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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I work in finance, and the only school I've ever worked with people from on that list is JMU. I would not send my kid to any of the other schools on that list unless I had no other options.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In what world is VT considered better than JMU?


Half of the idiots I know went to VT.

Engineering

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In what world is VT considered better than JMU?


Half of the idiots I know went to VT.

In the world of STEM, especially science and engineering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I work in finance, and the only school I've ever worked with people from on that list is JMU. I would not send my kid to any of the other schools on that list unless I had no other options.

JMU has a decent business school for sure. But who the hell wants to spend her life working in finance? Sounds awful.

[Anonymous]

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

[Anonymous]

JMU isn't "Just Missed UVA." It's a far cry from UVA. VCU is the best school on this list. It may not be hard to get into, but it is a comprehensive university that offers just about everything, and it's real world diverse. It's the only school on the list that I'd want my kid to go to if they couldn't get into the Big 3.

[Anonymous]

VT is stronger in engineering than UVA - also they are very different programs. Tech aside from business is very rigorous with all the engineering/science focus. JMU seemed better for the arts side of liberal arts and education. VCU is as noted great for art, dance and pre-med. ODU and Radford are party schools. GMU great for econ and very solid otherwise. CNU, smaller, newer and quite conservative and Christian even though it's a public.

Here's how I'd rank:
UVA, W/M
V Tech
GMU, JMU
VCU
ODU, Radford

Smaller

Univ of Richmond
MWU
VMI/Longwood
Randolph, Lynchburg

Lots of the smaller privates give aid to make rates equal to in-state if that's your DK's preference.

[Anonymous]

Who considers VT better than JMU? (except for engineering). VT is nothing more than a degree factory.

[Anonymous]

I went to VT Engineering, but have worked with people and have a friend who went to VCU for chemical engineering, and think that program is a solid choice.

George Mason is a good choice too if your kid doesn't mind being so close to home.

[Anonymous]

GMU is a school with no soul. VCU over GMU hands down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC, current college freshmen, really liked CNU and was offered $10k/year in merit aide. Kids seem very attracted to how new and nice everything, especially the dorms, are. Ultimately, he opted for something bigger. I'd say it's a good option if you're looking for something smaller.

I hear this a lot about CNU. Lots of shiny buildings and a nice campus, but...where's the beef?

This was a few years ago, but the dealkiller for us when we toured CNU was when the tour guides - very nice seniors - basically admitted that campus recruiting was minimal and the career placement office was weak. The school does have a nice LAC feel for a state university and it seemed like it could be a solid choice for someone with a clear path, such as music education, in mind.

We know a lot of kids at CNU and have heard so many wonderful things about the school. DD is at UVA, and she has visited CNU a number of times (close friends go there) and always raves about time she spends there. Lovely LAC vibe. I think that you need to be realistic going in about the amount of resources that a smaller public university may have compared to larger publics or well-known privates that are often talked about on this board. A relatively younger CNU with 5,000 students will simply not have the breadth of a school with 15,000-25,000 students. But that doesn't mean that it isn't a fabulous option. I would be happy if my current HS senior ended up going there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:VT is stronger in engineering than UVA - also they are very different programs. Tech aside from business is very rigorous with all the engineering/science focus. JMU seemed better for the arts side of liberal arts and education. VCU is as noted great for art, dance and pre-med. ODU and Radford are party schools. GMU great for econ and very solid otherwise. CNU, smaller, newer and quite conservative and Christian even though it's a public.

Here's how I'd rank:
UVA, W/M
V Tech
GMU, JMU
VCU
ODU, Radford

Smaller

Univ of Richmond
MWU
VMI/Longwood
Randolph, Lynchburg

Lots of the smaller privates give aid to make rates equal to in-state if that's your DK's preference.

Not sure what you were going for on the smaller schools but W&L is at the head of the list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who considers VT better than JMU? (except for engineering). VT is nothing more than a degree factory.

I don't have stats but anecdotally the kids from our DK's FCPS HS who chose V Tech were smarter/took a harder course load/more honors classes than those who went to JMU. Most applied to both and not all the smart ones at VT are only in engineering. Nevertheless they are both solid schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC, current college freshmen, really liked CNU and was offered $10k/year in merit aide. Kids seem very attracted to how new and nice everything, especially the dorms, are. Ultimately, he opted for something bigger. I'd say it's a good option if you're looking for something smaller.

I hear this a lot about CNU. Lots of shiny buildings and a nice campus, but...where's the beef?

This was a few years ago, but the dealkiller for us when we toured CNU was when the tour guides - very nice seniors - basically admitted that campus recruiting was minimal and the career placement office was weak. The school does have a nice LAC feel for a state university and it seemed like it could be a solid choice for someone with a clear path, such as music education, in mind.

We know a lot of kids at CNU and have heard so many wonderful things about the school. DD is at UVA, and she has visited CNU a number of times (close friends go there) and always raves about time she spends there. Lovely LAC vibe. I think that you need to be realistic going in about the amount of resources that a smaller public university may have compared to larger publics or well-known privates that are often talked about on this board. A relatively younger CNU with 5,000 students will simply not have the breadth of a school with 15,000-25,000 students. But that doesn't mean that it isn't a fabulous option. I would be happy if my current HS senior ended up going there.

Yes, lovely school, but where are their grads working?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In what world is VT considered better than JMU?


Half of the idiots I know went to VT.

Engineering

Architecture
Computer Science