Would you send your child to Nova (community college)

[Anonymous]

My husband went to NVCC, then GMU and graduated - took him 12 years. His parents were immigrants (from UK so language was not an issue when he was growing up.) He was not a great student in HS and his parents expected him to get a job when he graduated. He went to work full time at 18 and started taking classes part time at NVCC. Not only did he get his degree, work paid almost 100% through tuition reimbursement. He had a hard time justifying a couple of required classes, like PE, so he paid for those out of pocket. When we got married, he was still taking classes part time at GMU and didn't graduate until after our first child was born. I think the way he got his degree was much more difficult than my traditional route: taking classes, a full time job and juggling family responsibilities.

He does regret that he didn't get the 4 year residential experience. But he doesn't regret getting the degree, which he did without incurring any student loans.

I'll be honest. I would be a little disappointed if one of my kids went to CC, but I would prefer they do that route than no college at all.

One of my DS' best friends, who was homeschooled, did the NVCC to UVA guaranteed transfer. He finished his homeschooling at 16 so he was a little young to be go away to school. When he transferred to UVA last year, he was 18 like a typical first year, but had enough credits to qualify as a junior. We toured UVA this spring and met up with his friend, got a tour of his dorm, met his roommate, etc. He seemed really happy and said his transition had gone really well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My husband went to NVCC, then GMU and graduated - took him 12 years. His parents were immigrants (from UK so language was not an issue when he was growing up.) He was not a great student in HS and his parents expected him to get a job when he graduated. He went to work full time at 18 and started taking classes part time at NVCC. Not only did he get his degree, work paid almost 100% through tuition reimbursement. He had a hard time justifying a couple of required classes, like PE, so he paid for those out of pocket. When we got married, he was still taking classes part time at GMU and didn't graduate until after our first child was born. I think the way he got his degree was much more difficult than my traditional route: taking classes, a full time job and juggling family responsibilities.

He does regret that he didn't get the 4 year residential experience. But he doesn't regret getting the degree, which he did without incurring any student loans.

I'll be honest. I would be a little disappointed if one of my kids went to CC, but I would prefer they do that route than no college at all.

One of my DS' best friends, who was homeschooled, did the NVCC to UVA guaranteed transfer. He finished his homeschooling at 16 so he was a little young to be go away to school. When he transferred to UVA last year, he was 18 like a typical first year, but had enough credits to qualify as a junior. We toured UVA this spring and met up with his friend, got a tour of his dorm, met his roommate, etc. He seemed really happy and said his transition had gone really well.

This x 1,000. It's a great alternative if you have no others but honestly, who watches their children grow up and aspires that they attend CC. It's also a good option if cost is an option but there are many good schools that grant merit awards. So I suppose, it is a great option if the child has financial constraints and wouldn't qualify for aid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I think that going to nova and missing dorms and college away would be misery. There is more to college than classes. The social life, connections and growing up away from home are very important. If someone went to nova for two years and then transfers to UVA they will be isolated and find the social life difficult. UVA is almost as difficult an adjustment and depressing as WM. Check the suicide rates. I think the Nova transfer saves money but cost the students a lot in other ways.

Where do you do find the "suicide rates?"
Also, where do you find the "suicide rate" for transfers vs freshman?

[Anonymous]

I would if my kid were intrinsically motivated and was committed to a plan of action (like the 2+2 program). I think NOVA can be great for the right student, meaning someone who isn't going flip flop from major to major, take 2 classes one semester and 1 the next while trying to "find" themselves. That's my issue with community colleges in general, though. Most of the people I knew that went to them went for a couple years waffling around then never even got an associates and never finished college elsewhere. Only the ones who went in with a reasonable plan of action and were really internally motivated succeeded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I think that going to nova and missing dorms and college away would be misery. There is more to college than classes. The social life, connections and growing up away from home are very important. If someone went to nova for two years and then transfers to UVA they will be isolated and find the social life difficult. UVA is almost as difficult an adjustment and depressing as WM. Check the suicide rates. I think the Nova transfer saves money but cost the students a lot in other ways.

Where do you do find the "suicide rates?"
Also, where do you find the "suicide rate" for transfers vs freshman?

