The State of Virginia Colleges

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:However bad you think the options are in Virginia, agree that there are many more tiers and affordable options relative to other states.

UF and UGA are as good as or better than comparable Virginia options, larger, and virtually free in state

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:However bad you think the options are in Virginia, agree that there are many more tiers and affordable options relative to other states.

UF and UGA are as good as or better than comparable Virginia options, larger, and virtually free in state

don't get me started on those states

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All the VA state schools are fine.


That said, Looking at some of the median salaries of the health certification programs at NVCC makes me think getting the 4 year degree is a waste of time and money unless you want to get the doctoral degrees. Get the certs, get into an office, and if they want you to go further, THEY can help with your tuition.

Just be aware that those health programs at NVCC are not open enrollment; you have to apply having taken the pre-reqs, and admissions is competitive. My DD was in a class with a girl who was getting ready to apply for the sonography program, and her classmate was told that if you don't have all A's in your pre-requisite classes, they won't even look at your application. It was an intro physics class, and she was pretty stressed because if she got anything other than an A she was going to have to take it over again.

Good to know. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The VA options below the UVA/VT/W&M tier compare favorably to MD in the offerings below UMCP. Maybe UMBC and Towson are comparable to GMU and VCU if you squint a little, but not in my view.

I also think they compare favorably to the directional schools in other states.

So yes, it is very frustrating to have reduced access to UVA/VT/W&M, but we still have a good situation in the VA public university system.

Yes, VA has multiple schools in a top tier and MD has...College Park.

That said, I think Towson and UMBC are decent schools. I researched both for my child since they are closer to home than most of the other VA options besides GMU. UMBC has an episode of The College Tour.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The cost for in state students is truly outrageous. Especially considering how much aid they are willing to throw out at out of state students.

It is a lot, but Va state schools are surprisingly cheap compared to what instate students are expected to pay for their state schools in PA, NJ, IL and New England.

+1 With a weighted 4.0 (UW 3.7), UMW would be $17K for my DD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think students should start thinking about trades if they're not top students. Welders, plumbers, electricians all can be interesting careers.

Seriously? For a 3.5 to 3.8gpa? Those are still "top students" with an A- average. So sure, if they are interested in trades, encourage that. But 3.5 students have tons of options. Look at privates schools (both In state and OOS) that offer merit. with a 3.5 UW Gpa you can still get college costs of only $30-40K fairly easily (and that's equivalent to In state publics). Search and you can get it even cheaper (hint: drop down a tier, find a school where your kid is at the 90% for stats).

Plenty of kids do not find their academic stride until college. There are good colleges even for a 3.0 gpa in HS, just not T50 schools for them.

for reference, I have one of those 3.5 UW students, took only on AP in HS and got their first D in that class (first grade below a B ever) but managed a B + 2nd semester. They graduated from a T90 university with a 3.4 GPA (and it's low cause they attempted to be pre-health sciences freshman year and killed their gpa before switching majors to finance/accounting), gainfully employed at a great company and succeeding at "adulting" and love their job.

Thanks for your message. I agree with you.

+1

NP. I agree, as well. I think OP might be trying to say that the "mid" VA colleges are slowly closer to the bottom (lower stats and application information required), than the top (higher stats and application information required) of Virginia's list of schools, and that can be frustrating for some. But this PP has a well thought out and pertinent post.

This doesn't make any sense. As it gets harder and harder for strong students to get into UVA/W&M/VT, the profile of students at the "mid" schools will naturally get stronger. Yes, some leave for OOS but VA schools are generally pretty affordable relative to similar state Us you might go to as an OOS student. My son applied to several OOS flagships and all would have cost significantly more even after merit than VT, which he did get into. He'd have gone to JMU if VT hadn't worked out.

OP asked: "Where do kids who have a 3.5-3.8 GPA go?" That GPA is solidly in range for:

JMU - median GPA 3.88
CNU - 3.78
GMU - 3.76
UMW - 3.73
VCU - 3.73
Longwood - 3.69

And all of these schools have a substantial cohort of higher GPA students. Their 75th %ile for GPA is 4.0+. At places like GMU and VCU, over 1000 freshman will have had a HS GPA of 4.0+

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:However bad you think the options are in Virginia, agree that there are many more tiers and affordable options relative to other states.

UF and UGA are as good as or better than comparable Virginia options, larger, and virtually free in state

But most reading this are OOS so your point is irrelevant. UF is $46,000 OOS and UGA is $48,000 OOS. GMU (where DC went) is $13,404 tuition and $27K all in when housing is added. Add is the benefit of driving instead of flying and you can see why in-state Virginia is so popoular.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:However bad you think the options are in Virginia, agree that there are many more tiers and affordable options relative to other states.

UF and UGA are as good as or better than comparable Virginia options, larger, and virtually free in state

But most reading this are OOS so your point is irrelevant. UF is $46,000 OOS and UGA is $48,000 OOS. GMU (where DC went) is $13,404 tuition and $27K all in when housing is added. Add is the benefit of driving instead of flying and you can see why in-state Virginia is so popoular.

OK, but why are we celebrating Virginia for having in state options that cost 40k a year when other states manage to offer comparable schools for far cheaper

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think students should start thinking about trades if they're not top students. Welders, plumbers, electricians all can be interesting careers.

Seriously? For a 3.5 to 3.8gpa? Those are still "top students" with an A- average. So sure, if they are interested in trades, encourage that. But 3.5 students have tons of options. Look at privates schools (both In state and OOS) that offer merit. with a 3.5 UW Gpa you can still get college costs of only $30-40K fairly easily (and that's equivalent to In state publics). Search and you can get it even cheaper (hint: drop down a tier, find a school where your kid is at the 90% for stats).

