Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any school with substantial community college transfers is not "elite". All you need is a 3.0 in junior college to get in even if you took basket weaving or as UVA calls it "arts and sciences" lol.

I guess Princeton isn’t elite:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=2&ved=2ahUKEwj16fPL67XdAhXrnuAKHU8SAJUQFjABegQICBAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.princeton.edu%2Fnews%2F2018%2F05%2F09%2Fprinceton-offers-admission-13-students-reinstated-transfer-program&usg=AOvVaw3he-kl7fIRwjOLTNER-TPF

Please read before you post. That program is limited to 13 students who fit this model: " “Experience at other universities shows that transfer programs can provide a vehicle to attract students with diverse backgrounds and experiences, such as qualified military veterans and students from low-income backgrounds, including some who might begin their careers at community colleges.” Meaning normal students need not apply

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any school with substantial community college transfers is not "elite". All you need is a 3.0 in junior college to get in even if you took basket weaving or as UVA calls it "arts and sciences" lol.

This is all part of the mission of being a part of the public higher education system in Virginia. UVA, W&M, VT all have arrangements to take qualified community college transfers. If they did not, it would result in scrutiny in the General Assembly.

And I might add it may be a great way to get an education for some. It is less expensive for families and the state. It also provides a second chance option for some kids and an option to some kids that can't go away to college initially.

True. But definitely not elite. It's super easy to get a 3.4 in junior college.

I would have her look at smaller schools. She may have been overwhelmed by such a large school. Some kids need more hand holding which is more available at a SLAC.

Am I the only one who doesn't think any school's retention rate should be 99%? Those are North Korean election numbers and implying that any cohort of 17-year olds could be 99% correct in a major life choice would require North Korean levels of brainwashing!

I went to a golden handcuff college: everyone told me it was too good to leave, so I didn't. Ironically, some of what makes a good student is the ability to shut out distractions, knuckle down, and do the work. So that's what I did -- joylessly ground out a mediocre BA in 3 years -- but I regret not trying something different when I had the chance. Real-life options are very rare and valuable things: there is very little downside to transferring when you're in college, and potentially a great upside if you discover what makes you happy. Hint: it may not be a seminar under a tree at a fancy college like they show you in the prospectus.

All the handwringing about retention rates and rankings (nevermind the OP's concern about a "friend of a friend's daughter's" university choice!) feed into that syndrome that high-achieving DMV kids have of always chasing the path of greater prestige. I grew up in a (very) competitive DC school and I'm guessing the pressures now are even worse. I suspect some substance abuse and mental health problems get started this way. My cohort turned out OK, but very few of them chose to be in DC chasing the same kind of DC jobs that brought us (*or our parents*) here in the first place, and many of them seem to have gone out of their way to get as far from it as possible.

So if there is a young woman thinking of leaving UVa because it's "overwhelming" (how -- academically? socially? culturally?) I'd encourage her to explore her options, and not worry about what her parents' friends think (or parents, or friends, or friends' parents).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any school with substantial community college transfers is not "elite". All you need is a 3.0 in junior college to get in even if you took basket weaving or as UVA calls it "arts and sciences" lol.

This is all part of the mission of being a part of the public higher education system in Virginia. UVA, W&M, VT all have arrangements to take qualified community college transfers. If they did not, it would result in scrutiny in the General Assembly.

And I might add it may be a great way to get an education for some. It is less expensive for families and the state. It also provides a second chance option for some kids and an option to some kids that can't go away to college initially.

Anonymous wrote:Any school with substantial community college transfers is not "elite". All you need is a 3.0 in junior college to get in even if you took basket weaving or as UVA calls it "arts and sciences" lol.

This is all part of the mission of being a part of the public higher education system in Virginia. UVA, W&M, VT all have arrangements to take qualified community college transfers. If they did not, it would result in scrutiny in the General Assembly.

Anonymous wrote:Any school with substantial community college transfers is not "elite". All you need is a 3.0 in junior college to get in even if you took basket weaving or as UVA calls it "arts and sciences" lol.

