DC can’t decide

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can speak to the W&M info (and misinformation) above (have two kids currently students at W&M).
1) We know several students who have done pathways and have loved it. There is a 5 day orientation in January for all the pathways and other transfers and the students we knew, fit in right away and were able to join the greek system early on.
2) I don't know of any of the D1 W&M teams that take walk ons. One of my children is an athlete and I know that their team actively does not take walk ons.
3) The business school is hard to get into (PP above who said that all you need is a reasonable GPA is wrong). Students need a very strong GPA to get into the business school, but can minor if they don't get in.

Personally, I'd do W&M over JMU over SC but your child needs to own this decision. FWIW, the students we know that did pathways really, really enjoyed the experience.

W&M had a completely different feel. JMU and SC are similar in some ways, but you don’t turn down a flagship for JMU.

DP. Of course you do - especially a “flagship” that’s ranked exactly the same as JMU. There is nothing inherently special about a flagship school.

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/james-madison-university-3721/overall-rankings
https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/university-of-south-carolina-3448/overall-rankings

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t pay more for U of SC than JMU.

Why not if you have the $$ and kid wants USC?

Also, South Carolina has more name recognition than JMU. No one outside DMV area knows about JMU.

Really? I guess I should let all my DC's OOS friends know this.

Go to the west coast or Midwest or NE. See if more ppl have heard of South Carolina or JMU.

What a stupid argument. Of course *everyone* has heard of University of Whatever State. I’ve certainly heard of the University of New Mexico, but I couldn’t tell you the first thing about it…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t pay more for U of SC than JMU.

Why not if you have the $$ and kid wants USC?

Also, South Carolina has more name recognition than JMU. No one outside DMV area knows about JMU.

Really? I guess I should let all my DC's OOS friends know this.

Go to the west coast or Midwest or NE. See if more ppl have heard of South Carolina or JMU.

What a stupid argument. Of course *everyone* has heard of University of Whatever State. I’ve certainly heard of the University of New Mexico, but I couldn’t tell you the first thing about it…

The point is no one has heard of JMU if they don’t live in the mid-Atlantic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t pay more for U of SC than JMU.

Why not if you have the $$ and kid wants USC?

Also, South Carolina has more name recognition than JMU. No one outside DMV area knows about JMU.

Really? I guess I should let all my DC's OOS friends know this.

Go to the west coast or Midwest or NE. See if more ppl have heard of South Carolina or JMU.

What a stupid argument. Of course *everyone* has heard of University of Whatever State. I’ve certainly heard of the University of New Mexico, but I couldn’t tell you the first thing about it…

The point is no one has heard of JMU if they don’t live in the mid-Atlantic.

I would say this is increasingly less true about JMU, that people don’t know it outside this area. It is getting better and better academically, it has been awarded an R2 research designation, and with its football team being so strong and being on ESPN College Game day, more and more people know about it nationally. Plus it is a relative bargain for OOS.

[Anonymous]

I think people vastly overvalue rankings and prestige. Kids will thrive where they are happy.

Agree with PPs that he should own the decision, and while W&M is a fine school, it doesn’t sound like your son is interested.

Sounds like SC is the right choice for him, but I think he’d end up liking JMU as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d lean JMU in this scenario, but it’s a close call over U of SC. Did he do both admitted student days?

William and Mary just doesn’t seem like the right fit and the spring admit thing kinda stinks.

This. I did something similar and had a tough time making friends outside of roommates.

JMU. UofSC is not worth paying more for based on your cons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Personally I would run, not walk towards W&M and not bother with the others.

Agree!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t pay more for U of SC than JMU.

Why not if you have the $$ and kid wants USC?

Also, South Carolina has more name recognition in than JMU. No one outside DMV area knows about JMU.

Really? I guess I should let all my DC's OOS friends know this.

Go to the west coast or Midwest or NE. See if more ppl have heard of South Carolina or JMU.

What a stupid argument. Of course *everyone* has heard of University of Whatever State. I’ve certainly heard of the University of New Mexico, but I couldn’t tell you the first thing about it…

The point is no one has heard of JMU if they don’t live in the mid-Atlantic.

I would say this is increasingly less true about JMU, that people don’t know it outside this area. It is getting better and better academically, it has been awarded an R2 research designation, and with its football team being so strong and being on ESPN College Game day, more and more people know about it nationally. Plus it is a relative bargain for OOS.

It might be “increasingly true,” as in it went from 1% national awareness to 1.3% national awareness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t pay more for U of SC than JMU.

+1. Your kid doesn’t sound like he wants to go to W&M and being in the bottom half of the class might be hard for him (it depends on the kid). JMU seems the best choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t pay more for U of SC than JMU.

Why not if you have the $$ and kid wants USC?

Also, South Carolina has more name recognition than JMU. No one outside DMV area knows about JMU.

Really? I guess I should let all my DC's OOS friends know this.

Go to the west coast or Midwest or NE. See if more ppl have heard of South Carolina or JMU.

What a stupid argument. Of course *everyone* has heard of University of Whatever State. I’ve certainly heard of the University of New Mexico, but I couldn’t tell you the first thing about it…

+1!

[Anonymous]

SC is a much bigger brand in a top tier athletic conference. If you can afford a flagship, do it because it’s a different experience despite those that want to pretend a school that was ranked regionally not long ago is the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t pay more for U of SC than JMU.

Why not if you have the $$ and kid wants USC?

Also, South Carolina has more name recognition in than JMU. No one outside DMV area knows about JMU.

Really? I guess I should let all my DC's OOS friends know this.

Go to the west coast or Midwest or NE. See if more ppl have heard of South Carolina or JMU.

What a stupid argument. Of course *everyone* has heard of University of Whatever State. I’ve certainly heard of the University of New Mexico, but I couldn’t tell you the first thing about it…

The point is no one has heard of JMU if they don’t live in the mid-Atlantic.

I would say this is increasingly less true about JMU, that people don’t know it outside this area. It is getting better and better academically, it has been awarded an R2 research designation, and with its football team being so strong and being on ESPN College Game day, more and more people know about it nationally. Plus it is a relative bargain for OOS.

It might be “increasingly true,” as in it went from 1% national awareness to 1.3% national awareness.

+1 UofSC is in a different stratosphere when it comes to sports and sport coverage. R1 is also much more prestigious in academia than R2.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t pay more for U of SC than JMU.

Why not if you have the $$ and kid wants USC?

Also, South Carolina has more name recognition than JMU. No one outside DMV area knows about JMU.

And everyone outside of South Carolina thinks that USC is in California

[Anonymous]

Where does he ultimately want to live? I have twins and one would consider living in the south, attended a sleepaway camp that was in nc but very southern for years, etc. His twin has zero interest in every living in the south. I think this matters bc ultimately if your dc would love to be in dc or ny them SC wouldn’t be as great an option. If he’s drawn to the south and wants to settle there then this is a no-brainer. I think he should look at where his alumni network will be strongest and where he’ll have the most college friends and connections.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t pay more for U of SC than JMU.

Why not if you have the $$ and kid wants USC?

Also, South Carolina has more name recognition than JMU. No one outside DMV area knows about JMU.

And everyone outside of South Carolina thinks that USC is in California

More people have heard of University of South Carolina than James Madison University. Stop being obtuse.