Recommendations for schools within 3 hours of NoVa for my (below?) average kid?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GMU VCU TOWSON SMCM ST. JOE'S IN PHILLY

GpA and predicted test scores are too low for GMU

I can assure you that they are not.

GMU's Common Data Set has fairly high scores listed, but that's not what is required to get admitted. It's just that there are a lot of engineering students there who pull up the scores as it's harder to get admitted there. Also, it's the local choice for strong FCPS students who need to live at home to save money or for some other reason. But OP's DC can likely get in with her anticipated scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know you said you are looking for gender balance, but perhaps consider Sweet Briar College (all girls). It really is a charming, wonderful school.

With 3,000 -5,000 institutions of higher learning in the US, why would anyone pay private fees to a college which recently bellied up but was only narrowly saved by alums? That could happen again tomorrow

I doubt it. They got rid of the old President. A new president is doing things in a different way.

I think the people trying to close the school for their own selfish purposes have been removed. It’s a lovely school. I’ve spent a lot of time on that campus. Pretty hiking trails. Horses. Small campus vibe with everything close. Good security. Nice library and gym.

Sweet Briar’s closure had nothing tondi with “selfishness”. Go back and read. The President and Board felt it was fiscally irresponsible to continue to operate. It was a very serious matter. The alums got together to raise money to reopen. I would not send anyone there

But they were wrong. The decision to close was based on projections and not reality.

They never warned people or asked for help. They just decided to close and gave little heads up.

“One surprise when the new leadership took over, Tomlinson said, was finding that the financial situation wasn’t as dire as they had expected. The closure was based on projections; if trends continued it would have been unsustainable. The current administration believes that changes can keep the school competitive, she said, despite the multi-million-dollar impact of the closure, including lawsuits, severance, and buying back faculty houses on the campus from professors who have gotten new jobs.”


You will not find such spirit at many schools. To keep their NCAA eligibility, for instance, students learned how to play field hockey. They lost every game and kept their eligibility, which would have taken years to get back.

Someone probably wanted the land and then found out too late the land can’t be sold, according to the will of Indiana Williams.

[Anonymous]

OP here following up. She did end up testing right around 1100 and we submitted her scores even though they were low for pretty much everywhere she applied. She applied to 9 schools and so far has gotten into 4/4 that we've heard from! I'm so excited for her. She did apply for elem. education.

Still mulling her options, but I found this thread really helpful, and wanted to report back. FWIW, College Board said her odds of getting in everywhere she applied were low, which is why she applied to 9 schools. I was honestly worried she might not get in anywhere, but she's doing great so far!

I don't want to post the schools she got into because that feels not as anonymous, but a few of them were ones that people here thought were a reach. Based on where she's in so far, I am guessing she will get into at least 2 more. The other 3 she applied to were really stretches (IMO), but she's already doing better than I expected, so I guess we will see.

She didn't want to apply to many smaller schools or schools no one has heard of, so she mostly applied to VA state schools and one in DE and two in PA.

I do think one thing that helped her is she got a 4 on an AP exam last year, so we submitted that. I also think she wrote a good essay.

Thanks for all your encouragement and I hope everyone else is getting good news!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GMU VCU TOWSON SMCM ST. JOE'S IN PHILLY

Grades and projected SAT are too low for GMU

Not true at all.

Sure, if someone wants to do com sci or engineering, you better have close to a 4.0 for GMU. But for everything else, a 3.1 gpa (at my FCPS HS, based on Naviance) will get you into GMU. We are one of the top 5 FCPS HSs, and we are close to GMU. OP's kid can definitely get into GMU.

I looked at the SCHEV data before posting, did you?

NP. I don’t think she’s a candidate for GMU unless hooked. SCHEV has last year’s class at the 75th percentile at 1350, median is a 1240 and bottom 25th percentile is a 1160. GPAs, similarly, are 4.0/3.78/3.45. My DS went to GMU several years ago. A lot has changed. He would not get in today

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here following up. She did end up testing right around 1100 and we submitted her scores even though they were low for pretty much everywhere she applied. She applied to 9 schools and so far has gotten into 4/4 that we've heard from! I'm so excited for her. She did apply for elem. education.

Still mulling her options, but I found this thread really helpful, and wanted to report back. FWIW, College Board said her odds of getting in everywhere she applied were low, which is why she applied to 9 schools. I was honestly worried she might not get in anywhere, but she's doing great so far!

I don't want to post the schools she got into because that feels not as anonymous, but a few of them were ones that people here thought were a reach. Based on where she's in so far, I am guessing she will get into at least 2 more. The other 3 she applied to were really stretches (IMO), but she's already doing better than I expected, so I guess we will see.

She didn't want to apply to many smaller schools or schools no one has heard of, so she mostly applied to VA state schools and one in DE and two in PA.

I do think one thing that helped her is she got a 4 on an AP exam last year, so we submitted that. I also think she wrote a good essay.

Thanks for all your encouragement and I hope everyone else is getting good news!

Congrats! I didn’t realize this was an old thread. Great news!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD is a junior in Northern Va with average grades (3.3 GPA) and some AP classes. Will test in the 1000-1100 range on SATs. We are looking for a school within driving distance of home, so ideally within 3 hours. Not expecting any financial aid, and not really worried about cost (though I prefer to spend under $50K year). No intended major or even a great sense of what to do, although it will be humanities/liberal arts and not science or math. Not a lot of "impressive" stuff on the resume -- some sports, some clubs, not a standout in anything. DD is an OK but not great writer, etc. Even typing this, probably not even average for this area, but would be average in most of the country.

Definitely a late bloomer. I'm not worried about her long-term. She's a grounded person who has good social skills, and high emotional IQ, but is not a great student. She's organized and conscientious, but does have some anxiety, which is why I think she will be happier not too far from home.

