Every year, more than 20,000 people apply to be among 5,000 entering freshmen. To be considered, you must present a strong GPA (A/B+ average preferred) and competitive test scores. Below are some general requirements for admission to Virginia Tech

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Academic Requirements for Freshmen

Before you can be considered for freshman admission, you must complete:

• 18 units of high-school course work
• 4 units of English
• 3 units of math (includes algebra I, geometry, and algebra II)
• 2 units of laboratory science (chosen from biology, chemistry or physics)
• 2 units of social science (one must be history)
• 3 additional academic units (foreign language is highly recommended)
• 4 elective units

Some majors, such as engineering and architecture, have other requirements for advanced math and/or lab science. For more information, check specific major and college requirements. Most students who are selected for admission have completed more than the minimum requirements and have at least a B+ grade point average.

ACT/SAT Requirements

Virginia Tech accepts either the SAT Reasoning Test (including critical reading and math) or ACT test scores. Since Virginia Tech utilizes the writing portion of each test for placement purposes, students who opt to take only the ACT should take the ACT plus writing. All tests should be taken by the December test date of the senior year.

Our Score Choice is: Highest Section Scores Across Test Dates - Version 1 (Highest M, CR, W). Please note: Virginia Tech wants to see all of your test scores. We will use the highest scores and even combine your highest test scores from multiple test dates when evaluating your application.

Fall 2011 Freshman Offers at a Glance

Average GPA: 4.00
Mid-50% GPA: 3.81–4.24

Note: Each applicant is evaluated in the context of the high school(s) attended. Admissions' review of grades is based upon the letter and/or numeric grades presented for each class, not the GPA. GPAs above reflect weighted and unweighted grades as reported by high schools. As a result, the GPAs of offered students vary widely.

Average SAT: 1250
Mid-50% SAT*: 1160–1340
(SAT scores reflect critical reading and math section scores only)

*This means that 25% of freshmen offered admission to Virginia Tech scored below 1160 on the SAT (combined critical reading and math) and 25% of freshmen offered admission scored above 1340 on the SAT (combined critical reading and math).

Please note: These are not minimum requirements for admission to Virginia Tech.

For more information about the incoming class of 2015, please see the complete Freshman Snapshot.

Home Schoolers and Others in Non-Accredited Programs

In order to be competitive for admission to Virginia Tech, students from other than accredited schools (including home-schooled students whose programs are not accredited) must provide the following documentation for review by the admissions committee:

• Application for admission
• Application fee
• Transcripts
• Grades (level of performance)
• SAT Reasoning Test scores and/or ACT Plus Writing scores

Students are encouraged to provide:

• SAT subject test scores in math (level Ic or IIc) and a second area of study to be chosen by the applicant, or grades from dual enrollment courses in math and a second area of study of your choice completed at an accredited college or university.

Virginia Tech attracts highly competitive students nationwide and from over 100 countries. An increasing number of these students have unique educational backgrounds that require additional evaluation. The university administration recognizes that students from other than accredited schools may not study in the traditional classroom environment and that they are unable to provide the traditional documentation needed to evaluate their academic performance. Virginia Tech believes that providing this population the opportunity to demonstrate proficiency in their college preparatory curriculum through the above-listed documentation will be beneficial to both the student and the university.

Please be sure to include with your application package transcripts of any college course work you may have completed. If you plan to take the two SAT subject area tests described in the policy above, make arrangements to have those submitted as soon as available.

Dates & Deadlines Overview of the Process