The Other VA publics: CNU, GM, JMU, Radford, ODU, UMW, VCU

[Anonymous]

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Yes, but it's amazing that we have three public schools that cover top-notch flagship, SLAC and tech. And then a whole crop of other schools that are as good as or better than the 1 flagship in another state. I think the one challenging thing is that UVA + W&M in numbers total less than the numbers at another state flagship so it gets very competitive.

We are lucky in VA, but I do think there are better (and still affordable) options for the kids that just miss out on UVA/W&M. I can see why someone would want their kid with maybe a 4.1 and 1460 SAT (who might be rejected from UVA/W&M) to go to an OOS school with a national reputation over JMU or GMU. It wouldn't necessarily have a higher cost than W&M with its $35K price tag.

I'm the poster with the strong student who made clear she'd be very unhappy going below UVA in state. That was exactly her thinking, and fortunately we had the money to pay for her to go anywhere. We weren't willing to pay full freight for a private school (to us, that made no sense for anything lower than top 10-15), so we said we'd pay for a strong OOS flagship. She got into a good one, paid the deposit, and would have been happy to go. But she ended up getting into UVA off the waitlist so it all ended well.

Well, that's the thing, isn't it? Not everyone has the money to pay OOS, and frankly, it's often even harder to get admitted as an OOS. My kid is a very strong student, they technically have the numbers that would put them in range at UVA or WM, but that's not a guarantee with all of the other high achieving students applying. I really hate the attitude that you and you your daughter are fostering that if a bright student doesn't get the golden ticket or possess $$$ they're doomed.

I'm not suggesting that you're "doomed" if you can't get into William & Mary or UVA in state and have to settle for another in state school. There's nothing wrong with JMU, GMU, etc., it's just that the gap between UVA/W&M and the other VA schools in terms of admission is so great -- JMU truly doesn't mean "Just Missed UVA" -- that there are many, many great schools falling somewhere in between. For example, other than Northwestern a borderline UVA admit from in state is a likely admit to every Big 10 school, most of which are great, fun, and have national reputations. If you can afford them, why not? They're certainly less expensive than private schools.

That is absolutely not certain. Many privates are a heckuva lot cheaper than OOS B10 schools.

After merit aid, maybe, but the best privates typically don't offer merit aid. I'm talking about full price for a top ranked private versus full price for OOS Big Ten. Big Ten is always cheaper.

Well yes after aid. And why limit the private to “best”? Sorry, all the big ten schools aren’t ’t anywhere close to “best”. Many aren’t particularly good, to be frank. Iowa? Michigan State? Nebraska? And there are many quality privates with merit aid. Again, just trying to rebut your ‘certainly less expensive’ assertion.

Yeah, if you think a Nebraska or Iowa or MSU degree is really going to get your kid any further than a JMU degree...you're going to be disappointed. I say this as someone who went to one of those schools.

I'm sorry you didn't get very far, ha ha. Seriously, virtually any college can get you anywhere. I know plenty of MSU grads who are doing very well, for one. Nothing wrong with Iowa either. I'd agree that Nebraska isn't quite on par, but it's also cheaper: total OOS cost is in the 30s.

Uh, yeah. That's the point. Paying extra for those schools because you think they're going to get your child somewhere that JMU won't is silly.

[Anonymous]

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Yes, but it's amazing that we have three public schools that cover top-notch flagship, SLAC and tech. And then a whole crop of other schools that are as good as or better than the 1 flagship in another state. I think the one challenging thing is that UVA + W&M in numbers total less than the numbers at another state flagship so it gets very competitive.

We are lucky in VA, but I do think there are better (and still affordable) options for the kids that just miss out on UVA/W&M. I can see why someone would want their kid with maybe a 4.1 and 1460 SAT (who might be rejected from UVA/W&M) to go to an OOS school with a national reputation over JMU or GMU. It wouldn't necessarily have a higher cost than W&M with its $35K price tag.

