My sister is an avid Hokie. Why I believe the Virginia Tech is the school for me too?

Hi! I am applying for Virginia Tech in the fall and am nervous about one of my prompts. If anyone could take a look at it, I would be extremely grateful. My biggest flaw is grammar. :(

1. What are the top five reasons you want to be a Hokie? [250 words max]

My sister is an avid Hokie. She comes home for break every year with the same smile on her face. I never understood until I visited during spring. I am now convinced that I belong at Virginia Tech.

The engineering program at Virginia Tech is highly acclaimed and known for being rigorous. However, my sister assured me that the academics at Tech are handled excellently. Although challenging, the program helped her mentally grow and realize her fervor for engineering. Another aspect I admire about Tech is the staffing. My sister states that her professors were passionate and weaved through lessons with ease, she never felt afraid to ask questions.

The environment at Virginia Tech is also not to be overlooked. While visiting, I was overwhelmed by a wave of genuineness. It could make anyone feel at home. The diversity of everyone also drew me in. Growing up as a minority, the idea of being surrounded by different cultures while also keeping my Vietnamese roots is comforting. "Ut Prosim" is Virginia Tech's motto which translates to That May I serve. As a former Girl Scout, servicing others is extremely important to me and I hope to bring my service to Tech.

After four years at Tech, my sister is still hopelessly infatuated. Although I am not sure I will take the same path as my sister, I hope to strive for excellence at Tech. Virginia Tech is the school for me and I would be honored to become a Hokie.

H

Tram, please refer to the sample response I wrote below. It should help you develop your own original response to the prompt that you can use :-) The last paragraph is short because I expect you to add to the information for that portion of the essay. You need to keep track of the reasons you are providing. Don't go over 5 reasons. by the way, don't keep circling back to your sister's experience. You need to develop some fresh, non - sister related reasons as well.

Virginia Tech is the university where my sister found her home away from home. That was a concept that i could not familairize myself with until I came to visait her at the university this past Spring. From the student community, to the academics, to the social events that helped my sister embrace her Hokie-ness, I knew that just like her, this university would be my home away from home too.

I look forward to developing my intellectual abilities the way my sister did. As an alumna of the school, I am assured of her support and the encouragement that she assures me I would recieve from the professors, I am sure that I too will feel so at ease that it won't even seem like I am attending classes anymore.

The diversity of the community also inspired me. Growing up as a minority, the idea of being surrounded by different cultures while also keeping my Vietnamese roots is comforting.

Got it! Thank you so much!