Virginia Tech Honors College Rejection

Colleges and Universities A-Z Virginia Tech
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<p>Dominar writes “I guess a lot depends on what you expect from the Honors program. Should it be a program that offers talented students challenging classes, closer contact with professors and opportunities to explore and expand their horizons?”</p>

<p>I think those are the standards for everyone not just honors. Of course, in the introductory classes (e.g., in a large lecture hall) you won’t be in close contact with the professors. But, everyone eventually takes courses in the small class format. There are many opportunities to explore and expand their horizons as long as the student is willing.</p>

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<p>“Do you think honors should just be based on stats like GPA and test score then? Since other measurements are subjective?”</p>

<p>As a first measure, yes. But that doesn’t mean others who have less than stellar stats shouldn’t be included if they show their potential by more subjective measures. But why the zero sum game? If there are more qualified students than spots, why not just make the program bigger? What is to be gained by the exclusivity, unless you’re trying to be a mini-UVA? </p>

<p>In the long run, unless 100% of freshmen meet the criteria, excluding any bright kid is counter-productive to the goal of increasing the school’s student “profile.” Tech should be trying everything within its power to convince bright kids to enroll, not pushing them away. In 2012, only 39% of offered students actually enrolled, so there’s plenty of room for improvement!</p>

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<p>Honestly…“Honors Shmoners” - All of the hardworking, talented students that were accepted into Tech (and all other colleges, respectively) should just start out on a level playing field. Get rid of all this honors stuff in college, save it for the high school kids who are competing to get into colleges and win scholorships etc. These are young adults who should be learning and preparing to secure a job in their chosen field of study, not worrying and obsessing over their SAT scores and other accolades they received in high school (still). In my eyes all that stats/resume ‘stuff’ has come to fruition in being accepted to Tech. - let the young people reap the rewards of all the hoops they had to jump through to get to this spot and relax. Does the competition never end???</p>

<p>Personally I’m glad we’re done with it (although will endure it again with DS #2 in a few years)!!</p>

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<p>Where is Chuy when we need him. He has written some exceptionally good posts on why honors isn’t necessary in the e’school, and why you may not want to participate. </p>

<p>I’m going to give my two cents, which will be understood by some, irritate others, and fall on some deaf ears, but here goes…</p>

<p>Yes, VT honors is a holistic process. It does not however discriminate against the student who is less outgoing, is not going to raise their hand and offer deep opinions, has dedicated themselves to 2-3 ECs, prob one very deeply. Oh, and they can be white males from NoVa, no hooks and also be selected for honors housing. Stats such as GPA and # of APs are a poor comparison as schools weight differently or not at all. APs are offered with a range of restrictions and availability, which also effect GPA. All the comparing isn’t helpful or going to change who VT picks, and their method is different then other schools. One thing VT honors is NOT trying to replicate is a mini UVa. They are their own distinct brand and proud of it, it’s called the Hokie Nation.</p>

<p>Alabama is a fine school. If the money and fit are right for your student then that absolutely may be the best choice for them. Your level of communication as a parent with the school largely fades after admissions and the torch is passed to your student who will likely never deal with them again. They will be dealing with the office of their department major, finaid, the registrar, etc. Alabama’s e’school rank is 95th. VTs usually hovers around #13-15 with several of their departments #5-10. I’m not a slave to rankings and usually give a wide gap when comparing peer institutions, they are not peers.* I wouldn’t let a red carpet, super suites, and an honors college (which isn’t needed for VT e’school) get in the way of my student picking VT IF it was financially doable and IF it’s what my student wanted. I would be very, very careful to keep my opinions private as kids can absolutely be swayed by parents opinions. I had to ‘sequester’ myself from all college discussions when S2 was deciding because I knew I was biased by that point. I wanted the decision to be his alone. We’d been discussing these schools and the pros and cons for over a year. At some point you step back and let your student decide. </p>

<p>Having said this, I am a strong believer that students will thrive and do their best where they are happy. Just be careful the ‘fit’ they are choosing are the things that are important to them, not you. My son took the road less traveled, made the decision everyone thought was ‘wrong’. He’s thriving, doing exceptionally well, and has never regretted his decision. It’s a darn good thing I stepped back and let him really clear his mind, outside of other influences (teachers, mentors, etc) and make the decision on his own. </p>

