The United States Military Academy claims that it was a word used to denote the gray of the standard uniform of a cadet. One less factual definition is that due to the Southern drawl of some of the members of the VMI Corps, the common term cadet was transformed into “Keydet”. Why is VMware Fusion not working on Mac? .

Why are VMI cadets called rats?

The Rat Line begins on Matriculation Day and lasts until cadets “break out,” usually in February, when they are recognized by the Corps as 4th Class cadets. The term “Rat Line,” refers specifically to the tradition in which new cadets walk at rigid attention along a prescribed route whenever they are inside barracks.

What are freshman called at VMI?

During the first several months at VMI, new cadets are called “rats,” the accepted term (since the 1850s) for a new cadet.