Academic Requirements

Academic Record

The applicant should present a secondary school record showing at least 16 academic units earned by the time of graduation. The 16 units must include at least four in English, two in algebra, and one in geometry. The distribution cited is desirable, but minor exceptions may be made if the record is otherwise sufficiently promising.

Equally important is the quality of the applicant's record as measured by grades, class rank, scores on standardized tests of aptitude, and the school's evaluation of academic promise. VMI has not set rigid minimum requirements in these respects, but in general it is expected that the applicant will rank in the top half of the class with grades substantially above passing and that College Board and other test scores will be above average or better. 

English 4 units 

Algebra 2 units 

Geometry 1 unit 

Advanced mathematics 1 unit 

Social studies 3 units 

Laboratory sciences 3 units 

Foreign language 3-4 units 

Electives 2 units 

TOTAL UNITS 19-20 desirable  

Standardized Tests

The following standardized tests are required or recommended, as stated, for all applicants:

Required: College Board Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT I) or American College Testing Program (ACT).

Required [if applicant's native language is not English]: College Board Test of English As a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

The SAT or ACT should be taken in the senior year no later than January (for SAT) or December (for ACT). If they are taken after these dates, consideration of the application must depend on space availability when the scores are received. 

If possible, prospective applicants are urged to try the SAT or ACT in their junior year of high school and to repeat the test in their senior year, thereby enhancing the usefulness of the measurement.

Information about the SAT or ACT may be obtained from the applicant's high school guidance office. VMI's code for the SAT is 5858. VMI's code for the ACT is 4418.

Minimum Test Scores and GPA

There are no minimum test scores or grade-point averages. Below are the averages from the most recent class profile:

Mean SAT Verbal score: 577
Average ACT Composite score: 26
Mean SAT Math score: 581
Average High School GPA: 3.51
Mean SAT Composite score: 1158
Average Transfer GPA: 3.43
Middle 50% SAT score: 1080-1240
Average TOEFL Score: 574

Essay

Although an essay is not required, it is encouraged. The applicant may wish to submit a one-page essay on a topic of his or her choice or a graded essay from a high school class.

Extracurricular Achievements 

Since the VMI cadet is being trained for leadership, extracurricular achievement indicative of leadership potential, physical and moral stamina, and adaptability to a disciplined environment is important, as are significant academic honors. A partial list of significant achievements would include membership in student government organizations, the National Honor Society, editorship of student publications, athletic awards, significant civic or church work, and honors in such organizations as the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts. Such achievements are not a substitute for academic qualifications, but they do represent an important supplement.

Character Recommendations

Satisfactory character and personality evaluations must be furnished by the secondary school or schools attended by the applicant unless precluded by school policy. One or two letters of recommendation may be helpful if written by persons who know the applicant well, especially if the writer's relationship to the applicant has been that of teacher, employer, or leader in some significant activity, or if the writer is a VMI alumnus.

Summary

The purpose of entrance requirements is to protect the standards of the college and also the interests of the applicant, which are not served if the applicant is accepted into a program for which he or she is unprepared. All measurements (SAT/ACT, academic record, class rank, etc.) are correlated and weighed in the final determination of the applicant's qualifications.

Matriculation Agreement

Every cadet, upon matriculation, is required to sign the following pledge, which is binding upon the cadet from the day it is signed until all official connection with the Institute is severed:

"I hereby engage to serve as a cadet in the Virginia Military Institute for the term for which I have entered, and I promise, on my honor, while I continue to be a member of the Corps of Cadets, never to lie, cheat, steal, nor tolerate those who do. I will, to the best of my ability, discharge all of my duties as a cadet with regularity and fidelity, and I will obey all the legal orders and constituted authority of the Institute. I further affirm that I am an unmarried person; that I am not a parent; and that never, during the term of my cadetship, will I join or affiliate with any secret society, fraternity, or sorority."

Marriage and Parenthood Policy 

At its May 2001 meeting, the VMI Board of Visitors directed the superintendent of VMI to develop and implement a Marriage and Parenthood Policy. This policy that appears in the VMI Bluebook Regulations became effective 14 January 2002 (date of adoption*):

Pursuant to the policy adopted by the Board of Visitors, any cadet who marries or becomes a parent is expected to resign from the Corps. Absent voluntary resignation, should the Institute confirm that a cadet is married or the parent of a child, such cadet shall be separated from the Corps, for failure of eligibility, at the end of the semester in which the information is received and confirmed. For the purpose of this policy, the responsibilities of parenthood are deemed to begin upon a cadet's learning that a child has been conceived as a result of his or her conduct.

All cadets shall, upon matriculation and return each fall, sign a statement confirming their knowledge and understanding of this policy. This regulation shall not be enforced against any cadet on account of any parenthood existing on the date of its adoption*.