<ul>
<li>2012 data so this could have moved some.</li>
</ul>

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<p>“I wanted the decision to be his alone”</p>

<p>Best advice given thus far. But so tough isn’t it? As parents we have nurtured these kids, as little ones helped them with hard hw problems, in hs conversed with their hs counselors regarding what courses would help them be competitive applicants, sat down with these children and told them which schools we could afford, joined them on their visits and then screeeeeech! We need to put on the brakes. But it has to be done. </p>

<p>I learned a lot from the first child, and I literally had to bite my lip on a couple of trips home because I wanted to talk about which school “I” liked the best. Dominar, I can feel the disappointment you have about the Honors College for your guy through the screen and I wish the outcome had been different. He is obviously a great and talented young man. It gets all of us Momma Bird’s kind of riled up when one of their flock is hurt in any way. Try to let it go, though. And don’t take the rejection personally. For some reason, it isn’t meant to be that he is in VT’s Honors right off the bat. Maybe he didn’t need the extra stress, maybe he will get to spread his wings by forging relationships with different people he now may meet instead. Wherever he ends up, if it is his choice and where he thinks he is going to be happy, he is going to be successful whether he is in an Honors College or not. </p>

<p>Best wishes to both of you and I wish him all of the best wherever he ends up!</p>

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<p>KandK and Blue have good advice.
My step-S graduated from VT a few years ago. The UVA girl in me was prepared to turn my nose up privately, although I was determined to be open and positive and happy to him if he liked the school. Well…
I was stunned by it, in every possible positive way. The E-school in particular seemed to have it together. They have a great advising program. They have incredible job placement stats. They went through any number of options and paths and angles. My husband “made” me write the checks and I “complained” about it jokingly, but I made sure everyone knew how impressed I was. VT is a huge school which somehow manages to be compassionate toward and watchful of its vast number of students. The happy kids, varied personalities, and rich experiences we saw playing out made me so very happy that he chose VT. He seemed on the bubble for honors- didn’t get it, but it really didn’t matter to us either.
My 2013 daughter was not interested in Tech. She will attend UVA in the fall.
My 2014 son is very interested in VT, and not at all in UVA. I know sometimes things really annoy you (delicately put, I’m sure) but the honors thing is just a thing. He will make lots of friends in and out of honors, and in and out of the e-school. By January he will not care about this perceived slight.
To me, a far greater issue is the $36K difference in cost.
I do think they missed the boat on your S, who has stats similar to my D and I would have been stunned had she applied and been denied honors. In the end though the regular programs are so impressive, and the faculty so committed, that I’m 100% sure the students get a great education without honors (assuming they work, of course).
Best wishes to you- and to all the other 2017 Hokies. I hope you all end up as happy and successful as my son did.</p>

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<p>Thanks, I am perfectly aware that Honors is not the be-all-end-all. I think I must have been in Honors myself as a freshman back in the day (because I took freshman Honors English), but I never actually heard from anyone in the program before or after (they must have communicated with my parents prior to freshman year, but I don’t recall ever receiving a letter or call), so I was probably kicked out along the way, LOL! </p>

<p>My pique over the Honors “snub” has nothing to do with hurt feelings or ego and everything to do with institutional philosophy and, more importantly, the overall return on investment in DS’s education. Bottom line, is Tech really worth $36K more?</p>

<p>If DS had a strong preference for VT, or if there was a huge difference between the two schools’ business programs in terms of rigor and reputation, or if DS was in Honors at both schools, or if Pamplin offered him a significant scholarship, I could certainly argue that it is. But he doesn’t have a strong preference for VT, the gap between the two programs is narrowing, he’s not in Honors and he hasn’t heard anything about merit awards. So, to me, cost becomes more critical. The ability to graduate in 4 years without debt is HUGE, and based on published statistics, there’s reason to believe it’s more doable at Alabama than at Tech. </p>

<p>In the end, DS knows I will write the tuition check to whichever school he chooses, but he also understands that any extra money spent on Tech means less for graduate school, house downpayment, etc., so it needs to be worth it.</p>

