Move to VA for in-state college options?

[Anonymous]

No. You get a couple of A- or B+ grades and you end up at JMU. A fine school, but not worth the move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. You get a couple of A- or B+ grades and you end up at JMU. A fine school, but not worth the move.

Actually, this is where VA is superior to MD. JMU still offers a traditional big U experience with greek life, football, parties, etc. VCU is great for kids that like a city school. CNU and UMW both offer a liberal arts feel. VA has many quality options beyond VT/UVA/WM, and that is what matters for most kids. It's rare to have some many options beyond the top few that are not just commuter schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:PP again- talking to other VA friends afterwards, it seems like getting into UVA from NoVA is incredibly difficult.

If you are okay with VT as an IS option if UVA or WM don’t pan out, the move might be worth it. No shade to VT- my son who likes engineering is considering it.

VT is more difficult to get into for some majors (like engineering) than UVA.

I feel like every year I see really outstanding students rejected from VT, and then others get in to VT that are not nearly as good.

That's not true. Average GPA and SATs for UVA engineering are much higher than VT.

The average is for all students. PP was talking about STEM majors specifically.

Yes, Engeineering at UVA has much higher stats than the college. It is much much harder to get into than VT for engieering.

Post your citations, please.

You go VT for engineering and UVA for school.

Most people who can't get into UVA for Engineering go to VT. VT is best known as an ag school.

Have you been beamed up from 1980? The trolling is really over the top.

+100
I actually laughed at the PP's post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. You get a couple of A- or B+ grades and you end up at JMU. A fine school, but not worth the move.

I'd be thrilled if my kids attended JMU.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. You get a couple of A- or B+ grades and you end up at JMU. A fine school, but not worth the move.

Actually, this is where VA is superior to MD. JMU still offers a traditional big U experience with greek life, football, parties, etc. VCU is great for kids that like a city school. CNU and UMW both offer a liberal arts feel. VA has many quality options beyond VT/UVA/WM, and that is what matters for most kids. It's rare to have some many options beyond the top few that are not just commuter schools.

+1
Totally agree. Something for everyone in VA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. You get a couple of A- or B+ grades and you end up at JMU. A fine school, but not worth the move.

Actually, this is where VA is superior to MD. JMU still offers a traditional big U experience with greek life, football, parties, etc. VCU is great for kids that like a city school. CNU and UMW both offer a liberal arts feel. VA has many quality options beyond VT/UVA/WM, and that is what matters for most kids. It's rare to have some many options beyond the top few that are not just commuter schools.

Okay, but it's cheaper to attend any of those schools from DC than to move to Virginia for IS tuition. And you also can use DC TAG at, e.g., IU instead of JMU, UMN instead of VCU, UNC-Asheville instead of UMW, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. You get a couple of A- or B+ grades and you end up at JMU. A fine school, but not worth the move.

Actually, this is where VA is superior to MD. JMU still offers a traditional big U experience with greek life, football, parties, etc. VCU is great for kids that like a city school. CNU and UMW both offer a liberal arts feel. VA has many quality options beyond VT/UVA/WM, and that is what matters for most kids. It's rare to have some many options beyond the top few that are not just commuter schools.

Okay, but it's cheaper to attend any of those schools from DC than to move to Virginia for IS tuition. And you also can use DC TAG at, e.g., IU instead of JMU, UMN instead of VCU, UNC-Asheville instead of UMW, etc.

The claim it is “cheaper from DC than VA for VA in-state schools” is far from being obviously true. There are limited DCTAG funds for openers. Taxes in VA are visibly lower than in DC for another. OOS charges to any VA public university are MUCH higher than in-state for another.

It also ignores that the top 3 VA schools (WM, UVa, VT) each limit OOS to roughly 33% of undergrads. VA publishes their public university admissions stats, and it is much easier to get into those schools from in-state than from OOS.

Mind, I think MD also could be viable as an option. I do not take UDC very seriously, however, so staying in DC with a college student probably is not bet for ordinary middle-class people. Yes, the many independently wealthy families in DC can afford whatever they want, but that is quite different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. You get a couple of A- or B+ grades and you end up at JMU. A fine school, but not worth the move.

Actually, this is where VA is superior to MD. JMU still offers a traditional big U experience with greek life, football, parties, etc. VCU is great for kids that like a city school. CNU and UMW both offer a liberal arts feel. VA has many quality options beyond VT/UVA/WM, and that is what matters for most kids. It's rare to have some many options beyond the top few that are not just commuter schools.

