University of Mary Washington

[Anonymous]

I saw a mention of their reputation or ranking rapidly changing over the years.

Is this a concern or indication that they could close or not provide a strong education for a student?

[Anonymous]

I don't think it's a concern . . . but it's interesting that yes over the years MW has slipped considerably in the VA state school hierarchy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think it's a concern . . . but it's interesting that yes over the years MW has slipped considerably in the VA state school hierarchy.

It hasn’t really. Any adjustment in hierarchy is because other schools improved, not because UMW declined. After the top tier of UVA/VT/W&M, JMU and GMU have been in ascendance. UMW and VCU are next tier after that — UMW is the best of the small public LACs in VA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think it's a concern . . . but it's interesting that yes over the years MW has slipped considerably in the VA state school hierarchy.

It hasn’t really. Any adjustment in hierarchy is because other schools improved, not because UMW declined. After the top tier of UVA/VT/W&M, JMU and GMU have been in ascendance. UMW and VCU are next tier after that — UMW is the best of the small public LACs in VA.

I never said it declined in quality. I said it slipped in the hierarchy. BUT it definitely has declined in terms of admissions standards. It absolutely has gotten less competitive in admissions. Not that long ago it was turning away nearly half its applicants. It was the third most selective state school in VA for many years. Those days are over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think it's a concern . . . but it's interesting that yes over the years MW has slipped considerably in the VA state school hierarchy.

It hasn’t really. Any adjustment in hierarchy is because other schools improved, not because UMW declined. After the top tier of UVA/VT/W&M, JMU and GMU have been in ascendance. UMW and VCU are next tier after that — UMW is the best of the small public LACs in VA.

I never said it declined in quality. I said it slipped in the hierarchy. BUT it definitely has declined in terms of admissions standards. It absolutely has gotten less competitive in admissions. Not that long ago it was turning away nearly half its applicants. It was the third most selective state school in VA for many years. Those days are over.

I never knew it was third! When did that change?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think it's a concern . . . but it's interesting that yes over the years MW has slipped considerably in the VA state school hierarchy.

It hasn’t really. Any adjustment in hierarchy is because other schools improved, not because UMW declined. After the top tier of UVA/VT/W&M, JMU and GMU have been in ascendance. UMW and VCU are next tier after that — UMW is the best of the small public LACs in VA.

I never said it declined in quality. I said it slipped in the hierarchy. BUT it definitely has declined in terms of admissions standards. It absolutely has gotten less competitive in admissions. Not that long ago it was turning away nearly half its applicants. It was the third most selective state school in VA for many years. Those days are over.

I never knew it was third! When did that change?

A while ago.

[Anonymous]

When I applied in 1997 it was more of a safety school, or at least that’s how I remember it. Was it really that selective at some point?

[Anonymous]

PP here. AI says the admit rates was 55 percent in 2000, 70 percent in 2008 and 80 percent in 2026, and says at the turn of the century it only trailed UVA and W&M. That's consistent with my understanding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I applied in 1997 it was more of a safety school, or at least that’s how I remember it. Was it really that selective at some point?

Oh please. We're not impressed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP here. AI says the admit rates was 55 percent in 2000, 70 percent in 2008 and 80 percent in 2026, and says at the turn of the century it only trailed UVA and W&M. That's consistent with my understanding.

Why would it start to become less selective?

[Anonymous]

Can't anyone get into GMU? I've never heard of anyone being turned down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP here. AI says the admit rates was 55 percent in 2000, 70 percent in 2008 and 80 percent in 2026, and says at the turn of the century it only trailed UVA and W&M. That's consistent with my understanding.

Why would it start to become less selective?

Other schools like VT and JMU became a lot more selective. More kids want the bigger college experience. UMW is very small, doesn't have big sports programs, not a lot going on. Its perfectly fine, just not what a lot of kids want in a college experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can't anyone get into GMU? I've never heard of anyone being turned down.

With your level of sympathy, why wouldn’t they tell you?

[Anonymous]

Like many smaller mid-tier liberal arts colleges, UMW has seen application and enrollment numbers steadily decline in the past few decades. There is a shift towards larger flagship institutions, including more students headed OOS.

[Anonymous]

This will change back with big state schools pushing ai research and teaching on faculty, many of whom arent focused on teaching to start with.

The crap teaching ao slop you will see in the classroom will be awful. Small schools that dont do this will be hot. Jmu will fall umw will rise