I'm the poster with the strong student who made clear she'd be very unhappy going below UVA in state. That was exactly her thinking, and fortunately we had the money to pay for her to go anywhere. We weren't willing to pay full freight for a private school (to us, that made no sense for anything lower than top 10-15), so we said we'd pay for a strong OOS flagship. She got into a good one, paid the deposit, and would have been happy to go. But she ended up getting into UVA off the waitlist so it all ended well.

Well, that's the thing, isn't it? Not everyone has the money to pay OOS, and frankly, it's often even harder to get admitted as an OOS. My kid is a very strong student, they technically have the numbers that would put them in range at UVA or WM, but that's not a guarantee with all of the other high achieving students applying. I really hate the attitude that you and you your daughter are fostering that if a bright student doesn't get the golden ticket or possess $$$ they're doomed.

I'm not suggesting that you're "doomed" if you can't get into William & Mary or UVA in state and have to settle for another in state school. There's nothing wrong with JMU, GMU, etc., it's just that the gap between UVA/W&M and the other VA schools in terms of admission is so great -- JMU truly doesn't mean "Just Missed UVA" -- that there are many, many great schools falling somewhere in between. For example, other than Northwestern a borderline UVA admit from in state is a likely admit to every Big 10 school, most of which are great, fun, and have national reputations. If you can afford them, why not? They're certainly less expensive than private schools.

That is absolutely not certain. Many privates are a heckuva lot cheaper than OOS B10 schools.

After merit aid, maybe, but the best privates typically don't offer merit aid. I'm talking about full price for a top ranked private versus full price for OOS Big Ten. Big Ten is always cheaper.

Well yes after aid. And why limit the private to “best”? Sorry, all the big ten schools aren’t ’t anywhere close to “best”. Many aren’t particularly good, to be frank. Iowa? Michigan State? Nebraska? And there are many quality privates with merit aid. Again, just trying to rebut your ‘certainly less expensive’ assertion.

Yeah, if you think a Nebraska or Iowa or MSU degree is really going to get your kid any further than a JMU degree...you're going to be disappointed. I say this as someone who went to one of those schools.

I'm sorry you didn't get very far, ha ha. Seriously, virtually any college can get you anywhere. I know plenty of MSU grads who are doing very well, for one. Nothing wrong with Iowa either. I'd agree that Nebraska isn't quite on par, but it's also cheaper: total OOS cost is in the 30s.

Uh, yeah. That's the point. Paying extra for those schools because you think they're going to get your child somewhere that JMU won't is silly.

Except no one, least of all me, said that. By your logic, everyone in NOVA should just live at home and commute to GMU. To a lot of parents and students, college isn't just about where it's going to get you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Yes, but it's amazing that we have three public schools that cover top-notch flagship, SLAC and tech. And then a whole crop of other schools that are as good as or better than the 1 flagship in another state. I think the one challenging thing is that UVA + W&M in numbers total less than the numbers at another state flagship so it gets very competitive.

We are lucky in VA, but I do think there are better (and still affordable) options for the kids that just miss out on UVA/W&M. I can see why someone would want their kid with maybe a 4.1 and 1460 SAT (who might be rejected from UVA/W&M) to go to an OOS school with a national reputation over JMU or GMU. It wouldn't necessarily have a higher cost than W&M with its $35K price tag.

I'm the poster with the strong student who made clear she'd be very unhappy going below UVA in state. That was exactly her thinking, and fortunately we had the money to pay for her to go anywhere. We weren't willing to pay full freight for a private school (to us, that made no sense for anything lower than top 10-15), so we said we'd pay for a strong OOS flagship. She got into a good one, paid the deposit, and would have been happy to go. But she ended up getting into UVA off the waitlist so it all ended well.

