harva16:
The academics at VMI, how do they compare to those of the SA's (if you know)? Specifically, could you tell me anything about the Arabic program like is it worth it? If you're in it or have heard.
Also, right now I have a 1310 SAT. Good? Bad? compared to the other cadets?
Thank you so much, I appreciate the help!!
Lew-This was posted on VMI's web site today. They have also received a similar State Department Grant - the Arabic program is clearly a dynamic program at VMI - (for fairly obvious reasons).Hope this helps you with your search. Link to the entire article is at the bottom of the excerpt.
VMI Receives Grant to Enhance Arabic ProgramLEXINGTON, Va., May 19, 2008 – Selected cadets at Virginia Military Institute will benefit from a more robust Arabic language program, and the college will become a model for how other schools can teach the language, thanks to a grant award announced last week.
The Virginia Military Institute has received a three-year, $665,000 grant from Department of Defense (DoD) to enhance its Arabic studies program and provide opportunities for cadets to study the language and culture abroad. It is one of eight schools to receive funding through the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Language and Culture Project.
The project is designed to provide ROTC students with the opportunity to study languages and cultures of world regions critical to U.S. national security. It is sponsored by the DOD’s National Security Education Program, a federal initiative designed to build a broader and more qualified pool of U.S. citizens with foreign language and international skills.
“We have a mature Arabic program that is firmly established as the second most studied foreign language at VMI,” said Brig. Gen. Charles F. Brower IV, deputy superintendent for academics and dean of the faculty. “This generous grant allows us to enhance our already strong program, which will also serve as a model for other institutions to improve upon their curricula and build their enrollments. Enhancing awareness of foreign cultures is a key cadet development goal for the Institute, and this initiative also dovetails nicely with our goals for the Institute.”
The grant supports the establishment of a writing, reading and oral/aural center in Arabic in VMI’s department of modern languages and cultures; provides Arabic summer study abroad scholarships for ROTC commissioning cadets, including those in engineering and science; and provides funding for commissioning cadets who major or minor in Arabic to attend supplemental summer immersion Arabic language programs at U.S. institutions with well-established Arabic programs.
This summer, 12 commissioning cadets have been selected for 2008 summer scholarships, 12 cadets will continue their study of Arabic, five cadets will study in Morocco, five more who are science and engineering majors will study in Morocco, and two commissioning cadets will attend an intensive immersion Arabic language program at Dartmouth College.[/B][/B]
http://www.vmi.edu/NewsCenter.aspx?id=22467