Reply to The Other Virginia Colleges: VCU, ODU, GMU, CNU, UMW . . . .

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][b]I think Virginia students have a great choice of in-state options in VA, no matter what kind of student they are.  If you aspire to move somewhere else in the country after obtaining a degree, the better-known schools might appeal to you more, but the reality of it is that after your first job or so, in most professions, where you obtained your degree doesn't really matter a great deal.  I think there is too much worry about going to a school with a national reputation.[/b]

GMU, by the way, has made great strides in the past 10 years and is now becoming a very popular option, not only for VA students, but for those from MD.

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I went to UMW (graduated in 05) and loved it. I'm not making 6 figures, but I chose an unmarketable major and made some not-great life choices after college. Out of my college friends, we're all pretty successful. Maybe not by DCUM standards (we're not BigLaw or anything), but one friend IS making 6 figures in the private sector, another is finishing up a PhD in molecular biology or something at UMD, another is a teacher running the GT program at a public VA high school. I keep in touch with people through Facebook, there are a few alumni in Boston and NYC making a decent living at interesting jobs, several overseas (UMW has one of the highest proportions of Peace Corps volunteers), there's one in DC that owns a restaurant. I lived in another state (not nearby) for several years and while UMW wasn't well-known, but a few people had heard of it. Job-wise, no one cared where my degree was from, just that I had one.

No one's making headlines, but people seem to be solid with decent, interesting careers. I haven't spoken with anyone who feels that UMW was a waste or who wished they went somewhere else. A few people did transfer out sophomore year, but UMW wasn't a good fit for them in various ways.

Of course, UMW attracts a different type of student than VT. There's no football or major sports, no Greek life, it's a small campus, the graduate school is separate and primarily commuter, etc. I loved not being one of 500 in a class, none of my classes were taught by grad students, I knew all of my professors and still keep in touch with a few. There also seemed to be a high proportion of military and state department kids, it was nice not being the only one who had lived and attended school overseas. I liked the small-community feel and the focus on academics (we partied, but everyone -in my circle at least- put classes and work first). I also really liked not graduating with 6 figures in loans.

It's not for everyone, I know other people want a big school with sports and the national recognition (my younger siblings did). I do think it's a decent choice though.[/quote]

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