Fake news. While W&M has had some recent issues with suicide, UVA has not. https://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-william-mary/1738139-suicide-at-william-mary-feb-3-2015.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I think that going to nova and missing dorms and college away would be misery. There is more to college than classes. The social life, connections and growing up away from home are very important. If someone went to nova for two years and then transfers to UVA they will be isolated and find the social life difficult. UVA is almost as difficult an adjustment and depressing as WM. Check the suicide rates. I think the Nova transfer saves money but cost the students a lot in other ways.

Where do you do find the "suicide rates?"
Also, where do you find the "suicide rate" for transfers vs freshman?

Fake news. While W&M has had some recent issues with suicide, UVA has not. https://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-william-mary/1738139-suicide-at-william-mary-feb-3-2015.html

Perhaps less fake news than urban myths. I've read that most colleges don't even track it, so I'm not sure you can say there is a reliable rate per institution. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/most-public-colleges-dont-track-suicide-report/ There have been a couple of studies that say the rate is about 7.5 per 100K college students, which is actually lower than the rate for non-college students in the same age group.

I would imagine that it could be difficult joining halfway through college, but it happens all the time and both UVA and W&M have agreements with community colleges, so I would think this is a common, supported thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I think that going to nova and missing dorms and college away would be misery. There is more to college than classes. The social life, connections and growing up away from home are very important. If someone went to nova for two years and then transfers to UVA they will be isolated and find the social life difficult. UVA is almost as difficult an adjustment and depressing as WM. Check the suicide rates. I think the Nova transfer saves money but cost the students a lot in other ways.

Where do you do find the "suicide rates?"
Also, where do you find the "suicide rate" for transfers vs freshman?

Fake news. While W&M has had some recent issues with suicide, UVA has not. https://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-william-mary/1738139-suicide-at-william-mary-feb-3-2015.html

Perhaps less fake news than urban myths. I've read that most colleges don't even track it, so I'm not sure you can say there is a reliable rate per institution. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/most-public-colleges-dont-track-suicide-report/ There have been a couple of studies that say the rate is about 7.5 per 100K college students, which is actually lower than the rate for non-college students in the same age group.

I would imagine that it could be difficult joining halfway through college, but it happens all the time and both UVA and W&M have agreements with community colleges, so I would think this is a common, supported thing.

Fake news per UVA. Cornell and W&M have had problems. This is watched and studied. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornell_gorge_suicides

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I think that going to nova and missing dorms and college away would be misery. There is more to college than classes. The social life, connections and growing up away from home are very important. If someone went to nova for two years and then transfers to UVA they will be isolated and find the social life difficult. UVA is almost as difficult an adjustment and depressing as WM. Check the suicide rates. I think the Nova transfer saves money but cost the students a lot in other ways.

Where do you do find the "suicide rates?"
Also, where do you find the "suicide rate" for transfers vs freshman?

Fake news. While W&M has had some recent issues with suicide, UVA has not. https://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-william-mary/1738139-suicide-at-william-mary-feb-3-2015.html

Perhaps less fake news than urban myths. I've read that most colleges don't even track it, so I'm not sure you can say there is a reliable rate per institution. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/most-public-colleges-dont-track-suicide-report/ There have been a couple of studies that say the rate is about 7.5 per 100K college students, which is actually lower than the rate for non-college students in the same age group.

I would imagine that it could be difficult joining halfway through college, but it happens all the time and both UVA and W&M have agreements with community colleges, so I would think this is a common, supported thing.

Fake news per UVA. Cornell and W&M have had problems. This is watched and studied. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornell_gorge_suicides

Not based on facts. As this article shows, MIT and Harvard have had higher recent rates than Cornell. And as the article cited before shows, many schools don't track (or don't want to track).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I think that going to nova and missing dorms and college away would be misery. There is more to college than classes. The social life, connections and growing up away from home are very important. If someone went to nova for two years and then transfers to UVA they will be isolated and find the social life difficult. UVA is almost as difficult an adjustment and depressing as WM. Check the suicide rates. I think the Nova transfer saves money but cost the students a lot in other ways.

Where do you do find the "suicide rates?"
Also, where do you find the "suicide rate" for transfers vs freshman?

