while vmi has been called "the west point of the south", it differs from the federal military service academies. as of 2019, vmi had a total enrollment of 1,722 cadets. all cadets must participate in the reserve officers' training corps (rotc) of the united states armed forces programs, but are afforded the flexibility of pursuing civilian endeavors or accepting an officer's commission in any of the active or reserve components of any of the u.s. military branches upon graduation.