Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Virginia Tech admitted about 54.6% of applicants in the most recent cycle, drawing roughly 57,755 applications, offering admission to about 31,515 students, and enrolling around 7,133 first-years. That makes it moderately selective rather than a reach-for-everyone school.

Enrolled first-year students at Virginia Tech carry an average high school GPA of about 4.06. There is no published hard cutoff, but both your academic GPA and the rigor of your course load are weighed as very important factors, so strong grades in challenging classes matter most.

Yes, a 1400 is competitive: it sits comfortably inside Virginia Tech's middle-50% SAT range of 1280–1450 (28–32 on the ACT). Virginia Tech is also test-optional, so you can apply without submitting scores at all, and submitted scores are only considered alongside the rest of your application.

No. Virginia Tech is test-optional, so you may apply without SAT or ACT scores and it will not count against you. If you do submit, the middle 50% of enrolled students scored 1280–1450 on the SAT and 28–32 on the ACT, and those scores are weighed as a considered factor.

Residency is a very important factor at Virginia Tech, but the admit-rate gap may surprise you: out-of-state applicants were admitted at a higher rate (58.7%, or 21,622 of 36,856) than Virginia residents (47.3%, or 9,893 of 20,900) in the most recent cycle. Virginia Tech draws a large national applicant pool, so being in-state does not confer an admissions advantage here.

Yes. Virginia Tech weighs first-generation status as a very important factor in its holistic review, the same tier as your GPA, course rigor, essay, and residency. It is one of the few clearly elevated factors in how applications are read.

Annual tuition and required fees run about $16,450 for in-state Virginia students and $38,310 for out-of-state students. About 29% of first-years receive need-based aid with an average package near $17,939, and Virginia Tech meets roughly 60% of demonstrated need on average.

Yes. Virginia Tech rates the application essay as a very important factor, the same top tier as your GPA and course rigor. With that weight, a specific, well-revised essay is a real opportunity to strengthen your application beyond the numbers.

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