Fake news. While W&M has had some recent issues with suicide, UVA has not. https://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-william-mary/1738139-suicide-at-william-mary-feb-3-2015.html

Perhaps less fake news than urban myths. I've read that most colleges don't even track it, so I'm not sure you can say there is a reliable rate per institution. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/most-public-colleges-dont-track-suicide-report/ There have been a couple of studies that say the rate is about 7.5 per 100K college students, which is actually lower than the rate for non-college students in the same age group.

I would imagine that it could be difficult joining halfway through college, but it happens all the time and both UVA and W&M have agreements with community colleges, so I would think this is a common, supported thing.

Fake news per UVA. Cornell and W&M have had problems. This is watched and studied. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornell_gorge_suicides

Not based on facts. As this article shows, MIT and Harvard have had higher recent rates than Cornell. And as the article cited before shows, many schools don't track (or don't want to track). https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/03/16/suicide-rate-mit-higher-than-national-average/1aGWr7lRjiEyhoD1WIT78I/story.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I think that going to nova and missing dorms and college away would be misery. There is more to college than classes. The social life, connections and growing up away from home are very important. If someone went to nova for two years and then transfers to UVA they will be isolated and find the social life difficult. UVA is almost as difficult an adjustment and depressing as WM. Check the suicide rates. I think the Nova transfer saves money but cost the students a lot in other ways.

Where do you do find the "suicide rates?"
Also, where do you find the "suicide rate" for transfers vs freshman?

Fake news. While W&M has had some recent issues with suicide, UVA has not. https://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-william-mary/1738139-suicide-at-william-mary-feb-3-2015.html

Perhaps less fake news than urban myths. I've read that most colleges don't even track it, so I'm not sure you can say there is a reliable rate per institution. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/most-public-colleges-dont-track-suicide-report/ There have been a couple of studies that say the rate is about 7.5 per 100K college students, which is actually lower than the rate for non-college students in the same age group.

I would imagine that it could be difficult joining halfway through college, but it happens all the time and both UVA and W&M have agreements with community colleges, so I would think this is a common, supported thing.

Fake news per UVA. Cornell and W&M have had problems. This is watched and studied. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornell_gorge_suicides

Not based on facts. As this article shows, MIT and Harvard have had higher recent rates than Cornell. And as the article cited before shows, many schools don't track (or don't want to track). https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/03/16/suicide-rate-mit-higher-than-national-average/1aGWr7lRjiEyhoD1WIT78I/story.html

Can we stay on point here? This is a post about sending your kid to NVCC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I think that going to nova and missing dorms and college away would be misery. There is more to college than classes. The social life, connections and growing up away from home are very important. If someone went to nova for two years and then transfers to UVA they will be isolated and find the social life difficult. UVA is almost as difficult an adjustment and depressing as WM. Check the suicide rates. I think the Nova transfer saves money but cost the students a lot in other ways.

Where do you do find the "suicide rates?"
Also, where do you find the "suicide rate" for transfers vs freshman?

Fake news. While W&M has had some recent issues with suicide, UVA has not. https://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-william-mary/1738139-suicide-at-william-mary-feb-3-2015.html

Perhaps less fake news than urban myths. I've read that most colleges don't even track it, so I'm not sure you can say there is a reliable rate per institution. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/most-public-colleges-dont-track-suicide-report/ There have been a couple of studies that say the rate is about 7.5 per 100K college students, which is actually lower than the rate for non-college students in the same age group.

W&M had three suicides in one year but 11 in the 41 years prior to that. With a national rate

I would imagine that it could be difficult joining halfway through college, but it happens all the time and both UVA and W&M have agreements with community colleges, so I would think this is a common, supported thing.

Fake news per UVA. Cornell and W&M have had problems. This is watched and studied. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornell_gorge_suicides

Not based on facts. As this article shows, MIT and Harvard have had higher recent rates than Cornell. And as the article cited before shows, many schools don't track (or don't want to track). https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/03/16/suicide-rate-mit-higher-than-national-average/1aGWr7lRjiEyhoD1WIT78I/story.html

The national suicide rate is about 14 per 100,000 population per year. Based on that, I would doubt that any Virginia public university is anywhere close to the average over time. It would mean about 5 per year on average at VT, GMU, and VCU, over 3 per year at UVA and over 1 per year at W&M. I'd bet all of them average lower than that (although may have years that are higher, of course). The veteran suicide rate is over 30 per 100,000 sadly.