Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid's top choice may have just flipped from VT to
W&M.

Campus life is quite different at both schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:VT and UVA must be losing their sh*t. VT because STEM. UVA because they sold out big time to Trump and got zero to show for it.

I doubt it. All three of these schools still
have lots going for them. What’s good for the state of Virginia is good for all of them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:VT and UVA must be losing their sh*t. VT because STEM. UVA because they sold out big time to Trump and got zero to show for it.

I doubt it. All three of these schools still
have lots going for them. What’s good for the state of Virginia is good for all of them.

Anonymous wrote:VT and UVA must be losing their sh*t. VT because STEM. UVA because they sold out big time to Trump and got zero to show for it.

Anonymous wrote:VT and UVA must be losing their sh*t. VT because STEM. UVA because they sold out big time to Trump and got zero to show for it.

Anonymous wrote:My kid's top choice may have just flipped from VT to
W&M.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow.

W&M just became R1.

Amd opened 5 new dorms this year.

Has a new dining hall coming online in the next month or two.

Has the Gates Center in progress

Got a massive gift for the new Marine Science school (tuition is now free for marine science majors), and updated the VIMS campus (which has to help here)

And has another massive grant to attract/ lower tuition for OOS students.

And also huge infusion for the Data Analytics/ Physocs school.

Just started offering an interdisciplinary AI minor with any major.

And now is one of the few (non Hillsday/Liberty/Trump aligned) colleges in the country that has found a way to actually increase their federal research funding.

How many (non-religious, public) schools can you name that are pulling in more funding in 2025 than the year before? While managing not to not bend the knee to Trump (ahhmmm UVA).

And after tomorrow, Dems will have unified control of the Governorship and Legislature. So, it’s a safe state for women and stability among educational institutions.

And that’s one year.

We have three more years of Trump to go. If you are trying to read tea leaves, WM seems like an awfully good bet. It will be interesting to see if their ED numbers continue to shoot up.

This is all true. But why is there such little excitement about W&M in my kid’s school? Do they have a problem marketing to Gen Z? The boring and nerdy stereotype seems to be a big problem.

I just don't understand where the stereotype comes from. Kid's friend at W&M is a junior and complained about the last two freshman classes being "too fratty". Maybe they just need to look beyond nova and the stereotypes people there cling to

Maybe that’s the problem with attracting the smart popular kids. A certain subset thinks a college that isn’t very fratty is too fratty.

I mean frankly it's just one person's opinion but I think it's just moreso that the student demographic there has changed a lot in the last couple years. Record Greek life numbers, and huge growth in stem and business, much bigger gameday culture versus a few years ago where literally nobody went to games. The stereotypes have apparently thrown off people who expected "boring and nerdy" but got a very different environment.

Is there a cite for any of this?

I mean no there aren't going to be sources just sitting around, you have to know someone there. But I was able to find an article on the Greek life thing.

https://www.wm.edu/offices/studentaffairs/news/record-growth-strengthens-panhellenic-community-at-william-mary.php

You can prob find clips of the thousands of students at football and basketball games online

Data > anecdotes

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow.

W&M just became R1.

Amd opened 5 new dorms this year.

Has a new dining hall coming online in the next month or two.

Has the Gates Center in progress

Got a massive gift for the new Marine Science school (tuition is now free for marine science majors), and updated the VIMS campus (which has to help here)

And has another massive grant to attract/ lower tuition for OOS students.

And also huge infusion for the Data Analytics/ Physocs school.

Just started offering an interdisciplinary AI minor with any major.

And now is one of the few (non Hillsday/Liberty/Trump aligned) colleges in the country that has found a way to actually increase their federal research funding.

How many (non-religious, public) schools can you name that are pulling in more funding in 2025 than the year before? While managing not to not bend the knee to Trump (ahhmmm UVA).

And after tomorrow, Dems will have unified control of the Governorship and Legislature. So, it’s a safe state for women and stability among educational institutions.

And that’s one year.

We have three more years of Trump to go. If you are trying to read tea leaves, WM seems like an awfully good bet. It will be interesting to see if their ED numbers continue to shoot up.

This is all true. But why is there such little excitement about W&M in my kid’s school? Do they have a problem marketing to Gen Z? The boring and nerdy stereotype seems to be a big problem.

I just don't understand where the stereotype comes from. Kid's friend at W&M is a junior and complained about the last two freshman classes being "too fratty". Maybe they just need to look beyond nova and the stereotypes people there cling to

Maybe that’s the problem with attracting the smart popular kids. A certain subset thinks a college that isn’t very fratty is too fratty.

I mean frankly it's just one person's opinion but I think it's just moreso that the student demographic there has changed a lot in the last couple years. Record Greek life numbers, and huge growth in stem and business, much bigger gameday culture versus a few years ago where literally nobody went to games. The stereotypes have apparently thrown off people who expected "boring and nerdy" but got a very different environment.

Is there a cite for any of this?

I mean no there aren't going to be sources just sitting around, you have to know someone there. But I was able to find an article on the Greek life thing.

https://www.wm.edu/offices/studentaffairs/news/record-growth-strengthens-panhellenic-community-at-william-mary.php

You can prob find clips of the thousands of students at football and basketball games online

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow.

W&M just became R1.

