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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]What are some good safety schools for those who like William & Mary?[/quote]

If likes W&M because it's like a LAC, look at the list of national liberal arts colleges ranked 20-70.  That should give enough variety of targets and safeties.  If seeking significant merit aid, look for LAC where the stats are above the 25%ile and for schools that are 30-70.

Some things to look for in this list  LACs:

1. Look at majors of interest.  How robust is the faculty, what are the career outcomes, what are the PhD admission rates (even if your kid isn't interested in a PhD this says something about reputation and rigor).  Look at the number of students in each major.  Low numbers are fine (kid may be really supported, less competition for opportunities/letters of recommendation etc) but it's important to have a cohort.

2. Look at general support--freshman retention rate, 4 year graduation rate.  Don't fuss too much over 20-21 data since covid  shook things up. But there are sometimes real differences between schools in this regard between schools with similar student populations.

3. Look at where the campus is located-- some are in rural areas, some in livelier small towns, some in mid-sized cities.  Many are in the midwest, Pa or Northeast.  See what DC prefers if this is important.  What is there to do?  Look also for support for programs like study abroad, internships, and the like because it's important to gain broader experience when going to a small college.

If in-state VA and looking for in-state public options, depending on major JMU or UMW (or on the off-chance UVA if grades are high but SAT is mediocre--UVA regularly accepts students in NoVA with a weighted 4.4 or higher across SAT levels above 1200).

If likes W&M and wants that sort of mid-sized feel (6k students as opposed to LAC 2k students) look for small to mid-sized universities.[/quote]

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