Free is affordable.

Go JMU.

Save the money for a prestigious grad school, Ivies even.

PP here. Also wanted to add that if your DC intends to go to graduate or professional school after graduation, then I would choose the cheaper school (JMU) as others have suggested as well. If you are a doctor or lawyer, no one really cares where you went to for undergrad.

For what major is this for? If your kid is going into engineering or nursing for example, it won't matter where they graduated from (within reason), as jobs in these sectors depend much more on skill than on connections. These industries have labor shortages as well so your child will be able to find a good job upon graduation regardless if they went to UVA or JMU.

IF, on the other hand, they are interested in going into something like finance (private equity, investment banking, VC), or consulting; the big firms mainly only hire from certain schools and UVA would give him a HUGE edge there and justify the cost.

Best of luck to you and your DC!

Anonymous wrote:

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.

This. On any day that ends in 'y'.

Congrats on having a good problem to have to work through. All your DC's efforts have, literally, paid off.

Anonymous wrote:Send kid to UVA. Not worth cheaping out over 15k per year. Unless you think your kid won’t be able to hang with the big dogs

Please explain your math. I have a feeling you aren't one of the big dogs.

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

Ridiculous comment. (I am a college counselor from New England.)

OP, if the money makes all the difference, then of course JMU. But if you can make UVA work for the family, the difference in peers is huge,

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.

It's a very tough choice, OP. One thing that I haven't seen mentioned, although I may have missed it, is that your student should call his admissions counselor or the financial aid office at UVA and thell them that he received a full ride at JMU, but would much rather attend UVA and is there anything they can do? You never know - even if it's not a full ride, it might be a significant award.

Anonymous wrote:OP, what would be the total cost of attendance at each school? (The PPs fixating on the "value" of the JMU scholarship are being distracted by a largely irrelevant number.)

OP here: Roughly $40k/yr at UVA and $20k/yr at JMU. Not night and day, but enough of a difference to pay for a masters.

OP, what would be the total cost of attendance at each school? (The PPs fixating on the "value" of the JMU scholarship are being distracted by a largely irrelevant number.)

Anonymous wrote:

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.

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.

Agree with this - I actually think this is very much worth considering

+1. Especially if OP is talking about only $13,000 in tuition at JMU. UVA is ranked 4 in national universities. JMU is 151. That's a big difference in the quality of students and the power in getting internships and jobs. Look at the different stats in SCHEV between the two schools. It's like night and day.

Visit both schools - ideally officially (admitted students days) and socially (your child going to visit friends). They are very different "vibes" to put it mildly. Academically it sounds like your child will excel no matter where they go. It's a question of which culture is a better fit.

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.

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.

Agree with this - I actually think this is very much worth considering

Send kid to UVA. Not worth cheaping out over 15k per year. Unless you think your kid won’t be able to hang with the big dogs

UVA is not that much better than JMU. Take JMU offer.

Anonymous wrote:You’d be crazy not to take the huge merit offer.

Disagree. She says full tuition only. That's worth only $13,762 at JMU. UVA is ranked 4th, and JMU is ranked 151st among public national universities.