Sky-High GPAs at Virginia State Schools? Time to Ground Expectations and Open Doors

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He should look into the Computational Modeling & Data Analytics major at VT. It's kind of under-the-radar, probably because it's in the College Science, not College of Engineering, and as a result has a much higher admission rate than CS despite being 1/2 CS and 1/2 applied math/statistics. Many students double major or minor in CS. It also has one of the highest average starting salaries at the university.

Latest VT data shows it has a 65% in-state acceptance rate.
https://data.science.vt.edu/programs/cmda.html

My son is a rising senior CMDA major, had great experiences so far and an excellent internship this summer.

Good info, thanks for sharing. At VT can one take double minor/major across colleges, e.g. a one minor/major from College of Engineering and one minor/major for College of Science? Or do both have to within one and same college?

DP. Yes, you can double major and/or minor across colleges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He should look into the Computational Modeling & Data Analytics major at VT. It's kind of under-the-radar, probably because it's in the College Science, not College of Engineering, and as a result has a much higher admission rate than CS despite being 1/2 CS and 1/2 applied math/statistics. Many students double major or minor in CS. It also has one of the highest average starting salaries at the university.

Latest VT data shows it has a 65% in-state acceptance rate.
https://data.science.vt.edu/programs/cmda.html

My son is a rising senior CMDA major, had great experiences so far and an excellent internship this summer.

Good info, thanks for sharing. At VT can one take double minor/major across colleges, e.g. a one minor/major from College of Engineering and one minor/major for College of Science? Or do both have to within one and same college?

I don't know the process but you can definitely double major/major-minor in different colleges. DS is a CMDA major in College of Science, minor in CS in College of Engineering.

Thank you for responding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean I think the issue is that there is no place for above average but not really high GPA kids. It’s either you need 4.0+/high test scores to go to WM/V tech/UVA/now JMU or you go to school that accepts most kids. There is no middle of the road.

No you don't need high test scores and 4+ GPA to get to JMU. I know a girl who is now a rising sophomore who had barely a 3.0 and very average scores (1200) who got off the JMU waitlist. That being said, those that don't get in there can do GMU or CNU. There is TONS of middle ground. There is literally a state school for everyone in VA.

This seems to be as unrealistic as the post claiming their kid with a 4.3 was waitlisted.

It was my kid. I think it came down to the number of APs taken, at least that is what was alluded to in the response to her LOCI. It’s a high school in NOVA where a 4.0 gets you in the top half of the class and most apply there. She wasn’t the only one with similar stats to not get in at the school. Out of state kids with no honors and way less GPA were accepted though. It is what it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean I think the issue is that there is no place for above average but not really high GPA kids. It’s either you need 4.0+/high test scores to go to WM/V tech/UVA/now JMU or you go to school that accepts most kids. There is no middle of the road.

No you don't need high test scores and 4+ GPA to get to JMU. I know a girl who is now a rising sophomore who had barely a 3.0 and very average scores (1200) who got off the JMU waitlist. That being said, those that don't get in there can do GMU or CNU. There is TONS of middle ground. There is literally a state school for everyone in VA.

This seems to be as unrealistic as the post claiming their kid with a 4.3 was waitlisted.

It was my kid. I think it came down to the number of APs taken, at least that is what was alluded to in the response to her LOCI. It’s a high school in NOVA where a 4.0 gets you in the top half of the class and most apply there. She wasn’t the only one with similar stats to not get in at the school. Out of state kids with no honors and way less GPA were accepted though. It is what it is.

DP. How on earth would you know that? You don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean I think the issue is that there is no place for above average but not really high GPA kids. It’s either you need 4.0+/high test scores to go to WM/V tech/UVA/now JMU or you go to school that accepts most kids. There is no middle of the road.

No you don't need high test scores and 4+ GPA to get to JMU. I know a girl who is now a rising sophomore who had barely a 3.0 and very average scores (1200) who got off the JMU waitlist. That being said, those that don't get in there can do GMU or CNU. There is TONS of middle ground. There is literally a state school for everyone in VA.

