The Other Virginia Colleges: VCU, ODU, GMU, CNU, UMW . . . .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:generally speaking, if you think you might end up living and working somewhere else, I'd advise going to a shitty national type state school over a decent regional school. That means I prefer schools like WVU, NC State and Ole Miss over places like VCU, ODU and UMBC. If you apply in San Diego, at least they will have heard of where you went to school.

NC State is a LONG way from shitty.

VCU is a national university with a good reputation and ranks around 75 spots higher in US News than WVU.

West Virginia is shitty

Define shitty.

"In West Virginia"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Certainly college cost plays a factor. This is how I very broadly see upcoming annual college costs:
VA resident in state school: $20,000;
out of state state school: $35,000
any private school: $50,000.

2009 called and wants its private college cost back.

there are different levels of private college

there are many out there in the $50k range before aid right now. They aren't elite, but they do exist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you share any real life current info about your kids' experiences at Virginia colleges, not UVA, W&M, VATech or JMU? Through the years I've just never gotten any sense of the other Virginia colleges and I'm curious to hear about them. With rising junior B/G twins, I know we'll be taking the tours this year. Thanks.

I would put JMU bellow GMU.

GMU 51.7% accepted
JMU 59.9% accepted

http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/george-mason-university-3749
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/jmu-3721

You're dreaming. % acceptance rate does not equate to "harder to get in." You would have to include the amount of applicants, which is information that is not provided.
If a school has 100 students, but only 100 students happened to apply, then it has a 100% acceptance rate. Does that mean it's a worse school? Of course not, it just means that it had fewer applicants.

Everyone and their brother applies to GMU (since it is a lot of people's "Safety School"). With all of those applicants, they have to say "no" to more people. That does not make it a "Better" school.

GMU is a factory with 1000s of applicants. I did 2 years at GMU and then tranferred to JMU. GMU is essentially a good community college.

I don't think the percentages they cited are correct.

This just shows your lack of insight into higher education. GMU is R1 national research university--basically in the highest 'class' of research institutions. JMU is a regional university. This isn't opinion--this is how they are categorized as institutions. How it felt to you as an undergraduate has little to do with reality. I can totally see that an undergraduate might like JMU (away from their parents, more residential, less dominated by graduate students) more than GMU--but it doesn't change the fact that JMU--by category as a regional institution--is actually closer to a community college than GMU. Both are thriving quality institutions.

In 2020 JMU was reclassified as "R-2" ("high" vs "very high", R1 research). USNWR ranking will reclassify from regional to national. https://www.jmu.edu/being-seen/where-we-go-from-here.shtml

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Certainly college cost plays a factor. This is how I very broadly see upcoming annual college costs:
VA resident in state school: $20,000;
out of state state school: $35,000
any private school: $50,000.

2009 called and wants its private college cost back.

Thank you.
I think I’m the op of this 10 yr old thread. DD1 went to $$$$$ private, DS1 went to OOS public flagship. Finally kid #3 is at VT and his sister will join him there. Nice to have 2 in state tuition!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Certainly college cost plays a factor. This is how I very broadly see upcoming annual college costs:
VA resident in state school: $20,000;
out of state state school: $35,000
any private school: $50,000.

2009 called and wants its private college cost back.

Thank you.
I think I’m the op of this 10 yr old thread. DD1 went to $$$$$ private, DS1 went to OOS public flagship. Finally kid #3 is at VT and his sister will join him there. Nice to have 2 in state tuition!

We have one headed to VT in a couple of weeks as a freshman and we're over the moon! See you there!
DP

[Anonymous]

VCU has a great arts programs, in the top 5 nationally, and a very good premed program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Certainly college cost plays a factor. This is how I very broadly see upcoming annual college costs:
VA resident in state school: $20,000;
out of state state school: $35,000
any private school: $50,000.

2009 called and wants its private college cost back.

Thank you.
I think I’m the op of this 10 yr old thread. DD1 went to $$$$$ private, DS1 went to OOS public flagship. Finally kid #3 is at VT and his sister will join him there. Nice to have 2 in state tuition!

We have one headed to VT in a couple of weeks as a freshman and we're over the moon! See you there!
DP

Thrilled (new) VT parent here too!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:VCU has a great arts programs, in the top 5 nationally, and a very good premed program.

This school is so overlooked by the families in this area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:VCU has a great arts programs, in the top 5 nationally, and a very good premed program.

This school is so overlooked by the families in this area.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:VCU has a great arts programs, in the top 5 nationally, and a very good premed program.

This school is so overlooked by the families in this area.

+1

+2 Son is graduating this winter, he will have zero debt and is already working in his degree field. Richmond is a fabulous city for a young person to start out in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:VCU has a great arts programs, in the top 5 nationally, and a very good premed program.

This school is so overlooked by the families in this area.

+1

+2 Son is graduating this winter, he will have zero debt and is already working in his degree field. Richmond is a fabulous city for a young person to start out in.

Congrats!

[Anonymous]

URM Female with high stats wants to go to GMU for CS. Everyone, including her teachers, discourages her. They tell her she is better suited for UVA and VT (we have to stay in-state) but she has no desire due to their low diversity. Not everyone looking at GMU is a poor student. People select schools for several reasons. Her stats put her in the top percent of admitted students but she really liked GMU. She doesn't view the quiet weekend feel as a drawback. She loves the program, internship opportunities and diversity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:URM Female with high stats wants to go to GMU for CS. Everyone, including her teachers, discourages her. They tell her she is better suited for UVA and VT (we have to stay in-state) but she has no desire due to their low diversity. Not everyone looking at GMU is a poor student. People select schools for several reasons. Her stats put her in the top percent of admitted students but she really liked GMU. She doesn't view the quiet weekend feel as a drawback. She loves the program, internship opportunities and diversity.

I don't believe you, sorry. No teacher is going to "discourage" a student from going to GMU.

[Anonymous]

My daughter is dating a boy from outside Charlottesville and he is hoping to come to GMU for the Cybersecurity program.

Of course, my daughter is looking at 2 other "also rans" in VA that are 3-4 hours away from NoVA. Or might wind up at a PA state school 5 hours from home.

We shall see where they land...or if they are even together by the time he graduates next June.

My husband and I both have degrees from Mason - we both obtained them part-time while working full-time. His was a BS in Electrical Engineering after serving in the military and mine is a Masters degree in Public Policy (was brand new at the time and got me the degree at in state prices rather than paying a fortune to GW or Georgetown).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:URM Female with high stats wants to go to GMU for CS. Everyone, including her teachers, discourages her. They tell her she is better suited for UVA and VT (we have to stay in-state) but she has no desire due to their low diversity. Not everyone looking at GMU is a poor student. People select schools for several reasons. Her stats put her in the top percent of admitted students but she really liked GMU. She doesn't view the quiet weekend feel as a drawback. She loves the program, internship opportunities and diversity.

I don't believe you, sorry. No teacher is going to "discourage" a student from going to GMU.

You would be mistaken. Felt she could "do better."