VMI

harva16 · Aug 8, 2006

Any one interested in VMI feel free to ask me any questions. I am a current 3rd classmen there.

ChipAyten · Aug 8, 2006

vmi is 3rd on my list behind norwich and citadel. so i guess ill shoot
-How hard was it getting accepted?
-How hard was getting financial aid?
-How was the rat experience, probably comprable to the rook/plebe year
-Academics?
-Is the Faculty:Student really that low?

jamzmom · Aug 9, 2006

harva! So glad to see a VMI person here. Not that many people, including myself know much about you guys. Very interested in learning.

And way to go Chip. What happens if you get to VMI & you have to explain to Mr. Harva16 why VMI was 3rd on your list. Good luck with that one. LOL Can you say "making puddles?"?

In addition to Chip's questions, what is your summer training like and do you get much time off?

ChipAyten · Aug 9, 2006

jamzmom said:
What happens if you get to VMI & you have to explain to Mr. Harva16 why VMI was 3rd on your list. Good luck with that one. LOL

Norwich and citadel were just better SMC's :shake:

barracuda57 · Aug 10, 2006

Hi ChipAyten

Could you please explain why you consider Norwich to be a better college than VMI?

harva16 · Aug 10, 2006

ChipAyten said:
vmi is 3rd on my list behind norwich and citadel. so i guess ill shoot
-How hard was it getting accepted?
-How hard was getting financial aid?
-How was the rat experience, probably comprable to the rook/plebe year
-Academics?
-Is the Faculty:Student really that low?

Hey there,
Sorry I took so long to get back on here, I have been swamped lately. As for VMI being #3 :thumbdown:

for you Chip thats your call. I have friends at Norwich so I know a good amount about them, but only know a little about the Citadel (it was my #2 behind VMI). As to your questions...

1) It is harder to get into VMI then the Citadel. This years average HS GPA was 3.5 and the average SAT was 1200.

2) I don't know much about the finacial aid (I didn't apply for any), but the man in charge of FA is my academic advisor, COL Golden. Great man, always willing to help.

3) The Ratline is pretty though, mentaly and physicaly. I can tell you from what my two friends at Norwich have said, being a rat is harder then being a rook. This coming from Norwich '06 and '08 students. I know our breakout (when we became cadets and nolonger rats) was 100% harder then the rook recognition. At least thats what my buddy from Norwich '06 told me when I described my breakout.

4) Yes...my English 2nd semester only had 9 cadets. It ranges from around 10-20 per class. My Naval Science class had around 70, but that is because there was only one Instructor for that class and all NROTC freshman had to take it. Other wise you can expect no more then 20.

momx4 · Jan 12, 2007

I too am a VMI mom. I have a second there. Would be glad to answer any questions you may have.

jamzmom · Jan 12, 2007

A big welcome to Momx4! Nice to see another voice for VMI. Thanks for making yourself available. Its great to have a place to discuss military colleges in the same venue as the service academies. I feel they have much in common & our kids have some of the same interests. And too, we parents experience some of the same things so join in the parent's forum as well!

kpmom2011 · Feb 18, 2007

hmmm I live an hour from VMI... my son runs XCountry and Indoor track there. All I know about it that it is a beautiful campus.

The Commissioner · Feb 18, 2007

harva16 said:
Any one interested in VMI feel free to ask me any questions. I am a current 3rd classmen there.

Do you know the female VMI cheerleader who got the male Citadel 'fan' in a headlock and throwdown during the brawl at the football game? There is a video of it on youtube.com

harva16 · Feb 18, 2007

I am not personal friends with her, but I know who she is. She is a 1st classmen this year. Commissioning into the Marine Corps this May. Pretty good video though.

The Commissioner · Feb 18, 2007

harva16 said:
I am not personal friends with her, but I know who she is. She is a 1st classmen this year. Commissioning into the Marine Corps this May. Pretty good video though.

She is from my little town. She and my oldest son ran high school cross-country together. To have someone from our town featured on a widely viewed youtube video is a big deal for us! :smile:

boiler83 · Apr 29, 2007

VMI and Service Academy Transfers

I would be interested in finding out how many cadets at VMI seek SA appointments and if any actual switch in a given year.

wrow · Sep 25, 2007

boiler83 said:
I would be interested in finding out how many cadets at VMI seek SA appointments and if any actual switch in a given year.

Some do, but it is very hard to switch out of VMI after completing your rat year. Not on the school side, but personally. I wouldn't trade what I've learned and done here for anything, but wouldn't ever do it again. A lot of kids transfer out, but rarely to a SA. Once you've paid your dues at VMI, you'll never want to do it again.

Edit: Only 1 did out of the class of 2010, and I think just one out of 2009 too, but I may be wrong. Both to USMA AFAIK.

VMINROTChopeful · Jan 29, 2008

wrow said:
Some do, but it is very hard to switch out of VMI after completing your rat year. Not on the school side, but personally. I wouldn't trade what I've learned and done here for anything, but wouldn't ever do it again. A lot of kids transfer out, but rarely to a SA. Once you've paid your dues at VMI, you'll never want to do it again.

Edit: Only 1 did out of the class of 2010, and I think just one out of 2009 too, but I may be wrong. Both to USMA AFAIK.

What percentage of cadets at VMI carry a 4-yr ROTC scholarship?

Does the low transfer rate mean that it might be easier to get a nomination to a service academy from the ROTC commander?

lew17 · Apr 22, 2008

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!!

bruno · Apr 24, 2008

lew17 said:
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: The VMI web site can answer a lot of your questions - the address to the site is: http://www.vmi.edu. You can navigate thru the entire web site - or go specifically to the class of 2011 profile (which was a little hard to find on the VMI web site but it's at this address: http://www.vmi.edu/WorkArea/showcontent.aspx?id=13623

Also-You should get a copy of the US News &World Report book "Best American colleges 2008". Lot of answers to your questions in that and it ranks schools by category as well. For example in the best public liberal arts college Category - it ranks the top 5 as USNA, USMA,VMI... and listed VMI's Civil Engineering program as number 7 in the country and the engineering dept overall as number 25. I don't know that much specifically about the Arabic program other than that it is supposed to be a good program- I do know that the number 1 ranked Army ROTC cadet in the country last year (he received his commission from President personally in the White House) was an Arabic major, and I know that VMI has a State Department grant for two Arabic majors per year to study in the middle east for a semester.

Good luck - hope this helps

VMINROTChopeful · May 18, 2008

Tiffany Richards, VMI c/o 2002 put up a music video of VMI yesterday on youtube. It's pretty cool-
http://youtube.com/watch?v=phbPtdKrBzs

Point 90 · May 18, 2008

I'll be in VWIL next year, so I'm a little worried about relations between the VWIL cadets and female rats. Are they good, bad, ugly, so-so?

*chews fingernails nervously*

VMINROTChopeful · May 18, 2008

when i was at the VMI overnight and hanging out with the vmi 4/c girls, i can't honestly remember any of them mentioning the VWIL cadets at all.