Ok name the schools in VA that are middle ground. It used to be VA Tech (non engineering) and JMU but that’s not the case anymore.

I guess it depends on what your definition of middle ground is. In my opinion, VT (non-engineering,) and JMU have always been for kids who were above middle ground although not at the very top.
Keep in mind, half of high school students don’t even go onto four year colleges, so the true middle ground of a HS class are probably going to schools like VCU/CNU

The JMU CDS for 2023/24 says that only 26% of applicants submitted test scores with 1180 to 1310 as the 25% - 75%ile and the acceptance rate was 76%.

Seems like most people get accepted to JMU.

Most people get into VT (57%), CNU (88%), VCU (92%) and GMU (90%) as well

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean I think the issue is that there is no place for above average but not really high GPA kids. It’s either you need 4.0+/high test scores to go to WM/V tech/UVA/now JMU or you go to school that accepts most kids. There is no middle of the road.

No you don't need high test scores and 4+ GPA to get to JMU. I know a girl who is now a rising sophomore who had barely a 3.0 and very average scores (1200) who got off the JMU waitlist. That being said, those that don't get in there can do GMU or CNU. There is TONS of middle ground. There is literally a state school for everyone in VA.

Ok name the schools in VA that are middle ground. It used to be VA Tech (non engineering) and JMU but that’s not the case anymore.

I guess it depends on what your definition of middle ground is. In my opinion, VT (non-engineering,) and JMU have always been for kids who were above middle ground although not at the very top.
Keep in mind, half of high school students don’t even go onto four year colleges, so the true middle ground of a HS class are probably going to schools like VCU/CNU

The JMU CDS for 2023/24 says that only 26% of applicants submitted test scores with 1180 to 1310 as the 25% - 75%ile and the acceptance rate was 76%.

Seems like most people get accepted to JMU.

Most people get into VT (57%), CNU (88%), VCU (92%) and GMU (90%) as well

Also a GPA of 3.0 is low for all of these schools:https://research.schev.edu/info/Reports.Guide-to-the-Admissions-Reports

VT (4.0), JMU (3.9), CNU,GMU,VCU < 3.7

[Anonymous]

It's because students do not apply IF they think/and stats show they aren't getting in.

"Most people get into ..."
This means nothing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UVa gets practically no funding from the state. Your tax money isn't going to the school. If anything, the amount of OOS students should be increased.

That isn't true at all. UVA's general fund appropriation is one of the largest among public institutions and considerably larger on a per FTE student basis than schools like GMU and JMU.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would want to know the % of kids enrolled at the Va. public schools who are _Virginians_. I know it varies among the universities.

Because here's the thing: if the % of state residents is "high" and the bar to entry is also high (say, 4.3 and 1470 or something), then I don't see the problem. It just means that State School X is enrolling the generally best-performing Virginia residents.

If however the bar is high for entry but a lot of the kids come from New Jersey, that's a different matter.

re: OP's point about being mediocre at Spanish and thus not earning a lotto ticket to do CS at Va Tech ... why not just study harder in the don't-come-easily-to-me subjects? My own kid is a brilliant writer but also sucked at Spanish and really struggled with Calc+. Higher order math shouldn't matter for his future life as a corporate lawyer, but he spent 6x as long studying Calc / Chem / Physics to get that high grade because he needs that entry into Exclusive U. to be the lawyer he wants to be someday.

All the CS wannabes could probably do the same with English comp, no?

Personally, I'm glad UVA takes a large % of OOS kids. Not every state has good in-state options (e.g., DC), so I would hate for anyone to be shut out because of geography.

Wikipedia says "UVA is required by Virginia state law, to matriculate two-thirds of its undergraduate student body from its pool of in-state applicants". Their website says "we have pledged to maintain a 2/3 majority of Virginia residents in our student population, but 2/3 of our applicants tend to come from out-of-state. As a result, our offer rate for Virginia residents tends to be much higher than the rate for out-of-state students"

So is UVA mandated to be 2/3 Virginian by law or are they free to decide? It's not clear. Other top publics like UCLA and UMich have way fewer in-state.

