I work in finance, and the only school I've ever worked with people from on that list is JMU. I would not send my kid to any of the other schools on that list unless I had no other options.

Anonymous wrote:In what world is VT considered better than JMU?


Half of the idiots I know went to VT.

Where did the other half go?

For what it's worth, JMU, GMU, CNU and UMW are all on the Princeton Review Best 384 Colleges list.

In what world is VT considered better than JMU?


Half of the idiots I know went to VT.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC, current college freshmen, really liked CNU and was offered $10k/year in merit aide. Kids seem very attracted to how new and nice everything, especially the dorms, are. Ultimately, he opted for something bigger. I'd say it's a good option if you're looking for something smaller.

I hear this a lot about CNU. Lots of shiny buildings and a nice campus, but...where's the beef?

This was a few years ago, but the dealkiller for us when we toured CNU was when the tour guides - very nice seniors - basically admitted that campus recruiting was minimal and the career placement office was weak. The school does have a nice LAC feel for a state university and it seemed like it could be a solid choice for someone with a clear path, such as music education, in mind.

Anonymous wrote:DC, current college freshmen, really liked CNU and was offered $10k/year in merit aide. Kids seem very attracted to how new and nice everything, especially the dorms, are. Ultimately, he opted for something bigger. I'd say it's a good option if you're looking for something smaller.

I hear this a lot about CNU. Lots of shiny buildings and a nice campus, but...where's the beef?

Anonymous wrote:I have a kid at W&M and one at JMU. I was surprised but it is a big dropoff in quality from WM to JMU. The only area JMU is better is the food -- and it is considerably better. Maybe JMU suffers in comparison because W&M really is a top-quality college? But the work my JMU kid is doing is easier than what he did in high school.

WM has a reputation for working kids hard and being academically stressful. Probably more so than UVA or VT.

Anonymous wrote:Of the group you listed:

Tier 1: JMU, GMU. Both up-and-coming (some may say already arrived).

Tier 2: CNU, UMW, VCU. Solid but not quite there yet. CNU and UMW are smaller and have that LAC feel to them.

Tier 3: Radford, ODU. Meh. Radford particularly is not worth the effort to get there (it's past VT).

Depends on what they are studying though. VT engineering or science is on par or close to with WMU Or UVA. VT humanities would be more like JMU or GMU. VCU jumps up to tier 1 for medicine and art. GMU has an excellent CS school, etc.

Plus, add Longwood, and the HBCUs— Virginia State and Norfolk State

The question for OP is what her kid wants to study. Or at least STEM vs humanities vs fine arts vs completely undecided

I have a kid at W&M and one at JMU. I was surprised but it is a big dropoff in quality from WM to JMU. The only area JMU is better is the food -- and it is considerably better. Maybe JMU suffers in comparison because W&M really is a top-quality college? But the work my JMU kid is doing is easier than what he did in high school.

Depends on what your child is interested in studying. If it's art/art history - VCU. Music - CNU or VCU. Pre-med - VCU or GMU (both have early-admission programs with med schools). Education or early-intervention therapies (speech, OT, etc.) - JMU.

You left out Longwood.

DC, current college freshmen, really liked CNU and was offered $10k/year in merit aide. Kids seem very attracted to how new and nice everything, especially the dorms, are. Ultimately, he opted for something bigger. I'd say it's a good option if you're looking for something smaller.

7 schools. 7 applications is not unreasonable. Apply to them all, see what happens. This is not hard.

Of the group you listed:

Tier 1: JMU, GMU. Both up-and-coming (some may say already arrived).

Tier 2: CNU, UMW, VCU. Solid but not quite there yet. CNU and UMW are smaller and have that LAC feel to them.

Tier 3: Radford, ODU. Meh. Radford particularly is not worth the effort to get there (it's past VT).

There was a similar thread back in 2012, but thought it worth starting an updated version. Have a kid in junior year, so we will be visiting these schools in the coming year. I'll post what we learn + overall impressions from the visits, but I hope we can get the ball rolling with folks that have recent experience with these schools and/or kids that considered or are considering these schools.
While my kid is a strong student that theoretically could get into UVA, W&M, or VA Tech, we also know there's lots of competition from NOVA for these spots, and there's also other great in-state options that can provide a great educationan and lifestyle.
So, chime in!