Well, that's the thing, isn't it? Not everyone has the money to pay OOS, and frankly, it's often even harder to get admitted as an OOS. My kid is a very strong student, they technically have the numbers that would put them in range at UVA or WM, but that's not a guarantee with all of the other high achieving students applying. I really hate the attitude that you and you your daughter are fostering that if a bright student doesn't get the golden ticket or possess $$$ they're doomed.

I'm not suggesting that you're "doomed" if you can't get into William & Mary or UVA in state and have to settle for another in state school. There's nothing wrong with JMU, GMU, etc., it's just that the gap between UVA/W&M and the other VA schools in terms of admission is so great -- JMU truly doesn't mean "Just Missed UVA" -- that there are many, many great schools falling somewhere in between. For example, other than Northwestern a borderline UVA admit from in state is a likely admit to every Big 10 school, most of which are great, fun, and have national reputations. If you can afford them, why not? They're certainly less expensive than private schools.

That is absolutely not certain. Many privates are a heckuva lot cheaper than OOS B10 schools.

After merit aid, maybe, but the best privates typically don't offer merit aid. I'm talking about full price for a top ranked private versus full price for OOS Big Ten. Big Ten is always cheaper.

Well yes after aid. And why limit the private to “best”? Sorry, all the big ten schools aren’t ’t anywhere close to “best”. Many aren’t particularly good, to be frank. Iowa? Michigan State? Nebraska? And there are many quality privates with merit aid. Again, just trying to rebut your ‘certainly less expensive’ assertion.

Yeah, if you think a Nebraska or Iowa or MSU degree is really going to get your kid any further than a JMU degree...you're going to be disappointed. I say this as someone who went to one of those schools.

I'm sorry you didn't get very far, ha ha. Seriously, virtually any college can get you anywhere. I know plenty of MSU grads who are doing very well, for one. Nothing wrong with Iowa either. I'd agree that Nebraska isn't quite on par, but it's also cheaper: total OOS cost is in the 30s.

Uh, yeah. That's the point. Paying extra for those schools because you think they're going to get your child somewhere that JMU won't is silly.

Except no one, least of all me, said that. By your logic, everyone in NOVA should just live at home and commute to GMU. To a lot of parents and students, college isn't just about where it's going to get you.

OK, so what specifically, in your opinion, is at the University of Nebraska or Iowa etc. that is not at JMU?

[Anonymous]

I would send my kid to MSU for supply chain Econ, Chinese Studies or any Ag major/concentration. Zero hesitation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would send my kid to MSU for supply chain Econ, Chinese Studies or any Ag major/concentration. Zero hesitation.

Yes. If your child is interested in a very specific program where they are well known, no doubt. But just as a general alternative to JMU? Still waiting for answers on that one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would send my kid to MSU for supply chain Econ, Chinese Studies or any Ag major/concentration. Zero hesitation.

Yes. If your child is interested in a very specific program where they are well known, no doubt. But just as a general alternative to JMU? Still waiting for answers on that one.

I think it comes down to prestige rather than education. If a kid has JMU on application either folks won't know it or they will know that the student wasn't strong enough to get into UVA or W&M.
If a kid has U of Nebraska, or Iowa, or Vermont the longer term perception is they went to the flagship of their state. Meaningless, I agree, but I think that's what's driving these decisions among those who can afford it (unless there's a specialized program of interest). The other possibility is that the parents/kids feel there's some value in going away and experiencing a different part of the country. SOme of these schools offer significant OOS merit aid making them comparable to JMU which can feel like high school 2.0 to some NOVA kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would send my kid to MSU for supply chain Econ, Chinese Studies or any Ag major/concentration. Zero hesitation.

Yes. If your child is interested in a very specific program where they are well known, no doubt. But just as a general alternative to JMU? Still waiting for answers on that one.

