Insights on Mason for Potential Incoming Freshman

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP- any thoughts on GMU for poli sci / government type degree. I have a non-stem kid considering the school.

+1. I know an honors poli sci kid who just started at a T20 law school and made Law Review

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son will be in that same department at CNU. He really loved the small department that is growing with the new school. He met many professors at the open house on admitted students day, and felt really comfortable there. He loved CNUs campus and vibe, and the location. We are already registered with the disability office. We toured GMU and it’s probably better overall but it is larger and close to home and those were negatives for our son.

We attended admitted students day in April and had a chance to speak with the CS department head. Is your son and incoming freshman? What type of HS is he coming from? Anything you can share regarding the disability office and what supports they will provide?

The disability office does as much as they can to help if you have had testing done. There is an intro meeting during orientation and they welcome private meetings to discuss. We will see what is approved and how well things work in practice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you live in NOVA, GMU might be nice in the sense that your kid can come one easily whenever he wants (which could be helpful).

This seems like a negative. The kid should be developing independence not running home frequently.

OP here. I agree with that. Good to have him close enough where coming home can be accomplished in a few hours if necessary, but don't want to encourage that as a frequent practice. Its important that he develop independence whether its on campus 30-40 minutes away, or 3 hours (CNU is about 2 1/2)

My DS just finished his freshman year at GMU and he lived on campus, although we are 30 minutes away. He rarely came home to spend the night, but we would occasionally see him for a meal or to pick up something he needed from home (like his winter coat). It was convenient to have him close to home for doctor/dental appointments. He has ADHD/HFA and sees his doctor every month or so for checkups and refills. I’m very proud of him and I think he made the right choice of school. His other options were VCU, UMW, and JMU. He made Dean’s list both semesters at GMU and seems happy.

This is so good to hear, as our DS with the same profile will be attending GMU in the fall. I’m so glad your DS’s first year was a success!

OP here. Congratulations on your DS’ matriculation to GMU! Have you identified and begun arranging any supports they will avail themselves of? Since our DC is coming off the waitlist, also wondering if we are behind the eight ball regarding housing. This will be a manageable but significant hurdle for our DC to overcome as they transition to college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our DC was just admitted off the waitlist to GMU’s computing and engineering school. He is committed to CNU for comp sci, and is deciding if he should rescind that commitment and go to Mason.

He is an IB student in a very diverse FCPS school, and has had an IEP since 5th grade for ADD (inattentive). He came up through the FCPS AAP program, taking high school math since 7th grade. His grades have spanned the spectrum from A’s to the occasional D, with his biggest challenges around writing.

He’s especially bright, but struggles with executive functioning. We believe Mason’s Executive Functioning program (at additional cost) would really help him navigate the college academic experience.

He chose CNU over VCU (and two OOS schools with substantial merit) because he thought the smaller school and the opportunity to know his instructors and they know him, would be a better environment. Theres a lot we like about CNU, and not to overemphasize “rankings, but it doesn’t have the reputation - overall and in Comp sci - of Mason. Mason also has a large internship network, which is critica in a technical field.

He would live on campus at GMU and Although smaller, we expect CNU would be more of a “traditional” college experience than Mason, as the latter has a fair number of commuters. However, he’s never really been interested in the experience, and is more focused on what his degree will provide. That said, we (and he) believe he needs to build his social skills and friend base, as he struggled “finding his tribe” in high school.

Anyone with experience at Mason (or CNU for that matter), I would welcome your input as we try to make this decision.

GMU has a wait list?

of course it does. Just like any other4 year institution. I know if at least a dozen kids who were rejected. https://www.gmu.edu/admissions-aid/waitlist

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our DC was just admitted off the waitlist to GMU’s computing and engineering school. He is committed to CNU for comp sci, and is deciding if he should rescind that commitment and go to Mason.

He is an IB student in a very diverse FCPS school, and has had an IEP since 5th grade for ADD (inattentive). He came up through the FCPS AAP program, taking high school math since 7th grade. His grades have spanned the spectrum from A’s to the occasional D, with his biggest challenges around writing.

He’s especially bright, but struggles with executive functioning. We believe Mason’s Executive Functioning program (at additional cost) would really help him navigate the college academic experience.

