George Mason University - What's it like?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Different perspective: I live in a neighborhood bordering the main GMU campus. The difference in campus activity level between previous years and this past year has been stark, so I do believe that in normal (non-pandemic) times, there's lots to do - just driving/walking by, I see concerts, intramurals, homecoming celebrations (basketball), flyers for all sorts of clubs and meet-ups. The dorms and fitness facilities are almost all brand-new and state of the art. Lots of adjunct faculty actively working in their fields, which is great for real-world perspective and connections. DH is doing grad school classes in the Engineering dept and says the quality is not great, so YMMV in terms of academic rigor, but as a stepping stone to a good local/regional job, it's a great option.

Wierd because the engineering program is very highly rated.

+1. Maybe PP is talking about grad school engineering. The GMU Engineering department is very well regarded. I know several kids who dropped out because of its difficulty.

Yes, graduate school. The program in which DH and some work friends are participating is very disorganized/lacks consistent leadership, and he's had classes where the lectures were pre-recorded and of such poor audio quality that they were functionally pointless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Different perspective: I live in a neighborhood bordering the main GMU campus. The difference in campus activity level between previous years and this past year has been stark, so I do believe that in normal (non-pandemic) times, there's lots to do - just driving/walking by, I see concerts, intramurals, homecoming celebrations (basketball), flyers for all sorts of clubs and meet-ups. The dorms and fitness facilities are almost all brand-new and state of the art. Lots of adjunct faculty actively working in their fields, which is great for real-world perspective and connections. DH is doing grad school classes in the Engineering dept and says the quality is not great, so YMMV in terms of academic rigor, but as a stepping stone to a good local/regional job, it's a great option.

Wierd because the engineering program is very highly rated.

+1. Maybe PP is talking about grad school engineering. The GMU Engineering department is very well regarded. I know several kids who dropped out because of its difficulty.

Yes, graduate school. The program in which DH and some work friends are participating is very disorganized/lacks consistent leadership, and he's had classes where the lectures were pre-recorded and of such poor audio quality that they were functionally pointless.

Interesting. I served on an advisory committee for the computer science department and know a lot about engineering (many engineering drop outs make their way to computer science) but only the undergrad department. I don't know anything about the grad school. How much of this do you think is covid?

[Anonymous]

It's a big school and finding a smaller group of friends makes it more enjoyable.

Living on campus helps. Greek life helps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:US News has UVA as "most selective," Virginia Tech as "more selective," and GMU as "selective." So GMU is two steps below UVA.

Yes, but still "selective". That was the point. It's not just walk in the door like NVCC

No one ever said it was walk in the door. But Mr SCHEV is wrong to suggest that GMU is any more selective than any of the third tier VA state schools.

MR. Schev never said that. Please take your negative attitude elsewhere so we can discuss GMU

Oh really? This is exactly what he said. You tell me, do you really think this is true?

75th percentile for enrolled students last year had a 3.9; the median was a 3.7, and the bottom 25th percentile had a 3.4. ACT was 30 at 75th percentile, which is where you need to be if applying from Nova.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:US News has UVA as "most selective," Virginia Tech as "more selective," and GMU as "selective." So GMU is two steps below UVA.

Yes, but still "selective". That was the point. It's not just walk in the door like NVCC

No one ever said it was walk in the door. But Mr SCHEV is wrong to suggest that GMU is any more selective than any of the third tier VA state schools.

MR. Schev never said that. Please take your negative attitude elsewhere so we can discuss GMU

Oh really? This is exactly what he said. You tell me, do you really think this is true?

75th percentile for enrolled students last year had a 3.9; the median was a 3.7, and the bottom 25th percentile had a 3.4. ACT was 30 at 75th percentile, which is where you need to be if applying from Nova.

Please stop being argumentative and rude. Your points mean nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:US News has UVA as "most selective," Virginia Tech as "more selective," and GMU as "selective." So GMU is two steps below UVA.

Yes, but still "selective". That was the point. It's not just walk in the door like NVCC

No one ever said it was walk in the door. But Mr SCHEV is wrong to suggest that GMU is any more selective than any of the third tier VA state schools.

