Virginia Tech updates undergraduate admissions process
Virginia Tech photo
Virginia Tech is updating its undergraduate admissions deadlines and its prospective student review process for the application cycle that opens Aug. 1.
The changes include shifting the university’s early admissions application deadline from Nov. 15 to Nov. 1 and integrating a new approach to evaluating applicant essays that pairs human reviewers with an artificial intelligence (AI)-supported model developed by Virginia Tech researchers. These changes aim to provide applicants with admissions decisions more quickly.
A record 57,622 first-year applications were submitted for fall 2025 admission, 10.2 percent more than the previous year. It was the fifth straight year in which the university has set a new high for the number of first-year applications.
“For the last three years, we have worked closely with Virginia Tech researchers in creating and testing this approach in a careful and responsible way. The success of this research has led to development of this tool that will support our human readers as they review the essay section of the application. These updates allow us to keep pace with the application volume while preserving the academic quality, increasing the fairness and responsiveness of our review process,” said Juan Espinoza, vice provost for enrollment management. “Utilizing AI will enable us to review essays more quickly and consistently, which benefits students by allowing our admissions committee to make admissions decisions earlier.”
The new essay review process replaces the previous system, in which each essay was initially scored by two human reviewers, with a model that includes one human reviewer and one AI reviewer. Under the previous process, if the two human reviewers' scores differed by more than four points on a 12-point scale, a third human reviewer was brought in to evaluate the essay and resolve the discrepancy. In the new process, that discrepancy threshold has been lowered to two points to ensure the highest levels of accuracy.
Espinoza stressed that AI is being utilized to confirm the human reader essay scores, not make any admissions decisions. Final admissions decisions will be made exclusively by qualified and trained admissions professionals.
“If the human and AI scores differ by more than two points, a second human reviewer is brought in to ensure consistency and fairness,” he said. “This safeguard gives us even greater confidence in the scores and reinforces that final admission decisions continue to be made exclusively by admissions professionals on our team.”
The AI reviewer uses a large language model that was trained, rigorously tested for accuracy and fairness, and validated by Virginia Tech researchers. This internal system will be closely monitored by the research group. Espinoza said this work contributes to a national conversation about the responsible use of AI in higher education.
“We’re proud to be contributing to the innovation of new tools and, just as importantly, we’re committed to using them thoughtfully and transparently,” he said. “We’ll continue to evaluate outcomes, incorporate research, and refine our approach to ensure we’re serving students in the best possible way.”
Related information
