Didn’t Cal Poly have an issue last year? Penn state a few years ago? (They discounted to branch campuses I think) … it happens a one year unplanned surprise… now I wonder which schools lost in this game 
Re: post #39, 2018 figure was a type (it was 6,400 +/-) and I was thinking of matriculate more in terms taking action to enroll (read: incoming freshman accepting offer) rather than being enrolled. Splitting hairs, but I get the point being presented in #38.
Record setting numbers/classes enrolled concurrently doesn’t appear to be a new thing for VT, and I would imagine it’s pretty common at a lot of other large public universities.
2009 -2012 enrollment increased every year.
2013 dipped below 2012 but remained above 09-11.
2014 - 15 enrollment was higher than previous record in 2012 and increased both years.
2016 dropped below 2015, but was still almost 10% higher than high from 2009-14.
etc.
My D20 has crossed this off her application list because of this. And she is high achieving. Too bad.
@ShenVal18 Thanks for that info. I don’t have experience with VT that far back.
@chb088 If your D20 is interested in engineering I would encourage her to keep it on her list, especially if she is high achieving. VT will adjust next year to the benefit of applicants.
Engineering freshman also have an SLO which enables them to avoid the housing mess.
For engineering it’s definitely worth a look.
Just had this discussion with a coworker whose daughter just finished her freshman year at Univ. of Pennsylvania. They didn’t have a total overenrollment problem with the class of 2022 BUT they have individual major overenrollment problems. My coworker’s daughter is in one of those majors and two of her spring classes she was regularly sitting on the FLOOR if she didn’t arrive to class early enough.
@STEM2017 She is not interested in Engineering. Thinking about Chemistry, but not certain. Definitely crossed VT off the list. That overcrowding will affect the school and surrounding area for years.
That is incorrect. Last years class was on the smaller side. This year engineering is overcrowded - which doesn’t effect your student. Next year will likely be a small class again to compensate for this year. So next year will be only high qualified students and they will have actually smaller than average classes. I could see your concern if child going in this year - but your looking at it the wrong way in that it will be good for next years class (as long as they are high qualified enough to get accepted with much higher standards likely to make next years class smaller than average).
Here’s a different article with troubling quotes from faculty and the Mayor of Blacksburg.
**According to a letter sent by engineering education professor Marie Paretti to fellow members of the Tech Faculty Senate, the university should’ve seen the numbers coming.
“Frankly, it is unacceptable to me to hear anyone in the administration suggest that these numbers are unexpected,” she wrote.
She wrote that a colleague in the College of Engineering had predicted more than 2,600 new freshmen, an oversized class for that college, based on the numbers from the university and shared that with administrators. The prediction was ignored, she wrote.
She wrote that the increase in students would create unnecessary strain on Blacksburg.
“As the Faculty Senate, I believe we need to hold the administration accountable not only for the over-enrollment itself, but for the persistent disregard of faculty and staff on the ground who saw this coming and tried repeatedly to raise concerns and be proactive,” she wrote.**
That’s a pretty damning internal communication that has me concerned going forward. The Mayor added her .02 about the potential strain on the community.
**The town of Blacksburg has braced for growth, Mayor Leslie Hager-Smith wrote in a statement, with town council approving “thousands of beds of student housing in the last few years,” and “buying new buses and planning new routes.”
However, she wrote, she is “very concerned about the Town’s capacity to house and transport all of these new students,” especially in light of a section of Terrace View and Sturbridge Square student housing complexes soon temporarily coming out of commission because of redevelopment.
“The student experience at Tech, and quality of life in Blacksburg are the reasons that Hokies express some of the highest alumni loyalty in the nation,” Hager-Smith wrote. “Will the next cohort of incoming students have the same kind of positive experiences?”**
That final paragraph is the crux of my concern based on the last 3 years of Admissions stubbing it’s toe. The Class of 2019 leaves a campus with 22,670 undergrads(the sum of freshman students enrolled in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015). When the Class of 2020 graduates there will have been 23,112 students. For 2021 it’s 24,584, then for 2022 it’s 25,375 and finally, in 2023 the undergrad population will be 26,636. In the 4 years from this graduating class to the graduation for the incoming freshman class the campus undergrad community will swell by 3,966 students. That’s a 17.5% increase.
People have good reason to be concerned.
How can they predict 2021, 2022, and 2023 undergrad population. If Virginia Tech decides next year to only shoot for 6,000 freshman to even out the population - the overage this year will be negated. It will then drop the population. They can also slow down transfer acceptances into this large 2023 graduating class to lower the actual population of this incoming class year to year. A bunch of torches and pitchforks (not to mention monday morning quarterbacks) if you ask me! (which you probably didn’t).
@cbl1 That was me extrapolating the student population going forward based on the known quantities of actual incoming freshman from 2015-18 + the anticipated number of enrolled freshman this fall. Those campus population numbers don’t include transfer students, nor do they exclude the 7% that historically fail to return sophomore year.
When a Virginia Tech Faculty Senate member is carrying a torch, and the Mayor of Blacksburg is carrying a pitchfork, you have to admit it’s fairly compelling.
Fall headcount data for all VA universities can be found here:
the recent article last week from the town stated concerns but nothing overwhelming.
Here is the article I’m referring too. Sorry I just hate reporters in most cases who try to exploit headlines and throw gas on the fire. I consider those quotes from the Mayor and Senate member in that light and possibly out of full context.
This was written by two members of the Blacksburg City council expressing their actual views and concerns without getting all torches and pitchforks. I think we would all most likely agree with their assessment.
@cbl1 I’m not looking to change your mind. You’re obviously fine with the overcrowding. Personally, going forward, I’ll be evaluating Tech much more cautiously in preparation of our youngest son’s college search.
and I’m not looking to change yours - just having a discussion. There are legitimate concerns but to me, in seeing the measures VT is already trying to implement, they seem to be doing their best to mitigate the issue and I think they will learn from the problems they are experiencing this year. In actuality they are a victim of their own success in this case.
Now if they over-enroll again next year …. ok something is wrong.
Unfortunately, with VT on my daughters list of schools for next year it will make it very difficult for many to get in.
I wish her all the best. I hope Admissions figures things out but I’m not optimistic currently.
I think she has narrowed her list next year to Virginia Tech, Virginia, or South Carolina. She has SAT again tomorrow so you know she is in a great mood today
Someone needs to get fired for this fiasco…