He chose CNU over VCU (and two OOS schools with substantial merit) because he thought the smaller school and the opportunity to know his instructors and they know him, would be a better environment. Theres a lot we like about CNU, and not to overemphasize “rankings, but it doesn’t have the reputation - overall and in Comp sci - of Mason. Mason also has a large internship network, which is critica in a technical field.

He would live on campus at GMU and Although smaller, we expect CNU would be more of a “traditional” college experience than Mason, as the latter has a fair number of commuters. However, he’s never really been interested in the experience, and is more focused on what his degree will provide. That said, we (and he) believe he needs to build his social skills and friend base, as he struggled “finding his tribe” in high school.

Anyone with experience at Mason (or CNU for that matter), I would welcome your input as we try to make this decision.

GMU stopped being a commuter campus in 2010/2011 when the Carnegie foundation reclassified it as primarily residential. All freshmen live on campus unless they have filed a waiver and it was accepted. Yes, many of the grad students commute but go look at all of the dorms available for undergrad (My DS's second year was like a hotel room, with full, nice private bath and kitchen). My DS lived on campus all four years. His roommates were OOS and international. He had a great four years. Game Design major. Anything computer is terrific there. Be sure to visit the tech campus out near manassas. AMA

I’ve read about the Carnegie designation, but wondering exactly what the criteria are for that. US News states that GMU only has 6200 undergrads on campus, among 27000 total. That’s not a lot though in comparison to about 5k total at CNU, it’s more than comparable. Also, I understand that a lot of students live in off-campus housing nearby.

Did your DS do the Game Design major that’s arts/fine arts focused? I believes there’s that (BFA) along with a Game Design concentration within the CS major.

j




DS did the BFA major. Those that entered the program knowing how to code gravitated to the CS major. BTW, GMU has 40 different types of dorms, townhouses, housing 6100 students. DS was concerned he wouldn't get an campus dorm the last year but did. Some of his friends moved off nearby but he wanted to stay. I was very impressed with all of the facilities. So much is new therefore state-of-the art.

Very helpful information, thank you.

With 6200 students in on campus housing, did that make the campus feel a little bit smaller - at least when the commuter students head home? CNU is about 5,000 students, so I'm thinking the smaller number of on-campus residents could make an obviously large school feel a little smaller (not a bad thing for my DC). This could be specially so since there are several campuses where some local students attend outside of the main Fairfax campus.

Are you familiar with the off-campus housing options? Are they near the main Fairfax campus?


Are you local and did your DS come home much on weekends?

remember that most of the commuter students are grad students so our kid didn't notice any commuter traffic. He had his world of friends in his major and from a LLC dorm. yes, we looked at the nearby townhouses but couldn't afford a car so stayed with the dorms all four years. One of his roommates had parents buy him a townhouse several miles off campus but to share would have meant a car and we couldn't swing it. His roommates were from all over and some international. There is a Greek presence (some 40 frats and sororities?) but DS didn't participate. The honors program is great

OP here. Really Appreciate the insight. As far as most of the commuters being grad students, just curious where you got that information from? Are those folks taking evening or remote classes so you don’t tend to see them in and out?

With so many undergrads hailing from NOVA (I believe nearly 10,000 from Fairfax county alone) and being housing waiver eligible, I’d have to assume a fair number of those commuters include undergrads as well.

We actually considered the idea of investing in a property where DC could stay during school and we would rent out. not a priority at this stage, but something we are keeping in mind.
To your knowledge, GMU have fraternity and sorority houses?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our DC was just admitted off the waitlist to GMU’s computing and engineering school. He is committed to CNU for comp sci, and is deciding if he should rescind that commitment and go to Mason.

He is an IB student in a very diverse FCPS school, and has had an IEP since 5th grade for ADD (inattentive). He came up through the FCPS AAP program, taking high school math since 7th grade. His grades have spanned the spectrum from A’s to the occasional D, with his biggest challenges around writing.

He’s especially bright, but struggles with executive functioning. We believe Mason’s Executive Functioning program (at additional cost) would really help him navigate the college academic experience.

He chose CNU over VCU (and two OOS schools with substantial merit) because he thought the smaller school and the opportunity to know his instructors and they know him, would be a better environment. Theres a lot we like about CNU, and not to overemphasize “rankings, but it doesn’t have the reputation - overall and in Comp sci - of Mason. Mason also has a large internship network, which is critica in a technical field.

