DS was accepted at UMD, GWU, W&M and St John's College in Annapolis.

American University gave me pause, and he did not apply there, since there is a well-known history of WWI chemical weapons testing on campus and in the surrounding Spring Valley neighborhood. I was concerned about exposure to carcinogens and other toxins, since reading a series of articles from a few years ago. Here is one of them:

https://washingtonian.com/2013/02/28/the-toxic-waste-pit-next-door/

Anonymous wrote:Reports of jet noise over Georgetown have made me want to look more into the quality of life there.

Having lived in the Foxhall area (with small kids!), can vouch that the noise exists and your brain rapidly just tunes it out. It’s also only certain weather /flight patterns where it’s noticeable. Seems a pretty ideal location for college - nice campus with nature on one side and the fun of Georgetown shopping area on the other, with all of greater downtown DC readily accessible.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:American gave me pause. Didn’t offer any merit aid and seems to have fallen in quality.

LOL. You weren't good enough for merit yet it has fallen in quality?

Not PP but the acceptance rate is at like 60% now. It was far more selective or felt that way when I graduated in 2004.

Couple points:
- Selectivity does not equal quality of education
- Acceptance rate had to go up at most schools due to the Common App and yield decrease across the board

You can be still proud of your Alma Mater

Anonymous wrote:JMU is a drunken party, from Wednesday to Sunday every week. For students who are able to balance things, it can be a great place. But if your student might go bananas with the freedom, think twice. It seems like it checks all the boxes for kids shut out of UVA/W&M/VaTech (and UMD), but it has its negatives too.

Thursday night through Saturday afternoon. Sunday is a big study day. My DS, who is a business major, works hard Sunday-Wednesday and tends to go out Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday afternoon unless he has a test on Friday.

TBH, I think this is the case at VT and UVA as well, but yes, JMU has a reputation for being a party school. It also has a reputation for being a super-friendly school with strong regional outcomes and a loyal alumnae network.

Anonymous wrote:American gave me pause. Didn’t offer any merit aid and seems to have fallen in quality.

Are you saying it has fallen in quality because you sat in the classroom and compared to when you were there or because there was no merit aid offer? I had two kids accepted to AU over the years. One got a ton of merit aid and the other practically nothing. The first kid matched what they were looking for 100% and the other did not. Different kids, different outcomes. So I suspect this might have been the case for you as well. I am sure that just like my second kid, yours is thriving at a different university that was a mutually better fit.

As far as academics and rankings, under the new president AU is moving in the right direction - just recently gained R1 status and their QS (Quacquarelli Symonds’) worldwide ranking for 2026 went up:
Social policy (No. 33): the highest top 50 ranking in the field since 2018
Politics and international studies (No. 41): the first time AU has been ranked in the top 50
Development studies (No. 48): also represents a debut appearance in the global top 50

Reports of jet noise over Georgetown have made me want to look more into the quality of life there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:American gave me pause. Didn’t offer any merit aid and seems to have fallen in quality.

LOL. You weren't good enough for merit yet it has fallen in quality?

Not PP but the acceptance rate is at like 60% now. It was far more selective or felt that way when I graduated in 2004.

Anonymous wrote:American gave me pause. Didn’t offer any merit aid and seems to have fallen in quality.

LOL. You weren't good enough for merit yet it has fallen in quality?

Anonymous wrote:Ask the local fire station or rescue squad about the number of suicides.

Can you actually ask this? You received a response locally in the DC, MD, or VA area?

JMU is a drunken party, from Wednesday to Sunday every week. For students who are able to balance things, it can be a great place. But if your student might go bananas with the freedom, think twice. It seems like it checks all the boxes for kids shut out of UVA/W&M/VaTech (and UMD), but it has its negatives too.

American gave me pause. Didn’t offer any merit aid and seems to have fallen in quality.

Huh? Find a better hobby, OP.

Ask the local fire station or rescue squad about the number of suicides.

Anytime there's a hazing or drinking or foolishness fatality I read carefully to find out how the administration responds. I have zero sympathy for throwing lives away like this.

I’d love to know which local colleges gave you pause after you researched or read up on them?

(Local used broadly meaning anywhere in the DC, MD or VA areas)

What did you learn or find out that caused this pause in your consideration?