Admissions

Obviously I would recommend that you study hard and keep your high school GPA up. That certainly helps for admission. Virginia Tech recieves thousands of applications every semester, so you'll want to keep an edge. I also recommend a lot of community involvement and extra-curricular programs. If you have the opportunity to cultivate leadership skills, whether in a job or an organization, do it. It looks fantastic on an application.

As a fair warning, college life is nothing like high school life. They are not even in the same ballpark. For a lot of students entering Virginia Tech, they did not even have to study to succeed in college. The engineering class fo 2013 entered campus with an average GPA of 3.97, to give you an idea. But college has a tendancy to weed out the students that cannot adapt and take their education seriously. Expect to spend the majority of your day behind a desk with your nose buried in some book, working out derivatives or determining the quantum structure of an atom. If you don't think you can handle spending at least eight hours a day studying, then perhaps you should rethink pursuing college. It's a very trying experience, but the rewards are definitely worth it.

Studying for so long can leave you exhausted, so I strongly recommend breaking it up into pieces and taking short, fun breaks. Find some student program or event that catches your interest and check it out. If I hadn't found Campus Crusade to break up my Thursday nights, I probably would go mad. These events help your mind to relax and you're refreshed for the next stretch of studying.

Another tip: do not neglect your nutrition. I've seen it happen many times (and I was guilty of it myself). Students are finally free from their parents' control and decide they want to eat whatever they want. Pizza for breakfast, cake with every meal, burgers and fries galore. Virginia Tech has so many great dining halls, this is easy to achieve. It's fun for a little while, but even...

Don't be intimidated by the size of the campus; as your first year goes by, you'll find that the campus actually gets smaller and smaller. If you're bringing a car to campus, make sure you follow the parking rules because the cops over here really are out to catch students that break those rules. Make sure you space your classes out accordingly so that you can eat, rest, and get to the classroom on time. Finally, get involved with something, anything; you will meet so many new people and make a ton of connections and it will make your first year transition much smoother and make college more enjoyable.

Dont waste your time sleeping, or doing nothing. Its college! Aside from it being very rewarding by educational standards, these will also be the best years of your life.

It should be warned that Blacksburg weather is slightly bipolar. During the school year from August to May, we have about two months of warm weather, 2 months of in between when the weather can't decide between warm or cold, and then about 5 months of pretty cold. If you don't like the cold you may not like Tech. During the late spring and early fall semester the campus is beautiful, warm, and everything is bright green. However, try to remember this is the mountains. The campus is still beautiful but it will get cold here, so if you aren't used to the winter, or don't like the cold this might not be the school for you. New students, invest in a BIG Jacket and gloves and a hat you will need it strolling across the drill field.

Blacksburg (A.K.A. Bleaksburg) gets extremely cold in the winter and can also have very heavy rains so don't forget to pack a heavy coat, rain gear (coat, umbrella, boots), gloves, and warm clothes and shoes. It takes the normal person no more than 15 minutes to walk across campus, but make sure you leave for your classes about 25 minutes before they start to give yourself some extra time.

Apply for as many scholarships as possible, make the grades, and stay focused. There are lots of activities you will want to do here, but none of that will be possible if you don't stay on top of your grades.

Bring a wind breaker and a kite: it is windy most of the time. Engage in the Blacksburg community; it will enrich your college experience. Talk to the professors ; let them know you are more than a number and most actually like getting to know students.

The most important advice I can give to prospective students is do not let the size scare you. I had a lot of friends who turned Virginia Tech down because of how big it is but I promise it will not feel that big once you are here. If you get involved with extracurriculars and put yourself out there as a freshman in your dorm you will make so many friendships that Virginia Tech will go from feeling like 20,000 students to 200.

Get involved! If you want to make the most out of your experience, you need to get involved. If you don't you'll end up sitting in your dorm the whole time. That being said, get involved in high school. Colleges love when you're involved, because that is a good indicator of what you can bring to the campus.

If you are looking for a high quality education and trying to pursue a great career, Virginia Tech gives multiple opportunities to get started. Their website consists of mass amount of information that will help your searches for school easier and make the experience exceptionally great. The campus is extremely gorgeous and though the location is not near the city, it is very heart-warming and perfect.