It isn't a firm 2/3, but if they move away from that, it would attract the attention of the general assembly. UCLA has a much higher percentage in state.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's because students do not apply IF they think/and stats show they aren't getting in.

"Most people get into ..."
This means nothing

Exactly. There certainly are some simpletons on this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In order to increase capacity, they have to also increase faculty. They would have to increase dorms and also the surrounding town would need more apartments, grocery stores, and other businesses suited for college students (I think the local residents are already not pleased with the growth that has already happened. They'd need to increase the food services on campus. So many things would need to be increased and it's not just as simple as "just admit more students."

Exactly, this is why UVA can't grow further (although it does buy real estate when it can), same as other land-locked older schools like Harvard and Yale. That is why the legislature is pumping money into GMU, JMU, etc. etc. and not UVA. UVA is almost entirely self-funded now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't wrap my head around why Virginia state schools like UVA, Virginia Tech, and JMU are setting their GPA requirements so high. For instance, UVA wants a 4.3, Virginia Tech a 4.0, and JMU a 3.5. It feels like they're trying to compete with Ivy Leagues, which might make sense for private schools that thrive on exclusivity, but for public universities funded by taxpayer dollars? That just doesn’t sit right with me.

My own kid, who is gifted in math and computers and two grade levels ahead in these subjects, is looking at Virginia Tech because of its strong emphasis on tech and computer programs. Yet, he might have to reconsider his top choice because he faces challenges in foreign languages and English, and those could drag his GPA down. It's absurd that a student who excels in the exact fields a school specializes in might miss out because of a few lower grades in unrelated areas. I also have to tell him that getting a B or B+ isn't good enough, which to me seems absurd.

Also, why not increase their capacity? More seats would mean more students getting a good education without the crazy pressure of scoring more than a perfect GPA. Another idea could be to limit the number of out-of-state or international students to free up more spots for in-state students, ensuring that Virginia's own have better access to these educational resources.

Isn’t it time we reassess these academic expectations to make higher education more accessible and relevant to what students are actually studying and excelling in? Shouldn't state schools focus on educating more students rather than acting like they're something they’re not? Let's hear some opinions on this!

They aren't "setting" the requirements that high. . The students have those GPAs and much higher. Due to grade inflation and test optional, the best schools are inundated with students with 4.51 (UVA's 75th percentile GPA) plus GPAs. I know of one UVA student had a 6.0 - she had been taken college courses since sophomore year through the Governor's program. These kids have incredibly resumes. Do you expect the top publics to turn away the top state students? Meanwhile, they are under pressure to increase first generation and URM numbers so something has to give. This is why the Commonwealth is pouring money into all of the other 30 public colleges and universities in Virginia - to make something accessible to everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In order to increase capacity, they have to also increase faculty. They would have to increase dorms and also the surrounding town would need more apartments, grocery stores, and other businesses suited for college students (I think the local residents are already not pleased with the growth that has already happened. They'd need to increase the food services on campus. So many things would need to be increased and it's not just as simple as "just admit more students."

Exactly, this is why UVA can't grow further (although it does buy real estate when it can), same as other land-locked older schools like Harvard and Yale. That is why the legislature is pumping money into GMU, JMU, etc. etc. and not UVA. UVA is almost entirely self-funded now.

Look at the state budget. UVA gets higher general fund appropriations per in state student than GMU or JMU. What you said is a common misconception.

[Anonymous]

Colleges use their average GPA for admission to put your child in the best possible place for them to thrive. You do not want your 3.5 gpa kid going to UVA because they will struggle to succeed. Same for VT engineering or some challenging majors at W&M.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would want to know the % of kids enrolled at the Va. public schools who are _Virginians_. I know it varies among the universities.

This is publicly available information.