He would live on campus at GMU and Although smaller, we expect CNU would be more of a “traditional” college experience than Mason, as the latter has a fair number of commuters. However, he’s never really been interested in the experience, and is more focused on what his degree will provide. That said, we (and he) believe he needs to build his social skills and friend base, as he struggled “finding his tribe” in high school.

Anyone with experience at Mason (or CNU for that matter), I would welcome your input as we try to make this decision.

GMU has a wait list?

of course it does. Just like any other4 year institution. I know if at least a dozen kids who were rejected. https://www.gmu.edu/admissions-aid/waitlist

+ 100 of course. And especially when talking about more competitive majors.

No one is claiming that GMU is Harvard, but while it has a high admissions rate, it’s a very solid school with very well respected programs in fields like poli science, engineering/CS. If anything, in an effort to serve a broader range of students in the region, GMU is an example of a school that casts a wider net in terms of admissions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP- any thoughts on GMU for poli sci / government type degree. I have a non-stem kid considering the school.

+1. I know an honors poli sci kid who just started at a T20 law school and made Law Review

That’s awesome. Have heard more than a few examples like this of students from many disciplines coming out of GMU.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son will be in that same department at CNU. He really loved the small department that is growing with the new school. He met many professors at the open house on admitted students day, and felt really comfortable there. He loved CNUs campus and vibe, and the location. We are already registered with the disability office. We toured GMU and it’s probably better overall but it is larger and close to home and those were negatives for our son.

We attended admitted students day in April and had a chance to speak with the CS department head. Is your son and incoming freshman? What type of HS is he coming from? Anything you can share regarding the disability office and what supports they will provide?

The disability office does as much as they can to help if you have had testing done. There is an intro meeting during orientation and they welcome private meetings to discuss. We will see what is approved and how well things work in practice.

Interesting. At our admitted students day, one thing that the Dean of students (I believe) made clear was that while the school was committed to and provides support for all students to graduate in 4 years, he was not big on “accommodations), even saying that he was barely even familiar with a 504 Plan. It was an interesting, if revealing comment 🙂

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our DC was just admitted off the waitlist to GMU’s computing and engineering school. He is committed to CNU for comp sci, and is deciding if he should rescind that commitment and go to Mason.

He is an IB student in a very diverse FCPS school, and has had an IEP since 5th grade for ADD (inattentive). He came up through the FCPS AAP program, taking high school math since 7th grade. His grades have spanned the spectrum from A’s to the occasional D, with his biggest challenges around writing.

He’s especially bright, but struggles with executive functioning. We believe Mason’s Executive Functioning program (at additional cost) would really help him navigate the college academic experience.

He chose CNU over VCU (and two OOS schools with substantial merit) because he thought the smaller school and the opportunity to know his instructors and they know him, would be a better environment. Theres a lot we like about CNU, and not to overemphasize “rankings, but it doesn’t have the reputation - overall and in Comp sci - of Mason. Mason also has a large internship network, which is critica in a technical field.

He would live on campus at GMU and Although smaller, we expect CNU would be more of a “traditional” college experience than Mason, as the latter has a fair number of commuters. However, he’s never really been interested in the experience, and is more focused on what his degree will provide. That said, we (and he) believe he needs to build his social skills and friend base, as he struggled “finding his tribe” in high school.

Anyone with experience at Mason (or CNU for that matter), I would welcome your input as we try to make this decision.

GMU stopped being a commuter campus in 2010/2011 when the Carnegie foundation reclassified it as primarily residential. All freshmen live on campus unless they have filed a waiver and it was accepted. Yes, many of the grad students commute but go look at all of the dorms available for undergrad (My DS's second year was like a hotel room, with full, nice private bath and kitchen). My DS lived on campus all four years. His roommates were OOS and international. He had a great four years. Game Design major. Anything computer is terrific there. Be sure to visit the tech campus out near manassas. AMA

I’ve read about the Carnegie designation, but wondering exactly what the criteria are for that. US News states that GMU only has 6200 undergrads on campus, among 27000 total. That’s not a lot though in comparison to about 5k total at CNU, it’s more than comparable. Also, I understand that a lot of students live in off-campus housing nearby.

