Is Virginia Tech realistic for me?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hello everyone! I’m currently finishing up my junior year of high school. I don’t know for sure what I want to major in for college, but I’ve been taking a look at computer engineering, computer science, pre pharm or pre med. I know that for pre pharm or pre med, you don’t need to have a major, but I am unsure what to major in if I was to be set on going to pharmacy school or med school (maybe chemical engineering?)

Right now, my unweighted GPA is a 3.7. My weighted gpa is around a 4.0. I got almost straight A’s my freshman years but I did horrible my sophomore year, managing to get all B+'s. This year, I did just as well as freshman year, and I have all A’s and one B+.

My schedule junior year was:

Functions Trig
AP Economics
AP English Language and Composition
AP Us History
Pre Ap Spanish IV
Advanced Computer Math (class they suggest you take before AP comp sci at my school. half weighted)
Pre Ap Chemistry

My B+ was in Functions Trig.

My schedule for senior year looks like this so far:

AP Chemistry
AP Literature
AP US Government
AP Psychology
AP Computer Science
AP Calculus AB
Physics

If I do just as well senior year as I did junior year, maintaining mostly A’s, I think I’ll have a 4.1 - 4.2 weighted GPA and a 3.75 unweighted GPA.

I haven’t taken the SAT or ACT yet. My first ACT will be in June. I plan on studying like crap for the SAT over the summer and taking it first thing in September.

I don’t have many EC’s :/. I am in some clubs but have been only somewhat active in them. I don’t have a car and since I only live with my mom who’s at work most of the time, I don’t have a ride to stay after school. This, combined with my laziness is why I haven’t volunteered as much as I should have. I also feel like I focus on my grades too much. My pathetic performance sophomore year was really disappointing for me, and I don’t want to slack off and do bad again.

The college I would like to get into is Virginia Tech. However, I’ve heard that their college of engineering is very hard to get into. Computer science is under their college of engineering, and so is chemical engineering (obviously) :(. While I’m also really interested in going to medical school or pharmacy school, I’ve heard that a major in bio/chem/biochem is really useless on its own. I feel like if I don’t get into pharmacy or med school doing a science major, I’m basically screwed. Doing a quick google search of what chemistry majors are going through after college makes me really sad.

What do you guys think? Any suggestions to improve my chances of getting in? Should I not get into their college of engineering, what major would you suggest instead?

Any other general advice or tips you have for me, I will gladly read and respond. I would really appreciate any help!

2

You should get in for sure

3

You in

4

I’m almost positive that you’ll get into Virginia Tech with your GPA!

5

My advice is to take something that you can get a job after completing a Bachelor degree. In case your GPA (upon graduation) is not good enough to enter pre-med or pharmacy school, then you can start working.

With this thought, you should stay away from majors such as phycology, biology, biochemistry, and chemistry because they often require a PhD degree for employment. You do not want to get stuck if you cannot continue with your dream.

Pick some engineering field as your major because it will provide you options upon graduation. A GPA of 3.0 and above should get you some interviews.

6

Let’s wait for your SAT

7

Thats the thing. Computer science and every engineering class is under the college of engineering at va tech. I’ve heard that getting into the college of engineering at va tech is much harder than say their college of science (biology, chemistry,etc.) If i dont get into their college of engineering, what in the world do i major in?

I’m well aware of the dead end or temporary jobs that people with majors in biology or chemistry or stuck in. It really saddens me. I feel like those are the only plausible majors for med or pharm school however. If i major in comp sci for example, i would need additional science classes to even meet the pre reqs needed for pre med. This is under the assumption that i even get into va tech under this major.

8

How about Nursing? After graduation, you can continue on with education, or get a job as a nurse.
Some nursing fields (after further studies) will yield six figure salaries.

9

I actually live close to Tech, and the frat boys are pretty annoying. They leave beer cans on the lawn.

Their engineering program is very good, but you have a decent chance with that GPA, assuming you perform well on the SAT and get mostly A’s senior year. If you have a good explanation for your sophomore year grades, have your GC write a note about it. If not, then I think you’ll need a sparkling senior year, for the first semester, at least.

What about your AP classes? Did you take the exam? I would try to take the exams for your science/math classes, especially Comp Sci if you decide to major in it. A 4 at least, in my opinion, but I guess it could be a 3. A 5 is best, but it might be a stretch if you happened to Try and see if you can get a job shadow or internship over the summer, because you’re the prime age for internships as a high schooler. If you truly are as lazy as you claim, I would suggest you try and work harder and get all A’s next year, especially math, since you got a B+ this year. As for majors, I don’t know. Talk with a guidance counselor if you want to be sure.

Oh, and for the record, going to Tech (less so if you’re going into engineering) around here is kind of a joke. A guy I know who wanted to major in Electrical Engineering applied for MIT and got in. He decided to go to Tech because he had a full ride in, (and presumably doing better there than at MIT) and I’m assuming this is all four years. I, along with almost everyone who knows him, expect him to be near the top of the class in college.

Hope this helps.

10

Thanks for the advice. I learned a very valuable lesson my sophomore year, I will try my hardest to get mostly A’s senior year. Definitely no more slacking off from here on out.

Is there a reason you say “do well on the SAT”? Is there a reason the ACT is not common at Tech?

11

Virginia Tech favors the SAT over the ACT, however you can take one or the other. As a VT student who has gone through the process of applying, your GPA carries a lot of weight in the admissions decision. While I was a senior in high school, I had several friends with 4.0+ GPAs who were not accepted into engineering; however, they applied in other majors (IE biology, university studies, etc) and were accepted and later changed their major to engineering.

Also, @IrisShadow , I was not aware that going to one of the top ranked schools in the nation was a “joke”. While yes, VT is mainly known for engineering, the college of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences is Tech’s largest, and PayScale ranks its post-graduation salaries above other schools, including William and Mary. US News and World Report ranks Virginia Tech both nationally and internationally. Please don’t jump to conclusions about an entire university based upon your assumptions.

12

@ashleydawn I’m not saying it’s not a great school… Obviously it is. I’m just noting that a lot of people in my high school go there since it’s right next door. A lot of them go to Tech when they had very realistic chances at going somewhere else that had a stronger department in their intended major… All I wanted to say was that if you were to talk to anyone at my high school or the surrounding area, they will not be terribly impressed to hear that Tech was your dream school. I actually know someone who is going to Tech in an area Tech is far from great at… THAT is what I mean by going to Tech is a joke.

13

I’m not verry good financially, and I feel limited to in state options. Tech and UVA are among the top, but I have a better chance of getting into Tech than UVA, which is very difficult. GMU I feel I can also get into, but I feel like Tech is better.

14

Tech is better than GMU but remember state schools tend to look at gpa first and foremost. Also contrary to your belief, it isn’t ridiculously hard to get into VT engineering. I think you have a good chance. No safety for engineering but a good chance.

15

Forgot to mention I did get my ACT scores back. Its my first standardized test I’ve taken even though I’m going into senior year. I know I procrastinated a lot.

Composite: 30
English: 34
Math: 28
Reading: 27
Science: 31
Writing/English: 32

I’m probably going to retake just to get my math and reading scores up, but how is a 30 for VA tech engineering?