(Freshmen and Transfers)
Applying for	Application Deadline	Notified by:
Fall Semester	January 15	April 1
Summer term and Fall Semester	January 15	April 1

APPLYING FOR ADMISSION
The forms required for an international student to apply for admission to Virginia Tech can be found on CollegeNet's Applications Options page. These forms must be completed in English. It is important that you provide complete and accurate information. At the time of application, please provide this office with a fax number or email address, if you have one.

Note to all International students, please read all of the information in this application before you start to complete the application form. Bookmark this information for future reference after you complete the application as it contains answers to many questions frequently asked by prospective students. If you wish, you can load these instructions into a new browser window for reference while completing the application online..

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech, appreciates and welcomes your interest. We take pride in the large number of international students, faculty, and visitors whose contributions to this state university and to the Commonwealth of Virginia are recognized and appreciated. This application provides information useful to international students interested in admission as undergraduate students (applicants who have not earned a university degree equivalent to a U.S. Bachelor's degree).
 
Prospective graduate students (those who have earned the equivalent of a U.S. Bachelor's degree and are seeking admission to graduate study) can obtain information on procedures for graduate admission from: Research and Graduate Studies, Virginia Tech, 100 Sandy Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA; fax 540-231-3714; mcpherso@vt.edu; or web: www.rgs.vt.edu.
 
English Language Requirements
Applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate proficiency in English by taking the Test of English as a Foreign language (TOEFL), administered by the Educational Testing Services of Princeton, New Jersey. Students in the United States can take the TOEFL examination at hundreds of different sites, with at least one test site in every state. Applicants who are in countries or areas outside the United States may be able to take advantage of a regional TOEFL center in or near their own country. For further information, application forms or to obtain information about the regional center which administers the TOEFL for your country write: TOEFL, P.O. Box 6151, Princeton NJ 08541-6151 USA; Fax: (609) 951-1300; or toefl@ets.org.
 
Then, write to that regional center to obtain information about test sites, registration closing dates, test dates, and approximate dates when scores will be mailed. In all likelihood, the TOEFL examination itself will be conducted in several sites within your country at different times during the year. Fee information is, of course, available from the regional TOEFL center. To visit the website, http://www.toefl.org.
 
 
ACADEMIC YEAR
Virginia Tech operates on a semester system academic calendar. In a twelve-month year there are two semesters, each containing fifteen weeks of class instruction and an examination period, and two optional summer terms. The Fall Semester begins in late August and ends in mid-December. The Spring Semester begins in early January and ends in early May. The first summer term begins in the middle of May and ends in late June, and the second summer term begins in late June and ends in early August.
 
 
FOR FRESHMAN AND TRANSFER APPLICANTS:
ADMISSIONS PROCEDURES
Consideration of an application for admission cannot be given until all required credentials, as indicated below, are received by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, 201 Burruss Hall, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA; Fax: (540) 231-3242; Email: vtadmiss@vt.edu. All documents become the property of the university and cannot be forwarded elsewhere or returned. International applicants must provide the following information to be considered for admission:

• APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION - This must be filled out completely and accurately.
• FINANCIAL CERTIFICATION FORM - This must be completed and signed by the student's sponsor or guarantor.
• TRANSFER OF I-20 FORM - This must be completed by all freshmen applicants attending high school in the U.S. AND transfer students attending college in the U.S. who plan to remain in the US prior to entering Virginia Tech. International students transferring from American colleges and universities who plan to remain in the United States prior to entering Virginia Tech, must complete the "Transfer of I-20" form and mail to: the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, 201 Burruss Hall, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA. Students who cannot show evidence of their legal status in the United States will not be issued an I-20 for Virginia Tech. The Cranwell International Center recommends that sponsored international students enter the United States under the provisions of a J-1 (exchange visitor) visa. The Cranwell International Center will determine the eligibility of a student for an F-1 (student) visa or a J-1 visa. 
• APPLICATION FEE - A non-refundable fee of $50 for all freshmen and transfer students applying for admission must be submitted.  An application will not be processed without this fee. Students who apply online are required to pay the application fee with a credit card (MasterCard or VISA) through the online payment service when the application is submitted via the web.
• EDUCATIONAL DOCUMENTS - All documents in a language other than English must be accompanied by certified English translations. Notarized translations alone will not be accepted. Translations supplement, but do not replace original documents. Remember to send both.
• DIPLOMAS, CERTIFICATES - Those students who have completed secondary school or high school, must submit copies of their diploma or school leaving certificate. Report of scores on school leaving examinations must also be submitted.
• TRANSCRIPT, OR STATEMENT OF MARKS - This contains the record of courses studied, marks (grades) awarded, length of class periods, and grading scale with minimum passing mark. These must be submitted for upper secondary, or high school years and must be complete for applicants who have graduated from school. For those applicants who are still enrolled in school, the transcript, or statement of marks, must show the most current term of grades to date. The transcript must be an original copy, certified by the sending institution.