Did your DS do the Game Design major that’s arts/fine arts focused? I believes there’s that (BFA) along with a Game Design concentration within the CS major.

j




DS did the BFA major. Those that entered the program knowing how to code gravitated to the CS major. BTW, GMU has 40 different types of dorms, townhouses, housing 6100 students. DS was concerned he wouldn't get an campus dorm the last year but did. Some of his friends moved off nearby but he wanted to stay. I was very impressed with all of the facilities. So much is new therefore state-of-the art.

Very helpful information, thank you.

With 6200 students in on campus housing, did that make the campus feel a little bit smaller - at least when the commuter students head home? CNU is about 5,000 students, so I'm thinking the smaller number of on-campus residents could make an obviously large school feel a little smaller (not a bad thing for my DC). This could be specially so since there are several campuses where some local students attend outside of the main Fairfax campus.

Are you familiar with the off-campus housing options? Are they near the main Fairfax campus?


Are you local and did your DS come home much on weekends?

remember that most of the commuter students are grad students so our kid didn't notice any commuter traffic. He had his world of friends in his major and from a LLC dorm. yes, we looked at the nearby townhouses but couldn't afford a car so stayed with the dorms all four years. One of his roommates had parents buy him a townhouse several miles off campus but to share would have meant a car and we couldn't swing it. His roommates were from all over and some international. There is a Greek presence (some 40 frats and sororities?) but DS didn't participate. The honors program is great

OP here. Really Appreciate the insight. As far as most of the commuters being grad students, just curious where you got that information from? Are those folks taking evening or remote classes so you don’t tend to see them in and out?

With so many undergrads hailing from NOVA (I believe nearly 10,000 from Fairfax county alone) and being housing waiver eligible, I’d have to assume a fair number of those commuters include undergrads as well.

We actually considered the idea of investing in a property where DC could stay during school and we would rent out. not a priority at this stage, but something we are keeping in mind.
To your knowledge, GMU have fraternity and sorority houses?

I literally know next to nothing about Mason, but I live in 22033 about 15-20 min away from campus, and we have a single odd house in our neighborhood that is a rental and not part of the HOA (was built prior to the existence of the neighborhood)--and it is a Mason [unofficial] Frat House. They are having as good a time as any other college frat, lol! I have no idea why kids would want to live this far from campus, must be cheap rent. Hoping they move out but since they were still partying this weekend I have little hope...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son will be in that same department at CNU. He really loved the small department that is growing with the new school. He met many professors at the open house on admitted students day, and felt really comfortable there. He loved CNUs campus and vibe, and the location. We are already registered with the disability office. We toured GMU and it’s probably better overall but it is larger and close to home and those were negatives for our son.

We attended admitted students day in April and had a chance to speak with the CS department head. Is your son and incoming freshman? What type of HS is he coming from? Anything you can share regarding the disability office and what supports they will provide?

The disability office does as much as they can to help if you have had testing done. There is an intro meeting during orientation and they welcome private meetings to discuss. We will see what is approved and how well things work in practice.

Interesting. At our admitted students day, one thing that the Dean of students (I believe) made clear was that while the school was committed to and provides support for all students to graduate in 4 years, he was not big on “accommodations), even saying that he was barely even familiar with a 504 Plan. It was an interesting, if revealing comment 🙂

You're saying that the Dean of Students, or similar, at a public institution said publicly that he's "not big on accommodations." You sure about that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our DC was just admitted off the waitlist to GMU’s computing and engineering school. He is committed to CNU for comp sci, and is deciding if he should rescind that commitment and go to Mason.

He is an IB student in a very diverse FCPS school, and has had an IEP since 5th grade for ADD (inattentive). He came up through the FCPS AAP program, taking high school math since 7th grade. His grades have spanned the spectrum from A’s to the occasional D, with his biggest challenges around writing.

He’s especially bright, but struggles with executive functioning. We believe Mason’s Executive Functioning program (at additional cost) would really help him navigate the college academic experience.

He chose CNU over VCU (and two OOS schools with substantial merit) because he thought the smaller school and the opportunity to know his instructors and they know him, would be a better environment. Theres a lot we like about CNU, and not to overemphasize “rankings, but it doesn’t have the reputation - overall and in Comp sci - of Mason. Mason also has a large internship network, which is critica in a technical field.

