Virginia Military Institute

Virginia Military Institute Summary

The Virginia Military Institute (VMI), located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest state military college in the United States. In keeping with its founding principles, and unlike any other state military college in the country, all students at VMI are military cadets pursuing undergraduate degrees. VMI offers cadets a spartan, physically demanding environment combined with strict military discipline. For example, VMI cadets have the flexibility of accepting a commission in any of the five military service branches, or pursuing civilian endeavors upon graduation. VMI cadets pursue bachelor’s degrees in 14 disciplines in the fields of engineering, science, and the liberal arts. VMI is known for the financial support of its alumni — in a 1999 study by the National Association of College and University Business Officers, VMI’s $290 million endowment was the largest per-student endowment of any public undergraduate college in the United States. VMI’s Mission Statement: It is the mission of the Virginia Military Institute to produce educated and honorable men and women, prepared for the varied work of civil life, imbued with love of learning, confident in the functions and attitudes of leadership, possessing a high sense of public service, advocates of the American Democracy and free enterprise system, and ready as citizen-soldiers to defend their country in time of national peril. VMI Cadets were called into active military service on 14 different occasions during the American Civil War and many cadets, under the leadership of General Stonewall Jackson, were sent to Camp Lee, at Richmond, to train recruits. On May 15, 1864, VMI cadets fought as an independent unit at the Battle of New Market. VMI is the only military college or military academy in the nation that holds this distinction and is therefore the only school authorized to “fix bayonets” during parades. With that order, history was made and the cadet corps from VMI charged into battle. Because of the heroic and unprecedented actions of the VMI cadets, the Union troops were defeated and Confederate troops under General Breckinridge held the Shenandoah Valley. The ten fallen cadets are buried on VMI grounds behind the statue, “Virginia Mourning Her Dead” by sculptor Moses Ezekiel, a VMI graduate who was also injured in the Battle of New Market. Next to the Barracks are offices and meeting areas for VMI clubs and organizations, the cadet visitors center and lounge, a snack bar, and a Barnes & Under this capital campaign, VMI’s alumni and supporters raised over $275 million over three years in order to maintain VMI’s standing as America’s premier state military college. The Barracks are being expanded to house 1,500 cadets, all academic buildings are being renovated and modernized, and VMI is spending an additional $200 million to build the VMI Center for Leadership and Ethics. The new Leadership Center will be used by VMI cadets, Washington and Lee University students, and other students throughout the country and abroad to develop leadership abilities combined with a focus on integrity and honor to benefit tomorrow’s world. Within four months of graduation, on average, 97 percent of VMI graduates are serving in the military, employed, or admitted to graduate or professional schools. VMI has graduated more Rhodes Scholars than all the other state “military colleges” in the United States combined, graduating ten Rhodes Scholars since 1921. Also in 2007, US News ranked VMI’s Civil Engineering program ninth, and its overall Engineering program 31st in the United States among colleges offering up to a master’s degree. VMI was the only state military college in the country named a “College of Distinction” in 2007 by Student Horizons, Inc. In many ways, life at VMI today is little changed from life at VMI in 1839. New cadets at VMI have an average SAT score of nearly 1200 and an average high school GPA of 3.39. Eligibility is not restricted to Virginia residents, although it is more difficult to gain an appointment as a non-resident, as VMI has a goal that no more than 45 percent of cadets come from outside Virginia. These fees can be misleading, because VMI’s endowment enables VMI to meet a substantial amount of a cadets’s financial need before the cadet needs loans. During the freshman year, Rats continue to undergo training from the most highly skilled cadets at VMI, known as “the Cadre”. In addition to the Ratline, VMI has other traditions that are emblematic of the school and its history including the new cadet oath ceremony, the pagentry of close-order marching, and the nightly playing of “Taps”. Every year, VMI honors its fallen cadets with a New Market Day parade and ceremony. The requirement that all first-year cadets eat in the mess hall was the basis for a lawsuit in 2002 when two cadets sued VMI over the prayer said before dinner. While at VMI, Ezekiel fought with the VMI cadets at the Battle of New Market. While it is not known when the first Muslim cadet graduated from VMI, there were several that were in the Corps during the 1990’s who went on to graduate and pursue careers in the military as well as the private sector. VMI has traditionally enrolled cadets from the militaries of the Kingdom of Thailand and the Republic of China (Taiwan) annually. Graduates have gone on to pursue graduate degrees after VMI at prestigious universities throughout the United States before returning to their countries to continue their military service. VMI was the last U.S. military college to admit women. VMI excluded women from the Corps of Cadets until 1997. (Justice Clarence Thomas did not vote because his son was attending VMI at the time.) Following the ruling, VMI contemplated going private to exempt itself from the 14th Amendment, and thus avoid the ruling. In August 1997, VMI enrolled its first female cadets, 30 women who would be held to the same strict physical courses and technical training as the male cadets. VMI believes firmly in “one corps, one standard” and, unlike any other state military college, VMI has not adopted overt “gender-normed” physical training standards. The VMI Board of Visitors has set a goal of having 70 percent of VMI cadets take a commission by 2015. VMI has graduated 265 General and Flag Officers, more than any other state military college in the United States, including the first five-star General of the Army, George Marshall. Approximately one-third of the Corps of Cadets plays on at least one of VMI’s intercollegiate athletic teams, making it one of the most active athletic programs in the country. Of the VMI athletes who complete their eligibility, 92 percent receive their VMI diplomas.

Summary content courtesy of Wikipedia.

