Out of state flagships with scholarships vs. less known in state (VA)

[Anonymous]

My son is a rising junior--current stats 3.7 UW GPA 1380 SAT, but I guess that could change over the next year. We are in VA. Looking at costs, it appears that for some of the out of state flagships, he would qualify for some decent scholarships assuming he maintains (or raises) his current gpa. I'm specifically looking at schools like Kanas University, University of Oklahoma, University of Alabama, etc. Looking at our in state public universities--I know with those stats he won't get into UVA, William and Mary, or Virginia Tech. It also appears like the cost for some of the other in states (ODU, Longwood, Christopher Newport etc.) would be about the same as the out of state flag ships with scholarships.

From a reputation/future opportunity perspective, is he better off looking at these large out of state schools?

[Anonymous]

I don’t think with their stats you’re looking at Longwood and ODU. Looks pretty solid for JMU and CNU and could increase to be even more competitive since he’s only a rising junior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think with their stats you’re looking at Longwood and ODU. Looks pretty solid for JMU and CNU and could increase to be even more competitive since he’s only a rising junior.

OP here. Thanks for the response. But are JMU and CNU that much better than Oklahoma, Kansas, Alabama, etc if the costs are about equal? I guess I'm thinking ahead to after college with alumni networking, and just name recognition. If he's working in say, Seattle or Miami and is asked where he went to school; If he says Kansas people will know what he's talking about. If he says JMU or Christopher Newport--will people ask "Where is that?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think with their stats you’re looking at Longwood and ODU. Looks pretty solid for JMU and CNU and could increase to be even more competitive since he’s only a rising junior.

OP here. Thanks for the response. But are JMU and CNU that much better than Oklahoma, Kansas, Alabama, etc if the costs are about equal? I guess I'm thinking ahead to after college with alumni networking, and just name recognition. If he's working in say, Seattle or Miami and is asked where he went to school; If he says Kansas people will know what he's talking about. If he says JMU or Christopher Newport--will people ask "Where is that?"

I guess I think about the quality of the school. Even the worst state school in the US will have "name recognition" because people knows states names, that doesn't make it a better school than JMU. It's really your DC's choice. Do they want to go out of state and far away to a huge school? if so, then great. If not, we have great schools to choose from here in VA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think with their stats you’re looking at Longwood and ODU. Looks pretty solid for JMU and CNU and could increase to be even more competitive since he’s only a rising junior.

I agree with this.

He could also consider Mary Washington University, Miami (Ohio), and small liberal arts colleges such as Ohio Wesleyan, Allegheny, Juniata, and College of Wooster. I think he would get merit money at any of those.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think with their stats you’re looking at Longwood and ODU. Looks pretty solid for JMU and CNU and could increase to be even more competitive since he’s only a rising junior.

OP here. Thanks for the response. But are JMU and CNU that much better than Oklahoma, Kansas, Alabama, etc if the costs are about equal? I guess I'm thinking ahead to after college with alumni networking, and just name recognition. If he's working in say, Seattle or Miami and is asked where he went to school; If he says Kansas people will know what he's talking about. If he says JMU or Christopher Newport--will people ask "Where is that?"

I guess I think about the quality of the school. Even the worst state school in the US will have "name recognition" because people knows states names, that doesn't make it a better school than JMU. It's really your DC's choice. Do they want to go out of state and far away to a huge school? if so, then great. If not, we have great schools to choose from here in VA.

I agree. The quality of the education is ultimately what matters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think with their stats you’re looking at Longwood and ODU. Looks pretty solid for JMU and CNU and could increase to be even more competitive since he’s only a rising junior.

OP here. Thanks for the response. But are JMU and CNU that much better than Oklahoma, Kansas, Alabama, etc if the costs are about equal? I guess I'm thinking ahead to after college with alumni networking, and just name recognition. If he's working in say, Seattle or Miami and is asked where he went to school; If he says Kansas people will know what he's talking about. If he says JMU or Christopher Newport--will people ask "Where is that?"

I guess I think about the quality of the school. Even the worst state school in the US will have "name recognition" because people knows states names, that doesn't make it a better school than JMU. It's really your DC's choice. Do they want to go out of state and far away to a huge school? if so, then great. If not, we have great schools to choose from here in VA.

I agree. The quality of the education is ultimately what matters.

I think this sounds good but somewhat naive view. Hiring official cannot assess the "quality of the education" and can assess school recognition. I can understand where OP is coming from and I agree with her line of thinking.

[Anonymous]

I think KS, OK and AL are odd choices

[Anonymous]

It really depends what your kid wants. We looked broadly as did my son's friends. One is going to Arizona for 22,000 per year, another is going to West VA U for the same, and another is going to Penn State, don't know total COA. None wanted JMU or CNU but didn't get into Tech/UVA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think KS, OK and AL are odd choices

OP here
If you have other suggestions I'd love to know! One criteria that is important (but I didn't put in my op) is he does not want to go to a school that mandated a Covid vaccine for students. Even if they have now rolled that back.

[Anonymous]

Some of it depends on what he wants to study, if he's planning to go to grad/prof school after undergrad, and where it might ultimately want to live.

If you want to live in the midwest, then KU and ISU could be on your radar. The downside to big schools is that it can be very hard to be noticed, so recommendations to grad schools are hard to come by. If your son might want to go to med school or whatever, he is going to get a very detailed and strong recommendation coming from a UMW or CNU. He'll get strong financial aid, and be known by the professors. For certain fields, (many, really), your undergrad doesn't matter --- it's your grad school that really counts.

If he's not going further than undergrad, then I think where he plans to live long term matters more. If he probably will live in the mid-Atlantic, then the VA schools make more sense. If he's not planning to live in the mid-Atlantic, and not going beyond undergrad, there is some value to large school name recognition -- but it always comes at a cost of being lost in a crowd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think KS, OK and AL are odd choices

OP here
If you have other suggestions I'd love to know! One criteria that is important (but I didn't put in my op) is he does not want to go to a school that mandated a Covid vaccine for students. Even if they have now rolled that back.

Oh boy …

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think KS, OK and AL are odd choices

OP here
If you have other suggestions I'd love to know! One criteria that is important (but I didn't put in my op) is he does not want to go to a school that mandated a Covid vaccine for students. Even if they have now rolled that back.

This is so specific. Why don’t you do the research on that instead of asking people here to do it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think KS, OK and AL are odd choices

OP here
If you have other suggestions I'd love to know! One criteria that is important (but I didn't put in my op) is he does not want to go to a school that mandated a Covid vaccine for students. Even if they have now rolled that back.

This is so specific. Why don’t you do the research on that instead of asking people here to do it?

I didn't ask anyone here to research for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think with their stats you’re looking at Longwood and ODU. Looks pretty solid for JMU and CNU and could increase to be even more competitive since he’s only a rising junior.

OP here. Thanks for the response. But are JMU and CNU that much better than Oklahoma, Kansas, Alabama, etc if the costs are about equal? I guess I'm thinking ahead to after college with alumni networking, and just name recognition. If he's working in say, Seattle or Miami and is asked where he went to school; If he says Kansas people will know what he's talking about. If he says JMU or Christopher Newport--will people ask "Where is that?"

I haven’t read all of the responses but my DD recently toured Kansas and loved it and the town. Great automatic scholarships too.