If you have a top student who chose GMU, how did you get over the comments/looks?

[Anonymous]

Ignore the comments. In six months no one will care where your kid is going.

[Anonymous]

most 300-400 level course will be online.

[Anonymous]

Adding to what everyone says. You are under no obligation to justify or deferred your choice. Your family, your kid, his and your choice. Period. Your son sounds like a very intelligent and self aware young man. GMU is underrated and unnecessarily dissed in this area but it is a school with great industry connections and career prospects. Best wishes to your son!!!!

[Anonymous]

I graduated from GMU in 2017, its also called NOVA 2.0, or they have so many names, at the end of the day its the same as JMU or Tech or any other school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Adding to what everyone says. You are under no obligation to justify or deferred your choice. Your family, your kid, his and your choice. Period. Your son sounds like a very intelligent and self aware young man. GMU is underrated and unnecessarily dissed in this area but it is a school with great industry connections and career prospects. Best wishes to your son!!!!

Typo- Defend, not deferred

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Adding to what everyone says. You are under no obligation to justify or deferred your choice. Your family, your kid, his and your choice. Period. Your son sounds like a very intelligent and self aware young man. GMU is underrated and unnecessarily dissed in this area but it is a school with great industry connections and career prospects. Best wishes to your son!!!!

+1

GMU is a good school at great value. You can save a lot of money by attending GMU and living at home. My oldest attended GMU for biology major and now at Case Western Reserve medical school. My youngest will graduate from GMU with a CS degree in May and a job offer at Apple. My wife was a GMU grad and she is now an SES level in the government. I graduated from Brown and am a GS-13 government workabee.

[Anonymous]

What on earth? GMU is a good school. He doesn't have anything to justify or explain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Adding to what everyone says. You are under no obligation to justify or deferred your choice. Your family, your kid, his and your choice. Period. Your son sounds like a very intelligent and self aware young man. GMU is underrated and unnecessarily dissed in this area but it is a school with great industry connections and career prospects. Best wishes to your son!!!!

+1

GMU is a good school at great value. You can save a lot of money by attending GMU and living at home. My oldest attended GMU for biology major and now at Case Western Reserve medical school. My youngest will graduate from GMU with a CS degree in May and a job offer at Apple. My wife was a GMU grad and she is now an SES level in the government. I graduated from Brown and am a GS-13 government workabee.

Once you get into government, it's all about your interpersonal skills, but what did your wife major in GMU?

[Anonymous]

you say, "it's the best decision for his situation". End it there.

[Anonymous]

He sounds like a great kid who was smart about choosing the right college for him. That's awesome!

I would just keep reinforcing that message and avoid naysayers who don't know what they are talking about. Or, to comments of "why would you go there?" you could assume it's a real question, not a judgy put-down, and honestly share what he loves about it. Have to know your audience on that one.

FWIW, my DD is going to a LAC most people haven't heard of. When people ask why she gushes about how awesome the program is for her major. She just assumes they are uninformed and that's their issue not hers but she's happy to fill them in.

[Anonymous]

Tell him that when you are in high school you are assigned a school. Now he has the freedom to pick. He knows himself best. Everyone is different.

Kids from high school will soon be in the rearview mirror. His new friends will "get" his choice.

You have raised a wise and mature kid. Congratulations!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS is a top student. 1580 SAT. Also took ACT and scored 35. He was accepted to all the schools he applied to and he did not apply to many: GMU, Pitt, VaTech, JMU, VCU, UMD, and WPI. He wants to choose GMU Honors for (1) cost savings and (2) location. We live maybe 35 minutes away. He will live on campus. He can see us every day or never, it's up to him. He has ADHD. He likes his therapist and doesn't want to lose her, he doesn't want to worry about access to his meds, and he takes solace in us being near just in case he needs support. The problem is everyone thinks he is throwing his talent away and they look down on him for his choice. I've heard his friends tease him about it. Many chose UVA, VATech, JMU. W&M. I am proud of him for choosing what is best for him. How do I help him be comfortable and confident in his decision?

Is he second guessing his decision?

And are these truly his preferences on college? Because they sound weak. Therapists can do virtual appts. If he's in-state there won't be any issue w/med access. And it's not like the other schools are all that far away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:most 300-400 level course will be online.

Which is what kids prefer.

[Anonymous]

I’m not a huge fan of GMU for the college experience BUT my understanding is the outcomes with a CS degree from GMU are excellent. If that’s truly his preference he’s going to do great. He sounds exceptionally bright and resourceful.

[Anonymous]

My child goes to a school that draws a lot of unfortunate comments. Here are a couple of things I've learned.

1.) It is incredibly rude to shi* on someone else's college choice.

2.) We should all practice a couple of nice things to say when people tell us what their kid's plans are. "Oh, how wonderful!" "Congratulations! That's great." "Excellent!"

3.) We should all practice a couple of things to say when we get those judgy looks about our own kid's choice. "Yes, Larlo is super excited." "Their programs are right up his alley." "He's really happy, and I'm so proud of him."

Congrats to your kid ... I think he made a great choice!