Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 17:00     Subject: University of Mary Washington
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If you just walked around May Washington without knowing anything about it, you could get the impression it is a SLAC. I think the name has hurt it. It is easier to transition to coed from an all male school than from an all female school.


It is a national liberal arts college, that’s how US News categorized and ranks UMW. The university also touts that it is a top 10 public liberal arts institution.


I said SLAC because by appearances only you could conclude it is very selective. I meant that as a compliment.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 16:46     Subject: University of Mary Washington
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It’s the name. UMW suffers because it doesn’t sound like a school many men would go to. Also it’s small, and we have more selective options in VA.


No, it isn't. If it were a problem, the board would have changed it a long time ago.


They did. Why do you think they called it University of Mary Washington vs. Mary Washington University? It was to take away the prominence of Mary.


False, the legislature did it to switch from "college" to "University". No one cares about the name Mary Washington. to wit, "The General Assembly of Virginia changed the college's name to the University of Mary Washington in 2004 to reflect the addition of graduate and professional programs to the central undergraduate curriculum, as well as the establishment of more ..."


Actually it was a huge deal at the time. They were even considering naming it something entirely different to remove Mary from the name, but the current students at that time campaigned against it.

-MWC alum, class of 2004
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 16:43     Subject: University of Mary Washington
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It’s the name. UMW suffers because it doesn’t sound like a school many men would go to. Also it’s small, and we have more selective options in VA.


No, it isn't. If it were a problem, the board would have changed it a long time ago.


They did. Why do you think they called it University of Mary Washington vs. Mary Washington University? It was to take away the prominence of Mary.


False, the legislature did it to switch from "college" to "University". No one cares about the name Mary Washington. to wit, "The General Assembly of Virginia changed the college's name to the University of Mary Washington in 2004 to reflect the addition of graduate and professional programs to the central undergraduate curriculum, as well as the establishment of more ..."
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 16:36     Subject: University of Mary Washington
I think the school is just overshadowed by our other universities. I’m sure it’s a great school, it just has steep instate competition.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 16:24     Subject: University of Mary Washington
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It’s the name. UMW suffers because it doesn’t sound like a school many men would go to. Also it’s small, and we have more selective options in VA.


No, it isn't. If it were a problem, the board would have changed it a long time ago.


They did. Why do you think they called it University of Mary Washington vs. Mary Washington University? It was to take away the prominence of Mary.

Thank you for reaching out.
Absolutely false. It was named the Women's College of the University of Virginia. Only after men were admitted and other colleges added, was it decided to be called the University of Mary Washington, and it was done not by the board but by the Virginia Assembly in 2004.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 16:22     Subject: University of Mary Washington
Anonymous wrote:If you just walked around May Washington without knowing anything about it, you could get the impression it is a SLAC. I think the name has hurt it. It is easier to transition to coed from an all male school than from an all female school.


It is a national liberal arts college, that’s how US News categorized and ranks UMW. The university also touts that it is a top 10 public liberal arts institution.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 16:12     Subject: University of Mary Washington
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My child was admitted to UMW. The merit aid for out of state was so stingy that he chose a private college in PA for considerably less.
He liked umw, but unless you are from VA, it didn't make much sense over other comparable privates.


I'm happy to hear that! I don't think any VA publics should be offering a dime of merit aid to out of state kids. Plenty of smart kids in VA.


OOS kids pay more and help offset tuition for instate kids, plus they bring geographical diversity, which many students want and which boosts national reputation.


Not to mention the obvious fact that in a time of declining enrollment, an admit is an admit.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 16:03     Subject: University of Mary Washington
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My child was admitted to UMW. The merit aid for out of state was so stingy that he chose a private college in PA for considerably less.
He liked umw, but unless you are from VA, it didn't make much sense over other comparable privates.


I'm happy to hear that! I don't think any VA publics should be offering a dime of merit aid to out of state kids. Plenty of smart kids in VA.


OOS kids pay more and help offset tuition for instate kids, plus they bring geographical diversity, which many students want and which boosts national reputation.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 15:47     Subject: University of Mary Washington
UMW also doesn’t have greek life which separates it from every other public university in the state.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 15:41     Subject: University of Mary Washington
Anonymous wrote:My child was admitted to UMW. The merit aid for out of state was so stingy that he chose a private college in PA for considerably less.
He liked umw, but unless you are from VA, it didn't make much sense over other comparable privates.


I'm happy to hear that! I don't think any VA publics should be offering a dime of merit aid to out of state kids. Plenty of smart kids in VA.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 15:38     Subject: University of Mary Washington
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:PP here. AI says the admit rates was 55 percent in 2000, 70 percent in 2008 and 80 percent in 2026, and says at the turn of the century it only trailed UVA and W&M. That's consistent with my understanding.


Why would it start to become less selective?


Other schools like VT and JMU became a lot more selective. More kids want the bigger college experience. UMW is very small, doesn't have big sports programs, not a lot going on. Its perfectly fine, just not what a lot of kids want in a college experience.


JMU is also less selective now than back then, so nope.

That's actually not true. JMU is getting harder and harder to get into.


JMU has a 72% acceptance rate.


68% for 2026…and will keep decreasing between it’s growing popularity and the new president’s goals
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 15:34     Subject: Re:University of Mary Washington
Anonymous wrote:This will change back with big state schools pushing ai research and teaching on faculty, many of whom arent focused on teaching to start with.

The crap teaching ao slop you will see in the classroom will be awful. Small schools that dont do this will be hot. Jmu will fall umw will rise


JMU is ranked in the top 25 for undergraduate teaching. I don’t think they are declining anytime soon.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 14:19     Subject: University of Mary Washington
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It’s the name. UMW suffers because it doesn’t sound like a school many men would go to. Also it’s small, and we have more selective options in VA.


No, it isn't. If it were a problem, the board would have changed it a long time ago.


They did. Why do you think they called it University of Mary Washington vs. Mary Washington University? It was to take away the prominence of Mary.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 14:12     Subject: University of Mary Washington
My child was admitted to UMW. The merit aid for out of state was so stingy that he chose a private college in PA for considerably less.
He liked umw, but unless you are from VA, it didn't make much sense over other comparable privates.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 14:10     Subject: University of Mary Washington
Anonymous wrote:If you just walked around May Washington without knowing anything about it, you could get the impression it is a SLAC. I think the name has hurt it. It is easier to transition to coed from an all male school than from an all female school.


Hampden-Sydney College is all male and Sydney is in recent decades a female leaning name.

I don’t think the name makes a difference.