And, then, of course, there is always the military. Another experience for shaping your 18 year old. I have to keep correcting my DD for saying that option is only for the "stupid" kids. Really? Then why did your class valedictorian join the Navy?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Coming from a top ranked HS west of the Mississippi to go to NVCC? I see some downsides.

Like? I see it this way. Your kid comes here, enrolls in the guaranteed admissions program, maybe gets a job. Then he gets state residency and in-state at UVA. Win-Win!

Having my kid in an apartment in Annandale or Sterling/Loudoun (or wherever else NVCC has campuses) and waiting tables while going to NVCC is not what I hope for them or for any 18 yr old. Hopefully your kid will love it.

Whatever! With college expenses rising as they are I am willing to consider whatever options will get my DD to her goal. If that means two years at NVCC to avoid crushing college debt then that is the way it will be. If she wants another "experience," she can pay for it.

What exactly is the college "experience" anyway? I went to a four year, urban school and waited tables and worked retail while studying. Ditto for grad school. There is no one true college "experience." My brother went to West Point, which is another "experience" - not like the slacker kids playing frisbee and hacky sack on the lawn and doing bong hits in the dorms at some SLAC on Mommy and Daddy's dime. Believe, me I know this is the case at SLACs, b/c I attended one for two years before transferring to a larger, urban university.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a good list to start. Based on this past year's graduation classes and kids we know who applied, a 3.3 GPA and 1800 SAT would not get you into American, Delaware or Pitt.

I would also take Bard off the list. Not a chance.

Anyone know the gpa for students at JMU? When I was applying to schools 15 years ago, JMU was a very solid 'B/B+' school but I know times have changed....

JMU's most recent common data set doesn't provide information about the average GPA of enrolled students, but does provide the middle 50% of SAT scores:

writing: 520-620
math: 530-620

http://www.jmu.edu/instresrch/cds/2013/CDS2013_C.pdf

A few years ago a GPA >3.8 was required from Langley/McLean/Madison to get into JMU.

James Madison, Delaware and VT are good schools that are safety to UVA/WM...but a 3.3 is too low.

^^ But to clarify, that's coming in from Langley high in Northern VA. Competition is fierce coming out of there - both for elite private colleges as well as for the VA state schools (tuition = only $9,500). If OP is applying from OOS for VA schools then a whole different set of rules applies. Lower GPA maybe, points for diversity, and being from out of state, but you do have to pay full-freight.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a good list to start. Based on this past year's graduation classes and kids we know who applied, a 3.3 GPA and 1800 SAT would not get you into American, Delaware or Pitt.

I would also take Bard off the list. Not a chance.

Anyone know the gpa for students at JMU? When I was applying to schools 15 years ago, JMU was a very solid 'B/B+' school but I know times have changed....

JMU's most recent common data set doesn't provide information about the average GPA of enrolled students, but does provide the middle 50% of SAT scores:

writing: 520-620
math: 530-620

http://www.jmu.edu/instresrch/cds/2013/CDS2013_C.pdf

A few years ago a GPA >3.8 was required from Langley/McLean/Madison to get into JMU.

It's still tough to get into JMU and GMU from Langley, notwithstanding what some older people who aren't aware of the changes at the VA Universities like to post about the "lesser" VA schools. 3.65 to 3.8 minimum. This was made clear by our college counselor that DC could not drop below a 3.5 after acceptance. We didn't even bother with UVA - there was no point trying from Langley.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Coming from a top ranked HS west of the Mississippi to go to NVCC? I see some downsides.

Like? I see it this way. Your kid comes here, enrolls in the guaranteed admissions program, maybe gets a job. Then he gets state residency and in-state at UVA. Win-Win!

Having my kid in an apartment in Annandale or Sterling/Loudoun (or wherever else NVCC has campuses) and waiting tables while going to NVCC is not what I hope for them or for any 18 yr old. Hopefully your kid will love it.

It is a great system, but only if your kid is motivated, responsible and maintains the necessary GPA to get into the 40 colleges and universities that belong to this program. Getting As in college is not as easy as some kids think. Each university has its own set of requirements for mandatory enrollment after two years at NVCC.

And if your kid doesn't care about the "college experience" for 2 years.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Coming from a top ranked HS west of the Mississippi to go to NVCC? I see some downsides.

Like? I see it this way. Your kid comes here, enrolls in the guaranteed admissions program, maybe gets a job. Then he gets state residency and in-state at UVA. Win-Win!

Having my kid in an apartment in Annandale or Sterling/Loudoun (or wherever else NVCC has campuses) and waiting tables while going to NVCC is not what I hope for them or for any 18 yr old. Hopefully your kid will love it.

It is a great system, but only if your kid is motivated, responsible and maintains the necessary GPA to get into the 40 colleges and universities that belong to this program. Getting As in college is not as easy as some kids think. Each university has its own set of requirements for mandatory enrollment after two years at NVCC.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Coming from a top ranked HS west of the Mississippi to go to NVCC? I see some downsides.

Like? I see it this way. Your kid comes here, enrolls in the guaranteed admissions program, maybe gets a job. Then he gets state residency and in-state at UVA. Win-Win!

Having my kid in an apartment in Annandale or Sterling/Loudoun (or wherever else NVCC has campuses) and waiting tables while going to NVCC is not what I hope for them or for any 18 yr old. Hopefully your kid will love it.

Anonymous wrote:Coming from a top ranked HS west of the Mississippi to go to NVCC? I see some downsides.

Like? I see it this way. Your kid comes here, enrolls in the guaranteed admissions program, maybe gets a job. Then he gets state residency and in-state at UVA. Win-Win!

Coming from a top ranked HS west of the Mississippi to go to NVCC? I see some downsides.

Really? Get an apartment or live at home for two years then transfer to UVA or W & M or any number of other schools with guarateed admissions agreements. There is always more than one way to skin a cat, and I would be more inclined to pay for two years at NVCC and two years at UVA than 4 years at Appalachian State! In the end, the degree is from UVA!

Anonymous wrote:What about NVCc guaranteed admissions program?

Lack of dorms could make it undesirable.

What about NVCc guaranteed admissions program?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a good list to start. Based on this past year's graduation classes and kids we know who applied, a 3.3 GPA and 1800 SAT would not get you into American, Delaware or Pitt.

I would also take Bard off the list. Not a chance.

Anyone know the gpa for students at JMU? When I was applying to schools 15 years ago, JMU was a very solid 'B/B+' school but I know times have changed....

JMU's most recent common data set doesn't provide information about the average GPA of enrolled students, but does provide the middle 50% of SAT scores:

writing: 520-620
math: 530-620

http://www.jmu.edu/instresrch/cds/2013/CDS2013_C.pdf

A few years ago a GPA >3.8 was required from Langley/McLean/Madison to get into JMU.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a good list to start. Based on this past year's graduation classes and kids we know who applied, a 3.3 GPA and 1800 SAT would not get you into American, Delaware or Pitt.

I would also take Bard off the list. Not a chance.

Anyone know the gpa for students at JMU? When I was applying to schools 15 years ago, JMU was a very solid 'B/B+' school but I know times have changed....

JMU's most recent common data set doesn't provide information about the average GPA of enrolled students, but does provide the middle 50% of SAT scores:

writing: 520-620
math: 530-620

http://www.jmu.edu/instresrch/cds/2013/CDS2013_C.pdf