Chances of getting into VMI?

Clarkson said:
Thank you -- very good advice. I could be wrong but passion won't be his problem. He is a very bright scatterbrain who is terrible at test-taking. I'm mostly worried about his grades bombing one semester, or his SAT not going over 1050, and what that does to his chances.
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Why do you think his SAT will max at 1050? Seems early to jump to a conclusion as he's only a sophomore...if you're basing off PSAT predictor I'd just say that was way off with DD. Maybe would've been closer assuming she didn't prep but no reason not to prep for SAT/ACT. Basic study program with readily available practice books/tests (less than $100 total investment) raised her scores substantially.

Guess my point is to have a plan for a 1050 but go ahead and shoot for higher. Too early to assume less. Good luck to him on his journey!
 
Georgia Hokie said:
Why do you think his SAT will max at 1050? Seems early to jump to a conclusion as he's only a sophomore...if you're basing off PSAT predictor I'd just say that was way off with DD. Maybe would've been closer assuming she didn't prep but no reason not to prep for SAT/ACT. Basic study program with readily available practice books/tests (less than $100 total investment) raised her scores substantially.

Guess my point is to have a plan for a 1050 but go ahead and shoot for higher. Too early to assume less. Good luck to him on his journey!
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Agree with this 1000%. DD did almost 300 points better on SAT (without prep) than on PSAT. When I asked her about it, she said she had a better idea on what to expect and time management.
 
Clarkson said:
My son, a sophomore in Northern Virginia, is obsessed with getting into VMI. He loves the military, we've had soldiers in every generation in our family, and I frankly believe he would flourish there...if he can get in.

I'm looking for gritty, frank advice on what his chances might be before I let him get his heart set on it (though it may be too late).

1. I suspect he will graduate with a 3.5-3.6 GPA. Strong in humanities; weak in science/math. He'll probably take one AP course (history) by his junior year.
2. I suspect his SAT will be around 1050. Might get him to 1100, but he is a horrible test taker so I wouldn't count on that.
3. His sport is martial arts (Muay Thai) -- VMI admissions says this is acceptable (as opposed to an official school sport)
4. He plays four instruments, but not in school.
5. He can literally tell you (or a VMI interviewer) about any war in western history.
6. White male.

The main challenge is that he is bright but scattered. He can go infinitely deep on some stuff (military history) but not in others (chemistry). I think VMI's structure and alignment with his passion would give him an awesome opportunity to grow as a man.

What do we think...I'm guessing a 30-40% chance? Any ideas on how to strengthen his chances?

Thank you for any advice.
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CDS_2022-2023---V2.pdf
Here is the common data set from VMI from 2022-2023. This gives the actual numbers, scores, etc... of the admitted class from that year. Any college publishes this data and it's very informative.
 
Clarkson said:
This is very good advice, thank you!
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Be aware that there is a special abuse that comes to those in band, but nothing any worse than the torture that VMI can be. There are also cool opportunities in Band Company. The Bag Pipes are absolutely awesome and the music is pretty simple. If you play any string instruments add that as well. The orchestra is always looking for people too.
 
Georgia Hokie said:
Why do you think his SAT will max at 1050? Seems early to jump to a conclusion as he's only a sophomore...if you're basing off PSAT predictor I'd just say that was way off with DD. Maybe would've been closer assuming she didn't prep but no reason not to prep for SAT/ACT. Basic study program with readily available practice books/tests (less than $100 total investment) raised her scores substantially.

Guess my point is to have a plan for a 1050 but go ahead and shoot for higher. Too early to assume less. Good luck to him on his journey!
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Since he was a kid he has always (ALWAYS) struggled with tests. He usually knows the material but reads the questions wrong, or stops reading them halfway through, or answers a multiple choice before reading all the way down, etc. It's a work in progress, and it *sounds* very fixable but frankly has been fairly discouraging as a parent as it has only slightly improved over time. So I think it's possible he could get 1100-1200 (I think he's smart enough) but I'm just not optimistic because of experience.

Had him tested in the 7th grade after he failed some math tests...his IQ is one standard deviation above average, but he has low "working memory" and was borderline ADHD. So he's bright, but not organized and very scattered -- except with stuff he loves (like wars and weapons and history) where he goes super deep. For example he gave me a 45 minute lecture about Byzantine Emperor Justinian's commander Belisarius two days ago (literally college level stuff). It is generally believed that kids like him "grow into" executive intelligence, but not until their 20s.

He plays drums (is very talented), piano, guitar and is now learning banjo. Spends 3 hours a week at the gym training in May Thai kickboxing, and lifts weights. I'm pretty sure he's cut out for VMI...just not sure about admissions!

You all have been great, thank you.
 
Visit VMI for overnight cadet program. My DS did this and admissions department was readily available and staff very open to questions. Great opportunity to visit and DS stayed overnight in barrack. During this program, VMI said their acceptance rate was around 80% at this time. It had risen in past years with recruitment down they reported.
For a comparison, my DS has been accepted so far to VMI, citadel, and Norwich. 3.7UW GPA, 1090 SAT (he didnt test well on SAT), Honors and 32 dual enrollment credits. He has numerous volunteer hours, ROTC and battalion commander, multiple school and community clubs. I would focus on leadership and community service/organizations over next couple years. Good luck!
 
Hey everyone! I just got into VMI so I figured I'll post my stats for anyone that is curious.
SAT: 1200
GPA: 3.5
Weighted GPA: 4.1/5.3
5 Honor Classes and 2 AP Classes over 4 years
Team Captain of Cross Country/Track
Varsity Letter
I also conducted an interview with a VMI admissions counselor. Highly recommend for anyone that is unable to visit physically.
 
ArmyROTCApplicant said:
Hey everyone! I just got into VMI so I figured I'll post my stats for anyone that is curious.
SAT: 1200
GPA: 3.5
Weighted GPA: 4.1/5.3
5 Honor Classes and 2 AP Classes over 4 years
Team Captain of Cross Country/Track
Varsity Letter
I also conducted an interview with a VMI admissions counselor. Highly recommend for anyone that is unable to visit physically.
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Congrats! Have you heard on your ARTOC scholarship yet?
 
Just throwing this out here, but Valley Forge Military Academy (grades 7-12) has an agreement with VMI for direct admission for cadets who are academically qualified. See their FB page, post Jan 12th.
 
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