I think it comes down to prestige rather than education. If a kid has JMU on application either folks won't know it or they will know that the student wasn't strong enough to get into UVA or W&M.
If a kid has U of Nebraska, or Iowa, or Vermont the longer term perception is they went to the flagship of their state. Meaningless, I agree, but I think that's what's driving these decisions among those who can afford it (unless there's a specialized program of interest). The other possibility is that the parents/kids feel there's some value in going away and experiencing a different part of the country. SOme of these schools offer significant OOS merit aid making them comparable to JMU which can feel like high school 2.0 to some NOVA kids.

What do you mean by this comment?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:The trashing that invariably happens on these threads is sick. How about some gratitude for the fantastic in-state options Virginia offers?

People always talk about the "fantastic" colleges available in Virginia, but beyond W&M, UVA, Tech, and JMU the other schools are on par with other states' public universitites.

Is JMU fantastic? By what measure? Just trying to be honest (and non-provincial) as ‘great’ and ‘fantastic’ get thrown around a lot. Test and gpa numbers, graduation rate, pretty much any ranking. Are comparably-ranked Stetson and Appy State great schools? In our school the top 10th/25th percentile students shoot for UVA/W&M/VPI(engineering) and the next tier shoot for JMU.

Agree. Our daughter made clear that after working her butt off in her NOVA public high school that it was UVA or out of state. There would be no “settling” for JMU, where kids from her class with a fraction of her AP courseload and GPA and test scores were going. It’s a top 1/3 kind of place. That’s it.

So where did she end up going?

[Anonymous]

Big companies still go to all of these schools

After your first job no one cares where you went to school anyway

I went to JMU 10 years ago and I had a lot of fun

Now I make over 6 figures and I would have done just as well as any of the other colleges on this list

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Yes, but it's amazing that we have three public schools that cover top-notch flagship, SLAC and tech. And then a whole crop of other schools that are as good as or better than the 1 flagship in another state. I think the one challenging thing is that UVA + W&M in numbers total less than the numbers at another state flagship so it gets very competitive.

We are lucky in VA, but I do think there are better (and still affordable) options for the kids that just miss out on UVA/W&M. I can see why someone would want their kid with maybe a 4.1 and 1460 SAT (who might be rejected from UVA/W&M) to go to an OOS school with a national reputation over JMU or GMU. It wouldn't necessarily have a higher cost than W&M with its $35K price tag.

I'm the poster with the strong student who made clear she'd be very unhappy going below UVA in state. That was exactly her thinking, and fortunately we had the money to pay for her to go anywhere. We weren't willing to pay full freight for a private school (to us, that made no sense for anything lower than top 10-15), so we said we'd pay for a strong OOS flagship. She got into a good one, paid the deposit, and would have been happy to go. But she ended up getting into UVA off the waitlist so it all ended well.

Well, that's the thing, isn't it? Not everyone has the money to pay OOS, and frankly, it's often even harder to get admitted as an OOS. My kid is a very strong student, they technically have the numbers that would put them in range at UVA or WM, but that's not a guarantee with all of the other high achieving students applying. I really hate the attitude that you and you your daughter are fostering that if a bright student doesn't get the golden ticket or possess $$$ they're doomed.

I'm not suggesting that you're "doomed" if you can't get into William & Mary or UVA in state and have to settle for another in state school. There's nothing wrong with JMU, GMU, etc., it's just that the gap between UVA/W&M and the other VA schools in terms of admission is so great -- JMU truly doesn't mean "Just Missed UVA" -- that there are many, many great schools falling somewhere in between. For example, other than Northwestern a borderline UVA admit from in state is a likely admit to every Big 10 school, most of which are great, fun, and have national reputations. If you can afford them, why not? They're certainly less expensive than private schools.

That is absolutely not certain. Many privates are a heckuva lot cheaper than OOS B10 schools.

After merit aid, maybe, but the best privates typically don't offer merit aid. I'm talking about full price for a top ranked private versus full price for OOS Big Ten. Big Ten is always cheaper.

