What does Virginia Tech use to admit people to their honors college? My friends and I were very confused because its invitation based (there’s no separate app). Is it more based on high school grades and test scores or essays? Or all three?
also does it matter what your major is? Like would it be harder for someone who put engineering as their first choice than for someone who put History?
I don’t really know so this is all conjecture, but I would think your GPA and test scores would serve as “barriers to entry” and would have minimums to get you passed along to the Honors College folks and then it would be a combo of essays and extracurriculars/leadership that would be forefront for consideration.
That’s the way my son looked at it. He submitted his app for RD a couple months ago just to get it all done at the same time as his early apps and was notified maybe a month later that his application had been forwarded to the Honors College. He has also received several emails encouraging him to apply for different scholarships.
He made sure to do more than the minimum number of essays and especially did the one about service as that is super important at VT.
Best of luck to you and your friend!
My DD is looking at VT in a year and a half…just wondering the stats on your son @RoonilWazlib99 bc of the stats for honor college. We were thinking maybe going ED would help get in…but now not sure. thoughts?
@kikidee9 - I’m not sure what the difference in ED vs RD decision rates are. It’s probably in their Common Data Set, though.
Our son applied to the College of Engineering.
He has:
3.95 unweighted GPA (school doesn’t weight GPA, rank kids, or give percentiles at all)
Full IB diploma
35 ACT/1550 SAT
National Merit Semifinalist (hopefully finalist - will find out next month)
Out of State from a large public high school (about 650 kids in his class)
Eagle Scout, lots of service, part time job, captain of varsity sports team, president of school club that relates to his career interest, etc.
Hope that helps! We are cautiously optimistic for an admit to VT regular decision, but you just don’t know these days! He loved VT when he visited! Great school, campus, friendly people, excellent engineering facilities, nature is within reach, etc.
The website indicates a very holistic approach without a test score threshold: http://www.honorscollege.vt.edu/admissions.html
My son was just accepted to the honors college although we know little about the program (“invited” appeared at the bottom of his ED acceptance). He is a white male, in-state (NOVA) with a lower SAT (1250) accepted to the College of Engineering. To his credit, his 3 essays spoke very well as to who he is and what he values.
Other stats are below:
3.92 UW GPA
8 APs/1 DE (lots of honors & engineering electives too)
3 sport varsity athlete with leadership, plus 2-year job & service
Kids with higher test scores from his school were not accepted. What a process!
Good luck to all!
thank you so much for sharing @apnova and @RoonilWazlib99 . It’s such a daunting process for the whole family. There is no rhyme or reason sometimes. Now to await the SAT scores on Friday! eeekkk.
My S18 applied RD as undecided. He is OOS, SAT 1350, 4.4 wgpa, tons of great ECs. He was notified his application was forwarded to the Honors College. He won’t hear anything until April since he’s RD.
My son got the following about a week after sending in his application on 11/28 for RD.
"The Undergraduate Admissions Office has notified the Honors College that you have applied to Virginia Tech. I know that you have many options, so thank you for considering our university as you contemplate your pursuit of higher education.
Your application for admission to Virginia Tech automatically includes consideration for admission to the Honors College. Honors staff will look holistically at an applicant’s academic and extra-curricular experiences and consider the quality of engagement over sheer quantity, self-awareness and reflection on involvement, and authenticity. Should you be admitted to the Honors College, you will receive a separate notification via regular mail on or before April 1, 2018. "
There was a link to the HC, but it didn’t provide a lot of information so I find it all confusing.
It did say, however, that RD applicants would hear about the HC acceptance by 3/15. I guess that means some will hear before the 4/1 stated notifcation date?
My S18 got the same notification. Are they essentially saying you’ll get in normally but you may be accepted to the Honors College?
@lastone03 why would your son’s letter say he’d hear from the Honors College on or before 4/1 at the same time they say RD applicants would hear from the HC by 3/15?
My S18 got the same email last fall about HC.
I think that everyone finds out on 3/15 (with an “invite” noted in the portal if your student has been invited to the Honors College). I think a package will then be sent and you’ll receive it by 4/1. But, I am just guessing. I think everyone received the email - at least those that applied by 12/1.
I was accepted. Thanks for the responses!
Looking back at ED results and current results, the Honors College results between the 2 options make no sense. What are they looking for in honors candidates? Some honors invitees from ED have below a 1300 SAT and not super high gpa. It almost suggests that when the new admissions director arrived in early January that things changed drastically. Also, several of the ED candidates may not have been accepted if they had been RD.
“Also, several of the ED candidates may not have been accepted if they had been RD.“
This makes sense to me. Isn’t that why you apply ED to a school like VT. You show your dedication to the school and hope to get in with a slightly lower bar than for RD.
Applying ED makes sense of course but not the Honors part since it seems that some extremely strong candidates did not get into honors. My question really is how do they determine Honors candidates because it doesn’t seem to be based on gpa/scores necessarily.
I think it must also be a holistic review, with strong emphasis on volunteering, leadership, and the essays.
That said, if it is true that all offers to the Honors College are in, I’m still surprised my son didn’t get invited.
3.95 unweighted GPA in a full IB diploma program
1550 one-sitting SAT
ACT- 36 English, 36 Reading, 35 Math
Captain of varsity sport
Eagle Scout
National Merit Finalist
Hundreds of hours of community service
President of school club
Other honors based on leadership and service
But, he only wrote two essays. Maybe that hurt his Honors College chances?
From the Honors College webpage: “The Honors College does not consider minimum test scores. We look holistically at an applicant’s experiences and consider the quality of engagement over sheer quantity, self-awareness and reflection on involvement, and authenticity.”
Ridiculous that he wasn’t offered a spot.