Academic Requirements for Freshmen

Each year, approximately 20,000 people apply to be among 5,000 entering students. To be considered for 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 have other requirements, such as an additional year of advanced math or lab science. 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 the ACT should take the ACT plus writing. We do not require SAT Subject Tests for admission. All tests should be taken by the December test date of the senior year.

Students who are not from an accredited program should go to the Home Schoolers and Others in Non-Accredited Programs section for more information.

For information about test locations and online registration, you may wish to visit the SAT website or ACT website.

Fall 2008 Freshman Offers at a Glance

Average GPA: 3.86
Mid-50% GPA: 3.62–4.08

Average SAT: 1238 (critical reading and math sections only)
Mid-50% SAT: 1150–1320 (critical reading and math sections only)

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

For more information about the incoming class of 2012, please see the complete Freshman Snapshot.