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<p>Dominar “Bottom line, is Tech really worth $36K more?”</p>

<p>Do you know whether Alabama’s business graduates get positions in parts of the country where you son may be interested in living after graduation? The quality of a business program may be well known locally but not nationally. That’s not an issue if you intend to stay local. It could be a problem if your son wanted to work in Washington DC. Or, perhaps not. I don’t know anything about Alabama.</p>

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<p>Atlanta is closer to Tuscaloosa than DC is to Blacksburg. New Orleans and Nashville are just 4 hours or less. I’m a data freak, so yes, I’ve checked. :)</p>

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<p>Dominar… Bama is pulling LOTS of great kids from my area (Houston). Texas is so crazy with the top 10% rule for state colleges, kids from my S’s large and VERY competitive high school with WELL over a 4.0 could not get into UT (which is now down to taking top 7%) or TAMU, so Bama offers them crazy good money to bring their smarts and Roll Tide. :slight_smile: Best of luck with your son’s decision, I think he can’t go wrong either way.</p>

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<p>@Dominar - I wasn’t thinking necessarily physical distance. DC is a magnet for Tech grads but I don’t know whether Atlanta is the same for Alabama. Some places can be close physically but far mentally. I only did a quick look for Alabama’s graduate placement report but couldn’t find any information on the geographic distribution of graduates. The information is available somewhere.</p>

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<p>Last year this seemed like a huge issue for my D - it was all about getting into Honors. She did and now a year later of all the things she cares about at Tech – Honors is the least of it. The honors program is very quirky and the fit for Engineering students isn’t great. She has had so many other opportunities within the Engineering department as a freshman that she barely remembers Honors – internship and coop, paid research, study abroad – all these things have materialized and returned so much more than the Honors program. Sure it is nice, but don’t sweat it and it is not an indictment of your abilities – seek other opportunites at Tech that are richly available to those who want them!</p>

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<p>@ChrisTKD: I don’t know, but I did see somewhere that the average starting salary for Alabama business grads is $55k vs. $45k for Tech. That must mean that at least a fair number get high-paying jobs in metro areas like DC, NYC, Atlanta, etc. Of course, it could also mean that a higher percentage of their grads are accounting or operations management majors, who I believe draw higher salaries.</p>

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<p>Dominar,The salaries for Pamplin are listed online. [Career</a> Services | Virginia Tech](<a href=“http://www.career.vt.edu%5DCareer”>http://www.career.vt.edu)
You can also see the top employers.
For 2011-2012, the average starting salary for Pamplin overall was $50,000. Obviously, some offers are lower and some higher. Average for business information technology was $60,000, average for finance was $54,000 ,average for accounting was $52,000. Lower salaries for marketing ,tourism,etc. Average overall engineering starting salary was $60,000 .
Do you have a link for the Alabama info? I couldn’t find it online but may have not been looking in the right place. These are both great schools. Since you and your son are not sold on VT, you have flexibility to consider price and best fit for him. My kids liked their instate choices , wanted to go to UVa and VT and we were willing to pay so we did not cast as wide a net. Good luck with sorting this through with your son!</p>

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<p>Thanks, sevmom. That is probably more recent than the numbers I saw, which I believe were from last year’s Businessweek rankings. In either case, definitely more than the $17K I got coming out of school, LOL!</p>

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I am just wondering whether Virginia Tech will let me take honors classes if i wanted to even if I am not in honors college? I know that a few other colleges will let their students take honors classes even if they are not in the honors college. Is Virginia Tech the same way?

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@061616 I believe not. Looking at the timetable of classes, all honors courses have a requirement that you are in honors. Several classes are set to 0 capacity, which means that you can’t sign up for it on your own and have to be added by the professor or department. Additionally, all honors classes have a very low cap on how many students can sign up.

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VT honors is nice, but in all honesty there are plenty of VT students who don’t care for the honors, especially STEM majors. I guess my point is that if you do not get into the honors programs, it is not the end of the world. VT is the bomb!!!

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@RVAphysics
thank you very much i will keep that im mind !!! :slight_smile: