Which is the better VA university: VA Tech or JMU?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:W&M
UVA
JMU and U of Richmond
GMU
VT and MW

W&M above UVA, as well as JMU?? I'll have a glass of what she's having please.

I think W&M is perceived by some as being more...(for lack of a better word) intellectual (in a grind sort of way) than UVA. This seems especially true among the teens/young adults I know. I don't rank it above UVA, but it doesn't surprise me that someone might.

.... and, the W&M booster has gone into crazyville.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP here, but I do know that JMU historically and openly admits a wide variety of students based not only on scores. They make an effort to create a very diverse student body (race, public service, etc.)

It is certainly true that UVA and W&M enroll a shamefully small number of low-income students. However, both of them are more racially diverse than JMU. UVA is 61% white, W&M is 60% white, JMU is 79% white.

[Anonymous]

This obsession with rankings is kind of crazy. Some schools just fit certain students better than others.

For example many kids who apply to William and Mary don't even apply to Virginia, and vice versa. Virginia does southern prep very well, and not everybody is into that. William and Mary appeals to the nerdier types. Some kids want an urban campus and VCU fills that better than the other VA schools. It's not all about rankings.

It's not like all the best students go to UVA, the second best to W&M, and the third best to JMU. It's more nuanced than that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:W&M
UVA
JMU and U of Richmond
GMU
VT and MW

W&M above UVA, as well as JMU?? I'll have a glass of what she's having please.

I think W&M is perceived by some as being more...(for lack of a better word) intellectual (in a grind sort of way) than UVA. This seems especially true among the teens/young adults I know. I don't rank it above UVA, but it doesn't surprise me that someone might.

Let's not confuse boredom with intellect.

What I'm saying is that W&M seems to have a reputation of being boringly intellectual.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This obsession with rankings is kind of crazy. Some schools just fit certain students better than others.

For example many kids who apply to William and Mary don't even apply to Virginia, and vice versa. Virginia does southern prep very well, and not everybody is into that. William and Mary appeals to the nerdier types. Some kids want an urban campus and VCU fills that better than the other VA schools. It's not all about rankings.

It's not like all the best students go to UVA, the second best to W&M, and the third best to JMU. It's more nuanced than that.

Totally agree. My spouse is a high school teacher at a top-ranked NoVA public school and reports that top students looking at Virginia state schools (and their parents) have a very strong preference for UVA *or* W&M; even kids who apply to both typically strongly prefer one over the other. In spouse's experience, the third choice is typically Tech, unless the kid is interested in engineering or architecture or is the child of a Tech alum, then Tech rises.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After one person weighs in that VT is better, and another person weighs in that JMU is better, and it goes on and on, yes in terms of perceived prestige from FFX residents, they are equal. Departments will vary.

That seems to be true. Long ago, Va Tech was the clear #3 in the state, but that has changed with the rise of JMU. It was kind of inevitable that the many top students who did not get into W & M and UVA and wanted to study liberal arts needed a third choice. JMU has evolved into that choice.

Except that JMU is so much bigger than W&M; it's a much different college experience. I think if someone really wants UVA but doesn't get in, JMU is a good option. But for the student who really wants W&M, UMW is likely a better alternative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This obsession with rankings is kind of crazy. Some schools just fit certain students better than others.

For example many kids who apply to William and Mary don't even apply to Virginia, and vice versa. Virginia does southern prep very well, and not everybody is into that. William and Mary appeals to the nerdier types. Some kids want an urban campus and VCU fills that better than the other VA schools. It's not all about rankings.

It's not like all the best students go to UVA, the second best to W&M, and the third best to JMU. It's more nuanced than that.

So true. My DC applied to several schools, including W&M, JMU, and UMW. Tech and UVA didn't interest him. He was smart enough to know where he would be happy and where he wouldn't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This obsession with rankings is kind of crazy. Some schools just fit certain students better than others.

For example many kids who apply to William and Mary don't even apply to Virginia, and vice versa. Virginia does southern prep very well, and not everybody is into that. William and Mary appeals to the nerdier types. Some kids want an urban campus and VCU fills that better than the other VA schools. It's not all about rankings.

It's not like all the best students go to UVA, the second best to W&M, and the third best to JMU. It's more nuanced than that.

So true. My DC applied to several schools, including W&M, JMU, and UMW. Tech and UVA didn't interest him. He was smart enough to know where he would be happy and where he wouldn't.

+1 DD liked W&M, but didn't apply to UVA or JMU. Wasn't feeling it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:W&M
UVA
JMU and U of Richmond
GMU
VT and MW

W&M above UVA, as well as JMU?? I'll have a glass of what she's having please.

