Anonymous
Post 03/02/2026 09:40     Subject: Dilemma
I see no upside in going to CC over JMU if you are in-state which I assume.
Anonymous
Post 03/02/2026 09:35     Subject: Dilemma
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Gotta be a tr0ll


Why would you say that? Whether rational or reasonable or not, there are plenty of higher achieving NOVA high school students who are UVA or bust and left tremendously disappointed when their top in state option is JMU. One of my kids was one of them.


You should have managed their expectations better.


My kid didn't go to JMU. Ended up at UVA off the wait-list. Expectations were managed just fine, troll.
Anonymous
Post 03/02/2026 09:34     Subject: Dilemma
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:JMU, with the attitude of putting down roots there and staying. Going with the attitude that he's too good for the school and isn't going to stay is just going to make everyone unhappy.


Although he will be surrounded with peers who have similar attitudes. It’s a great school, especially for undergraduates, but it unfortunately does have a reputation as a consolation prize for kids who couldn’t get into the higher ranked state universities.


My kid didn’t experience this at all. Many of the kids at JMU had it as their first choice and loved being there. It’s a great school filled with happy kids.


Yes, there are plenty of kids at JMU who had it as their first choice. But the higher achieving NOVA students typically don't. Apparently OP's kid is among them.


Plenty of higher achieving NOVA student go to JMU and crash academically the first year. USNWR ranks VA 15th for its education system. NOVA isn’t special compared to the Northeast.


When I said NOVA I wasn't referring to Northern Virginia Community College. I was referring to the Northern Virginia area high school student. If you were from here, you'd know that.

In any event, it's also not true that "plenty" of Northern Virginia Community College students are transferring to JMU and "crashing." You pulled that out of your a$$. Do you have any actual data to back it up, or is it just your "feeling?"


I was talking about Northern Virginia. I’ve seen it every year.


Could you reconcile your claim with this, then?

https://www.jmu.edu/news/2024/11/13-2024-retention-rates.shtml

You're full of shit. Just as I suspected.
Anonymous
Post 03/02/2026 09:28     Subject: Dilemma
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Gotta be a tr0ll


Why would you say that? Whether rational or reasonable or not, there are plenty of higher achieving NOVA high school students who are UVA or bust and left tremendously disappointed when their top in state option is JMU. One of my kids was one of them.


You should have managed their expectations better.
Anonymous
Post 03/02/2026 09:26     Subject: Dilemma
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:JMU, with the attitude of putting down roots there and staying. Going with the attitude that he's too good for the school and isn't going to stay is just going to make everyone unhappy.


Although he will be surrounded with peers who have similar attitudes. It’s a great school, especially for undergraduates, but it unfortunately does have a reputation as a consolation prize for kids who couldn’t get into the higher ranked state universities.


My kid didn’t experience this at all. Many of the kids at JMU had it as their first choice and loved being there. It’s a great school filled with happy kids.


Yes, there are plenty of kids at JMU who had it as their first choice. But the higher achieving NOVA students typically don't. Apparently OP's kid is among them.


Plenty of higher achieving NOVA student go to JMU and crash academically the first year. USNWR ranks VA 15th for its education system. NOVA isn’t special compared to the Northeast.


When I said NOVA I wasn't referring to Northern Virginia Community College. I was referring to the Northern Virginia area high school student. If you were from here, you'd know that.

In any event, it's also not true that "plenty" of Northern Virginia Community College students are transferring to JMU and "crashing." You pulled that out of your a$$. Do you have any actual data to back it up, or is it just your "feeling?"


I was talking about Northern Virginia. I’ve seen it every year.
Anonymous
Post 03/02/2026 09:26     Subject: Dilemma
Anonymous wrote:Gotta be a tr0ll


Why would you say that? Whether rational or reasonable or not, there are plenty of higher achieving NOVA high school students who are UVA or bust and left tremendously disappointed when their top in state option is JMU. One of my kids was one of them.
Anonymous
Post 03/02/2026 09:24     Subject: Dilemma
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:JMU, with the attitude of putting down roots there and staying. Going with the attitude that he's too good for the school and isn't going to stay is just going to make everyone unhappy.


Although he will be surrounded with peers who have similar attitudes. It’s a great school, especially for undergraduates, but it unfortunately does have a reputation as a consolation prize for kids who couldn’t get into the higher ranked state universities.


My kid didn’t experience this at all. Many of the kids at JMU had it as their first choice and loved being there. It’s a great school filled with happy kids.


