Why are OOS flagships so popular these days?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The main reason, at least in the case of Virginia, is that the state didn’t grow their flagship school enough. UVA is too small of a flagship for a state with over 8.5 million people in it. It’s half the size of its peers and isn’t serving the people of Virginia nearly as well as it should.

But you forgot to add in William & Mary. No State public system has something like W&M

William and Mary doesn't appeal to many kids. At all.

It seems to appeal to a lot of kids who are wary of the big school experience. I didn’t go there but considered it, and I had friends who went. It seemed a lot like a SLAC experience with the additional benefits of technically being a research university with grad programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The main reason, at least in the case of Virginia, is that the state didn’t grow their flagship school enough. UVA is too small of a flagship for a state with over 8.5 million people in it. It’s half the size of its peers and isn’t serving the people of Virginia nearly as well as it should.

But you forgot to add in William & Mary. No State public system has something like W&M

Sure, but W&M doesn't offer the rah rah spirit kids are seeking in droves.

W&M has very loyal alumni.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Usually the OOS publics are less expensive than privates

Definitely not the case for my DS. Case Western, Midd, Gtown were going to be less than UMich, Wisconsin, and OSU.

Because your DC was offered merit ir qualified for FA and the privates met family need while the OOS didn’t?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The main reason, at least in the case of Virginia, is that the state didn’t grow their flagship school enough. UVA is too small of a flagship for a state with over 8.5 million people in it. It’s half the size of its peers and isn’t serving the people of Virginia nearly as well as it should.

But you forgot to add in William & Mary. No State public system has something like W&M

Sure, but W&M doesn't offer the rah rah spirit kids are seeking in droves.

W&M has very loyal alumni.

Not the same thing, at all.
DP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not sure I would put UVA and UMD in same category. You are going to OOS public instead of in state UVA because you didn't get into UVA. Not many Michigan, UCLA and UNC admit cases. UMD, while a really good school and not that easy to get into instate -- it is not a highly ranked public, more middle of the road. So very likely the OOS is better and you may have even received some merit to make it comparable in price. Add in the allure of geographic diversity and some more interesting places to go to school than College Park and there is your answer. Still think UMD is great choice, great school but not the same declines as UVA......

Maryland is around #60 of over 1000 colleges. How is that not highly ranked?

[Anonymous]

The Greek scene at the big OOS flagships is my only concern. Everything else seems a positive (except the steep prices if no merit, etc)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The main reason, at least in the case of Virginia, is that the state didn’t grow their flagship school enough. UVA is too small of a flagship for a state with over 8.5 million people in it. It’s half the size of its peers and isn’t serving the people of Virginia nearly as well as it should.

But you forgot to add in William & Mary. No State public system has something like W&M

Noob here .. can you please let us know what W&M offers that no State public system does ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My high stats DC really wanted UVA (in state), but was rejected. DC did not like any other VA schools. That is why DC attends a school ranked about the same as UVA but a plane ride away. Bummer that they couldn’t get into our own state school, but admissions are tough these days!

Same.

[Anonymous]

I live on the west coast now. 25 years ago, kids at the best suburban public high schools in my area could easily get into the state flagship university and the very top tier knew they had their choice of ivies.

Now, our metro area has doubled in population. The state flagship has hardly grown. Full-pay international students account for a far larger percentage of the student body than they used to. Ivies and other elite national universities have far lower admit rates than they used to and admit students from a much more diverse array of schools and countries. So the only hope for some top students who aren’t hooked and aren’t sure they’ll get into our state flagship is to try to apply as an OOS tuition-paying resident at somebody else’s state flagship.

I’ll also say that the nationalization of the college admissions process has eroded the appeal of all of our state universities and colleges that aren’t the flagship. In some cases they’ve lost the kids they used to pick up easily since students have visibility into similar options in more interesting locations. In other cases, the merit aid game at expensive privates or less-desirable OOS schools has siphoned off their usual applicant pool.

In short:

-more competition
-more mobility
-more visibility into OOS options
-decrease in perceived quality of non-flagship in-state options
-OOS schools may be easier to access for full-pay OOS applicants than a state flagship
-also, California is warmer and sunnier

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The main reason, at least in the case of Virginia, is that the state didn’t grow their flagship school enough. UVA is too small of a flagship for a state with over 8.5 million people in it. It’s half the size of its peers and isn’t serving the people of Virginia nearly as well as it should.

But you forgot to add in William & Mary. No State public system has something like W&M

Noob here .. can you please let us know what W&M offers that no State public system does ?

It isn’t quite the same, but Miami has always filled a similar “looks like a private institution and attracts those kinds of students” niche in Ohio.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The main reason, at least in the case of Virginia, is that the state didn’t grow their flagship school enough. UVA is too small of a flagship for a state with over 8.5 million people in it. It’s half the size of its peers and isn’t serving the people of Virginia nearly as well as it should.

But you forgot to add in William & Mary. No State public system has something like W&M

Noob here .. can you please let us know what W&M offers that no State public system does ?

Size, residential nature, and undergraduate teaching is more similar to selective private schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The main reason, at least in the case of Virginia, is that the state didn’t grow their flagship school enough. UVA is too small of a flagship for a state with over 8.5 million people in it. It’s half the size of its peers and isn’t serving the people of Virginia nearly as well as it should.

But you forgot to add in William & Mary. No State public system has something like W&M

Noob here .. can you please let us know what W&M offers that no State public system does ?

A $90k small Slac experience at about $38k all in

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Usually the OOS publics are less expensive than privates

Definitely not the case for my DS. Case Western, Midd, Gtown were going to be less than UMich, Wisconsin, and OSU.

Because your DC was offered merit ir qualified for FA and the privates met family need while the OOS didn’t?

+1. Merit aid is the only way this is possible. Georgetown just hiked its tuition 5% and is now a whopping $86k a year

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Usually the OOS publics are less expensive than privates

Definitely not the case for my DS. Case Western, Midd, Gtown were going to be less than UMich, Wisconsin, and OSU.

Because your DC was offered merit ir qualified for FA and the privates met family need while the OOS didn’t?

+1. Merit aid is the only way this is possible. Georgetown just hiked its tuition 5% and is now a whopping $86k a year

Georgetown doesn’t give merit aid. Only need-based.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The main reason, at least in the case of Virginia, is that the state didn’t grow their flagship school enough. UVA is too small of a flagship for a state with over 8.5 million people in it. It’s half the size of its peers and isn’t serving the people of Virginia nearly as well as it should.

But you forgot to add in William & Mary. No State public system has something like W&M

Noob here .. can you please let us know what W&M offers that no State public system does ?

A $90k small Slac experience at about $38k all in

Agree for sure except for size - W&M is in that sweet spot for many for size (5k-10k, at about 6500 undergrads)
Classes taught almost entirely by full professors and not TAs, campus stunning, in those ways as well like an elite private