Advising
Advising Newsletter
Past Advising Newsletters for the 2024-2025 Academic Year: JULY 2024 AUGUST 2024 SEPTEMBER 2024 OCTOBER 2024 NOVEMBER 2024 DECEMBER 2024
Academic Advising - VT Math
Advising at Virginia Tech is a collaborative process between student and advisor leading to the exchange of information that encourages the individual student to make responsible academic and career decisions.
Math Department academic advisors are also faculty members who can discuss details of course and career advice throughout your undergraduate career.
Course Drop vs. Course Withdrawal
If you are considering whether to drop or withdraw from a course, discuss the decision with your academic advisor.
- Dropping a course will remove the course from your class schedule and your transcript. It will reduce your total number of credits for the term. NOTE: 12 credits are required for full-time student status in fall and spring terms. This can be important for scholarships, financial aid, health insurance, student visa requirements, etc.
- The deadline to drop a Spring 2025 course is Monday, March 3. It is highly recommended to discuss the decision to drop a course with your advisor.
- Students can drop a course through the HokieSpa drop/add menu.
- Requesting a course withdrawal (W grade policy) will denote a final grade of "W" on your transcript for each course in which a Course Withdrawal is applied. No credit is earned for a course with a W grade, and a W grade does not factor into GPA. Withdrawing from a course will not change full-time student status, as the course(s) withdrawn from will remain on your transcript (though no credit is earned). Students are permitted to withdraw from up to three courses during their time at Virginia Tech.
- The deadline to apply for a course withdrawal for a Spring 2025 course is Wednesday, May 7. An advisor's signature is not required, but it is highly recommended to discuss a course withdrawal decision with your advisor.
- To apply for a course withdrawal, complete the Course Withdrawal form posted on the College of Science Forms page.
Change of Major/Minor/Degree Option
Scheduling an Advising Appointment
Use the links below to schedule an advising appointment with your mathematics advisor. If you do not see any availability that fits your schedule, email your advisor to schedule an appointment. Appointments must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance and will default to 30-minute appointments.
Math Advising Team |
Jessica Hurdus |
Fanny Jasso |
Jessica Schmale |
Eric Ufferman |
NOTE: The links above are for fall/spring semester appointments. Use email during summer and winter terms.
Students with a math minor can email questions to mathadvising@vt.edu or schedule a Mathematics Minor Advising appointment through Navigate.
Math Major: Students interested in a math major can schedule an Explore Mathematics appointment through Navigate.
Math Minor: No appointment is necessary to add a math minor. Instructions to add a math minor can be found on our FORMS page. Students who have questions about the math minor can email mathadvising@vt.edu or schedule an Explore Mathematics Minor appointment through Navigate.
If you are unable to find an available appointment, please email mathadvising@vt.edu.
Scholarships
In a typical year the Math Department awards more than $60,000 to 30+ students with the majority going to continuing students. To be considered for a 2025-2026 Math Department awarded scholarship, complete the following steps:
- STEP 1 (required): Complete the General Application in Scholarship Central (priority deadline will be sometime in January 2025)
- STEP 2 (preferred): Provide additional information to the Math Department Scholarship Committee to assist with scholarship decisions by filling out the Department of Mathematics Scholarship Permission Form 2025-2026
- STEP 3 (optional): Fill out the FAFSA form. This form is only required for eligibility to certain scholarships based on financial need.
All steps above should be completed by January 31, 2025
The General Scholarship Application can be found in Scholarship Central. Students should complete the General Application before attempting to complete any other scholarship application in the Scholarship Central system. You must complete both the General Application and the FAFSA (for need-based scholarships) by the date listed for maximum scholarship consideration. Math majors should also complete the College of Science Scholarship Application, generally due sometime in January.
- Virginia Tech is committed to ensuring the success of its students. To help achieve this goal, the College of Science and its departments offer multiple scholarships that support students' education and research.
- You must submit a 25-26 FAFSA to be considered for College of Science Scholarships.
- You can find the full list of COS scholarships on the College of Science Scholarship webpage. Applications are due January 22nd.
- RSF’s Progress of Ideas Scholarship program has a focus on economic equity and social justice, and its drive to discern and challenge the drivers of inequality in our systems of governance and taxation.
