My son applied ED to VT this year. He has taken rigorous courses throughout HS - struggled in Math Analysis last year, but is taking AP Calculus this year. GPA is 3.6/4.0 unweighted, SAT was 1280. Actively volunteered and was involved with HS clubs, worked last summer. He applied General Engineering, knowing it was a reach. I read on another resource page that applicants have, in the past, been admitted to the Xplore Technology program instead of being flat out rejected. As anyone on this forum heard this? Thanks.
VT did away with the 2nd major option for Engineering applicants last year. Assuming that hasn’t changed (your son would be able to tell you if there was a 2nd option on his application I assume?), then engineering is like all other colleges/departments in that you are either in or out with no fall back option.
Thank you @ShenVal18. I knew there was only one allowable Major designation on the application, just wasn’t sure if anyone could verify an alternate being offered by the Admissions Dept in lieu of rejecting. I read it on another site’s forum several months back, but wasn’t sure if it was accurate information. Thanks again!
It’s an all or nothing these days. However, if he applied Early Decision (finding out this month) … I’ve never seen it confirmed by anyone here but once deferred to regular admission there could be chance you could write in and change the major on the application.
I don’t know if they have a rule after a decision is made (as in Early decision) but I do know when you apply if you email in they will change your listed major (most of the time if early enough).
If he applied early action there is only a few weeks between the two decisions so no way they would ever allow a change after early action decision.
Frankly, looking at numbers you posted - getting into engineering is going to definately be a stretch unless some type of legacy or minority status to push son over the top.
Thank you @cbl1 for the suggestion regarding changing the declared major if he is deferred. He attends a state Governor’ STEM academy, is in the top 25% of his class and would be a 1st generation college student. Very realistic parent here - We knew going into the application process it was a reach, but believe in always trying. Wish we had thought about the XT declaration during the application process. Thank you again for all the insight and suggestion!!
On a recent general admissions Facebook chat, the admissions people stated that the exploring technology and general studies majors were going to be extremely competitive and they began urging that those who could should consider changing their major. It sounded like a lot of applicants, perhaps interested in engineering, were applying for exploring technology instead of engineering. Sounds like that wasn’t the best approach.
@Ma_Larkey Does your son’s school use Naviance or another similar tool, or does the guidance office keep and share stats on prior year acceptances? While the overall stats that VT publishes are helpful, the first true measure of his chances is going to be how he shapes up to prior applicants from his own high school. 1st Gen is going to be appealing to admissions at every university so that helps.
The surge in XT applications probably started with incoming 2018’s when the 2nd major option was dropped. I imagine a lot of STEM-oriented kids and their parents went that route thinking that it might be an easier transfer into engineering vs. general studies.
This year’s results are going to be very interesting.