Spectrum - Volume 19 Issue 14 December 5, 1996 - Early admission applications up 32 percent

A non-profit publication of the Office of the University Relations of Virginia Tech,
including The Conductor , a special section of the Spectrum printed 4 times a year

Early admission applications up 32 percent

By David Nutter

Spectrum Volume 19 Issue 14 - December 5, 1996

The strong demand for admission to Virginia Tech is continuing for the coming 1997-98 school year as applications for early admission are up 32 percent from last year.

Virginia Tech's early admission deadline is November 1. As of this year, Virginia Tech has received 1,856 applications. Of these, 68 percent were from in-state students and 32 percent were for out-of-state students.

Last year at this time there were 1,398 applications for early admission. Seventy-one percent were from in-state students and 29 percent came from out-of-state students.

The strong demand for admission to Virginia Tech is also reflected in the university's largest freshman class. The 1996 freshman class is 5,100. That brings Virginia Tech's total enrollment for fall 1996 to 24,800.

Karen Torgersen, acting director of Admissions, says that she thinks there are several reasons for the increase. Torgersen says that Virginia Tech's strong academic reputation continues to be the primary magnet for students and their families.

Virginia Tech, along with the College of William and Mary and the University of Virginia, are the only schools in Virginia to be ranked in the top 100 schools in the nation by U.S. News and World Report .

Torgersen says students are familiar with Virginia Tech's national reputation as a leader in information technology. The campus and the Town of Blacksburg are considered one of the most on-line communities in the world.

Torgersen also said that last year's selection of Mark Embree as a Rhodes Scholar was another strong inducement to potential students.

"When you look at the total package," Torgersen said, "Virginia Tech is a hit. With strong academics, a technology infrastructure that is tops in the nation, and a beautiful location, it all adds up to an outstanding choice for a college."