How can I tell whether Virginia Tech or Michigan State is the harder school for me to get into?

The biggest practical tradeoff is that Virginia Tech can become materially harder to predict when you are applying to a high-demand academic area, while Michigan State should likewise be judged by the expectations of the college or program you would enter, not by a universitywide admission figure. For both schools, your transcript, course rigor in context, grades in relevant subjects, and intended major are more useful comparison points than a single overall acceptance rate. Residency can also affect the picture, so compare yourself with applicants from your own state-residency category whenever the schools provide that context.

Start with each university’s current first-year admissions page, Common Data Set, and any college- or major-specific application information. Look for whether your intended program has separate requirements, limited capacity, portfolio or prerequisite expectations, or a different path to entry after enrollment. Then compare your record with the academic profile each school publishes, especially the strength of your senior-year schedule and performance in courses central to your proposed field. A student applying for engineering, for example, should put more weight on math and science preparation than on an overall class-profile comparison alone.

Also separate “admissible” from “likely.” If your grades and rigor are near or above the published profile and you meet the preparation expected for your major, the school may be a reasonable target; if they are meaningfully below, treat it as more of a reach. Testing policies and reporting practices can change, so use the requirements for your own application cycle rather than older forum posts or aggregate chance calculators.

Do not assume either Virginia Tech or Michigan State is automatically harder. Classify Virginia Tech as the less predictable option if your chosen major has notably tighter entry expectations there; otherwise, compare your own academic preparation against each school’s current, major-relevant guidance and place the school where your profile is less aligned in the more-reach category.