Anonymous wrote:My son is a rising junior--current stats 3.7 UW GPA 1380 SAT, but I guess that could change over the next year. We are in VA. Looking at costs, it appears that for some of the out of state flagships, he would qualify for some decent scholarships assuming he maintains (or raises) his current gpa. I'm specifically looking at schools like Kanas University, University of Oklahoma, University of Alabama, etc. Looking at our in state public universities--I know with those stats he won't get into UVA, William and Mary, or Virginia Tech. It also appears like the cost for some of the other in states (ODU, Longwood, Christopher Newport etc.) would be about the same as the out of state flag ships with scholarships.

From a reputation/future opportunity perspective, is he better off looking at these large out of state schools?

I’m a parent-age person from the Midwest.

I don’t have any recent experience with the University of Kansas, but people in the Midwest think of it as being a wonderful school. Maybe a rung down from UVa, UNC, the University of Texas and Michigan, and half a rung down from Ohio State, the University of Wisconsin and the University of Indiana.

My sense is that the University of Iowa is at the same level as KU, and that the University of Oklahoma, the University of Missouri and the University of Alabama are about half a rung below KU and Iowa.

KU is in a cute, liberal, cosmopolitan town that’s a short drive from Kansas City. Conservative kids can certainly find their people there, but my feeling is that it’s probably comparable to Virginia Tech, in terms of politics, and a much more liberal place than most Midwestern or deep South state universities.

For students who know they’ll stay in Virginia, going to a place like Old Dominion or James Madison might work better, but, all other things being equal, KU or the University of Iowa would probably be a better choice for students who could end up living outside the Mid-Atlantic region.

OP's son is a rising junior. For him to have already decided that he doesn't want to go to a college that has a vaccine requirement, even a "rolled back" one, means that his mother is a crazy anti-vaxer who brainwashed him. I have no interest in assisting idiots. It's no wonder he already knows he has to start looking beyond the top VA schools because he isn't smart enough to get into one.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have learned that there are very bright students at the flagship public college in every state.

My kid was offered a scholarship to Minnesota that would have made costs very similar to being in-state in VaTech and less than UVA/William and Mary (no money offered in state). Classmates received good very generous scholarships from Ohio State, Clemson, South Carolina, Kentucky, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, etc. A lot of these kids wanted to be a school with an avid sports culture.

Even if Minnesota (a fine school) or Tennessee, for example, offers a scholarship that would make them cheaper than UVA, your kid would still be better served going to UVA if she or he wants a job on the East Coast or in the Mid-Atlantic -- more connections and stronger reputation.

Source?

If you want to think that recruiters from Bain Consulting, Morgan Stanley, Amazon, etc. value a degree from the University of Tennessee just as much as a degree from UVA (all other things- GPA, interview presentation, etc. - being equal), you go right ahead.

Interesting anecdote. Is there data to support this claim?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think KS, OK and AL are odd choices

OP here
If you have other suggestions I'd love to know! One criteria that is important (but I didn't put in my op) is he does not want to go to a school that mandated a Covid vaccine for students. Even if they have now rolled that back.

I don't care where he goes to school then. The boy lacks judgment.

My high school grad is off to Virginia Tech very shortly. Go ahead and apply. It is worth trying, VT is a great option. For my kid, it came down to JMU vs. VT and kid didn't apply far and wide. The goal was always to stay in state.

Your kid is a junior, right? Things could look a lot different in a year in terms of covid. So don't close any doors, don't take anything off the table. Apply in state here and there. You don't know if you don't try!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have learned that there are very bright students at the flagship public college in every state.

My kid was offered a scholarship to Minnesota that would have made costs very similar to being in-state in VaTech and less than UVA/William and Mary (no money offered in state). Classmates received good very generous scholarships from Ohio State, Clemson, South Carolina, Kentucky, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, etc. A lot of these kids wanted to be a school with an avid sports culture.

Even if Minnesota (a fine school) or Tennessee, for example, offers a scholarship that would make them cheaper than UVA, your kid would still be better served going to UVA if she or he wants a job on the East Coast or in the Mid-Atlantic -- more connections and stronger reputation.

Source?

If you want to think that recruiters from Bain Consulting, Morgan Stanley, Amazon, etc. value a degree from the University of Tennessee just as much as a degree from UVA (all other things- GPA, interview presentation, etc. - being equal), you go right ahead.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think KS, OK and AL are odd choices

OP here
If you have other suggestions I'd love to know! One criteria that is important (but I didn't put in my op) is he does not want to go to a school that mandated a Covid vaccine for students. Even if they have now rolled that back.

Oh boy …

+1

U of South Alabama would give a lot of merit but probably too “progressive” How about Ole Miss? Kansas might be a great fit.

KU and the surrounding town are generally pretty liberal though there is a range of viewpoints. I don’t think you know much about the school or Lawrence.

I lived in Lawrence. Most college towns are liberal. Kansas as a whole is not and it serves the state.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think with their stats you’re looking at Longwood and ODU. Looks pretty solid for JMU and CNU and could increase to be even more competitive since he’s only a rising junior.

