The Virginia Military Institute is a unique military and educational experience. The freshmen student is known as a rat, and
walks a prescribed line in barracks while in an exaggerated form of attention known as straining. The "Rat" experience is a life
changing system that instills great pride, discipline, brotherhood, and most importantly, honor.The Honor System at VMI is second to none, as are all military colleges. This means that there is one, and only one,
punishment for an honor offense: Immediate Expulsion. It is taken with the utmost sincerity and severity. Cadets take the matter
of their honor to heart.The Virginia Military Institute supports ROTC divisions off all military branches. Cadets may choose whether to commission in
the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard. Commissioning is a purely optional thing, cadets may choose to graduate
into the workforce.