- The scholarship supports the cost of attendance for students in fields of study related to the organization’s mission. We are seeking recipients whose lived experiences have engendered in them a commitment to social justice and a drive to make the world a better place for all people.
- Be pursuing the following areas of study: Economics, Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, Finance or Real Estate, History, Geography, Philosophy, Political Science, Public Administration, Public Policy, Sociology, Urban Analytics, Urban Studies.
- Application closes January 30th. Find out more information on the Progress of Ideas website.
Formerly known as the Cyber Scholarship Program, the Cyber Service Academy Program aims to recruit and retain the nation's top cyber talent by offering financial support and mentorship as students prepare for the workforce.
The DoD CSA Scholarship Program will cover all tuition, required fees and books, and a laptop for first year students; it will also provide a $29,000 per year stipend for undergraduates and a $34,000 per year stipend for graduate students. This program is aimed at rising juniors, rising seniors, and all graduate students who are interested in cyber security careers withing the Department of Defense, and who are in a degree program of interest to the DoD (Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, CMDA, BIT Cyber, and other programs that are applicable to the field of cybersecurity.
Through this program the Hume Center has been able to assist several students successfully apply and obtain this scholarship each year of the past 5 years. We are hoping to add a minimum of 5-8 additional students this year. Due to Virginia Tech’s outstanding reputation, Virginia Tech students tend to be very competitive in the selection process for the program. Current students are slated to work at organizations across the DoD and Intelligence Community, including Naval Sea Systems Command (Red Team), Space and Naval Warfare Systems, U.S. Air Force Cyber Hunt, and the National Security Agency.
The 2025 HSF Scholar Program Application is now open and closes on February 15, 2025, 2:00 PM PT.
HSF empowers families with the knowledge and resources to successfully complete a higher education, while providing scholarships and support services to as many exceptional students as possible.
Founded in 1975, HSF has awarded over $756 million in scholarships. HSF Scholars have access to valuable Scholar Support Services and, as funding permits, scholarships ranging from $500 to $5,000.
- Every year, HSF selects 10,000 outstanding students as HSF Scholars from a broad and talented pool of applicants
- HSF Scholars have access to a full range of invaluable Scholar Support Services, including career services, mentorship, leadership development, knowledge building, and wellness training
- Career services include access to select internship and job opportunities with HSF corporate partners
- HSF Scholars are eligible to apply for all Scholar Conferences including, the STEM Summit, Finance Conference, and Media & Entertainment Summit
- Exclusive access to the HSF Insider which shares invaluable information and career opportunities
- Finally, and importantly, HSF awards more than $30 million in Scholarships annually and, depending upon available funds, HSF Scholars may also be eligible to receive a scholarship, which range from $500-$5,000 and are awarded directly to students
Eligibility:
- Must be of Hispanic heritage
- U.S. citizen, permanent legal resident, or DACA
- Minimum of 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent) for high school students; minimum of 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent) for college and graduate students
- Plan to enroll full-time in an accredited, public or not-for-profit, four-year university, or graduate school, in the U.S., for the 2025-2026 academic year
- Submit the FAFSA or state-based financial aid forms (if applicable)
HSF Scholar Application Timeline:
- January – Phase I of the application opened January 5 and closes on February 15, 2025, 2:00 PM PT
- Late February – Applicants are evaluated and the most competitive are selected as Finalists
- March 1 – Finalists are announced and asked to submit essays, recommendations, transcripts, FAFSA, and other related documents
- June – HSF Scholars are announced (includes both funded and Scholars waitlisted for funding)
- June to November – Final Document Verification (financial aid award letter, enrollment verification, and related documents)
- December – 10,000 HSF Scholars are confirmed after the verification process is complete
The National Pan-Hellenic Council of Virginia Tech is pleased to offer the annual Overton R. Johnson Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship is named in honor of Dr. Overton R. Johnson who became the first Black academic faculty member at Virginia Tech in 1969. He continued to make Virginia Tech history by serving as the first president of the Virginia Tech Black Faculty/Staff Caucus, and as the first Black dean, serving as the Interim Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences from July- December 1975. At the time of his death, Dr. Johnson continued service to the Hokie community as Associate Director of Institutional Research and Planning Analysis. He was also a proud member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated.