Okay, but it's cheaper to attend any of those schools from DC than to move to Virginia for IS tuition. And you also can use DC TAG at, e.g., IU instead of JMU, UMN instead of VCU, UNC-Asheville instead of UMW, etc.

False. All costs at UVA is 37k a year for in-state and $76 OOS. That's a delta of $40k in after tax dollars, meaning you have to make some $70k to cover the $40k if you haven't saved enough. That's a delta for all four years $280k. Other kids going to college? double or triple that figure. Any costs of moving is dwarfed by OOS fees. If buying is a problem, move from DC and rent for two years in VA. DC tag at 10k is simply not worth staying and I suspect will be abolished in the next few years

[Anonymous]

The actual math is

(1) It’s cheaper to go from DC to other states for college than it is to live in Virginia and go to top Virginia schools. (Eg, Purdue OOS is about the same price as VT in-state, and then you subtract DCTAG.) This is because in-state prices in Virginia are absurdly high compared to in-state prices in most states. In fact I know several Virginia families who have gone out of state to save money.

(2)

[Anonymous]

(2) most schools are the same price from Virginia or DC, so why not live where you like?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:(2) most schools are the same price from Virginia or DC, so why not live where you like?

Privates only. When you are looking at USC at 96k a year, $37k for UVA is a godsend. We banked the difference and can now pay for grad school for two children. I am so grateful for Va schools!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The actual math is

(1) It’s cheaper to go from DC to other states for college than it is to live in Virginia and go to top Virginia schools. (Eg, Purdue OOS is about the same price as VT in-state, and then you subtract DCTAG.) This is because in-state prices in Virginia are absurdly high compared to in-state prices in most states. In fact I know several Virginia families who have gone out of state to save money.

(2)

but the real reason is that their kids didn't get into UVA or W&M or VT. Several families I know had to fall back upon OOS applications when those schools did not accept their kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The actual math is

(1) It’s cheaper to go from DC to other states for college than it is to live in Virginia and go to top Virginia schools. (Eg, Purdue OOS is about the same price as VT in-state, and then you subtract DCTAG.) This is because in-state prices in Virginia are absurdly high compared to in-state prices in most states. In fact I know several Virginia families who have gone out of state to save money.

(2)

but the real reason is that their kids didn't get into UVA or W&M or VT. Several families I know had to fall back upon OOS applications when those schools did not accept their kids.

Exactly. Even highly-qualified NOVA residents can’t count on admission to the top Virginia schools. So unless you prefer JMU to a higher ranked OOS flagship/land grant with much wider name recognition, moving to Virginia just for colleges is a huge gamble. (Obviously there are plenty of other excellent reasons to move to Virginia, which is why I maintain that people should live where they like.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The actual math is

(1) It’s cheaper to go from DC to other states for college than it is to live in Virginia and go to top Virginia schools. (Eg, Purdue OOS is about the same price as VT in-state, and then you subtract DCTAG.) This is because in-state prices in Virginia are absurdly high compared to in-state prices in most states. In fact I know several Virginia families who have gone out of state to save money.

(2)

but the real reason is that their kids didn't get into UVA or W&M or VT. Several families I know had to fall back upon OOS applications when those schools did not accept their kids.

Not true. VA Resident. DC got into both UVA and VT. Didn’t apply to W&M.Had no interest in even visiting UVA or VT for admitted students days.

He’s a CS major. Neither UVA or VT are tops for CS compared to some of the OOS options - like GaTech, UIUC, Texas, or Michigan. Ended up at large OOS public for less than the cost of UVA. Maybe from an outsiders perspective you would think he didn’t get into UVA or VT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The actual math is

(1) It’s cheaper to go from DC to other states for college than it is to live in Virginia and go to top Virginia schools. (Eg, Purdue OOS is about the same price as VT in-state, and then you subtract DCTAG.) This is because in-state prices in Virginia are absurdly high compared to in-state prices in most states. In fact I know several Virginia families who have gone out of state to save money.

(2)

Purdue OOS is more expensive than UVA, and is a outlier on costs. Purdue's management has done an excellent job over the last ten years keeping costs down (kid was interestrd in aerospace engineering and got in). But that's not the situation most parents find themselves senior year. Most of the OOS schools have severely clamped down on OOS applicants to the point where it makes no sense to apply and even then if you get in you are facing fees in the mid80's to low $90s. The privates are inching up to breaking $100k a year. So the Virginia system offers a number of options and fall-back schools for everyone. The reason to move is to give your child more financially feasible options by the end of junior year.