Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^About going where "everyone looks like you": that's the (almost lone but sometimes insurmountable problem with UVA, VaTech and JMU). There are so many kids at these colleges that the HS kids already know, they're calling the first year "13th grade".

I literally knew everyone in my class by sophomore year at my small LAC. I totally understand the interest in a larger school where there is more variety. UVA, Tech, and JMU are BIG schools and even if some think their student bodies look the same, that just isn't possible with their size.

Well then I guess I don't know why they call it 13th grade.

I think it's probably a bit of a defense mechanism to deal with assholes who denigrate their choice or point out how many kids from their HS are going there.

I think it's because they'll know literally hundreds of kids before they get there. Lots of our neighbor's kids have been in school together since Kindergarten and they've played on NoVa-wide sports teams for almost 10 years (so they know lots more kids than just their local schools) and they joke that they're going off to 13th grade together.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^About going where "everyone looks like you": that's the (almost lone but sometimes insurmountable problem with UVA, VaTech and JMU). There are so many kids at these colleges that the HS kids already know, they're calling the first year "13th grade".

I literally knew everyone in my class by sophomore year at my small LAC. I totally understand the interest in a larger school where there is more variety. UVA, Tech, and JMU are BIG schools and even if some think their student bodies look the same, that just isn't possible with their size.

Totally agree. I hear this argument that if a NoVA kid goes to UVA/JMU/Tech, they'll be going to school along with many of their high school classmates and that just makes me laugh. These schools are large enough that you *might* run into someone from high school every now and then, but hardly ever. There are tons and tons of new kids to meet. I graduated from one of these schools and almost never even saw any old high school classmates, though plenty of us went there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:George Mason.

Totally disagree. DS is there in 3rd year. What a powerhouse that place has become. Consistently Ranks 1-6 in "Up and Coming Univ. in U.S."

Lmao!

This. Up and coming, yeah right.

PP was only stating the facts. It does consistently rank as "up and coming" in U.S. News.

+100

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^About going where "everyone looks like you": that's the (almost lone but sometimes insurmountable problem with UVA, VaTech and JMU). There are so many kids at these colleges that the HS kids already know, they're calling the first year "13th grade".

I literally knew everyone in my class by sophomore year at my small LAC. I totally understand the interest in a larger school where there is more variety. UVA, Tech, and JMU are BIG schools and even if some think their student bodies look the same, that just isn't possible with their size.

Well then I guess I don't know why they call it 13th grade.

I think it's probably a bit of a defense mechanism to deal with assholes who denigrate their choice or point out how many kids from their HS are going there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^About going where "everyone looks like you": that's the (almost lone but sometimes insurmountable problem with UVA, VaTech and JMU). There are so many kids at these colleges that the HS kids already know, they're calling the first year "13th grade".

I literally knew everyone in my class by sophomore year at my small LAC. I totally understand the interest in a larger school where there is more variety. UVA, Tech, and JMU are BIG schools and even if some think their student bodies look the same, that just isn't possible with their size.

Well then I guess I don't know why they call it 13th grade.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What does "up and coming" mean anyway? Vs. what "down and dead"?

Could mean growing in enrollment and endowment; offering more programs; attracting better-known faculty; increasing in selectivity and/or admitting students with higher GPAs and test scores.

I thing up and coming means learning how to game USNWR

UDC or GWU - city schools stink...think green space

Anonymous wrote:^^About going where "everyone looks like you": that's the (almost lone but sometimes insurmountable problem with UVA, VaTech and JMU). There are so many kids at these colleges that the HS kids already know, they're calling the first year "13th grade".

I literally knew everyone in my class by sophomore year at my small LAC. I totally understand the interest in a larger school where there is more variety. UVA, Tech, and JMU are BIG schools and even if some think their student bodies look the same, that just isn't possible with their size.

I wouldn't "forbid" my adult daughters from going anywhere, but I would likely refuse to pay for:
- a for-profit university
- a school that is not regionally accredited by one of the nationally recognized accrediting agencies under federal laws
- an extremely religious school that is intolerant of religious diversity or that bases all of student life around a specific religious denomination's rules and dogma. We aren't that religious and I would not be comfortable with my money going to support such an institution. I would also be uncomfortable with my DDs in such an atmosphere, but that's not really my business once they're adults.

Anonymous wrote:What does "up and coming" mean anyway? Vs. what "down and dead"?

Could mean growing in enrollment and endowment; offering more programs; attracting better-known faculty; increasing in selectivity and/or admitting students with higher GPAs and test scores.

What does "up and coming" mean anyway? Vs. what "down and dead"?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:George Mason.

Totally disagree. DS is there in 3rd year. What a powerhouse that place has become. Consistently Ranks 1-6 in "Up and Coming Univ. in U.S."

Lmao!

This. Up and coming, yeah right.

PP was only stating the facts. It does consistently rank as "up and coming" in U.S. News.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^About going where "everyone looks like you": that's the (almost lone but sometimes insurmountable problem with UVA, VaTech and JMU). There are so many kids at these colleges that the HS kids already know, they're calling the first year "13th grade".

Although, if they are coming from NoVa, it will be more "everyone thinks like you" than "everyone looks like you."

The point being that area hs kids know lots and lots of others at these colleges -- before they even start.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:George Mason.

Totally disagree. DS is there in 3rd year. What a powerhouse that place has become. Consistently Ranks 1-6 in "Up and Coming Univ. in U.S."

Lmao!

This. Up and coming, yeah right.

Anonymous wrote:^^About going where "everyone looks like you": that's the (almost lone but sometimes insurmountable problem with UVA, VaTech and JMU). There are so many kids at these colleges that the HS kids already know, they're calling the first year "13th grade".

Although, if they are coming from NoVa, it will be more "everyone thinks like you" than "everyone looks like you."