• SPONSORSHIP LETTER - A current bank or government sponsorship letter guaranteeing payment for tuition and fees, books, room and board, medical insurance, and personal expenses for two semesters and summer living expenses is required. Figures must be in U.S. dollar amount or give US dollar equivalent. Applicants who have been awarded a scholarship from an international agency or from their government, must attach a letter of award to the Financial Certification Form.
• EXAMINATIONS
• TOEFL - As previously noted (See English Language Requirements section), students whose native language is not English are required to submit their scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language. Students must score at least 550 on the paper-based test, or at least 213 on the computer-based test, to be considered for admission to Virginia Tech. Scores should be received on or before April 1. To have your TOEFL score automatically sent to Virginia Tech, please specify Virginia Tech's CEEB code on the test form. Virginia Tech's CEEB code is 5859.
 
• OTHER ATTACHMENTS - Attach a copy of your alien resident card and visa.

• SAT II Writing Subjest Test - Freshmen applicants to Virginia Tech should submit SAT II Writing Subject Test score to the Admissions Office no later than three months before the starting date of the requested term of entry. The test score is used for placement purposes only and is not used in the admission decision. For more information about the SAT II Writing Subject Test, visit their web site at www.SAT.org, or write to: Admissions Testing Program, CN 6200, Princeton, NJ 08541-6200, USA.

See the U.S. History Requirement sections below for additional information about the SAT II American History and Social Studies Test.
 
To have your SAT II score automatically sent to Virginia Tech, please specify Virginia Tech's CEEB code on the test form. Virginia Tech's CEEB code is 5859.

• U.S. History Requirement - Effective with the Fall 2001 entering class, students enrolled at Virginia Tech must meet a new graduation requirement for proficiency in U.S. history. Students may meet this requirement before enrolling through one of the following options:
  • Take the SAT II American History and Social Studies Subject Test. A score of 550 or higher will meet the graduation requirement.
  • Score a 3 or higher on the AP U.S. History Exam. A score of 3 will meet the requirement and allow you 3 semester hours of college credit. A score of 4 or 5 will result in 6 semester hours of college credit.
  • Be dually enrolled at a Virginia community college in U.S. History (HIS 121) or U.S. History (HIS 122). A grade of "C" or higher in either course will meet the graduation requirement and allow you 3 semester hours of college credit. Completion of both courses with a "C" or higher will result in 6 semester hours of college credit.
  • Be dually enrolled at an accredited four-year college or university or two-year college in a survey of U.S. history course. A grade of "C" or higher will meet the graduation requirement, pending approval by Virginia Tech's history department. In addition, credit hours earned may, after review, transfer to Tech.

Additional Procedures for Transfer Applicants   Undergraduate applicants with previous course work equivalent to U.S. college-level must apply to Virgina Tech as transfer students. Transfer credit evaluation, including the decision as to whether tranfer credit will be awarded, is performed by the individual college at Virginia Tech into which the applicant has been admitted. Questions about course work in the applicant's choice of major (curriculum) should be addressed directly to the dean of the college that administers the major of concern. Educational Documents Syllabus of University Study - For Transfer students, a description of each course or subject studied (including textbook used and author) must be submitted. Applicants without this information cannot be considered. Graduates of thirteen-year systems must submit syllabi for their final year of study. It is recommended that international applicants seeking to transfer to Virginia Tech from an international educational system(s) have their transcripts evaluated by a professional credential evaluation service. Please note: This is a requirement for the College of Engineering. Having this done will aid the Admissions Committee and the dean of the college responsible for transcript evaluation. The following professional agencies are recommended by Virginia Tech:  Educational Credential  Evaluators, Inc. (ECE)  P. O. Box 92970  Milwaukee WI 53202-0970 USA  Phone: 414-289-3400  Fax: 414-289-3411 Global Credential Evaluators  P.O. Box 9203  College Station TX 77842-9203 USA  Phone: 409-690-8912  Fax: 409-690-6342 Josef Silny & Associates, Inc.  International Education Consultants  P. O. Box 248233  Coral Gables FL 33124 USA  Phone: 305-666-0233  Fax: 305-666-4133 E-mail: info@jsilny.com American Credentials  Evaluation Institute, Inc.  P.O. Box 6908  Beverly Hills, CA 90212 USA  Phone: 310-275-3530  Fax: 310-275-3528  Web: www.aeci1.com

Selecting a Program of Study (Major)
Students must select a major for study at the time they submit an application for admission. Each applicant is considered in comparison with other applications or that program since the competition for admission varies from program to program and from year to year.
 
