Anonymous wrote:I think if the OP's kid is happy at GMU, and the OP feels the money spent on tuition is a good investment, that's great. The thread seems like a big PR piece, however, so the responses aren't surprising. I keep waiting for the OP to tell us that GMU is the Harvard of Fairfax Station.

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Anonymous wrote:The original post was a tacky PR attempt.

And you say that because . . . ? I'm a very happy GMU dad, serving on one of the Boards. I can assure you that the PR office at GMU is not acquainted with DCurbanmoms. They have more important things to do.

Anonymous wrote:The original post was a tacky PR attempt.

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Anonymous wrote:What the hell does libertarian have to do with anything?

no liberal guilt . Allow you to learn things in your own.

Seriously, what are you prattling on about? Liberal guilt? Huh?

We're talking about colleges and universities here. You know, institutions of higher learning. What are you talking about libertarians and liberal guilt for?

Activism permeates many colleges. Think Berkeley, Wellesley, Wesleyan, etc. professors at many colleges mark down f you don't tow their line re: liberal values. Note your smart tone. My son doesn't want that permeating his educational experience and I don't want to pay for it

Your intensive experience tells you this, I take it? Or, are you rationalizing your child's inability to gain acceptance to those schools?

I attended some of these, and in my experience, people were taught to see the forest for the trees -- I have never heard of a professor marking down a student for disagreeing with him or her ideologically. Maybe if the disagreement wasn't persuasively argued with evidence (which tends to be a problem for a lot of conservatives), but for the disagreement, per se.

It seems to me that you're the only one prioritizing an ideology here is you. You seem very concerned that your child not be encouraged to explore ideas outside your short-sighted bubble of what is acceptable.

He didn't even apply to those schools. Some people aren't really interested in an activist environment. How quaint that you feel people are failures for not being activists. SO cute! I do indeed know of many people who have been bitten by the prof who marks people down for not sharing their point of view.

The best thing about being libertarian is that you just want to be left alone, hence the not being interested in an activist college.

You seem really hung up on this mythological "activism" thing. And, frankly, terrified of it. It's as if you think professors do, what, engage in reeducation programming or something?

That's really hilarious.

Most "activism" on college campuses is student-driven.

GMU has a bunch that might terrify you, as I assume xenophobia goes with the rest of your world view. Some include: the Afghan Student Association; Access Islam; Arab Student Association; Arabic Language and Culture Club; Bengali Patriots Association; Black Student Alliance; Feminist Student Organization; George Mason Democrats; George Mason University Global Zero (anti-nuke group); GMU Bronies (fanboys of My Little Pony); Grad Pride (Gays); Indian Student Association; International Socialist Organization (I hear they're huge on campus); Iranian Students Association; Mason Buddhists Association (quite the radical group); Mason Dreamers (pro-illegal immigration group); Mobilize Mason (anti-poverty group); Muslim Student Association; Muslims Without Borders; NAACP; Native Americans and Indigenous Alliance; Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Education; Pakistani Student Association; Pride Alliance (gays); Saudi Student Alliance; Secular Student Alliance (atheists); Stand Out (gays); Students Against Israeli Apartheid; Students for Justice in Palestine; TQ Mason (gays).

You get the idea. I certainly hope your student doesn't live in campus. He might have his paradigm challenged by exposure to these groups. Of course, some would say that's an important part of the collegiate experience. But it sure sounds like you're trying to shelter him from "activists."

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Anonymous wrote:I think if the OP's kid is happy at GMU, and the OP feels the money spent on tuition is a good investment, that's great. The thread seems like a big PR piece, however, so the responses aren't surprising. I keep waiting for the OP to tell us that GMU is the Harvard of Fairfax Station.

Ha! You're right. It's just a matter of time before we hear GMU, VA Tech, or UMD now holds the distinction of displacing Harvard.

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Anonymous wrote:Yes, I've been there-for a Yo Gabba Gabba concert, and I had friends who were commuter students there in the 1990s. (I'm local). The campus is hideous.

Well, to each their own. The idea that you would even attend a Yo Gabba Gabba concert speaks volumes.

Really? It was awesome. Sorry you are no-fun mom!

I am local too and have been there in recent years for concerts as well ( not YGG, but, you know ) and anyway always have been impressed by what I gave seen recently on campus. How can you seriously say the campus is hideous? ( ? ) When you park in satellite parking you have to walk down that lovely path thru the woods past the duck pond to get to the performing arts facility, it is positively pastoral and idyllic. And I swear, I have no kid at GMU ( my child is only 6) and I really have no personal stake in this, other than just intellectual curiosity!

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Anonymous wrote:Seems foolish to go to gmu if you are local. Why not just do the community college program in VA where you can upgrade to a great school like UVA after 2 years? Save a fortune

Your approach works for some kids. I know some who are doing it but they have to be willing to do all the driving from home, parking, and back and forth. Those that have tried it say sometimes they come home, get involved in something with a friend, and say "oh hell" and don't return to NOVA for their second glass of the day - they eventually give up. Also you have to take a particular set of classes in order to do the transfer after two years. But if you are aggressive and can maintain the GPA that the VA University demands for transfer (and it varies from VA state university to state university) then that option is great. My kid is not that type of kid.