OP here. Thanks for the response. But are JMU and CNU that much better than Oklahoma, Kansas, Alabama, etc if the costs are about equal? I guess I'm thinking ahead to after college with alumni networking, and just name recognition. If he's working in say, Seattle or Miami and is asked where he went to school; If he says Kansas people will know what he's talking about. If he says JMU or Christopher Newport--will people ask "Where is that?"

I went to Auburn, and I would much rather DC attend JMU or Christopher Newport than Auburn or any of the schools you mention. People outside of Virginia may ask where is that, but the name recognition of the schools you mention is not because of their academics.

Surprised you are saying this about Auburn. Huge number of applications this year and it is definitely a nationally known school. The local Virginia schools you mention will just draw a blank look anywhere else in the country (maybe not JMU in some cases, but definitely Christopher Newport)

Same. I have one at Auburn on scholarship and it’s been great. Definitely prefer to CNU or JMU. Different strokes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think ED at VA Tech would be a possibility. Scholarships would be off table.

Depends on the college/major within VA Tech. Likely NOT possible for engineering or even business. Majors within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences can be considerably less competitive.

Not so much anymore.
DP

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have learned that there are very bright students at the flagship public college in every state.

My kid was offered a scholarship to Minnesota that would have made costs very similar to being in-state in VaTech and less than UVA/William and Mary (no money offered in state). Classmates received good very generous scholarships from Ohio State, Clemson, South Carolina, Kentucky, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, etc. A lot of these kids wanted to be a school with an avid sports culture.

Even if Minnesota (a fine school) or Tennessee, for example, offers a scholarship that would make them cheaper than UVA, your kid would still be better served going to UVA if she or he wants a job on the East Coast or in the Mid-Atlantic -- more connections and stronger reputation.

Source?

Anonymous wrote:I have learned that there are very bright students at the flagship public college in every state.

My kid was offered a scholarship to Minnesota that would have made costs very similar to being in-state in VaTech and less than UVA/William and Mary (no money offered in state). Classmates received good very generous scholarships from Ohio State, Clemson, South Carolina, Kentucky, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, etc. A lot of these kids wanted to be a school with an avid sports culture.

Even if Minnesota (a fine school) or Tennessee, for example, offers a scholarship that would make them cheaper than UVA, your kid would still be better served going to UVA if she or he wants a job on the East Coast or in the Mid-Atlantic -- more connections and stronger reputation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think with their stats you’re looking at Longwood and ODU. Looks pretty solid for JMU and CNU and could increase to be even more competitive since he’s only a rising junior.

OP here. Thanks for the response. But are JMU and CNU that much better than Oklahoma, Kansas, Alabama, etc if the costs are about equal? I guess I'm thinking ahead to after college with alumni networking, and just name recognition. If he's working in say, Seattle or Miami and is asked where he went to school; If he says Kansas people will know what he's talking about. If he says JMU or Christopher Newport--will people ask "Where is that?"

DP. I don’t know about CNU, but JMU has a huge alumni network, across the country (and in London).

https://www.alumni.jmu.edu/s/1591/18/interior.aspx?sid=1591&gid=3&pgid=7560

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think with their stats you’re looking at Longwood and ODU. Looks pretty solid for JMU and CNU and could increase to be even more competitive since he’s only a rising junior.

OP here. Thanks for the response. But are JMU and CNU that much better than Oklahoma, Kansas, Alabama, etc if the costs are about equal? I guess I'm thinking ahead to after college with alumni networking, and just name recognition. If he's working in say, Seattle or Miami and is asked where he went to school; If he says Kansas people will know what he's talking about. If he says JMU or Christopher Newport--will people ask "Where is that?"

I went to Auburn, and I would much rather DC attend JMU or Christopher Newport than Auburn or any of the schools you mention. People outside of Virginia may ask where is that, but the name recognition of the schools you mention is not because of their academics.

Surprised you are saying this about Auburn. Huge number of applications this year and it is definitely a nationally known school. The local Virginia schools you mention will just draw a blank look anywhere else in the country (maybe not JMU in some cases, but definitely Christopher Newport)

I have learned that there are very bright students at the flagship public college in every state.

My kid was offered a scholarship to Minnesota that would have made costs very similar to being in-state in VaTech and less than UVA/William and Mary (no money offered in state). Classmates received good very generous scholarships from Ohio State, Clemson, South Carolina, Kentucky, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, etc. A lot of these kids wanted to be a school with an avid sports culture.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think KS, OK and AL are odd choices

OP here
If you have other suggestions I'd love to know! One criteria that is important (but I didn't put in my op) is he does not want to go to a school that mandated a Covid vaccine for students. Even if they have now rolled that back.

That might possibly be the dumbest reason ever to rule out applying for a school. Is your son an idiot or something?

It never amazes me just how MEAN and spiteful people on DCUM can be. I also think ruling out a school for that reason is rather foolish, but to each his own.