Virginia Military Institute Academics

There’s never a reason to feel alone in your studies either, since there are academic support services like Learning Center, Pre-Admission Summer Program, Study Skills Assistance, Tutoring and Writing Center. Virginia Military Institute is unique in its study options. An instance of this, the university has a Accelerated Program, Double Major, Honors Program, Independent Study, Internships, ROTC, Air Force, ROTC, Army, ROTC, Navy, Study Abroad, Teacher Certification and Visiting/Exchange Student Program. Additionally, when any student is looking for some counseling or other types of support, Alcohol/Substance Abuse Counseling, Campus Ministries/Chaplain, Career Counseling, Employment Service, Financial Aid Counseling, Freshman Orientation Program, Health Services, Personal Counseling and Placement Service can help. The university has disability services as well, so be sure to inquire about them if needed.

The following are the types of degrees and majors offered at Virginia Military Institute.

Mathematics:

Mathematics – General

Psychology:

Psychology – General

Physical Sciences:

Chemistry, Physics

History:

History – General

Popular majors:

twenty-nine percent social sciences, twenty percent engineering, nineteen percent history, eight percent psychology, seven percent biology, five percent physical sciences

Biological and Biomedical Sciences:

Biology

Computer Science:

Computer Science

English Language and Literature:

English

Multiple or Interdisciplinary:

Global Studies

Social Sciences:

Economics

Foreign Language and Literature:

Foreign Language & Literature – General

Additionally, for international students, the application fee is 25. Are you an international student? The Fall application deadline for international students is the 1st of March.

Virginia Military Institute Admissions

This school did not report their application fee. Admission policy is currently Percent applicants admitted: 50%. Remember that this can change at any time. Transfer student are not ignored. For one thing, there were one hundred and thirty-two total number of transfer students who applied and fifty-two total number of transfer students who were admitted.

the SAT subject section score due date was not reported. The regular application is due the 15th of February. SAT and ACT score reports are very important, so you will want to check on the specific dates with the university. Besides, Will you make it in time? Make sure to know when all the due dates and deadlines take place. It is also very important to submit financial aid applications as quickly as possible, and make sure they are in by the 1st of March. For all student applicants, the Fall application deadline is the 1st of March. If you wish to apply early, your application will be do no later than the 15th of November, of which you should hear back from the university no later than the 15th of December.

Virginia Military Institute Athletics

The following sports can be found here:

• Men’s NCAA Division I, Men’s Intercollegiate and Men’s Scholarship Baseball
• Men’s NCAA Division I, Men’s Intercollegiate, Men’s Intramural, Women’s Intramural and Men’s Scholarship Basketball
• Men’s NCAA Division I, Women’s NCAA Division I, Men’s Intercollegiate, Women’s Intercollegiate, Men’s Club, Women’s Club, Men’s Scholarship and Women’s Scholarship Cross_country
• Men’s NCAA Division IAA, Men’s Intercollegiate and Men’s Scholarship Football
• Men’s Intercollegiate and Men’s Scholarship Golf
• Men’s Club and Women’s Club Racquetball
• Men’s NCAA Division I, Women’s NCAA Division I, Men’s Intercollegiate, Men’s Intramural, Women’s Intramural, Men’s Club, Women’s Club and Men’s Scholarship Soccer
• Men’s Intramural, Women’s Intramural, Men’s Club and Women’s Club Softball
• Men’s Intercollegiate, Women’s Intercollegiate, Men’s Scholarship and Women’s Scholarship Track_and_field
• Men’s NCAA Division I and Women’s NCAA Division I Track_indoor
• Men’s NCAA Division I and Women’s NCAA Division I Track_outdoor
• Men’s Club and Women’s Club Volleyball
• Men’s NCAA Division I, Men’s Intercollegiate and Men’s Scholarship Wrestling

Virginia Military Institute Financial Aid

Financial aid for students is readily accessible at this school. If you are not a need based student, non-need distribution for financial aid is determined by Academics, Alumni Affiliation, Athletics, Leadership, Music/Drama, ROTC and State/District Residency. Similarly, need based financial aid distribution is determined through Academics, Alumni Affiliation, Leadership and State/District Residency. Financial aid forms are FAFSA and Institution’s own financial aid form.

Virginia Military Institute Students

The university is a Public, Liberal Arts College, Military College, Four-year, Coed, where 50 percent of the applicants were admitted, Regionally accredited and College Board member. In addition, it is part of an Suburban setting, Small town (2,500 – 9,999) and Residential campus. Additionally, the student body consists of fifty-six percent in-state students, forty-four percent out-of-state students, eleven percent women, eighty-nine percent men, one percent american indian per alaskan native, three percent asian per pacific islander, seven percent black per non-hispanic, five percent hispanic, eighty-three percent white per non-hispanic, one percent non-resident alien, twelve percent in top 10th of graduating class, forty-four percent in top quarter of graduating class, eighty-five percent in top half of graduating class, sixteen percent had h.s. gpa of 3.75 and higher, nineteen percent had h.s. gpa between 3.5 and 3.74, twenty percent had h.s. gpa between 3.25 and 3.49, twenty-four percent had h.s. gpa between 3.0 and 3.24, nineteen percent had h.s. gpa between 2.5 and 2.99 and two percent had h.s. gpa between 2.0 and 2.49. Virginia Military Institute offers Bachelor’s degrees. The school’s size is approximately one thousand, three hundred and sixty-nine degree-seeking undergrads and three hundred and sixty-three first-time degree-seeking freshmen.

This school features the Suburban setting, Small town (2,500 – 9,999) and Residential campus. In short, the school is located 55 miles from Roanoke, 140 miles from Richmond.Besides, the university has many unique facilites such as historical museums, research library, observatory, particle accelerator.