Virginia Tech vs. George Mason OOS

[Anonymous]

VT has made a huge push for 1st gen students. My kids graduated/ attend a title one HS in NOVA.
My dd keeps telling me about kids that have dropped out of VT, maybe it’s too hard of an adjustment?

[Anonymous]

From a hiring manager perspective, I would consider applicants from many undergraduate schools (including for example UVa, UMd, UMBC, VT, W&M, and GMU) equally. The “CS rankings” are so subjective that they do not tell me much when I am looking to hire.

Separately, GMU has relationships with many DMV employers; big name tech companies do recruit on campus at GMU.

For me, the big differentiator at hiring time would be which upper level CS electives the student took, rather than which school the student attended, because those choices of upper level electives tells me which specific skills they would bring to the table.

CS is a broad field. Any CS student needs to choose which specific area(s) within CS they want to specialize in and work within. In my specific case, courses on OS, Real-time programming, C, and assembly are desirable. If one wants to go into AI, then one should take AI-related electives instead of the ones I just listed. If one wants to do web stuff, that would again be a different set of choices for upper level electives.

Bottom line: In OP’s situation, I probably would go with GMU.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Given the OP's presented fact set, GMU seems to be a much better choice for a kid from a low income background.

+1. It's the most diverse school in the state. DC had a great time there. He, too, lived in the dorms all four years.

My kid from a school in FCPS that has a 4.3 and could get in many other places is strongly considering it. After visiting his older brothers college so many times and seeing how self-segregated the students are, he wants place where he can have a friend group like he has in high school. His friends have always been from all over the globe and he doesn’t want to go to a college where that’s abnormal.

My experience at GMU was that since so many kids are local, a lot of kids hung out with people they knew from high school.

My DC from Langley high did not find that to be true at all. In fact, she says that not that many from Langley went her year. She made her friends in the dorm and through the Honors program. It can be true if your DC files the waiver and lives at home, that they will gravitate back to their high school friends who are not in college, just out of habit, but DC was in the dorms all four years.

I think living in the dorms all 4 years would be beneficial, in just the way PP above describes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:GMU requires all freshmen to live in campus. You can apply for a waiver . After allowing for those students who submitted for waivers, GMU reported 75 percent of freshmen living on campus in dorms for lady year

Living on campus first year, at least, can be important. That first year is when many students find their friends and study groups. Even if commuting in later years, I would want my DC to be in a dorm for first year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a DS in the engineering department studying cybersecurity. He lives on campus and will continue to do so. Cybersecurity falls under engineering. The grads can call the shots with placement because there is such demand and so few programs in cybersecurity. https://www2.gmu.edu/academics/engineering

This is true, and I have been working in Cyber Security for decades — long before CyberSecurity was a widely used word. That said, a CS student with the right electives also can get CyberSecurity jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:GMU has excellent connections for jobs post college. VT is in the middle of nowhere but GMU is in the middle of job opportunities.

Academics in CS at both are very strong with similar ROI in terms of career outcomes, so it would be a greater ROI at GMU if it costs less. Also, excellent placement for internships throughout the academic year at GMU that lead to jobs post-graduation.
VT is more "fun" in the traditional residential college way with football and party life etc. Many kids would prefer this, but some find it too much of a distraction when you have a very work-intensive major and/or want to also do internships. It may be easier to be a focused, working student at GMU than VT.

GMU has a less active social buzz on campus since though a lot of students live on campus, there are also a lot of students who commute. There are also tons of grad students in the DC area who commute in every late afternoon and evening so it doesn't feel like an undergrad dominated campus. A lot of GMU's social life revolves around affinity organizations or is off-campus with smaller groups of friends. Greek life is present but sparse at GMU, but very present at VT.

They are both strong schools in CS but with very different campus life feel.

[Anonymous]

I have a freshman at GMU who lives on campus. My impression is that students at GMU are kids who are mostly interested in getting through college and on to the “real world” as quickly and cheaply as possible. The students seem less interested in the rah-rah school spirit stuff and socializing. They tend to be fairly serious and view college as a necessary credential vs a 4-year party. I think GMU is similar to VCU in that sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a freshman at GMU who lives on campus. My impression is that students at GMU are kids who are mostly interested in getting through college and on to the “real world” as quickly and cheaply as possible. The students seem less interested in the rah-rah school spirit stuff and socializing. They tend to be fairly serious and view college as a necessary credential vs a 4-year party. I think GMU is similar to VCU in that sense.

+1
I have a recent grad (not from GMU) and one thing we have both noticed is that his friends who went to GMU don't have the same post-college blahs that his friends who went to colleges more focused on campus party life. The GMU grads have well-developed routines/social networks in the DMV and seem to have a smoother transition to adult working life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GMU has excellent connections for jobs post college. VT is in the middle of nowhere but GMU is in the middle of job opportunities.

Academics in CS at both are very strong with similar ROI in terms of career outcomes, so it would be a greater ROI at GMU if it costs less. Also, excellent placement for internships throughout the academic year at GMU that lead to jobs post-graduation.
VT is more "fun" in the traditional residential college way with football and party life etc. Many kids would prefer this, but some find it too much of a distraction when you have a very work-intensive major and/or want to also do internships. It may be easier to be a focused, working student at GMU than VT.

GMU has a less active social buzz on campus since though a lot of students live on campus, there are also a lot of students who commute. There are also tons of grad students in the DC area who commute in every late afternoon and evening so it doesn't feel like an undergrad dominated campus. A lot of GMU's social life revolves around affinity organizations or is off-campus with smaller groups of friends. Greek life is present but sparse at GMU, but very present at VT.

They are both strong schools in CS but with very different campus life feel.

Just wanted to point out that Greek life at VT is only 19% - not at all "very present."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it is worth taking out bigger loans though for Virginia Tech? Can’t you get a good job from either? Family has very little ability to pay. Very low income. Kid went to a rough school but is smart and determined.

If family is very low income, can’t they get financial aid? Also appeal to the financial aid office.

This is the problem with DC TAG. For affluent kids it's great, but many states limit need based aid to instate residents, so for a kid who needs tuition lower than instate, there is often a huge gap.

I would not take out that much loans. If GMU is more affordable, go there.

[Anonymous]

This post is from 2020. OP’s kid is probably graduating this spring.