Anonymous wrote:I would go JMU and then use the saved tuition for DC 1’s grad school. I would not make DC 1 take the lower option to pay for DC 2 to go somewhere fancy.

Exactly, if child goes to JMU you are locked into forcing kid 2 to sacrifice, as well, and go to a reasonably priced school.

It is interesting, a lot of posters have been saying I can swing it, but I don't want to.

Will you apply their college savings to pay for graduate school or a down payment?

Either way, it seems JMU is a no-brainer.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here: Really appreciate everyone's thoughts. It's not the type of thing you can easily talk about with friends without it being weird. I knew it would be a mixed bag here with plenty to think about. From this chain, I at least feel validated that it IS a tough choice, but also that it's NOT crazy to go with JMU as long as DC is going in with their eyes open to the various tradeoffs.

Definitely not crazy. FWIW, I work in accounting and have lots of coworkers who are very successful in the field who went to JMU. I have never heard anyone say they didn't love it there. If UVA would be a big stretch for you, then I'd have no qualms about going to JMU.

JMU has a great reputation in some of your DC's possible fields - nursing, teaching, social work.
If a master's is required, then I would definitely go with JMU over UVA. You can pay for the master's from your savings, and then give the rest to DC as a starting life fund. What a gift!
FWIW, everyone I know who went to or had kids attend JMU loved it.

Anonymous wrote:OP here: Really appreciate everyone's thoughts. It's not the type of thing you can easily talk about with friends without it being weird. I knew it would be a mixed bag here with plenty to think about. From this chain, I at least feel validated that it IS a tough choice, but also that it's NOT crazy to go with JMU as long as DC is going in with their eyes open to the various tradeoffs.

This obviously is not a major consideration but I think it is fair to think about the peers they may meet too for networking, friendships, and long term partners. I would think UVA would be better for that.

Anonymous wrote:OP here: Really appreciate everyone's thoughts. It's not the type of thing you can easily talk about with friends without it being weird. I knew it would be a mixed bag here with plenty to think about. From this chain, I at least feel validated that it IS a tough choice, but also that it's NOT crazy to go with JMU as long as DC is going in with their eyes open to the various tradeoffs.

Definitely not crazy. FWIW, I work in accounting and have lots of coworkers who are very successful in the field who went to JMU. I have never heard anyone say they didn't love it there. If UVA would be a big stretch for you, then I'd have no qualms about going to JMU.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here: Being overly sensitive not to dox them, it's the type of major that literally everyone in the field has told us "it doesn't matter at all where you went to school." It also requires a masters and doesn't pay a whole ton (tops out around $80-100k maybe).

Here's the rub, there is a very good chance that he will change his major. Something like 2/3 of incoming freshman change their major at least once.

This is where you really need to know your kid. I shared above that DD made a similar choice for a lower-cost LAC. She's pursuing a field she's been passionate about since very young, had worked/volunteered in the field throughout HS, attended a pre-college program to get exposure to the academics. She still had to figure out specific paths, concentration, etc. in the major and picked a school that could support that exploration and various paths but the major was not in doubt. She's a junior now, never considered a change, and has had internships in the major every summer to continue to confirm this is what she wants to do. She knows it's a field that will not make her rich but she's fine with that.

If this had been a recent interest, oh I might like to do that, sounds fun, etc. way of choosing a major, I might have nudged to a different school.

It was similar with my sister, back in the 90s. She wanted to be a nurse, had always wanted to be a nurse, excelled in science classes through school, and volunteered at the hospital from as soon as she was old enough to do so. She got into Penn nursing and several state Us. Penn was too much of a stretch financially for our parents, so she went to her favorite, very affordable, regional public U. She's had a great career - now has a doctorate in nursing and teaches. For nursing, it really doesn't matter where you go.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here: Being overly sensitive not to dox them, it's the type of major that literally everyone in the field has told us "it doesn't matter at all where you went to school." It also requires a masters and doesn't pay a whole ton (tops out around $80-100k maybe).

Nursing?

No one cares where you went for nursing

Anonymous wrote:UVA does not have national recognition- just fyi.

Lol ok

OP here: Really appreciate everyone's thoughts. It's not the type of thing you can easily talk about with friends without it being weird. I knew it would be a mixed bag here with plenty to think about. From this chain, I at least feel validated that it IS a tough choice, but also that it's NOT crazy to go with JMU as long as DC is going in with their eyes open to the various tradeoffs.

UVA

Do you think your kid might change his or her mind? I would pick UVA since you can do it without loans and UVA opens more doors. Your kid is young and a lot can change.

My DS' best friend had this same exact situation. He chose JMU for the full ride. He had a great experience at JMU and landed a fantastic job after graduation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UVA does not have national recognition- just fyi.

It sort of does. I would put it behind U Michigan and ahead of UNC.

All are state schools. Most state school recognition is from sports. Alabama is probably more recognized than UVa.

Anonymous wrote:OP: our DD had a choice like yours. She chose the full scholarship and graduated from college (T50-60ish) summa cum laude. She had great research and study abroad opportunities because of her accolades. She landed a post-grad job that multiple random other students are pinging her on LinkedIn about trying to get into. She is well-positioned to start grad school, debt free, in a few years. Likely would not have played out this way for her if she had chosen what in her case would have been a higher-stress, full price option. Agree with the PP that grad degree is the terminal degree and is what matters most.

And if JMU were T50-60ish, it would be the obvious choice. But it isn't even close to that.

Anonymous wrote:OP here: Being overly sensitive not to dox them, it's the type of major that literally everyone in the field has told us "it doesn't matter at all where you went to school." It also requires a masters and doesn't pay a whole ton (tops out around $80-100k maybe).

Nursing?