My question is in the title of this thread. My student was deferred from VT Early Decision (3.7 GPA and 1350 SAT CR/M) in December of 2014. His goal is to get accepted into VT’s College of Engineering. I know his stats were low for Early Decision and probably right on the bubble for Regular Admission. However, since VT has a two-step admissions process for Engineering, even if he is accepted into VT during the regular admissions cycle (should be notified by 1 April 2015), that does not mean he will get into the College of Engineering.
Anyone get deferred from VT during Early Decision and then get accepted into VT College of Engineering?
I know of two from my son’s high school. One three years ago and one two years ago. We are in state. I suspect it happens plenty. They are probably waiting to see his mid term grades. Good luck to him.
A few of my son’s friends were deferred Engineering during ED (back a few years ago) and were later accepted during RD but in University Studies. All are currently getting ready to graduate in May in Engineering though. I am sure that others will report deferrals accepted in Engineering during RD however. My point is, that if accepted US, you can still end up in Engineering if you really work hard and want it.
OspreyCV22–thank you for the reply. We are in state also. It’s nice to know this situation has worked out well for two kids. It’s not the end of the world if my son does not get into VT Engineering. He has other acceptable options. . .it’s just that VT is his #1. Thanks again!
bbloop42–thanks for your response. I think if my son is lucky enough to get into VT during Regular Admissions but not into Engineering, he may just go to his second choice–Ohio State where he has already been admitted into Engineering. He (and I) are a bit worried that if he went to VT into Univ Studies, then he would not necessarily be accepted into Engineering.
This whole college admissions process seems like a crap shoot! (Was much less complicated when I went to college in the Dark Ages.)
My son was deferred from early engineering in 2013 and got in University studies during RD (second choice). We knew he wanted to continue to pursue the engineering degree, so he prepared over the summer before admissions to take an intro. engineering course at a VA community college that met the requirements and would qualify as a transfer credit course at VA Tech since he would not qualify to take the course at VT during his freshman fall semester (restricted to engineering freshmen only). He took all the other courses during his first semester that the engineering students were taking, thus keeping himself on the same path. He requested to change majors after his fall freshman semester since he had fulfilled all the requirements, and became an official engineering student in time for the freshman spring semester.
If you check out some of my past postings you will see more info. about the process my son went thru. You have to plan well and plan in advance in order for this to work well for you or it could mean extra semesters for your student if they fall behind the engineering students before making that internal transition.
Check out this link for specifics on the internal transfer process
Chemistry and calculus courses should be no problem for a University Studies fall freshman to take in order to keep up with the engineering students (although he did have a small issue with registering for the chem class that was taken care of by direct request to the science dept. since VT would not allow a university studies student to register for that particular Chem class), it’s only that ENGE 1215 course that they will not be able to take. Can do it during the summer if you have availability to a VA community college that offers the equivalent transfer course
Sheet is a bit outdated since VT no longer has ENGE 1024, 1104, etc but I imagine the community college courses would still be equivalent, just double check with someone at VT before making firm plans.
We actually registered my son for the summer course before he even knew if he was getting into VT as a University Studies student or an Engineering student since the summer spots in some of the CC’s fill up quickly. If he had gotten in engineering we would have dropped the summer course and gotten a refund
Be advised that general engineering has changed their minimum GPA policy from 2.0 to 3.0 since last year. Therefore, comments from previous years from this site about how easy it was to transfer from university studies to general engineering after first semester may no longer be valid to new incoming students with non engineering majors status. Your son can still plan his courses as advised above. One caution is that unless he can get AP or IB credits from his high school for chemestry 1035 & 1045 before starting his first semester, at VT, your son should prepare himself to fight hard to get into CHEM 1035 & 1045 lab during his orientation week and survive this infamous weed out class for freshmen at VT. Everything is still doable with persistence. However, getting 3.0 gpa may be very different game in college especially in engineering track even for 4.0 high school students. If engineering is what he really wants, I suggest that he should carefully evaluate against other schools where he can get in as an engineering major before jump in to VT with non engineering major. Good luck!
As others have said, getting the first semester engineering seminar and staying above a 3.0 is the biggest challenge to transferring into engineering - even for HS 4.0’s. My son recently transferred straight into Civil from another major outside engineering. He opted to skip going into General at all and waited until he could go into his specialty. It can be done! He is about a semester behind unless he decides to do a session of summer school.
Another option for getting in the engineering class is taking it locally at New River CC. He had some friends do that along with their VT courses during the fall and spring semesters.
Thanks to all who have replied. Based on your comments (and knowing other students who got into VT but deferred from Engineering, IF my son does NOT get into BOTH VT and the College of Engineering, I doubt he will attend at all. College is hard enough without the added stress of not knowing if you can get into your major. He does have other Engineering options, but the “best options” (in my view)–like Ohio State and Penn State–are out of state for us. Decisions. . .
Actually my son did a similar thing in 2009. He was admitted but just to University studies. He could still get into engineering but not the first semester, since there is one intro class that only engineering students are allowed to take. So my son took the same intro class at a local community college (30 min bus ride/5 miles from VT campus) along with several others who were in the same boat. The course transferred after the first semester and he was officially an engineering major in January, on the same track as those who had been admitted to engineering from the beginning. I’m proud to say that he graduated – on time – in 2013 and is a practicing (and employed!) civil engineer. And a very proud Hokie!
novaproud - sounds like my son. He got into engineering at every other school and was looking seriously at going out of state. But in the end he felt more comfortable at VT, and from the first day on campus had the plan to transfer into engineering. Nice to see him set a goal and figure out how to get there.
Even if you start out in general engineering, you still have to have the grades to get into your engineering specialty. In that way it’s the same as starting out in another major and transferring in. The difference is getting the classes you need, especially the 2 engineering classes. And there are options for taking those classes. So it can be done if VT is where he really wants to do.
I also don’t think your son should rule out VT just because of possibly not being able to start out in engineering. Like others, my son also was deferred in engineering in 2009 and had to start out in University Studies. There is a clear path from University Studies to engineering and the department and advisors help with the schedule to take the right courses. My son did very well his first semester and quickly was allowed to transfer into engineering. He also graduated in 2013 and graduated Magna Cum Laude so it all worked out. Good help with internships, career fairs (Engineering Expo)., good recruitment and jobs coming out of Virginia Tech. Good luck.
@sevmom–thank you for sharing your son’s experience at VT. No final decision here yet since we are still waiting to hear back from VT (as my son was deferred during Early Action review). My son did get a generous scholarship from Ohio State which makes the cost about the cost of Virgina in-state and so, if VT does not work out, he does have an affordable out of state option. My son did love VT after visiting it and so, we will see where he ends up for Engineering. thanks again.
If it is not more expensive at Ohio State and he likes it there, that could certainly be another option. Hope he gets in in the regular round at VT to engineering so you have two good acceptances into engineering to choose from.
(Was much less complicated when I went to college in the Dark Ages.)