West Virginia University Institute of Technology
Beckley, WV, USA

Reviews

West Virginia University Institute of Technology

Lance from Wheeling, WV

accepted here and planning to attend soon
4 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
Will learn a lot
This is one of the top schools in the country for Mechanical Engineering and I can't wait to attend this fall.
Will enjoy being here
I am from a small area in upper WV. This university is also small, so it fits me well.
Bang for the buck
It is one of the more reasonable priced schools to attend.
Tips for prospective students
Make an appointment and go and tour the facility. It is small but they have a great deal of technology. It's a more comfortable place where you will actually get to know a great deal of the students attending.
Great for these types of students
A person who is serious about their studies but don't like large crowds. This is the place to be.

Jackie from Columbia, MD

a current student here
3 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
In three sentences
Great school for Engineering. Small and quiet but love it. Everyone is friendly and the Dean is Boss.
Tips for prospective students
A nice choice if you're looking for small and quiet, but you do want to keep in mind that this school is huge on their academics which attracted me.
Academic Rigor
Be on your game, the proffers most certainly will be on theirs, that doesn't mean, however, that they won't help you. Think of it almost as like High School, your professors will do what they can to help you get that degree, but you will have to work for it.
Dorm Life
I love my dorms, everyone is nice to one another and it's almost like having a family here.
Food and Dining
I work at the Dining Hall and I have to say, we have a large array of choices for students to pick from and the food is really good. They also keep in mind if you have certain allergies, if you're a vegetarian, or if you have any special circumstances.
What to do for fun
They have movies, recreational games, Greek Life, Sports...etc
There is always something to do around campus.
Bang for the buck
As far as it goes, it is extremely worth the money for it's academics and residential life.
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
You'll have to find out just like I did :D
Great for these types of students
Those who are serious about their academics, who don't want to travel outside of WV, if you love the mountains, or if you want your college professors to get to know you.
Clubs and Activities
Greek Life, Student Jobs, Recreational Activities, and Sports
Greek Life
There are both Fraternities and Sororities on campus that are unique in their own way.
Campus Safety
I've actually gotten to know the campus Police and they actually meant what they said when they cared about the students.

Casey from High View, WV

a current student here
3 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
Am learning a lot
If you are interested for learning more than partying, then this school is the right place. Between the low Student-to-teacher Ratios (average about 15:1) and the low student population, The professors here willingly give 1-on-1 during office hours when needed. I had a situation in Calculus 2 (hardest math class at the school) where I emailed the professor about what I was having trouble with, and the next day he adjusted his teaching materials for the day to help not only me, but everyone else understand what was going on with sequences and series.
Am enjoying being here
I honestly love it. Between student organizations to athletics, you meet everyone at least once. The professors here are reasonable and they understand that everyone is human. They even take time to get to know you by your name, not by your student number. All the professors in my department (Mathematics) know who I am and what I do on campus. It makes you feel like you're right at home.
Bang for the buck
One can get a variety of scholarships for attending this school, especially those that are attending as an in-state student. My situation as an in-state student, I'm able to get an academic scholarship and an athletic scholarship on top of my other grants I receive. I usually only have to pay from 500-2000 out of my own pocket a year, but then again I live in a suite in my dorm. It's also the most affordable college in the state of West Virginia, and the best education for a public institution.
Tips for prospective students
Get your GPA up and ACT scores up. If you have an ACT of 24 with a 3.5 GPA, you'll qualify for the highest merit scholarship ($2500) at the school, but a 22 ACT and a 3.0 GPA will guarantee you a middle merit scholarship ($1500). To qualify for the lowest merit scholarship available ($1000), one needs a 3.0 GPA and an ACT of 18. the previous stated scholarships are renewable with Satisfactory Academic Progress If one doesn't qualify for this and he or she is a first generation college student, then he/she will qualify for a first generation scholarship (one time only, $1000)

Another piece of advice, if you think you have a chance to go out for athletics, just go ahead and try. I'm running cross country for the college and wasn't sure if I was going to be able to make the team, but I'm entering my 3rd year for the team.
Great for these types of students
The town is sorta small, so for people who like a slow, easy going pace for a lifestyle with a rigorous college curriculum, then it is the place to be. This is a great school for all STEM fields and for business-related majors. If you're willing to put forth effort to better yourself, you'll see results and the professors will help you along the way.