MR. Schev never said that. Please take your negative attitude elsewhere so we can discuss GMU

Oh really? This is exactly what he said. You tell me, do you really think this is true?

75th percentile for enrolled students last year had a 3.9; the median was a 3.7, and the bottom 25th percentile had a 3.4. ACT was 30 at 75th percentile, which is where you need to be if applying from Nova.

cite? Because that's not remotely what our FCPS Naviance says.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:US News has UVA as "most selective," Virginia Tech as "more selective," and GMU as "selective." So GMU is two steps below UVA.

Yes, but still "selective". That was the point. It's not just walk in the door like NVCC

No one ever said it was walk in the door. But Mr SCHEV is wrong to suggest that GMU is any more selective than any of the third tier VA state schools.

MR. Schev never said that. Please take your negative attitude elsewhere so we can discuss GMU

Oh really? This is exactly what he said. You tell me, do you really think this is true?

75th percentile for enrolled students last year had a 3.9; the median was a 3.7, and the bottom 25th percentile had a 3.4. ACT was 30 at 75th percentile, which is where you need to be if applying from Nova.

cite? Because that's not remotely what our FCPS Naviance says.

Naviance can be outdated by a few years. Here it is: https://research.schev.edu//enrollment/B10_FreshmenProfile.asp

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:US News has UVA as "most selective," Virginia Tech as "more selective," and GMU as "selective." So GMU is two steps below UVA.

Yes, but still "selective". That was the point. It's not just walk in the door like NVCC

No one ever said it was walk in the door. But Mr SCHEV is wrong to suggest that GMU is any more selective than any of the third tier VA state schools.

MR. Schev never said that. Please take your negative attitude elsewhere so we can discuss GMU

Oh really? This is exactly what he said. You tell me, do you really think this is true?

75th percentile for enrolled students last year had a 3.9; the median was a 3.7, and the bottom 25th percentile had a 3.4. ACT was 30 at 75th percentile, which is where you need to be if applying from Nova.

cite? Because that's not remotely what our FCPS Naviance says.

Naviance can be outdated by a few years. Here it is: https://research.schev.edu//enrollment/B10_FreshmenProfile.asp

No, I mean what is your source on needing a 30 to get into GMU from NOVA? I don't see anything about that on your link.

[Anonymous]

^^ But bear in mind that your high school Naviance might report only "accepted" (not attended) results. SCHEV reports the stats of the students who actually enrolled and showed up last September. Your counselor should be showing you both. You can see that you can compare the stats of the enrolled students at every single public and private school in Virginia on that site. Plus a lot of financial information,

[Anonymous]

The SCHEV guy routinely takes the position that if you’re from NOVA you need to be in the 75th percentile of the SCHEV numbers to get into a VA state college. Regardless of the school. He has no actual support for that and has never offered any. And he is clearly wrong. That’s especially true at Mason, where 85 percent of NOVA applicants are accepted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:US News has UVA as "most selective," Virginia Tech as "more selective," and GMU as "selective." So GMU is two steps below UVA.

Yes, but still "selective". That was the point. It's not just walk in the door like NVCC

No one ever said it was walk in the door. But Mr SCHEV is wrong to suggest that GMU is any more selective than any of the third tier VA state schools.

MR. Schev never said that. Please take your negative attitude elsewhere so we can discuss GMU

Oh really? This is exactly what he said. You tell me, do you really think this is true?

75th percentile for enrolled students last year had a 3.9; the median was a 3.7, and the bottom 25th percentile had a 3.4. ACT was 30 at 75th percentile, which is where you need to be if applying from Nova.

cite? Because that's not remotely what our FCPS Naviance says.

Naviance can be outdated by a few years. Here it is: https://research.schev.edu//enrollment/B10_FreshmenProfile.asp

No, I mean what is your source on needing a 30 to get into GMU from NOVA? I don't see anything about that on your link.