Plenty of kids do not find their academic stride until college. There are good colleges even for a 3.0 gpa in HS, just not T50 schools for them.

for reference, I have one of those 3.5 UW students, took only on AP in HS and got their first D in that class (first grade below a B ever) but managed a B + 2nd semester. They graduated from a T90 university with a 3.4 GPA (and it's low cause they attempted to be pre-health sciences freshman year and killed their gpa before switching majors to finance/accounting), gainfully employed at a great company and succeeding at "adulting" and love their job.

Thanks for your message. I agree with you.

+1

NP. I agree, as well. I think OP might be trying to say that the "mid" VA colleges are slowly closer to the bottom (lower stats and application information required), than the top (higher stats and application information required) of Virginia's list of schools, and that can be frustrating for some. But this PP has a well thought out and pertinent post.

This doesn't make any sense. As it gets harder and harder for strong students to get into UVA/W&M/VT, the profile of students at the "mid" schools will naturally get stronger. Yes, some leave for OOS but VA schools are generally pretty affordable relative to similar state Us you might go to as an OOS student. My son applied to several OOS flagships and all would have cost significantly more even after merit than VT, which he did get into. He'd have gone to JMU if VT hadn't worked out.

OP asked: "Where do kids who have a 3.5-3.8 GPA go?" That GPA is solidly in range for:

JMU - median GPA 3.88
CNU - 3.78
GMU - 3.76
UMW - 3.73
VCU - 3.73
Longwood - 3.69

And all of these schools have a substantial cohort of higher GPA students. Their 75th %ile for GPA is 4.0+. At places like GMU and VCU, over 1000 freshman will have had a HS GPA of 4.0+

+1. OP hasn't kept up with what is happening with the Commonwealth's schools. GMU's entering class last year had 4.0 GPA at the 75th percentile (meaning 25% had higher); 3.75 at the median and a 3.46 at the 25th percetnile.https://research.schev.edu//enrollment/B10_FreshmenProfile.asp

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:However bad you think the options are in Virginia, agree that there are many more tiers and affordable options relative to other states.

UF and UGA are as good as or better than comparable Virginia options, larger, and virtually free in state

But most reading this are OOS so your point is irrelevant. UF is $46,000 OOS and UGA is $48,000 OOS. GMU (where DC went) is $13,404 tuition and $27K all in when housing is added. Add is the benefit of driving instead of flying and you can see why in-state Virginia is so popoular.

OK, but why are we celebrating Virginia for having in state options that cost 40k a year when other states manage to offer comparable schools for far cheaper

UVA tuition is between 15,000-27,000, depending on college/program

https://uvafinance.virginia.edu/resources/approved-tuition-and-mandatory-fees

You're welcome to complain about VA schools, but don't make stuff up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's the COMMONWEALTH of Virginia

-Did you really not know what jurisdiction they were referring to?
- By definition, there are no differences between a state and a commonwealth
- The Commonwealths themselves consider thenselve to be states. They have State capitols. They seem to feel that the constitution is talking to them when it says that the "The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States". VA, KY and PA aren't like, "what, I'm a Commonwealth?" They shut up and send their representatives.

[Anonymous]

Pitt, Penn State, Temple, Rutgers, UIUC, UVM, UConn, URI, UNH and UMass Amherst are brutally expensive instate. The unknown “directional” state schools in those states are more expensive than UMD, UMBC, JMU or VT instate by a mile.

If you’re an instate kid in Mississippi, Nevada, Nebraska, Idaho, the Dakotas, Alaska, Hawaii or New Mexico, you have a couple of public or private options that don’t require significant travel, and that’s it.

We’re lucky around here!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:However bad you think the options are in Virginia, agree that there are many more tiers and affordable options relative to other states.

UF and UGA are as good as or better than comparable Virginia options, larger, and virtually free in state

But most reading this are OOS so your point is irrelevant. UF is $46,000 OOS and UGA is $48,000 OOS. GMU (where DC went) is $13,404 tuition and $27K all in when housing is added. Add is the benefit of driving instead of flying and you can see why in-state Virginia is so popoular.

OK, but why are we celebrating Virginia for having in state options that cost 40k a year when other states manage to offer comparable schools for far cheaper

What other states? BTW USC (private) just announced it's going to $90K this fall. UVA with its 35+ campuses is a great deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:However bad you think the options are in Virginia, agree that there are many more tiers and affordable options relative to other states.

UF and UGA are as good as or better than comparable Virginia options, larger, and virtually free in state

But most reading this are OOS so your point is irrelevant. UF is $46,000 OOS and UGA is $48,000 OOS. GMU (where DC went) is $13,404 tuition and $27K all in when housing is added. Add is the benefit of driving instead of flying and you can see why in-state Virginia is so popoular.

OK, but why are we celebrating Virginia for having in state options that cost 40k a year when other states manage to offer comparable schools for far cheaper

UVA tuition is between 15,000-27,000, depending on college/program

https://uvafinance.virginia.edu/resources/approved-tuition-and-mandatory-fees

You're welcome to complain about VA schools, but don't make stuff up.

https://sfs.virginia.edu/financial-aid-new-applicants/financial-aid-basics/estimated-undergraduate-cost-attendance

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's the COMMONWEALTH of Virginia

-Did you really not know what jurisdiction they were referring to?
- By definition, there are no differences between a state and a commonwealth
- The Commonwealths themselves consider thenselve to be states. They have State capitols. They seem to feel that the constitution is talking to them when it says that the "The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States". VA, KY and PA aren't like, "what, I'm a Commonwealth?" They shut up and send their representatives.

A in social studies. Congratulations 🙄