Pieter from Montgomery, WV

a current student here
2 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
In three sentences
WVU Tech is a small populated University with students from all over the globe with diverse cultures and characteristics which gives WVU Tech its unique identity. The level and quality of education here is impeccable and the environment is study friendly. The sports at the University are also very competitive and are run by well qualified coaches with intentions to win and achieve great results.
Tips for prospective students
My personal tips and advices for prospective students is to keep their identity because there will be no need to change to be accepted by certain groups as the school has a small population size and therefore everyone is friendly and focused to achieve their goals. Prospective students should focus on their academics and sports as this is the right environment for that.
Academic Rigor
The academics at Tech are of high quality and so are the staff members and lecturers. Every course and subject is tough in its own sense and requires students to make an effort and have a well organised study timetable. You get homework and tasks everyday to help improve your knowledge on the subject and tutors are also widely available for free to help students with difficulties.
Dorm Life
The dorm life is superb. There are two dorms (Maclin and Ratliff), both dorms are well maintained so students don't feel they are in worse conditions than at home. There are a lot of activities to do too such as pool, table tennis, sports games and movies in the lounges and even study and workout sessions. Students also respect one another during study times so i is not necessary to study in the library because the dorms are relatively quiet during the evenings.
Food and Dining
The cafeteria food and hall is great. they have salads, fruits and fruit juices in abundance on a daily basis and a variety of foods to eat from sandwiches to wraps, to chicken, to pastas, to waffles you name it. There is also a Chinese, Mexican and Pizza restaurant across the street from the university and a Mac Donalds about 10min away if you feel like something different.
What to do for fun
Montgomery is a remote place but there are activities organised by the school such as free movie nights, game nights, table tennis tournaments etc with free snacks provided. There are also play station tournaments where friends play fifa, call of duty etc. with each other. There are also parties organised by the school where you can meet different people and snacks are also provided etc. There is a mall in Charleston which is about an hours or less drive where one can go to the cinemas, shopping etc.
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
Probably one of the weirdest locations is the location of the engineering building which is about a 5min walk from the main school buildings, cafeteria and dorms. Most students are still puzzled as to why it is so far and about 6 storeys high, but its a good exercise. Another puzzling thing is the location of the train track which is right next to the dorms and I Must say when those trains pass by at 2am for 5min it gets irritating, but when you're lecturer scolds at you and you barley hear a thing because of the train going by then its pure bliss.
Great for these types of students
Tech is a great environment for students who firstly are extremely ambitious to achieve both their academic and sports goals as there are no major distractions and there are a lot of motivated and driven students on campus to help one remain focused. It is also a great place for students who find it difficult to focus and are easily distracted as the lack of distractions will allow them to focus.
Clubs and Activities
There are not many clubs because of the small size of students however there are activities the school organises like movie nights, speed dating, fear factor and lectures and seminars with the financial director and other important members of the school to help us stay informed of what is happening in the school.
Greek Life
There are fraternity and sorority houses which have activities and parties for students on halloween and most other nights in the year. The parties never get out of hand and mostly all the students go to meet new people or have a good time with friends.
Campus Safety
The campus safety is amazing, I can literally sleep with my door open or leave it open for the entire day and nothing will get stolen. There are cameras all around but they aren't even needed as students are not thieves or trouble makers, everyone gets along and there has never been a major incident in my entire time here. I remember losing my student card and instead of the founder using it to spend my meal plans they made the effort to find me and return it to me.

Stephanie from Pinch, WV

a past student here
2 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
Did learn a lot
I attended WVUIT for two years. I was enrolled in the Mechanical Engineering program for the first two semesters. I took just enough classes to get my feet wet and decided that engineering wasn’t the right profession for me. During that time, however, I still enjoyed most of the classes I took. I liked most of my professors (especially Dr. Bing Yang: Math Department Chair…I would definitely recommend him.) and the courses, though at times difficult, were challenging and engaging. For the remaining two semesters, I just tested the waters, taking as many basic classes as I could before I had to transfer schools.
Did enjoy being here
The town of Montgomery is basically a ghost town. It’s small and old, and I’m not sure it could survive without the school. The campus itself is pretty old too, but I like the feel of a small town school. It’s not the nicest campus, but I was comfortable there because of the size and population. I drove an hour, one way to attend WVUIT. I liked it and probably wouldn’t have transferred if they had offered the degree I wanted.
Bang for the buck
Tuition at WVUIT was priced quite reasonably. The Engineering programs are more expensive, but I think it’s worth it if you’re interested in any of the Engineering/Math/Science fields. The other colleges at WVUIT are less costly.
Compared to other state schools, the cost is average. As with other schools, textbooks are outrageously priced.
Tips for prospective students
If you're interested in WVUIT, you should pursue it. Don't simply apply and take the pictures online for granted. Take a tour, meet with advisors and professors, spend a day on campus and make up your mind based on what you find. Don't let someone else decide it for you.
Great for these types of students
While I enjoyed my time at WVUIT, I wouldn’t recommend the school unless you are pursuing one of the offered Engineering degrees. The other programs aren’t quite up to date as they should be and attendance is so constantly low that the school is always in danger of closing. Still, I think the Engineering programs would be worth it.