University of Mary Washington- What Am I Missing?
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Anonymous
Ah, you’re one of them. Talk of “inclusion” is a trigger for you. Your kid cares about the food and doesn’t care about inclusion. Sounds like a real deep thinker. You must be so proud. |
Anonymous
| DD applied to UMW and we liked a lot about it. Pretty campus, good size, seemed to have a lot of personal attention and a robust department with multiple majors in her area of interest. She also liked the lack of Greek life. It would have been her cheapest option. But, she didn't like that it was so close to home and it didn't have an extracurricular that was really important to her. So she's going to a smaller OOS LAC that has a lot of the same things + the EC she wants. |
Anonymous
Not caring about other people's sexuality means one is dull? Is that what woke means today? |
Anonymous
Look, let’s be honest. There’s not a kid in Virginia who has a prayer at UVA who is also looking at Radford and was turned off my talk of “inclusion” at JMU. My hunch is that OP’s son’s best shot at a decent in state school is UMW - and then only because he’d be applying as a boy - so OP wants us to talk it up. |
Anonymous
Uhhh, no. I'm OP. Son is a stand out baseball player and is entertaining options to play at those schools. He would not play for Tech or UVA but he could probably get in, Tech almost certainly. He didn't like UVA- said it was full of preppy nerds. We took him there so he's getting as much exposure to as many schools as possible. Like I said- UMW surprised us. If it weren't for the baseball option I'm not sure we would have visited given my misconception. |
Anonymous
I'm sure it's a very fine school. And so is Christopher Newport and some of the other less selective colleges. Your kid can have a good experience at any of these, and maybe even get a good job afterwards. |
Anonymous
LMAO. The entering class at MWU has better stats than JMU. But please continue with your delusions. |
Anonymous
JMU is trash. Literally any other school in the state is better. I'd pick ODU over JMU. |
Anonymous
| My child was not interested because it didn't offer the program of studies he wanted. It seemed like it could be a good option for others. |
Anonymous
DP: They seem to be very close academically. UMW has slightly higher SATs and % submitting SATs, JMU has slightly higher HS GPA. JMU 26% of students submit SAT scores Range: 1160-1310 GPA: 3.62-4.12 UMW 30% of students submit SAT scores Range: 1170-1330 GPA: 3.33-4.06 |
Anonymous
Funny thing is that he thinks the UVA students are "preppy nerds" but you also called him "not a partier" Other than baseball, what IS this kid interested in? Anything? |
Anonymous
Considering that UVA has one of the most storied overall athletic programs in the country and UMW barely has one, the idea that UVA is full of “nerds” and UMW isn’t is preposterous. But good luck to your son at UMW if he’s not a fan of inclusion. Also, if he’s truly a “stand out” baseball player why wouldn’t he play for UVA or Tech? You’re contradicting yourself. |
Anonymous
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OP,
I'm glad you liked it! My DD just finished her first year there. It has been a good fit for her. To answer your question about why it isn't more popular... I have a few ideas. In fact, they recently sent out a survey to parents, students, and alumnae to ask what the pros and cons were and what the image is, etc. Here's my take. (1) as a small school, it doesn't have the "big-U"-rah-rah sports image/marketing. They do have teams and the teams do well (soccer, basketball, volleyball, and clubs for rugby and others). But, if you as a parent went to a big-state-U type of school, you might steer your kid toward that dynamic. (2) this is a big one: I really think the name "MARY..." turns off young men in the 17-18 yr old range. Honestly, I told them to LEAN INTO marketting themselves as "UMW" and minimize the "Mary" part. Yes, I'm a feminist, but in marketing, they need to look at who their audience is, and how the audience perceives them. Most male teens are not going to want to tell their friends they are going to "MARY..." Guys are going to want to tell their friends they are going to "Christopher Newport" or "Radford" before they want to say they are going to "Mary... U." I know the alumni would have a fit if they changed the name altogether. But, I think in the service of staying relevant and solvent, they should seriously consider renaming themselves to "UVA-Fredericksburg" or "Univ. of Central Virginia" or something else. Even using JUST "UMW" would be a start. 3. They DO have a computer science degree... and that's CRUCIAL for attracting guys. They need to AMP UP the connections for that degree (i.e. internships, etc.) That said, their biology dept. is very strong. My DD is in that dept. They have so many great international opportunities. It IS a lot easier to get to know your advisor and professors, and they do have research opportunities. If you want to apply to medical, dental or law school, or really any grad program later, having professors who actually KNOW you is going to make a huge difference in the quality of the recommendation letters they can write on your behalf. My DD likes the size of the campus. She likes the food. She likes the size of the classes. The campus is pretty, and it's easy to get involved in clubs/activities. It is a campus that is accepting of diversity without the typical "toxic masculinity" that you see at "big-state-U." They students are just good people. If you are confident enough to do your own thing and not follow the pressure of the crowd that says "you must go to X, Y, or Z college" then you can have a very good experience at UMW. If you need Greek life or football Saturdays -- then this isn't going to be a good fit. |
Anonymous
| NP. The math department at UMW seems oddly strong for a small college with a high admissions rate, especially in cryptography. Can anyone speak to that? |
Anonymous
well of course division 1 baseball is another level, UVA players are routinely being drafted to the MLB. That isn't happening from Mary Washington. He can be a local standout and go to a div 3 team and have a great experience, so there are varying levels of "standout". I know star regional and even state championships winning baseball players who play club at div 1 or do div 3. |