I'm looking for recs for places to apply. We are open on size of school, though there need to be enough majors in the humanities/liberal arts that she can find her thing. Maybe also graphic design, as she has a good eye, but never really pursued it. A lot of the colleges I've seen are 65% female or higher, and I prefer something with better gender balance. Also looking for a school where a good percentage of kids actually finish, and where kids coming out of the school go on to jobs/grad school. I also prefer a school where kids largely live on campus, and the school is good at helping freshman get integrated and find success. I prefer her not get lost, and go to a school that will really help her thrive.

All of this makes me think she may do better in the right smaller school. She's interested in a bigger school like JMU, though from what I've read here, I don't think she would get in. She would enjoy getting to cheer on sports teams, etc. I don't think Greek system would be a good fit, so ideally a school where you don't have to do that to make friends.

Also on the wish list is a place where she could have a single room as a freshman, but still live in a more communal space to make friends. Part of her management of the anxiety is control over her living environment, so not having to deal with a messy roommate would be good, but she also needs to be with the people, if that makes sense.

Thanks for any ideas!

Mary Washington, Longwood and Radford are great options in Virginia and also have beautiful campuses. They all have a different feel, so she might have a clear preference after visiting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dang you're organized! I think the list you generated is really good. My kid will have similar stats. Please don't call your daughter (below) average. Mine brings a ton of wonderful qualities to the table, and I'm sure yours does, too. Good luck!

For PP who suggested it, she's actually thought about teaching, but doesn't see herself as "smart enough" to teach. Her assumption is that all teachers were really good students. I've told her that is not the case, but who knows? I think she could be great at interior design or something in fashion, but she doesn't have a strong art background. She's not a kid who has ever devoted herself to anything yet to find "her thing" which is my only reservation about a smaller school for her, which otherwise I think would be a good fit.

Obviously she has a limited understanding of what it means to be “smart” - as is to be expected of a high school kid. You described her as “high emotional IQ”. So, she’s smart - very smart. And in a way that matters a lot. A real lot in most parts of life. Some academic high achievers can be sadly lacking in this area.

Regardless of what she pursues as a career, it would be valuable learning for her to understand multiple intelligences, how they apply to her, and how to build her self-esteem around the real facts of who she is rather than thinking of herself as “not smart enough”. Howard Gardner is the Harvard professor who developed the theory of multiple intelligences and he has a website at https://www.multipleintelligencesoasis.org with lots of resources. You might offer her the book, “You’re Smarter Than You Think: a Kid’s Guide to Multiple Intelligences”, by Thomas Armstrong. She apparently has talents that she either minimizes and undervalues or is not aware of. She will thrive to the extent that she builds on her strengths. To do that she needs to know what they are.

I wish you well with your search.

+100 my dd is VERY booksnart. But is lacking in EQ and self awareness. Your dd will do great! Definitely agree with considering elementary ed.

[Anonymous]

This is an old thread, folks!

[Anonymous]

My DD sounds exactly like your DC. She actually was accepted to many Southern schools. One that I thought was a great fit was bridge to Clemson. You start out the first year at Community college but live on campus with all of the Privileges as if you are a Clemson student. It’s also so much less money. If you get a 3.0 ( I think or maybe even lower) you automatically get in Clemson for Sophomore year. She ultimately chose another school even though I really wanted this slower start to college for her. Try College of Charleston VCU, UT Knoxville, Temple, West Chester ( these are a few my DD got a accepted that aren’t too far) many schools will take average students. My DD did amazingly her first semester.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GMU VCU TOWSON SMCM ST. JOE'S IN PHILLY

Grades and projected SAT are too low for GMU

Not true at all.

Sure, if someone wants to do com sci or engineering, you better have close to a 4.0 for GMU. But for everything else, a 3.1 gpa (at my FCPS HS, based on Naviance) will get you into GMU. We are one of the top 5 FCPS HSs, and we are close to GMU. OP's kid can definitely get into GMU.

I looked at the SCHEV data before posting, did you?

NP. I don’t think she’s a candidate for GMU unless hooked. SCHEV has last year’s class at the 75th percentile at 1350, median is a 1240 and bottom 25th percentile is a 1160. GPAs, similarly, are 4.0/3.78/3.45. My DS went to GMU several years ago. A lot has changed. He would not get in today

OP again. Sorry to confuse people with an old thread. I was updating. GMU is actually one of the schools she did in fact get into with around 1100 SAT.

[Anonymous]

Since there really are only 2 schools in DE and only one that isn’t a HBCU…congrats on UD

[Anonymous]

I wish Longwood and UMW had the programs my child wanted, because I think they would be a nice fit otherwise.

Oh, well!

[Anonymous]

I love that you're back ... congrats to your DD! Sounds like she's doing well!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GMU VCU TOWSON SMCM ST. JOE'S IN PHILLY

Grades and projected SAT are too low for GMU

Not true at all.

Sure, if someone wants to do com sci or engineering, you better have close to a 4.0 for GMU. But for everything else, a 3.1 gpa (at my FCPS HS, based on Naviance) will get you into GMU. We are one of the top 5 FCPS HSs, and we are close to GMU. OP's kid can definitely get into GMU.

I looked at the SCHEV data before posting, did you?

NP. I don’t think she’s a candidate for GMU unless hooked. SCHEV has last year’s class at the 75th percentile at 1350, median is a 1240 and bottom 25th percentile is a 1160. GPAs, similarly, are 4.0/3.78/3.45. My DS went to GMU several years ago. A lot has changed. He would not get in today

OP again. Sorry to confuse people with an old thread. I was updating. GMU is actually one of the schools she did in fact get into with around 1100 SAT.

Yay!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is an old thread, folks!

Whose OP updated the thread TODAY!