: Human Geo-4, Euro-3, Chem-2, AB Calc-2, US History-3, Comp Gov-4, English Lang-4, Psych, Physics 1
Me too…
Also question
I stated I would stay on the waitlist, but if I change my mind, how would I do so.
GPA: 3.6
SAT: 1280/1600, 2050/2400
AP: Lang-3, World History-3, Psychology-4, Lit/comp, statistics, government
@SStephen2016 I wouldn’t worry about taking your name off. If you end up with an offer later, you can turn it down then. Make sense?
My son was waitlisted. Applied for general engineering first choice, university studies second choice.
Weighted GPA 4.2
SAT 1970 (670/680)
Varsity Track and Cross Country
Eagle Scout
He took a spot on the wait list.
Sumac15: My son has very similar stats and was applying for CS in the engineering school, US second choice. Hist SATs are a bit higher but GPA just a bit lower (he’s not an Eagle Scout though…congrats). I was under the impression he would automatically be considered for US if he did not get admitted into CS. Hard to imagine that kids like these do not get admitted US, but that is the case. Son also took a spot on waiting list. Meantime, he will send deposits to George Mason.
Last year, people started hearing around early-mid May
jughaid - I was surprised that he was not admitted for University studies quite honestly. We are still waiting to hear from NC State, but he was offered huge merit money at Alabama so that is in the equation as well…
We live in NC, but I work in VA and am a state employee, so my son is eligible for in-state tuition, since I file a return in Virginia. I’m wondering if that played in - don’t want to give that in state tuition to a kid from out of state…
Sumac: yes, me too. I thought his admission at least to US would be a given based on the average stats stated for their admitted students I had heard somewhere that the Engineering School admits about 18% of their applicants. I am not sure if that is correct. May just be they don’t have a lot of University Studies slots available and those are filled by rejected Engineering College students. Hard to tell.
Also I get the sense that overall, it must have been a somewhat competitive year: most of my son’s friends (with better stats) got shot down quite a bit — but they were applying at places like MIT and Berkeley and some Ivy schools.
We are in Virginia and cannot afford out of state. However, I told him to look all over — aid can eliminate the extra expense, but he did not, only applying to Tech, George Mason, and William and Mary. (He does not want to go to W&M at all…he won’t get in – decisions are 3/26 – so not sure why he even applied there…lol.) Mason gave him money and the Honors Program and his major, so overall, not a bad second choice. As for getting off the waitlist, it is hard to tell. Seems kids apply to a lot more schools now with the Common App & online access — a lot different than when I went to undergrad. Not sure how much of that they work into their yield and admitted numbers. Alabama is a good school, so not a bad option. I am guessing you prefer to keep him closer though…
Here is a link to the “applied, offered, accepted” admission stats for the last few years as a reference. The Fall 2014 Freshman class had 5,972 apply to Gen Engr with 4,325 given offers (72.4%) and 1,391 (32%) accepting the offer (ie: yeild). Follow the link and then choose “applicants, offers…by student level” then the college of engineering. It is a pretty good link to VT’s historical data by major with the average SAT and GPA by major. (4.13 GPA avg for 2014) I agree I am surprised not admitted to US though. Best of luck.
http://www.ir.vt.edu/work_we_do/demo_enroll/admission/studentAdmission.html
Bboop42: Thanks for the info. I thought the 18% acceptance seemed wrong. Not sure how they selected US admissions…other threads show admits to other majors with much lower stats. Which I understand given the interest in those majors. Tough, but we are not placing much hope on the waitlist.
@juhaid Don’t give up. My DS last year was deferred ED (Bio), then wait-listed RD. He was devastated. (Long list of family and his brother at VT) We felt there was no chance given VT pulled very little from the wait-list for many years. He decided to send an email and asked to be considered for either Bio or US around April 1st (Bio does not get the option of showing a 2nd choice). He received an acceptance to US around May, but then decided to attend JMU (direct into Bio). I think VT gave almost 700 wait-list students offers last year. (information on same site above) While this is in no way a trend or guarantee, it has happened. So, long way of saying, there is still a chance. Engineering is the most competitive and “size” controlled given the number of available classes. Nothing makes a student and parent more upset than being in a major and then not being able to add/get their required classes because they are full. Hang in there, I know people say it will all work out for the best, and it is hard to believe, but I do now believe it after I see my very happy second son at JMU. Best of luck.
@jughaid - I think there may be some merit to the statement that they don’t just want to have University Studies filled with rejected engineering students. y son really didn’t have a second choice, so University Studies (undecided) was the best choice for him.
Ugh…Looking at those stats made me feel worse…he seemed pretty much right on the money with good extra-curriculars to support.
@bboop42 - I went to JMU and loved every minutes of it! A wonderful place!
@Sumac15 Great to hear you loved JMU. It was initially hard to swallow my DS2 choosing it over VT after many years of saying and working on VT being his #1 (not to mention an overbearing group of legacy family, me included). In the end, we let it be his decision and he is very happy there, regularly says it was the right choice, even if somewhat made out of spite in the beginning. My oldest DS1 is graduating from VT in May with a ME degree. There are definitely pros/cons to the Engineering program. I do truly believe if the child wants to succeed, they will do it where ever they end up. It is just so hard for them to believe this at the time.
As for the posted stats, don’t feel bad…you really can’t compare a student to them in the end. It is impossible to know the level of classes, grading scale, etc. that comprise them. I would love to see them go back to UW GPA only with a standard scale. Then colleges could really look at a GPA and the level of classes comprising consistently. With 24k+ applications and every school doing things different, it must be crazy to review these applications in the time frame they have to work in. Just try to remember a wait-list decision does not mean your son was not a great candidate, it is just there are so many equally great candidates and there are limited spaces. Best of luck to you and your son.
bboop42 & Sumac15 — yes, my son did not have a second choice really, but might possibly consider the BIT major in Pamplin. However, I really don’t think he would enjoy it. Does anyone know if he can change his second major from US to BIT at this point? Would it really help?
I considered contacting the Admissions Office today, but they have to be swamped with calls and emails from all manner of folks (i.e.,reason they release those admits on a Friday afternoon!). He is not really a “business” type — he is really interested in art (considered architecture) – and looking at the BIT courses does not excite him much. Like bboop42 noted with their DS who was called off the waitlist, but chose to go to JMU straight into the major, my son can get straight into Mason into his major (and they have some gaming possibilities as well). Sorry for the rambling!
Would be interesting to hear the response if anyone contacts the Admissions Office this week.
Would it be possible to ask the admissions committee to reconsider me for a different major than the one I put in my application? I applied engineering 1st choice and business 2nd choice but I got waitlisted.
My son is on the waitlist as well. He applied to engineering. The copy of the letter says nothing about him being waitlisted for engineering though. Can you all let me know? Is the waitlist for general admission too or just engineering. His second choice was business. FYI- He as a tremendous offer from Alabama Engineering and we are going to visit next week. With the Tech waitlist situation ROLE TIDE is looking mighty good, Other son goes to George Mason computer science and loves it. Great school
hhunter714-same question!
Called the admissions at Tech today, surprised they answered the phone. They have operators who are taking down messages and don’t know anything. An admissions director is supposed to get back to us in 3 business days.
Domlax: can you talk a bit about your son’s experience with CS at Mason? Things that are important the first year, has he done any internships, etccc… Anything you can pass along would be greatly appreciated! sorry…did not mean to hijack a Tech thread…