Parents of HS students, why don't more kids do the 2+2 prgm to get into UVA/WM/VT (comm col first)

[Anonymous]

It seems like it is really hard to get into UVA and Will/Mary and even Va Tech (for engineering), so why don't more kids do the 2 + 2 program to get guaranteed admission?

Is it all about the prestige and the pressure to go to a "real" college? Is it hard to meet the requirements for the guaranteed admission agreement? From what you've heard, what is the reason so few kids do this?

Parents, do you think it is better to go 4 yrs to JMU or Mary Washington or CNU and get a degree there vs. the 2 +2 program and getting a diploma from UVA/WM/VT?

[Anonymous]

I don't know what a 2 + 2 program is, but I do know that NVCC has a guaranteed admission program with UVA and William and Mary (among others). A student takes certain classes, achieves a certain GPA (it's not that high), and he or she is in. Guaranteed. A truly amazing deal. Why don't more people do it? Who knows. Stigma attached to community college? Too risky? The two years of savings are meaningless to rich families?

[Anonymous]

My DS is considering it, although the major he would like at JMU requires 3 years on campus, so it would be 2 + 3 for a Bachelor's degree. Still cheaper going two years at NOVA than one year at JMU.

[Anonymous]

Parents of HS students, why don't more kids do the 2+2 prgm to get into UVA/WM/VT (comm col first)

Have you had a high school student? Most want to go away to college right away!

The program is a great program--I have known some people who did it. One started at another college and wasn't happy there--so he came home and went to NOVA and graduated from UVA. Another probably stayed home because of funds--then went to UVA.

[Anonymous]

I think most kids are desirious of the moving away from home and having a college experience like on TV and movies.

When you commute to CC, you are still dealing with your parents rules and watching your friends move on. It takes a very practical 18 year not to be affected by it. Also, as a parent, people are always asking you where is Jimmy going next year? You also have to be a pretty grounded parent, too. A lot the last two years of high school are college trips and talk.

Plus, it has got to be hard to make friends when everyone else has established relationships from living together freshman and sophomore year.

[Anonymous]

I think I would prefer that my son have his Freshman and Sophomore classes at a more selective schools with serious engineering resources. UVA and VA-Tech aren't the right schools for him (which is different from saying they are good or bad) and we have the money to pay for a better fit. I think my reasons are fairly common.

[Anonymous]

At my kids' FCPS HS, the average weighted GPA and SAT for kids who go to NOVA: 2.78/1080. At this point, it's pretty much entrenched in the school culture that mainly mediocre students go to CC. Kids who are getting a 1450-1500 SAT and 4.2+ GPA don't necessarily want to go to NOVA with all of the C students.

There are a handful of kids on the Naviance scattergram for NOVA who probably could have gotten into UVA/W&M/VT, but very few. There are more who probably could have gone to less competitive VA colleges.

I would be interested to see how many NOVA transfers actually go to UVA/W&M/VT in any given year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At my kids' FCPS HS, the average weighted GPA and SAT for kids who go to NOVA: 2.78/1080. At this point, it's pretty much entrenched in the school culture that mainly mediocre students go to CC. Kids who are getting a 1450-1500 SAT and 4.2+ GPA don't necessarily want to go to NOVA with all of the C students.

There are a handful of kids on the Naviance scattergram for NOVA who probably could have gotten into UVA/W&M/VT, but very few. There are more who probably could have gone to less competitive VA colleges.

I would be interested to see how many NOVA transfers actually go to UVA/W&M/VT in any given year.

DS took a summer course at NOVA in order to free up a space for an elective at his college. It was a math class--he said it was quite good---that the professor was excellent and used "real world" examples of how what they were learning applied to everyday life in finance, etc.

[Anonymous]

To each his own, but I feel like going away to college is a unique and fun 4 year experience that you can't get anywhere else & I wouldn't want my kids to miss it or only do 2 years of it.

[Anonymous]

My kid with the 1560 SAT and 3.3 GPA insists on doing the 2 + 2, eventually ending up at UVa. I can't talk him out of it. I wish he would have that freshman experience away at a second rate college but this is what he insists on. I'm really disappointed but we'll save money I guess.

[Anonymous]

OP here -- I can totally see the peer pressure effect of wanting to go somewhere even a little bit more impressive than community college and I totally get the kids' desire to get out of their hometown. But, dang -- UVA! That is a tough one to get into.

As for the first two years being so great at a 4 yr university -- as a parent, I think of those years when you are the youngest and all the drinking and I think those first two years have to be the most dangerous (and for some -- lonely) times of their lives. I don't really put those years on a pedastal. ... and I'm not eager to hand my kids over to a group where 75% of the students are older than they are.

But, I guess my question was more about the logistics and the diploma. I'm surprised more people don't take advantage of that route. Wouldn't most people prefer that their kid have a degree from UVa rather than JMU (no offense to JMU --- I support that for my kids as well).

[Anonymous]

Because it takes a lot of dedication to get a 3.5 "even" from CC, "even" from a kid who studies and/or is a good tester. My kids are in a DCUM-loved HS and I don't know of a single kid who went from NoVa to UVA or any other VA state school. It can be hard to stay engaged when you're attending p/t or working or commuting.

I agree it's a great option, but there are reasons why more don't do this.

And the other VA state schools are all really good options! It's not winning a race but making a match.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, my kid likely would not have graduated college in 4 years had he done CC. He needed to be immersed in the college experience. He did graduate in 4 years with a less than stellar GPA. Is that better than going to CC and then never finishing? I think a student has to be very disciplined to do the 2 plus 2 route with community college (and not care as much about social life).

[Anonymous]

My son is seriously talking about doing two years at NOVA and then finishing at UVA/W&M/Tech. We have no money and are low income, so he's thinking it will be the cheapest way to go. He has high SATs, his weighted GPA is higher than 4.0 with a lot of APs under his belt, and he has quality extracurriculars. I had wondered if he could get into a good private college that would be able to give him aid, but even a top student has a lot of competition, it seems.

[Anonymous]

I didn't look into the course requirements for the 2+2 for the popular majors as my kids are still in elementary schools, but the 2+2 could easily becomes a 2+3 if certain classes for a prticular major are not offered in the first 2 years or there was a hard time to register into some classes in the last 2 years to finishe the major. This situation happened to my friends in NY when they transferred to a state college from CC.