A list of the available programs of study from which undergraduates must select a major at the time of their application online as well as in the application. It is from this list that applicants will note their choice of major in the appropriate space on the application. Applicants should note that some majors are marked with an asterisk (*). These are the restricted programs for which demand far exceeds available space and which are more selective at the point of admission.
 
NOTICE OF ADMISSION
If a student's application for admission to Virginia Tech is approved, an official notice of acceptance will be sent by the university. The student must respond to the offer of acceptance by a specific deadline and will be notified of the deadline in the offer letter. Admission is for a specific semester. If the student is unable to enroll for the semester indicated in the notice of acceptance, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions must be informed immediately. If the student wishes to be considered for entrance in a different semester, a formal written request must be made to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Such a request does not guarantee acceptance for another semester.
 

Under no circumstances should the applicant coming from abroad make definite plans to depart for Blacksburg until all admission procedures have been completed and the applicant has been officially notified. A student who comes to the campus with the intention of enrolling without first receiving an official notice of acceptance does so entirely at his or her own risk. The student's presence on the campus will not influence the decision on an application for admission. Because of the limited resources available in terms of faculty, staff, and physical facilities, only those international students who submit superior academic records can be approved for admission.

EXPENSES

• There is no financial aid available for undergraduate international students.
• Students must show adequacy of funds for the entire first year and evidence of sufficient funds to complete their education before they can qualify for the appropriate visa at the nearest U.S. Consulate. Although U.S. Immigration Service regulations now permit summer and part-time work off-campus for international students, such employment is difficult to obtain in this area.

The Financial Certification Form must be completed and returned with this application. Those students not showing adequate finances will not be issued their I-20 or IAP-66.  

FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS
An international student must be able to finance the costs associated with his or her education, including tuition, books, or other school expenses, living expenses, and travel to and from the United States. Before obtaining a visa and leaving his or her country, a student must be able to furnish the United States Consul evidence that he or she has the necessary funds (See "Expenses") available in U.S. currency for each of the academic years required for completion of his or her education.
 
As has been stated previously, Virginia Tech does not award financial assistance to undergraduate international students. Students who cannot meet their expenses are best advised not to apply for admission.
 
PAYMENT OF EXPENSES
International students who wish to make payment of their tuition and fees, and room and board, may do so by wiring the money to Virginia Tech. Payment is required at the beginning of each of the two semesters. Have your bank at home wire the payment in U.S. dollars, through a corresponding bank in the United States to First Union National Bank of Virginia, Roanoke, VA 24040, USA for VT Local Funds Depository Account #2008007082283, ABA #051400549. Please note: include your name, student number or social security number, and the reason funds are being wired. You must specify payment of tuition and fees, and room and board for the fall semester. This information must be included to identify and credit the money to the student's account. Please allow 4 to 6 days for the transaction to go through. Payment may also be made by check. The check must be written in U.S. dollars, on a U.S. bank, or a foreign bank with a U.S. correspondent. Please make the check payable to Treasurer, Virginia Tech. Tuition bills for Fall Semester will be mailed in July and payments will be due in early August. For more information, contact the Office of Student Accounts, 225 Burruss Hall, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA; Fax 540-231-3238. Tuition and fees are subject to change without notice. An information letter and forms will accompany the student's bill.
 
ADMISSION TO THE UNITED STATES (Visa and Legal Requirements)
Accepted students who have presented evidence of adequate finances for their education will be issued an I-20A-B or IAP-66 form by the Cranwell International Center. If you intend to enroll at Virginia Tech, this form should be presented at the nearest U.S. Consulate and exchanged for an F-1 (student) or J-1 (exchange visitor) visa. Neither an I-20A-B nor an IAP-66 can ever be issued prior to the student's receipt of an offer of admission. Students must enter the United States under the provisions of an F-1, J-1, or valid dependent visa. Students may not enroll at Virginia Tech under the provisions of a visitor's visa, and the U.S. Immigration Service will not normally change a visa from that of a visitor to that of a student unless the visitor's visa contains the notation: "prospective student." Problems concerning visa issuance or choice of an appropriate visa should be addressed to the Cranwell International Center, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA. Telephone: (540) 231-6527; Fax: (540) 231-3808; email: bpauley@vt.edu