10 best colleges in VA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Washington & Lee costs almost 79K/year to attend and the alumni wage is 89K/year (before taxes). It will be 65K after taxes if you live in Virginia.

In other words, the cost of attending Washington & Lee cost more than what your salary after graduation. What a big ripoff.

Aside from the fact that almost no one pays the sticker price for college,
If someone can afford to pay the full $79k a year - at any school - money won't be much of a issue going forward.

Almost no one? Are you kidding? Pretty much every MC and above family around here will end up paying full fare unless they get merit aid or take out loans.

Get educated in enrollment management. Merit aid is just a fancy term for a MSRP discount to UMC families who don't want to pay full freight. It's the families with the ability to pay full college tuition that aren't willing to. The people who pay full freight REALLY need to do so get their kid accepted at a given college - and the college needs to pay the bills/ meet the trustees' financial revenue targets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Stats of VA schools:

https://research.schev.edu/enrollment/B10_FreshmenProfile.ASP

Thanks. VMI’s median is better than those of GMU, JMu, VCU, UMW and CNU as expected. It might not be popular in (liberal) Northern Virginia but it’s still not a bad school.

It may be the best state public school in the country for students who believe they will benefit from a more disciplined, military education. Admittedly, this is a niche, but it is significant.

Yes, fewer and fewer young adults want a school that is notably racist and sexist with people yelling at them all the time. It is a "niche" demographic for sure and becoming more "niche" al the time.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/09/21/vmi-enrollment-plunges-diversity-woke/

Reason why freshman admissions has plummeted.

Per the article:

"Some {parents, alumni, faculty} blamed the push to make VMI more welcoming to women and cadets of color."

What?!?

Based on this sentiment, I don't blame anyone who would not want to go to VMI. And the gap can't be solely attributed to blacks and women: they only make up 6% and 14%, respectively.

If even white men don't want to go, VMI has a problem.

You quote is from an article written by a woke Washington Post writer who has gone on an unabated two year attack on the school. He has no direct quotes and you are taking him at his word. The ironic reason for the decline is the negative publicity from this writer and from the attacks from then-governor Northam on his alma mater, which seemed to me to be an effort to deflect his own culpability in the blackface/Klan picture scandal.

Actually, the article was enlightening.


No way I'd send my kid to VMI.

That is fine. It doesn't mean it isn't a good option or even the best option for someone else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I wanted history and a cosy campus, I’d take W & M over VT.
If I wanted strong arts program, I’d take VCU.
If I wanted personalized freshman seminars in a liberal sets environment, I might take UMW.
If I wanted/didn't mind being close to home, value diversity and looking at computer science, I’d take GMU or the new VT innovation campus.
If I want an old boys network and traditional, strong liberal arts I’d look at W&L.
If I want amazing science and engineering research opportunities, natural resources field work opportunities, or hundreds of active outdoors and other clubs, I’d look at VT.

No to CNU, Longwood, or Radford?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sad to see W&M so definitively behind UVA today. Once upon a time it was often considered better and went toe-to-toe, but today it is wholeheartedly second-place.

not since the early 1800s

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I wanted history and a cosy campus, I’d take W & M over VT.
If I wanted strong arts program, I’d take VCU.
If I wanted personalized freshman seminars in a liberal sets environment, I might take UMW.
If I wanted/didn't mind being close to home, value diversity and looking at computer science, I’d take GMU or the new VT innovation campus.
If I want an old boys network and traditional, strong liberal arts I’d look at W&L.
If I want amazing science and engineering research opportunities, natural resources field work opportunities, or hundreds of active outdoors and other clubs, I’d look at VT.

If I were serious about any of the above, I'd look out of state...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I wanted history and a cosy campus, I’d take W & M over VT.
If I wanted strong arts program, I’d take VCU.
If I wanted personalized freshman seminars in a liberal sets environment, I might take UMW.
If I wanted/didn't mind being close to home, value diversity and looking at computer science, I’d take GMU or the new VT innovation campus.
If I want an old boys network and traditional, strong liberal arts I’d look at W&L.
If I want amazing science and engineering research opportunities, natural resources field work opportunities, or hundreds of active outdoors and other clubs, I’d look at VT.