Yes, there are plenty of kids at JMU who had it as their first choice. But the higher achieving NOVA students typically don't. Apparently OP's kid is among them.


Plenty of higher achieving NOVA student go to JMU and crash academically the first year. USNWR ranks VA 15th for its education system. NOVA isn’t special compared to the Northeast.


When I said NOVA I wasn't referring to Northern Virginia Community College. I was referring to the Northern Virginia area high school student. If you were from here, you'd know that.

In any event, it's also not true that "plenty" of Northern Virginia Community College students are transferring to JMU and "crashing." You pulled that out of your a$$. Do you have any actual data to back it up, or is it just your "feeling?"
Anonymous
Post 03/02/2026 09:21     Subject: Dilemma
Gotta be a tr0ll
Anonymous
Post 03/02/2026 09:18     Subject: Dilemma
Anonymous wrote:A major in engineering being the exception, from Northern Virginia, the students going to JMU and VT have equivalent stats. I find it curious that student don't, usually, get into both. A student gets accepted to one or the other, but not usually both. Like the two universities are in cahoots. Maybe HS counselors are signaling somehow - this batch for VT, this batch for JMU. It's just a little strange

I advised my own DCs, between JMU and VT: know enough to have a preference, state it and be clear about in the application. And certainly mention it to your HS counselor.

I


The average SAT score of a first year student enrolled at VT is a 1350 and the average weighted GPA is a 4.14. The acceptance rate for Fairfax County applicants is 47 percent, and 38 percent of admitted Fairfax students elected to enroll.

The numbers for JMU, 1260 SAT, 3.8 weighted GPA, 66 percent acceptance rate and 22 percent yield.

Anonymous
Post 03/02/2026 09:12     Subject: Dilemma
As someone whose senior will be attending NVCC next year by choice, for OP's student, I agree that JMU is the better decision. As others have said, they may love it and decide to stay. If not, JMU is likely a better springboard to transfer than NVCC.

Anonymous
Post 03/02/2026 09:09     Subject: Re:Dilemma
VT is a tougher all around admit for sure.


We just don't believe you. You would need to support this statement. And it needs to be stats of students from Northern Virginia publics.
Anonymous
Post 03/02/2026 09:07     Subject: Dilemma
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:JMU, with the attitude of putting down roots there and staying. Going with the attitude that he's too good for the school and isn't going to stay is just going to make everyone unhappy.


Although he will be surrounded with peers who have similar attitudes. It’s a great school, especially for undergraduates, but it unfortunately does have a reputation as a consolation prize for kids who couldn’t get into the higher ranked state universities.


My kid didn’t experience this at all. Many of the kids at JMU had it as their first choice and loved being there. It’s a great school filled with happy kids.


Yes, there are plenty of kids at JMU who had it as their first choice. But the higher achieving NOVA students typically don't. Apparently OP's kid is among them.


Plenty of higher achieving NOVA student go to JMU and crash academically the first year. USNWR ranks VA 15th for its education system. NOVA isn’t special compared to the Northeast.
Anonymous
Post 03/02/2026 09:04     Subject: Dilemma
Anonymous wrote:A major in engineering being the exception, from Northern Virginia, the students going to JMU and VT have equivalent stats. I find it curious that student don't, usually, get into both. A student gets accepted to one or the other, but not usually both. Like the two universities are in cahoots. Maybe HS counselors are signaling somehow - this batch for VT, this batch for JMU. It's just a little strange

I advised my own DCs, between JMU and VT: know enough to have a preference, state it and be clear about in the application. And certainly mention it to your HS counselor.

I


This isn't true anymore. VT is a tougher all around admit for sure.
Anonymous
Post 03/02/2026 09:03     Subject: Dilemma
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Why did he apply there if he definitely doesn’t want to go there?

Applying to schools you hate is a recipe for disaster.



It's called a safety school.


Apparently it was a match, not a safety, and the other schools were reaches.
Anonymous
Post 03/02/2026 08:59     Subject: Dilemma
A major in engineering being the exception, from Northern Virginia, the students going to JMU and VT have equivalent stats. I find it curious that student don't, usually, get into both. A student gets accepted to one or the other, but not usually both. Like the two universities are in cahoots. Maybe HS counselors are signaling somehow - this batch for VT, this batch for JMU. It's just a little strange

I advised my own DCs, between JMU and VT: know enough to have a preference, state it and be clear about in the application. And certainly mention it to your HS counselor.

I