The State of Virginia Colleges

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, it's getting pretty ridiculous in Virginia. UVA and W&M are very difficult to get into. VT and JMU are trending upwards of being very difficult for a lot of kids to get into as well (thanks Covid, Common App, and OOS applicants). Where do kids who have a 3.5-3.8 GPA go? GMU, CNU, VCU, UMW, Longwood? You don't hear about a lot of kids going to Radford or ODU. Virginia had such great colleges, but it's becoming very difficult for a B-B+ kid to get into one of them.

Is this because half the graduating class has a 4.0 these days? Back when I was in school out of 600 kids maybe 2 did, and only 5% of the class even had an A average. I can't help but wonder if all this grade and test inflation makes it harder to differentiate top students and creates this sense that its harder when it's just harder to identify the top students.

Same thing with AAP. Nowadays everyone qualifies for AAP.

+100
Absurd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Again, I think there are spots at state schools for VA students - many just feel anything below JMU is too crappy for THEIR child ;p

God forbid their snowflake have to consider Mason, VCU, UMW or CNU

Longwood, Radford or ODU? Oh, the horror!

This is so true. My friend was really mad/frustrated that her kid (3.0 -- FCPS) did not get into VT or JMU (non-stem). Kid/parents were not willing to consider GMU, UMW, VCU, Rad, or anything else in VA. So, they, like many others, ended up at WVU. The big-rah-rah U atmosphere was really important to them ... more than the academics or financial side of it.

To be fair, I think a lot of other states have big-rah-rah-Universities that pretty much anyone with a 3.0 and above can go to. In the case of VA, that would be GMU and VCU --- it's just that GMU doesn't have a football team or college-town aspect to it. And VCU doesn't have that dedicated sense of location/college town. So, I do understand why people really want their kids to go to UVA, VT, and JMU. But, a 3.0 isn't going to cut it... and it's crazy when parents think it should be a legit option.

+1
I really don't think a 3.0 would cut it at either GMU or VCU though.

I know of several kids who got into VCU with a 3.0. One even had a 2.9. Just regular students with nothing “special to offer the school.

Well perhaps they were unbeknownst to you first generation because the 75th percentile of accepted students last year had a 4.12; median had a 3.88 and bottom 25th of the class had a 3.31

VCU is not that hard to get into and I have no idea why you are trying to convince me that it is.

not PP, but we visited VCU and the smell of weed was ridiculous. I'd rather have my kid go to Community College than VCU.

A problem in any city these days

[Anonymous]

So after UVA, WM, and Tech...what's the prestige hierarchy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Virginia ranks fourth nationally for K-12 education. You guys seem to forget that ALL of Virginia has VERY strong schools, from Bristol up to Roanoke over to Virginia Beach up to Winchester. Admission into Virginia's colleges and universities isn't just about you in NOVA. Your kids are competing against the students of ROVA (Rest of Virginia) who are very strong, as well. You dismiss them as invisible. But come application time, they are there and they are getting into all the schools. I can see how it's a wake-up call.

While NoVA is not the only part of the state with well regarded public schools, I do not agree the whole state has good public schools.

Look at Craig County or Bristol (VA) or Sussex County for some quick counter-examples. At the top public high school in VB, if a student gets accepted at UVA their name goes on the lit board in front of the school. There are so few most years, this is both customary and workable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Virginia ranks fourth nationally for K-12 education. You guys seem to forget that ALL of Virginia has VERY strong schools, from Bristol up to Roanoke over to Virginia Beach up to Winchester. Admission into Virginia's colleges and universities isn't just about you in NOVA. Your kids are competing against the students of ROVA (Rest of Virginia) who are very strong, as well. You dismiss them as invisible. But come application time, they are there and they are getting into all the schools. I can see how it's a wake-up call.

While NoVA is not the only part of the state with well regarded public schools, I do not agree the whole state has good public schools.

Look at Craig County or Bristol (VA) or Sussex County for some quick counter-examples. At the top public high school in VB, if a student gets accepted at UVA their name goes on the lit board in front of the school. There are so few most years, this is both customary and workable.

BS. What high school is this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Virginia ranks fourth nationally for K-12 education. You guys seem to forget that ALL of Virginia has VERY strong schools, from Bristol up to Roanoke over to Virginia Beach up to Winchester. Admission into Virginia's colleges and universities isn't just about you in NOVA. Your kids are competing against the students of ROVA (Rest of Virginia) who are very strong, as well. You dismiss them as invisible. But come application time, they are there and they are getting into all the schools. I can see how it's a wake-up call.

While NoVA is not the only part of the state with well regarded public schools, I do not agree the whole state has good public schools.

Look at Craig County or Bristol (VA) or Sussex County for some quick counter-examples. At the top public high school in VB, if a student gets accepted at UVA their name goes on the lit board in front of the school. There are so few most years, this is both customary and workable.

Uhm what? Speaking for 2021/22 as recent on average 15 kids from just one top VB school accepted (admitted were more) UVA, and 1/3 got into engineering and architecture. The same VB school sends their top 5% of class usually to Ivy or MIT. You might want to stop looking down so much on schools outside of NOVA or your kid will have a rude awakening at the stiff competition they might face in-state.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Virginia ranks fourth nationally for K-12 education. You guys seem to forget that ALL of Virginia has VERY strong schools, from Bristol up to Roanoke over to Virginia Beach up to Winchester. Admission into Virginia's colleges and universities isn't just about you in NOVA. Your kids are competing against the students of ROVA (Rest of Virginia) who are very strong, as well. You dismiss them as invisible. But come application time, they are there and they are getting into all the schools. I can see how it's a wake-up call.

While NoVA is not the only part of the state with well regarded public schools, I do not agree the whole state has good public schools.

Look at Craig County or Bristol (VA) or Sussex County for some quick counter-examples. At the top public high school in VB, if a student gets accepted at UVA their name goes on the lit board in front of the school. There are so few most years, this is both customary and workable.

BS. What high school is this?

Not sure why PP threw VB in the mix, but it is certainly not true for VB. The other counties yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's the COMMONWEALTH of Virginia

I think in this context she meant "the state of" like you say "the condition of" or "the state of the union"

Exactly !

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So after UVA, WM, and Tech...what's the prestige hierarchy?

I think GMU, JMU, and VCU are roughly even as a next tier. Maybe one of the three will separate itself over time

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So after UVA, WM, and Tech...what's the prestige hierarchy?

I think GMU, JMU, and VCU are roughly even as a next tier. Maybe one of the three will separate itself over time

That's basically my perception as well. ODU, CNU, UMW are a step down from that, then Longwood and Radford below that.

[Anonymous]

Great schools draw many applicants.

B students are not that competitive.

How is any of this unexpected?

[Anonymous]

One thing I never see mentioned is the lack of merit aid offered to transfer students. Had my dc gone to the school they transferred to, based on high achool grades and test scores, would have received a decent merit aid package. Because they transferred they got nothing.

[Anonymous]

Interesting - ODU seems like it should be in the Radford and Longwood tier based on student profiles.

[Anonymous]

I'll say it again: Virginia residents are incredibly fortunate to have so many wonderful schools to choose from.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So after UVA, WM, and Tech...what's the prestige hierarchy?

UVA
W&L
W&M
Tech
JMU

Everyone else