It's a big school, with over 20,000 undergraduate students, but it definitely doesn't feel that big. There's a real sense of community on the campus that you can sense just walking across the Drillfield. The Engineering program is renowned, but Virginia Tech offers many other programs, which is especially nice for a student coming in undecided. The football is amazing, and the dining program is award winning. The only downside is the location. There's not much to do in southwest Virginia. However the school itself provides more than enough in the way of activities.
If you are looking for a more personal college experience with a small campus and small class sizes, VT is probably not the best choice. But if you are the type of person who can fit into any group and make friends quickly, than Virginia Tech is a good choice.
I attended Virginia Tech for undergraduate Electrical Engineering study. Coming out of high school I had the perception that "big name" universities were the place to be, and Virginia Tech is well known for its engineering program. My experience was somewhat negative, in that I think large research schools (or at least this was the case at Virginia Tech) do a disservice to their undergraduates.
My experience was that the university was focused on graduate programs and research. Professors tended to either be working feverishly to publish research to get tenure, or else they had tenure and had little motivation to spend time on actual teaching, instead focusing their efforts on their research work. A lot of the classes were taught by graduate students, and again their commitment to providing education was uneven.
I think that if you are looking for good graduate school opportunities, a large research school such as Virginia Tech may make a lot of sense. But unfortunately, in my experience, the undergraduate attention and focus just wasn't there.
If you have ever wanted to know what it feels like to go to jail as a freshman, go to Virginia Tech! The dorms are very cramped and confining. The weather is terrible in Blacksburg...always. You can lose 40 pounds by walking to all of your classes...hint, miles and miles to class. The Math Emporium is te most retarded idea ever. Professors are very lousy, except for Lit. and English profs.
I greatly enjoyed my time at Virginia Tech. The campus is one of the most beautiful I've ever visited, and the programs consistently rate in the top in the nations, university-wide. In addition, the sports programs consistently rate highly, and the game day atmosphere and energy is second to none. If I could go back and choose again, I would choose Virginia Tech every time.
Virginia Tech is definitely the best school to go to in Virginia. I would recommend it to anyone who loves a HUGE school with lots of people to meet! There are hundreds of groups and organizations, and lots of greek life too. The class sizes can get a little big, but they're usually around 30-40 people. The food here is the best part, there are 11 places to eat on campus and PLENTY of food in a walkable distance as well!