He would live on campus at GMU and Although smaller, we expect CNU would be more of a “traditional” college experience than Mason, as the latter has a fair number of commuters. However, he’s never really been interested in the experience, and is more focused on what his degree will provide. That said, we (and he) believe he needs to build his social skills and friend base, as he struggled “finding his tribe” in high school.

Anyone with experience at Mason (or CNU for that matter), I would welcome your input as we try to make this decision.

GMU stopped being a commuter campus in 2010/2011 when the Carnegie foundation reclassified it as primarily residential. All freshmen live on campus unless they have filed a waiver and it was accepted. Yes, many of the grad students commute but go look at all of the dorms available for undergrad (My DS's second year was like a hotel room, with full, nice private bath and kitchen). My DS lived on campus all four years. His roommates were OOS and international. He had a great four years. Game Design major. Anything computer is terrific there. Be sure to visit the tech campus out near manassas. AMA

I’ve read about the Carnegie designation, but wondering exactly what the criteria are for that. US News states that GMU only has 6200 undergrads on campus, among 27000 total. That’s not a lot though in comparison to about 5k total at CNU, it’s more than comparable. Also, I understand that a lot of students live in off-campus housing nearby.

Did your DS do the Game Design major that’s arts/fine arts focused? I believes there’s that (BFA) along with a Game Design concentration within the CS major.

j




DS did the BFA major. Those that entered the program knowing how to code gravitated to the CS major. BTW, GMU has 40 different types of dorms, townhouses, housing 6100 students. DS was concerned he wouldn't get an campus dorm the last year but did. Some of his friends moved off nearby but he wanted to stay. I was very impressed with all of the facilities. So much is new therefore state-of-the art.

Very helpful information, thank you.

With 6200 students in on campus housing, did that make the campus feel a little bit smaller - at least when the commuter students head home? CNU is about 5,000 students, so I'm thinking the smaller number of on-campus residents could make an obviously large school feel a little smaller (not a bad thing for my DC). This could be specially so since there are several campuses where some local students attend outside of the main Fairfax campus.

Are you familiar with the off-campus housing options? Are they near the main Fairfax campus?


Are you local and did your DS come home much on weekends?

remember that most of the commuter students are grad students so our kid didn't notice any commuter traffic. He had his world of friends in his major and from a LLC dorm. yes, we looked at the nearby townhouses but couldn't afford a car so stayed with the dorms all four years. One of his roommates had parents buy him a townhouse several miles off campus but to share would have meant a car and we couldn't swing it. His roommates were from all over and some international. There is a Greek presence (some 40 frats and sororities?) but DS didn't participate. The honors program is great

OP here. Really Appreciate the insight. As far as most of the commuters being grad students, just curious where you got that information from? Are those folks taking evening or remote classes so you don’t tend to see them in and out?

With so many undergrads hailing from NOVA (I believe nearly 10,000 from Fairfax county alone) and being housing waiver eligible, I’d have to assume a fair number of those commuters include undergrads as well.

We actually considered the idea of investing in a property where DC could stay during school and we would rent out. not a priority at this stage, but something we are keeping in mind.
To your knowledge, GMU have fraternity and sorority houses?

I literally know next to nothing about Mason, but I live in 22033 about 15-20 min away from campus, and we have a single odd house in our neighborhood that is a rental and not part of the HOA (was built prior to the existence of the neighborhood)--and it is a Mason [unofficial] Frat House. They are having as good a time as any other college frat, lol! I have no idea why kids would want to live this far from campus, must be cheap rent. Hoping they move out but since they were still partying this weekend I have little hope...

Funny...though probably not for you!

[Anonymous]

We are local and Mason has been a great fit for our DC.

I have an older DC who I actively discouraged from choosing Mason even though they liked it because I was chasing that "typical college experience" for them.

DC#2 chose to commute and honestly hasn't missed living on campus. The comforts of home (we leave them pretty much to their own devices) outweigh the dorm life that probably isn't their cup of tea anyway.

What I have learned with DC#2 is Mason is a far cry from the stumpy '70s buildings I recall from the '90s and '00s - facilities are big, new, bright, modern, and impressive. The campus is green and walkable and attractive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son will be in that same department at CNU. He really loved the small department that is growing with the new school. He met many professors at the open house on admitted students day, and felt really comfortable there. He loved CNUs campus and vibe, and the location. We are already registered with the disability office. We toured GMU and it’s probably better overall but it is larger and close to home and those were negatives for our son.