Well yes after aid. And why limit the private to “best”? Sorry, all the big ten schools aren’t ’t anywhere close to “best”. Many aren’t particularly good, to be frank. Iowa? Michigan State? Nebraska? And there are many quality privates with merit aid. Again, just trying to rebut your ‘certainly less expensive’ assertion.

Yeah, if you think a Nebraska or Iowa or MSU degree is really going to get your kid any further than a JMU degree...you're going to be disappointed. I say this as someone who went to one of those schools.

I'm sorry you didn't get very far, ha ha. Seriously, virtually any college can get you anywhere. I know plenty of MSU grads who are doing very well, for one. Nothing wrong with Iowa either. I'd agree that Nebraska isn't quite on par, but it's also cheaper: total OOS cost is in the 30s.

Uh, yeah. That's the point. Paying extra for those schools because you think they're going to get your child somewhere that JMU won't is silly.

Except no one, least of all me, said that. By your logic, everyone in NOVA should just live at home and commute to GMU. To a lot of parents and students, college isn't just about where it's going to get you.

OK, so what specifically, in your opinion, is at the University of Nebraska or Iowa etc. that is not at JMU?

Nebraska, not so much. It's a Big Ten newbie and the least highly regarded academically. Iowa, on the other hand, has everything and is in the fun town.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The trashing that invariably happens on these threads is sick. How about some gratitude for the fantastic in-state options Virginia offers?

People always talk about the "fantastic" colleges available in Virginia, but beyond W&M, UVA, Tech, and JMU the other schools are on par with other states' public universitites.

Is JMU fantastic? By what measure? Just trying to be honest (and non-provincial) as ‘great’ and ‘fantastic’ get thrown around a lot. Test and gpa numbers, graduation rate, pretty much any ranking. Are comparably-ranked Stetson and Appy State great schools? In our school the top 10th/25th percentile students shoot for UVA/W&M/VPI(engineering) and the next tier shoot for JMU.

Agree. Our daughter made clear that after working her butt off in her NOVA public high school that it was UVA or out of state. There would be no “settling” for JMU, where kids from her class with a fraction of her AP courseload and GPA and test scores were going. It’s a top 1/3 kind of place. That’s it.

So where did she end up going?

UVA. She got in off the waitlist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Big companies still go to all of these schools

After your first job no one cares where you went to school anyway

I went to JMU 10 years ago and I had a lot of fun

Now I make over 6 figures and I would have done just as well as any of the other colleges on this list

Again, we know that. There's nothing wrong with JMU. I'm just saying that if you're from NOVA and truly are a borderline UVA admit, as was my daughter, it can be a let down to have to go there. Her high school probably sent two or three dozen kids there, including some good friends, none of whom performed as well as she did academically.

[Anonymous]

My DD is considering all because:

1. UVA and W&M are a bit more difficult as her SAT is only 1300 , but GPA is above 4.0. 8 APs and 8 Honors

2. Pre-med/or another professional health interest (Dentistry, PA) so VCU, GMU, and JMU are part of that mix. Not sure how VT stands in comparison as I know UVA is strong in health professions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Big companies still go to all of these schools

After your first job no one cares where you went to school anyway

I went to JMU 10 years ago and I had a lot of fun

Now I make over 6 figures and I would have done just as well as any of the other colleges on this list

Again, we know that. There's nothing wrong with JMU. I'm just saying that if you're from NOVA and truly are a borderline UVA admit, as was my daughter, it can be a let down to have to go there. Her high school probably sent two or three dozen kids there, including some good friends, none of whom performed as well as she did academically.

2017-2018 Freshman Enrollment from Fairfax County

GMU - 1,031
VT - 959
UVA - 680
JMU - 600

More likely to run into kids from your same high school at UVA than JMU.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would send my kid to MSU for supply chain Econ, Chinese Studies or any Ag major/concentration. Zero hesitation.

Molestation State U?

Might as well include Pedophile State U too...