I’m an admitted student into general engineering. I haven’t had a chance to visit campus yet. I called every number I could to try to set up a campus tour over my spring break, the week after Easter. Every VA Tech person I contacted said there is absolutely no more room on any tours until late April. I believe this is because the campus tours involve taking us around on buses because the campus is so large. I cannot make it to Hokie Focus day because it overlaps with my other schools’ accepted students days. I was able to get an engineering session during my spring break, but not a campus tour or information session. My question is- is it worth it to travel to Virginia for only an hour long engineering session? I live in NY, so it would be an 8 hour drive. While visiting I could also take a self guided tour and talk to a student I know who attends VA Tech. Does this seem worth the effort, or a waste of time? It’s very difficult to make a decision without visiting campus.
If you are really interested in attending, then it is definitely worth the drive. If it’s just a maybe–then I would skip it.
We attended with two of our kids on separate occasions and my husband and I attended Tech years ago.
I understand the problem during spring break. While you may not be able to attend the Info session–since there is specific seating, it would potentially be easy to jump in on a tour–especially as you are walking across the drill field. All campus tours are very similar–academic buildings, campus and a residence hall. What you want to do is to get a feeling for the campus. Most of the kids on the tour at this point are probably juniors. Going to the engineering session would be useful. Did you schedule the general one–or the major specific session as well? We scheduled an appointment with one of the engineering departmental advisors when we visited. The major specific sessions are much more meaningful at this point. You can get a feeling for the expectations in the department. There were no bus tours when we attended in 2011 and 2013–just walking. The campus is completely walkable.
Do you want a college town atmosphere with a lot of school spirit? If so, then it’s definitely worth a visit. If you are leaning towards a city environment, then I wouldn’t waste your time. Good Luck on your decision.
As a parent I’d highly recommend you find a way to tour the campus. An engineering information session is a good start. The first thing you’d do on any visit is to check in at the Visitors center to get a parking pass. That is where the tour would begin if you were able to register for one online.
There are two parts for the campus tours. The first is an information session/slide show that starts every hour, if I recall correctly. When you’re registered for that and check in they mark you off, give you a baggie of promotional items and name tags. Then you sit through a smallish (maybe 50+ people) information session. After the information session they tell you to be at the steps in front of Burruss Hall at a certain time to meet your tour guide. Your group of 50+ is then broken down into groups of about 10 for an hour or so tour given by a student ambassador.
I would imagine that if you showed up in the morning, say 8:45am to get your parking pass for the engineering session, you could ask if you there was room for you to sit in on an information session. I’m guessing they would try to find space for you, but even if they couldn’t find any room in the information session, you could definitely wait around the front steps of Burruss Hall and jump on one of the smaller tours being led by students.
The smaller campus tour is probably the more important of the two, because it shows the buildings, classrooms, dorms and dining facilities. The information session is great, but as I recall it’s more of a recruiting pitch.
Just for background information, we did the information session and tour with my son, who wanted nothing to do with VA Tech at the time. He was UVA all the way, and wouldn’t even accept my offer to buy him a Tech souvenir when we visited. I insisted on him seeing Tech because it was in state, which was financially important to me, and offered engineering which was important to him. We saw Tech on a Monday and UVA on a Tuesday. By the end of our week of tours he decided Tech is where he wanted to go. He enrolls in the college of engineering in August.
I don’t tell that story to disparage UVA, but simply to note that Tech did a great job of making him feel at home and made him feel like they wanted him. So I do think it there is any way you can make a visit it would be time well spent. Maybe they win you over like they did my son, or maybe your realize it just isn’t your place. Either way I wouldn’t let the fact that you can’t get registered for one of the official tours stand in your way.
Good luck!
We went on the tour last year. They bus you around the campus from the admissions center and drop you off in front of Burruss Hall on one side of the Drill Field. From then on the tour guides walk around and talk about the campus and various aspects of the university.
As asixbn says, I would think if you knew the days and times of tours and went and waited in front of Burruss Hall until a tour bus emptied you could slide right into the crowd and follow them around. I don’t think they keep a count and they really can’t chase you away for following and eaves dropping.