Amd opened 5 new dorms this year.

Has a new dining hall coming online in the next month or two.

Has the Gates Center in progress

Got a massive gift for the new Marine Science school (tuition is now free for marine science majors), and updated the VIMS campus (which has to help here)

And has another massive grant to attract/ lower tuition for OOS students.

And also huge infusion for the Data Analytics/ Physocs school.

Just started offering an interdisciplinary AI minor with any major.

And now is one of the few (non Hillsday/Liberty/Trump aligned) colleges in the country that has found a way to actually increase their federal research funding.

How many (non-religious, public) schools can you name that are pulling in more funding in 2025 than the year before? While managing not to not bend the knee to Trump (ahhmmm UVA).

And after tomorrow, Dems will have unified control of the Governorship and Legislature. So, it’s a safe state for women and stability among educational institutions.

And that’s one year.

We have three more years of Trump to go. If you are trying to read tea leaves, WM seems like an awfully good bet. It will be interesting to see if their ED numbers continue to shoot up.

This is all true. But why is there such little excitement about W&M in my kid’s school? Do they have a problem marketing to Gen Z? The boring and nerdy stereotype seems to be a big problem.

I just don't understand where the stereotype comes from. Kid's friend at W&M is a junior and complained about the last two freshman classes being "too fratty". Maybe they just need to look beyond nova and the stereotypes people there cling to

Maybe that’s the problem with attracting the smart popular kids. A certain subset thinks a college that isn’t very fratty is too fratty.

I mean frankly it's just one person's opinion but I think it's just moreso that the student demographic there has changed a lot in the last couple years. Record Greek life numbers, and huge growth in stem and business, much bigger gameday culture versus a few years ago where literally nobody went to games. The stereotypes have apparently thrown off people who expected "boring and nerdy" but got a very different environment.

Is there a cite for any of this?

Anonymous wrote:My kid's top choice may have just flipped from VT to W&M.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow.

W&M just became R1.

Amd opened 5 new dorms this year.

Has a new dining hall coming online in the next month or two.

Has the Gates Center in progress

Got a massive gift for the new Marine Science school (tuition is now free for marine science majors), and updated the VIMS campus (which has to help here)

And has another massive grant to attract/ lower tuition for OOS students.

And also huge infusion for the Data Analytics/ Physocs school.

Just started offering an interdisciplinary AI minor with any major.

And now is one of the few (non Hillsday/Liberty/Trump aligned) colleges in the country that has found a way to actually increase their federal research funding.

How many (non-religious, public) schools can you name that are pulling in more funding in 2025 than the year before? While managing not to not bend the knee to Trump (ahhmmm UVA).

And after tomorrow, Dems will have unified control of the Governorship and Legislature. So, it’s a safe state for women and stability among educational institutions.

And that’s one year.

We have three more years of Trump to go. If you are trying to read tea leaves, WM seems like an awfully good bet. It will be interesting to see if their ED numbers continue to shoot up.

This is all true. But why is there such little excitement about W&M in my kid’s school? Do they have a problem marketing to Gen Z? The boring and nerdy stereotype seems to be a big problem.

I just don't understand where the stereotype comes from. Kid's friend at W&M is a junior and complained about the last two freshman classes being "too fratty". Maybe they just need to look beyond nova and the stereotypes people there cling to

Maybe that’s the problem with attracting the smart popular kids. A certain subset thinks a college that isn’t very fratty is too fratty.

I mean frankly it's just one person's opinion but I think it's just moreso that the student demographic there has changed a lot in the last couple years. Record Greek life numbers, and huge growth in stem and business, much bigger gameday culture versus a few years ago where literally nobody went to games. The stereotypes have apparently thrown off people who expected "boring and nerdy" but got a very different environment.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow.

W&M just became R1.

Amd opened 5 new dorms this year.

Has a new dining hall coming online in the next month or two.

Has the Gates Center in progress

Got a massive gift for the new Marine Science school (tuition is now free for marine science majors), and updated the VIMS campus (which has to help here)

And has another massive grant to attract/ lower tuition for OOS students.

And also huge infusion for the Data Analytics/ Physocs school.

Just started offering an interdisciplinary AI minor with any major.

And now is one of the few (non Hillsday/Liberty/Trump aligned) colleges in the country that has found a way to actually increase their federal research funding.

How many (non-religious, public) schools can you name that are pulling in more funding in 2025 than the year before? While managing not to not bend the knee to Trump (ahhmmm UVA).

And after tomorrow, Dems will have unified control of the Governorship and Legislature. So, it’s a safe state for women and stability among educational institutions.

And that’s one year.

We have three more years of Trump to go. If you are trying to read tea leaves, WM seems like an awfully good bet. It will be interesting to see if their ED numbers continue to shoot up.

This is all true. But why is there such little excitement about W&M in my kid’s school? Do they have a problem marketing to Gen Z? The boring and nerdy stereotype seems to be a big problem.

School is limited by its geographic footprint on how many students it can have. Has more applicants than seats and is looking for and finds a certain type of student.

Sure more applications would lower acceptance rates, but what real benefit is that to the school? Could reach out to every high school student like Chicago or have paid boosters on DCUM like Northeastern or Bucknell.

They are a niche school that understands their market. They only want a select subset of Gen Z.