So why Mason instead? It's got a fabulous campus (lots of new buildings). DC is in a dorm with a great group of kids. The teachers come from all over - many are professionals from the Dulles Tech corridor and are outstanding. DC is getting the campus experience and dorm life experience. It's much more diverse than NOVA is - roommates include Muslims and other international students and AAs from the south. RA is from California. Everything DC needs is right there - food, classes, library, computer lab, washer/dryer = much more efficient than running back and forth from home. Mason also has the premiere department in the U.S. next to Carneigie Melon for the particular major DC wants. No driving back and forth. Lots of on-campus support networks and clubs. And we get all this for only $9,080 a year (plus cost of dorm room).

3.0 is the required GPA to transfer to any VA state school. And if they can't get a 3.0 at a community college then they shouldn't really be at college at all.

And yeah, GMU must be great compared to Carnegie Mellon...if your CS kid wants to work in the Dulles tech corridor all their life. Nobody outside of the DC metro region or state of Virginia has any name recognition when it comes to GMU. Same with JMU. UVA, W&M, Virginia Tech, on the other hand..nationally ranked and recognized across the country.

Northern Va native here who went to a nationally recognized school (Notre Dame, I am only mentioning this so you see that I really have no horse in this race). But you have got to be deluded, pp, if you think that JMU, VA Tech are nationally recognized, or that they are more nationally recognized than GMU is. THEY ARE NOT. Nationally, you would all probably all be considered in the same bucket. People have heard of UVA, of course, and, after that, maybe then W&M. Beyond that, no. My inlaws who live in Chicago have never heard of any of these schools. And that is ok, there are lots of excellent regional schools, and I had not been familiar with SIL's law school ("Valpo" or "VU" to anyone local, Valparaiso University, as she has to explain to everyone else) before she went there. But don't just go ripping on GMU from a mistakenly " advantaged" position as a pro-JMU or -Tech person. That is pretty laughable.

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Anonymous wrote:Yes, I've been there-for a Yo Gabba Gabba concert, and I had friends who were commuter students there in the 1990s. (I'm local). The campus is hideous.

Well, to each their own. The idea that you would even attend a Yo Gabba Gabba concert speaks volumes.

Really? It was awesome. Sorry you are no-fun mom!

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Anonymous wrote:Seems foolish to go to gmu if you are local. Why not just do the community college program in VA where you can upgrade to a great school like UVA after 2 years? Save a fortune

Your approach works for some kids. I know some who are doing it but they have to be willing to do all the driving from home, parking, and back and forth. Those that have tried it say sometimes they come home, get involved in something with a friend, and say "oh hell" and don't return to NOVA for their second glass of the day - they eventually give up. Also you have to take a particular set of classes in order to do the transfer after two years. But if you are aggressive and can maintain the GPA that the VA University demands for transfer (and it varies from VA state university to state university) then that option is great. My kid is not that type of kid.

So why Mason instead? It's got a fabulous campus (lots of new buildings). DC is in a dorm with a great group of kids. The teachers come from all over - many are professionals from the Dulles Tech corridor and are outstanding. DC is getting the campus experience and dorm life experience. It's much more diverse than NOVA is - roommates include Muslims and other international students and AAs from the south. RA is from California. Everything DC needs is right there - food, classes, library, computer lab, washer/dryer = much more efficient than running back and forth from home. Mason also has the premiere department in the U.S. next to Carneigie Melon for the particular major DC wants. No driving back and forth. Lots of on-campus support networks and clubs. And we get all this for only $9,080 a year (plus cost of dorm room).

3.0 is the required GPA to transfer to any VA state school. And if they can't get a 3.0 at a community college then they shouldn't really be at college at all.

And yeah, GMU must be great compared to Carnegie Mellon...if your CS kid wants to work in the Dulles tech corridor all their life. Nobody outside of the DC metro region or state of Virginia has any name recognition when it comes to GMU. Same with JMU. UVA, W&M, Virginia Tech, on the other hand..nationally ranked and recognized across the country.

Anonymous wrote:Eh, I think that is kind of depressing actually. So he'll be slaving away in the office cube for 52 years instead of 50. Seems more a con than a pro.

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Anonymous wrote:Does the $9080/year include room and board or is that only tuition?

Community college tuition is around $150/credit hour, so around $4000/year. My guess is that $9080 is just tuition.
So is the education for the first two years at Mason over twice the quality of the education a kid would get at NVCC?

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Anonymous wrote:I don't think students are really as happy at Mason as this thread suggests. It's big and sprawling, and doesn't have a personal feel at all, yet it's not a flagship state school, either.

Did you post from your time machine in 1998

Weak. Mason wasn't distinctive then and it's not very distinctive now. Remind us again whether this thread has a point.

Wondering why you keep posting if you feel this thread has no point. What exactly is your point? Plenty of very satisfied people here. Why don't you take your misplaced bitterness elsewhere because it's pretty dull.

What is your malfunction? George Mason is at best the ODU of NoVa

Oh did you know a gmu stem grad makes more than a uva liberal arts major? Shocking I know.

Oh good lord. And an ITT Tech grad makes more than an Amherst grad (probably not for long though).....your point?

Anonymous wrote:Does the $9080/year include room and board or is that only tuition?

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Anonymous wrote:Yes, I've been there-for a Yo Gabba Gabba concert, and I had friends who were commuter students there in the 1990s. (I'm local). The campus is hideous.

Well, to each their own. The idea that you would even attend a Yo Gabba Gabba concert speaks volumes.