I think W&M is perceived by some as being more...(for lack of a better word) intellectual (in a grind sort of way) than UVA. This seems especially true among the teens/young adults I know. I don't rank it above UVA, but it doesn't surprise me that someone might.

Let's not confuse boredom with intellect.

What I'm saying is that W&M seems to have a reputation of being boringly intellectual.

True, without the luxury of grade inflation WM students have to spend more time studying, so less partying. Not sure how that makes it a "lesser" school than UVA Or JMU (??).

As for the original debate, a pre-Vick you could get into tech at lunchtime, JMU was perceived as more selective. Post-Vick tech has become more selective and many of the non-engineering programs have dramatically improved their reps.

From the family and friends that went to both - tech is great for engineering, but is a tough, cold feeling place. JMU is a good time on a pretty campus. I get iced reports from tech grads, great reviews from JMU. Return on investment is much higher at Tech, but I would expect the student to have to have a pretty strong personality to avoid disappearing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You JMU alums are so jealous of Virginia Tech. JMU is not even a real division 1 school. Tech is an ACC school and is ranked as a top national university. It is also one of the top research grant receiving institutions in the world. JMU is a fine regional university but it's not on par with Tech in admissions selectivity or anything else.

JMU is now getting more applicants than VA Tech and JMU is a smaller school. The SAT scores of admitted applicants are pretty similar. JMU now seems to get the students who just missed getting into C of WM and UVA. As for the ACC, most students could care less about college sports.

This is a joke. How can all the posters ignore the data about SAT scores and GPAs of accepted students? For all of those statistics, VT is "better" than JMU. JMU might be "better" for one kid and VT better for another but if you are looking solely at the academic achievements of the accepted students, VT is "better."

[Anonymous]

Ok--following up on my earlier post that started with "this is a joke." The pre-Vick, post-Vick comment is intriguing but wrong. Before Vick, Tech was absolutely and undeniably the 3d best school in Virginia (UVA and W&M) were above. JMU was a "regional" school at best and the odor of the area around the campus was stifling due to the nearby hog rendering plants. Hated driving past that place on my way to Tech. Tech's campus is consistently ranked by various sources as one the most beautiful in the country (along with UVA). JMU does not rate.

So before Vick, people who wanted a good school went to Tech. After Vick, people who wanted a good school and a big football program went to Tech. Those that couldn't get it in, went to JMU.

And you are absolutely in need of more of whatever your are drinking (probably rendered pig fat) if you think JMU is better than W & M. If you do, I have some land I'd like to sell you...

[Anonymous]

Virginia Tech and JMU both have very active chapters of Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU) which is important to many families.

[Anonymous]

JMU has made a much bigger jump in the rankings lately than Tech has. I am not sure any one cares or even knows about Michael Vick. But if it takes a felon to bring fame and "prestige" to a university, whatever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You JMU alums are so jealous of Virginia Tech. JMU is not even a real division 1 school. Tech is an ACC school and is ranked as a top national university. It is also one of the top research grant receiving institutions in the world. JMU is a fine regional university but it's not on par with Tech in admissions selectivity or anything else.

JMU is now getting more applicants than VA Tech and JMU is a smaller school. The SAT scores of admitted applicants are pretty similar. JMU now seems to get the students who just missed getting into C of WM and UVA. As for the ACC, most students could care less about college sports.

This is a joke. How can all the posters ignore the data about SAT scores and GPAs of accepted students? For all of those statistics, VT is "better" than JMU. JMU might be "better" for one kid and VT better for another but if you are looking solely at the academic achievements of the accepted students, VT is "better."

Depends on the major. JMU undergard business school is ranked top 30 in the country according to Businessweek. VT is not top 50...though Pamplin is good...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok--following up on my earlier post that started with "this is a joke." The pre-Vick, post-Vick comment is intriguing but wrong. Before Vick, Tech was absolutely and undeniably the 3d best school in Virginia (UVA and W&M) were above. JMU was a "regional" school at best and the odor of the area around the campus was stifling due to the nearby hog rendering plants. Hated driving past that place on my way to Tech. Tech's campus is consistently ranked by various sources as one the most beautiful in the country (along with UVA). JMU does not rate.

So before Vick, people who wanted a good school went to Tech. After Vick, people who wanted a good school and a big football program went to Tech. Those that couldn't get it in, went to JMU.

And you are absolutely in need of more of whatever your are drinking (probably rendered pig fat) if you think JMU is better than W & M. If you do, I have some land I'd like to sell you...

Nonsense. There is very little difference I. The selectivity levels of UMW, VT and JMU