Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[b]Anecdotal reports say that GMU now requires almost all freshman students to live on campus and that most off-campus students are NOT commuters, but instead live in commercial apartment complexes adjacent to GMU (just as happens at UVA or VT). [url]

I believe it also now is a Carnegie R1 research university, unlike last century.

So the decades-old perception of GMU as primarily a commuter school is no longer true.

It’s not anecdotal - it’s been in the admissions rules for a decade. Freshman must live on campus unless filing for a waiver. The dorms are very nice, BTW, due to endless construction at GMU. And yes it’s been a R1 for quite a long time. Five campuses. You should go and visit.

Twenty-five percent of freshman are commuters still. It's very easy to get a waiver to live off campus.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd go to VCU instead. And he'll get in if he got into GMU. It's a more diverse and interesting school.

VCU is more diverse than GMU? Not according to their 24-25 common data sets. Granted, I’m only looking at racial diversity, but maybe PP was referring to something else.

No, they have it wrong. GMU has been the most diverse public university in Virginia for quite some time. https://www.gmu.edu/rankings

I remember all the way since the 90s - GMU was the most diverse. And let's be clear - percentage of race is not a good indicator. What is a good indicator is when you see various kids freely wearing "ethnic" clothes, holding prayers (I mean a lot of religions), freely/openly talking in a different language, it makes you feel like you landed in the food-court of the UN. Back then you could see someone that looked different but dressed like he/she bought clothes at Tysons - this is UVA/VA Tech. GMU had the "you do you" mentality. I don't know about now but really hope it hasn't changed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd go to VCU instead. And he'll get in if he got into GMU. It's a more diverse and interesting school.

VCU is more diverse than GMU? Not according to their 24-25 common data sets. Granted, I’m only looking at racial diversity, but maybe PP was referring to something else.

No, they have it wrong. GMU has been the most diverse public university in Virginia for quite some time. https://www.gmu.edu/rankings

Anonymous wrote:[b]Anecdotal reports say that GMU now requires almost all freshman students to live on campus and that most off-campus students are NOT commuters, but instead live in commercial apartment complexes adjacent to GMU (just as happens at UVA or VT). [url]

I believe it also now is a Carnegie R1 research university, unlike last century.

So the decades-old perception of GMU as primarily a commuter school is no longer true.

It’s not anecdotal - it’s been in the admissions rules for a decade. Freshman must live on campus unless filing for a waiver. The dorms are very nice, BTW, due to endless construction at GMU. And yes it’s been a R1 for quite a long time. Five campuses. You should go and visit.

Anecdotal reports say that GMU now requires almost all freshman students to live on campus and that most off-campus students are NOT commuters, but instead live in commercial apartment complexes adjacent to GMU (just as happens at UVA or VT).

I believe it also now is a Carnegie R1 research university, unlike last century.

So the decades-old perception of GMU as primarily a commuter school is no longer true.

As a STEM hiring manager, I am very happy to hire Physics graduates from GMU. They have a solid academic program.

DS attends - honors college student. The professors are top notch, the students are motivated, and DS is really enjoying the experience. Professors have impressive credentials. He’s getting a great education. DS loves that he’s close to DC for internships and access to restaurants, events, hiking etc. He’s in a service fraternity. GMU basketball, concerts etc. are a draw. It’s been a great choice for him.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd go to VCU instead. And he'll get in if he got into GMU. It's a more diverse and interesting school.

VCU is more diverse than GMU? Not according to their 24-25 common data sets. Granted, I’m only looking at racial diversity, but maybe PP was referring to something else.

They're both racially and economically diverse, but unlike VCU the overwhelming majority of GMU students are from NOVA. Neither has a large OOS population.

Anonymous wrote:I'd go to VCU instead. And he'll get in if he got into GMU. It's a more diverse and interesting school.

VCU is more diverse than GMU? Not according to their 24-25 common data sets. Granted, I’m only looking at racial diversity, but maybe PP was referring to something else.

I'd go to VCU instead. And he'll get in if he got into GMU. It's a more diverse and interesting school.

I would not have a problem sending my child to GMU.

Mason has excellent professors and programs and has completely evolved into a residential college campus that has a great school spirit. I went there for grad school when it just beginning to transition from a commuter school and it has been exciting to see the change. If you have not been there in a few years, I encourage you to visit.

My DS went there for their Game Design program. We were impressed. He loved on campus all four years with students from other states and nations and made great friends. He went to the Korea campus. He made use of the campus but to get to Mason’s high tech campus (where the Virginia Serious Game Institute is located) and took the bus to shop in Fairfax and to get to D.C. He had internships in his field all three summers and was hired by Bethesda SoftWorks, a division of Microsoft before graduation.

Engineering and Econ are very strong as is anything computer or cyber-related. I don’t know about Physics.

It’s a very strong school that I think is “too close to home” for a lot of DCUM students, who often want to be more than a 20-30 minute drive (if that) from their parents’ house, so it doesn’t get a lot of love here.

It’s huge, of course, but if the size isn’t a negative, it has a lot of excellent programs. I’m not specifically familiar with its physics, however.

Only one ds got admission to so far in state. Applied to Vtech Uva William and Mary, VCU … waiting on results for all .

He wants a Physics major…

Looking for honest inputs for GMU.