Ok so this has just been bothering me for a while. How is it that Virginia Tech is ranked #16 in the nation for undergraduate engineering, has one of the best campuses in the country, arguably the best food in the country, and relatively cheap tuition but isn’t even competitive to get in? The acceptance rate is around 70% and I got in as an out of state engineering student with a 3.7 gpa and 1300 sat. I mean I didn’t even get into UGA with those stats. Is it the shooting or something and maybe people are just afraid to go there? Sorry I just feel like I’m missing something, is there any major downside to the school that I’m unaware of?
Well I know someone with a 3.9 and a better SAT score who didn’t get in for Physics or Chemistry. No offense to you but VT is a great school, especially for engineering. One of my siblings went there for engineering and it is extremely competitive. Are you a VA resident?
No I’m actually from Georgia.
And the 1300 was obviously the new sat
Well there’s more to your application then test scores and a GPA. VT also has to take so many OOS kids as well. I think you should be happy you got into VT. There are people in VA and other states on the waitlist who would be happy to take your spot. Nothing to do with the shooting at all. Tons of people go there. Tech is always highly ranked in food, academics, college life, etc. I’m a VA resident and while I don’t attend VT, it is one of the best schools in this country for an education IMO.
@hsjunior1354 yes I am aware. The person I know had a 1420.
Dang ok well I kinda feel bad now like I don’t deserve it but in all honesty I can’t wait to go there and I’ll try to make the best out of this lucky opportunity that I have! Also there really wasn’t anything else good on my application except for 4 years of XC and track I guess.
Congrats on your acceptance. When the time comes, my son will likely apply to VT (in-state) and he would never get in with a 3.7 and 1300 SAT. Average numbers for kids accepted from his public HS are around a 4.1 GPA and 1400 SAT.
@hsjunior1354 Not trying to make you feel bad! I’m just saying its a great school and its sad you would think its easy to get in because of the shooting. If anything that terrible event brought the campus community together and made the campus stronger. They have improved campus safety by miles. I don’t know too many people who have gotten in VT and have been able to go in as engineering majors. A lot of my friends had to go in as university studies and pray they were able to declare once they got there. They obviously saw something in you so just be grateful and enjoy it. I’m sorry about UGA it is a great school.
@eh1234 comment is exactly what I was referring to. In-state admissions are extremely competitive for Tech sciences, especially engineering. You almost need a 4.0 and over 1450 SAT to get in.
I guess in state for tech schools is pretty competitive considering my brother didn’t get deferred but completely denied to Georgia Tech with a 4.0 and a 34 ACT. I also got deferred to Ohio State which I thought wasn’t as prestigious as VT but college admissions are weird I guess.
OP, congrats on your acceptance to Tech! It’s a terrific school, and every single person who I’ve known who has studied there has loved the experience. Great academics, beautiful campus, terrific college town, etc.
I think your question is a good one that I’ve also thought about it. It is a high acceptance rate relative to some similarly excellent schools. I think part of the answer is that there is a lot of self selection among VA students, partly in that students not interested in science/engineering do not apply, partly in that some students who don’t have the academic background don’t apply.
I also think there is a cascade effect as students apply to more and more schools. As acceptance rates plunge, students look also to the next school on the list. As those become more competitive, they move to the next. For example, as you know, UGA and Ga. Tech have received many more applications over the last few years–and their acceptance rates have plunged. I think Virginia Tech is just at that point where it will see a spike in applications as schools like GT and others reject the vast majority of applicants.
So don’t worry. Virginia Tech is as respected as its ranking indicates. People think a lot of the school is VA and elsewhere. Its alumni base is very successful, loyal, and spirited. I’m guessing you’ll be happy that you went there.
Note that most students at Virginia Tech are in non-engineering majors. It is certainly possible that admission to the non-engineering divisions is significantly less competitive than to the engineering division.
I’m glad you asked this question OP. I’ve also been trying to square this statistic with VT’s great engineering reputation. Kid got in OOS for fall 2017. We were so excited about it —but then someone threw the cold water “Why are you so excited–you had a 70% chance of getting in.” That statistic does give some pause.
@Skrunch: Admission rate probably differs a lot by major/school at VTech.
I know it does at UIUC where the overall admit rate is over 50% but for engineering it’s well under 50% and for CS, it is even more competitive and no guarantee for anyone non-hooked.
Overall VT student population is around 30% OOS. For some reason, their engineering admissions have been running around 45% OOS lately.
I think Virginia Tech is like Clemson. Both have really good good engineering problems. But their acceptance rate tends to be higher than other engineering schools.
Another example would UA Huntsville
But looks like these colleges are gonna become more competitive in the future.
These are moments when we smile, shake our heads, and walk away.
You should be excited.
Does this person know anything about VT other than the acceptance rate?