Here, read this. It says OOS kids need a 29 and a 30. Over 30 makes you competitive. So think about it: NOVA students are a big block competing against one another (and within their own high school classs) the requisite GPA and test scores rise because of the NOVA competition (unless, of course, you are applying from Nellysford country or some other county S-W where often only one or two candidates are sent). This says once over 30, you have a good chance of getting in. Most counselors will tell you that it has to be that or higher (bear in mind 30 is only the 75th percentile of enrolled students - there are many with higher stats, and internationals and OSS who want the slot for a financial reason). The NOVA students are usually the best so GMU can cherry-pick whom they want - ergo you should be aiming for at least the 75th percentile of enrolled students from across the state (and athletes, URMs, first-generation, low-income, basketball player, spirit band, internationals, legacies and all those other boxes to tick off). https://www.collegesimply.com/colleges/virginia/george-mason-university/admission/. I, too, know a lot of Nova kids who didn't get in but assumed they would. The level of student applying is increasing across the board for ALL publics in the united states due to Nova. It is regulalry said that Nova students should hit the 75th percentile for application to other VA schools as well . . . because the competition is so fierce within the Nova counties and within the schools themselves. This year is even worse because of the increase in applications by families who were hit hard by covid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:US News has UVA as "most selective," Virginia Tech as "more selective," and GMU as "selective." So GMU is two steps below UVA.

Yes, but still "selective". That was the point. It's not just walk in the door like NVCC

No one ever said it was walk in the door. But Mr SCHEV is wrong to suggest that GMU is any more selective than any of the third tier VA state schools.

MR. Schev never said that. Please take your negative attitude elsewhere so we can discuss GMU

Oh really? This is exactly what he said. You tell me, do you really think this is true?

75th percentile for enrolled students last year had a 3.9; the median was a 3.7, and the bottom 25th percentile had a 3.4. ACT was 30 at 75th percentile, which is where you need to be if applying from Nova.

cite? Because that's not remotely what our FCPS Naviance says.

Naviance can be outdated by a few years. Here it is: https://research.schev.edu//enrollment/B10_FreshmenProfile.asp

No, I mean what is your source on needing a 30 to get into GMU from NOVA? I don't see anything about that on your link.

Here, read this. It says OOS kids need a 29 and a 30. Over 30 makes you competitive. So think about it: NOVA students are a big block competing against one another (and within their own high school classs) the requisite GPA and test scores rise because of the NOVA competition (unless, of course, you are applying from Nellysford country or some other county S-W where often only one or two candidates are sent). This says once over 30, you have a good chance of getting in. Most counselors will tell you that it has to be that or higher (bear in mind 30 is only the 75th percentile of enrolled students - there are many with higher stats, and internationals and OSS who want the slot for a financial reason). The NOVA students are usually the best so GMU can cherry-pick whom they want - ergo you should be aiming for at least the 75th percentile of enrolled students from across the state (and athletes, URMs, first-generation, low-income, basketball player, spirit band, internationals, legacies and all those other boxes to tick off). https://www.collegesimply.com/colleges/virginia/george-mason-university/admission/. I, too, know a lot of Nova kids who didn't get in but assumed they would. The level of student applying is increasing across the board for ALL publics in the united states due to Nova. It is regulalry said that Nova students should hit the 75th percentile for application to other VA schools as well . . . because the competition is so fierce within the Nova counties and within the schools themselves. This year is even worse because of the increase in applications by families who were hit hard by covid.

Where does it say that in your link?

[Anonymous]

My DS has a 3.6 and 28 ACT and his GC suggested GMU as a match. He was accepted, as was everyone else he knows with those stats. You do NOT need a 30 from NOVA to get in.

[Anonymous]

The SCHEV guy can say anything he wants but the numbers don’t lie. EIGHTY FIVE percent of NOVA applicants get in! That’s not everybody but it’s getting awfully close.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The SCHEV guy can say anything he wants but the numbers don’t lie. EIGHTY FIVE percent of NOVA applicants get in! That’s not everybody but it’s getting awfully close.

Yes everyone will certain stats. So, again, it matters the stats of those who apply.