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Welcome Hokies: A snapshot of the newest students at Virginia Tech

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vtech-logoVirginia Tech is welcoming approximately 8,800 new Hokies this year — which includes 1,500 graduate students, more than 6,300 freshmen and 1,000 transfer students.

These newest members of the Hokie Nation represent the largest undergraduate class in the university’s history.

For the fall of 2015, Virginia Tech received a record number of undergraduate applications, 22,500, an 8 percent increase over the previous year. Applicants represented 40 countries and every state in the United States.

Applications are reviewed holistically, meaning many criteria are examined. In addition to the typical academic performance items that include rigor of curriculum, grades, and standardized test scores, a team of 13 Office of Undergraduate Admissions staff members review all materials submitted by applicants for undergraduate admissions.

“Our goal is to be approachable and transparent in the application process and to admit Hokies, not just numbers,” said Mildred R. Johnson, associate vice provost for enrollment management and director of undergraduate admissions. “Our application review committee has more than 200 years of combined application review experience, resulting in qualified and thoughtful admissions decisions.

“Not only have we recruited a highly qualified and talented group of undergraduate students, but also they represent diverse backgrounds, holding true to our mission by enriching the culture and learning environment at the university,” said Johnson. “This is evidenced in part by the more than 13 percent increase in historically underrepresented students to include first generation students.”

Of those incoming undergraduate students, 365 (326 freshmen and 39 transfer students) opted to participate inVirginia Tech’s Summer Academy this year and arrived on campus in July. The academy began in 2012 and participation has experienced significant growth in popularity since its inception.

In addition to Summer Academy participants, nearly every new undergraduate student visited campus over the summer to attend New Student Orientation. There, they were able to learn more about what it means to be a part of the Virginia Tech community, meet current and other incoming students, and register for fall semester classes.

 

New Hokies at a glance

While the majority of new students are from Virginia, more than 3,500 represent other states, territories, and countries. The top states after Virginia, by order of enrollment:

  • New Jersey
  • Maryland
  • Pennsylvania,
  • North Carolina
  • New York

The top three countries by order of enrollment for out-of-state incoming students:

  • China
  • India
  • South Korea.

The most popular academic programs for incoming undergraduate students by order of enrollment:

  • general engineering
  • university studies
  • biological sciences
  • business
  • human nutrition, foods, and exercise
  • physics
  • mathematics
  • animal and poultry sciences
  • chemistry
  • business information technology

The most popular academic programs for incoming graduate students by order of enrollment:

  • curriculum and instruction
  • civil engineering
  • electrical engineering
  • mechanical engineering
  • information technology

As of May 1, 2015, the Class of 2019 included:

  • 476 international students
  • 349 students participating in the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets
  • 155 valedictorians and salutatorians
  • 1,459 high schools represented by student
  • 1,588 legacies (meaning their mother, father, grandparent, sister, and/or brother previously attended the university)
  • 40 sets of twins and one set of triplets (there are also two sets of twins transferring this year).

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