We attended admitted students day in April and had a chance to speak with the CS department head. Is your son and incoming freshman? What type of HS is he coming from? Anything you can share regarding the disability office and what supports they will provide?

The disability office does as much as they can to help if you have had testing done. There is an intro meeting during orientation and they welcome private meetings to discuss. We will see what is approved and how well things work in practice.

Interesting. At our admitted students day, one thing that the Dean of students (I believe) made clear was that while the school was committed to and provides support for all students to graduate in 4 years, he was not big on “accommodations), even saying that he was barely even familiar with a 504 Plan. It was an interesting, if revealing comment 🙂

You're saying that the Dean of Students, or similar, at a public institution said publicly that he's "not big on accommodations." You sure about that?

100%.

I'm paraphrasing of course, but he essentially said that the school will support all their students and do all they can to make sure they succeed. But in terms of "accommodations", the school wasn't going to set different bars/standards. He did say specifically that growing up and through his early years in education, he didn't even know what a 504 was. He literally struggled to remember what it was called, saying "what's that thing with the numbers??

He didn't say these things callously, but I do believe he was communicating that CNU has a culture where they do everything possible to provide an environment where students can thrive (they said "we didn't admit the entering class of 2024, we admitted the graduating class of 2028"), but that students need to so within the standards that the university sets.

To be clear, while it was a little shocking, especially in this era of bending over backwards to accommodate everyone's needs, it wasn't exactly a turn-ff for us and I appreciated where he was coming from. In fact, for my kid, I thought it might be very helpful in getting him to be self-sufficient while not being thrust into an overwhelming, cutthroat, sink-or-swim environment. That was a big concern about VCU, and something that the supports at GMU's alleviate at least somewhat, despite being a large school

It also seems clear to me that CNU is trying to turn itself into an elite small public university, probably along the lines of W&L or W&M. To be sure, they've come a long way from their days as a two-year W&M extension, and they've (or at least the former President) brought in a lot of private money to grow and enhance the school. The campus itself is like a mini-UVA aesthetically, and they have instituted many traditions, much like UVA as well. When in trying to woo students from NOVA, that's a huge draw. A neighbor's kid graduated from CNU last year and when he entered, I knew nothing about it. Since then, incoming freshman class stats have risen significantly - as has the median income percentages of those students' household. Take that for what its worth. Outside of UVA, VT, W&L and W&M, I believe CNU has the highest SAT range of the Virginia publics

Again don't quote me, but I think it was this guy...https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-hughes-a0b4864/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are local and Mason has been a great fit for our DC.

I have an older DC who I actively discouraged from choosing Mason even though they liked it because I was chasing that "typical college experience" for them.

DC#2 chose to commute and honestly hasn't missed living on campus. The comforts of home (we leave them pretty much to their own devices) outweigh the dorm life that probably isn't their cup of tea anyway.

What I have learned with DC#2 is Mason is a far cry from the stumpy '70s buildings I recall from the '90s and '00s - facilities are big, new, bright, modern, and impressive. The campus is green and walkable and attractive.

Very useful insight, thank you.

Our kid is like yours (dorm life isn't their cup of tea) so while we'd love to save the money on housing, its critical that they learn to live away from us. Their sibling was a highly competitive HS athlete who traveled frequently for club games, and spent three summers in the UVA Summer Enrichment Program. So while there were moments of homesickness, being away wasn't a whole new thing.

Our youngest didn't have that experience, due to a combination of them not wanting it, and us acquiescing (big mistake). They now realize they need this experience, and have admitted that they need space from us and want to be away from home. However, they aren't excited about sharing a room with someone (always had their own room growing up) and definitely aren't excited about sharing a bathroom (due largely to OCD).

I think some of their housing concern could be alleviated if they could luck into a single within a suite, as opposed to a double or triple on a floor with a common bathroom.

[Anonymous]

There are fraternity houses at GMU but there is no “frat row” area. They are literally just sprinkled into random neighborhoods. My DD was dating a kid in a frat there and she went to a party one night at another fraternity which was like a half hour from her BFs frat house. Really an odd set up. But that’s Mason.