Students awarded the scholarship must be current undergraduate students (incoming prospective students and graduate students are not eligible to apply) enrolled as a full-time student for 2025-2026 and are not required to be a member of a Greek-lettered organization. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 pm on Friday, February 28th. Late, incomplete and/or applications that fail to adhere to application instructions will not be considered. This application is open to any current student who will be enrolled full-time for the 2025-26 academic year. You will be scored on the five following categories: Originality of Response, Clarity and Writing Quality, Advocacy for Inclusion and Representation, Community/Campus Involvement, and Leadership Involvement.
The application can be found on Scholarship Central at the following link: https://vt.academicworks.com/opportunities/59453
- The title of this scholarship program calls back to a time when many Asian immigrants looked upon America as a mountain of golden opportunities for themselves and their families. Awardees of the scholarship seek dreams of higher education, which are not only the dreams of the students but also of their parents and extended family. Since its initiation, the OCA-UPS® Gold Mountain Scholarship has provided over 160 scholarships to Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) first-gen high school seniors.
- Since 2020, the OCA-UPS® Gold Mountain Scholarship has been extended to rising college seniors. This year, first-gen college students who identify as AANHPI and will be starting their senior year of college during the upcoming fall term will be awarded $2,500 each.
- Application Due: March 18th
- Learn more at the OCA National website.
Interested in attending a conference? Google has multiple conferences to apply for to assist underrepresented students in the tech industry and related fields. Some examples include AISES, SACNAS, Tapia, Grace Hopper, SHPE, and Great Minds in STEM.
Deadlines vary: For SHPE and SACNAS, they are due September 10th. Learn more here and apply today!
The Academy for Experiential Learning has consolidated a database of scholarships, awards, and other funding for study abroad, research, and internships. This resource will be updated periodically and serves as a single source for undergraduates to find funding to support their experiential learning endeavors.
Virginia Tech recently became a Churchill nominating institution allowing Virginia Tech students to apply for a STEM master’s degree* at University of Cambridge.
https://www.churchillscholarship.org
An expectation of a strong candidate would be that they have at least one peer-review publication (co-author or first author)
Churchill supported Mathematics courses:
* MASt in Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics*
* MASt in Pure Mathematics*
* MASt in Mathematical Statistics*
* MPhil in Mathematics (you must have approval from a professor from the Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics or from the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics)
The three MASt courses are also called Part III of the Mathematical Tripos. Before you apply to Part III, please read the Foundation’s guide, Part III Mathematics for Churchill Scholars. Note also that applicants to this course can also be considered for the Trinity Studentship in Mathematics, if they indicate interest on their Cambridge application.
Several scholarships supporting women in STEM can be found HERE. Note that not all of the listed scholarships apply to VT math majors, and not all are currently available.
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The student shares the responsibility for developing an advising partnership with the advisor. Over time, the partnership results in increased responsibility for the student. This is achieved through the student:
- Communicating goals and concerns to the advisor in a respectful and sincere manner
- Keeping abreast of their own academic progress and requirements related to their academic program
- Making, keeping, and being prepared for appointments with the advisor
- Informing the advisor of changes in plans and/or circumstances that might impact academic performance
- Knowing departmental procedures for changing advisors
- Bringing concerns regarding quality of advising to the attention of the advising unit
The advisor shares the responsibility for developing an advising partnership with undergraduate students. This is achieved through the advisor:
- Communicating with students and delivering individualized and accurate information in a professional and sincere manner
- Being informed of, and providing accurate information about current academic policies and procedures
- Keeping appointments and being available for assistance
- Providing appropriate referrals, contacts, and information
- Conducting appropriate follow-up with students
- Seeking out and taking advantage of opportunities for professional development
Important Dates | |
Mar 3 | Last day to drop a Spring 2025 class. Last day to change grade option from A-F to P/F for free electives. |
Mar 8-16 | Spring Break (No Classes) |
Apr 1 | Last day to change grade option from P/F to A-F |
Apr 8 | Last day to apply for Spring graduation to have your name appear in the Commencement program and to update your diploma mailing address |
Apr 23 | Deadline to request to reschedule final exams |
May 7 | Last day to apply for W grade. Last day of Spring 2025 classes |
May 8 | Reading Day (No Classes/Exams) |
May 9-14 | Final exams |
May 18 | Final grades viewable in Hokie SPA |