No to CNU, Longwood, or Radford?

They weren’t on this top 10 list, right?

People on this board pretend most of the other schools don’t exist

That said, my daughter’s in state choices are Radford, ODU and Shenandoah

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sad to see W&M so definitively behind UVA today. Once upon a time it was often considered better and went toe-to-toe, but today it is wholeheartedly second-place.

not since the early 1800s

It probably lags behind UVA in graduating jerks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Washington & Lee costs almost 79K/year to attend and the alumni wage is 89K/year (before taxes). It will be 65K after taxes if you live in Virginia.

In other words, the cost of attending Washington & Lee cost more than what your salary after graduation. What a big ripoff.

Aside from the fact that almost no one pays the sticker price for college,
If someone can afford to pay the full $79k a year - at any school - money won't be much of a issue going forward.

That's a myth. A lot of DCUM readers are going to get a FAFSA EFC of 100% as we did. We paid full freight for all three kids. We received only the $5500 unsubsidized loan (which colleges put in their stats to make it APPEAR like more students get financial aid than in actuality)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sad to see W&M so definitively behind UVA today. Once upon a time it was often considered better and went toe-to-toe, but today it is wholeheartedly second-place.

not since the early 1800s

It probably lags behind UVA in graduating jerks.[/quote]



Sorry you or your loved one didn't get in. The students I know who graduated from there are not jerks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sad to see W&M so definitively behind UVA today. Once upon a time it was often considered better and went toe-to-toe, but today it is wholeheartedly second-place.

not since the early 1800s

It probably lags behind UVA in graduating jerks.

UVA is far ahead in that category.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I wanted history and a cosy campus, I’d take W & M over VT.
If I wanted strong arts program, I’d take VCU.
If I wanted personalized freshman seminars in a liberal sets environment, I might take UMW.
If I wanted/didn't mind being close to home, value diversity and looking at computer science, I’d take GMU or the new VT innovation campus.
If I want an old boys network and traditional, strong liberal arts I’d look at W&L.
If I want amazing science and engineering research opportunities, natural resources field work opportunities, or hundreds of active outdoors and other clubs, I’d look at VT.

No to CNU, Longwood, or Radford?

They weren’t on this top 10 list, right?

People on this board pretend most of the other schools don’t exist

That said, my daughter’s in state choices are Radford, ODU and Shenandoah

10. UMW
9. CNU
8. JMU
7. GMU
6. VCU
5. U of Richmond
4. Virginia Tech
3. Washington & Lee
2. William & Mary
1. UVA

[Anonymous]

Pick 10. Apply to 10. See where they get in. Done.

Parents in Virginia wring their hands - as if deciding where to apply is hard

There aren't that many schools. Replace the top few w/Longwood, Radford, Shenandoah, ODU if your kid isn't at the top of their class.

Done

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pick 10. Apply to 10. See where they get in. Done.

Parents in Virginia wring their hands - as if deciding where to apply is hard

There aren't that many schools. Replace the top few w/Longwood, Radford, Shenandoah, ODU if your kid isn't at the top of their class.

Done

Makes perfect sense.

[Anonymous]

For what my child wants, the only school on this list that has the mix of degree programs in the majors/minors she wants is JMU and her getting in would be a big long shot.

Radford is actually the best for her as a state school and probably Shenandoah a very close second.

No, she isn’t a top student. I guess I don’t belong here, according to most, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For what my child wants, the only school on this list that has the mix of degree programs in the majors/minors she wants is JMU and her getting in would be a big long shot.

Radford is actually the best for her as a state school and probably Shenandoah a very close second.

No, she isn’t a top student. I guess I don’t belong here, according to most, right?

Yes you do.

Best wishes to your daughter. Hopes she finds the best fit - for her.