I guess Princeton isn’t elite:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=2&ved=2ahUKEwj16fPL67XdAhXrnuAKHU8SAJUQFjABegQICBAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.princeton.edu%2Fnews%2F2018%2F05%2F09%2Fprinceton-offers-admission-13-students-reinstated-transfer-program&usg=AOvVaw3he-kl7fIRwjOLTNER-TPF

Anonymous wrote:Any school with substantial community college transfers is not "elite". All you need is a 3.0 in junior college to get in even if you took basket weaving or as UVA calls it "arts and sciences" lol.

You need a 3.4 for A&S and you have to have all the requirements done.

https://www.nvcc.edu/apps/1/transfersearch/gaasearch.aspx

Any school with substantial community college transfers is not "elite". All you need is a 3.0 in junior college to get in even if you took basket weaving or as UVA calls it "arts and sciences" lol.

UVA is perfect for a certain kind of student. Others don’t like the social/ political aspect regardless of the rankings. Or they prefer a smaller private. UVA is not perfect. No school is.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^ It's also a lot more easy to find extra space for over 1,000 students in Blacksburg than it is to find room for 432 at UVA. Both institutions had a severe housing crunch this year from freshman over-enrollment. Many doubles had to be tripled-up.

Are transfers guaranteed housing? I wouldn't think so.

I don't know about "guaranteed" but you can get housing on campus if you want. https://housing.virginia.edu/transfer-faq

No guarantee of on campus housing this year for UVA transfer students -- my second year transfer student was placed on a wait list over the summer but never got housing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^ It's also a lot more easy to find extra space for over 1,000 students in Blacksburg than it is to find room for 432 at UVA. Both institutions had a severe housing crunch this year from freshman over-enrollment. Many doubles had to be tripled-up.

Are transfers guaranteed housing? I wouldn't think so.

I don't know about "guaranteed" but you can get housing on campus if you want. https://housing.virginia.edu/transfer-faq

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:idk how many transfers per year Duke accepts, but I'd put money on most of them being from UVA and UNC.

Or, they come from schools that are very different from Duke. I know a student who transferred from Brown after first year. She found Brown unfriendly and was very happy at Duke.
I have two kids in college and one in HS. Kids transfer all the time; it's not such a big deal. A successful transfer application requires high grades, so it's not about being "overwhelmed" -- just wanting something different, either academically or socially or both. As far as transfers from UVA, a friend of one of my kids transferred from UVA to Georgetown because she preferred an urban setting and a stronger program in global politics and economics.

I think there are several types of transfers. First, those that are unhappy and want something different. Second, those that decide they want a different major that may be better elsewhere. Third, those that have ambition for a more prestigious school and use their first school as a stepping stone.

The top, top schools typically don't take many transfers because retention rates are high. Virginia schools are different in that even if they have high retention rates (UVA, W&M), they have the enrollment agreements with community colleges, UVA Wise, Richard Bland.

Anonymous wrote:^^ It's also a lot more easy to find extra space for over 1,000 students in Blacksburg than it is to find room for 432 at UVA. Both institutions had a severe housing crunch this year from freshman over-enrollment. Many doubles had to be tripled-up.

Are transfers guaranteed housing? I wouldn't think so.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With a high retention rate, one would expect to see a low number of transfers accepted, because there are fewer departures to replace. But UVA actually enrolls more transfers as a percentage of undergraduate enrollment than Virginia Tech. Transfers to VT averaged 3.8% of undergraduate enrollment per year vs. 4.4% per year over the last 4 years. You can see transfer and enrollment data on the SCHEV site.

No, both Virginia Tech and UVA admit @ the exact same number as compared to their overall undergraduate population. As you know, most of these transfers are students who met all the criteria for a transfer into UVA or Va Tech (not an easy feat). UVA has only 16,655 undergraduates and Virginia Tech has 27,100 students. 4.4 percent of UVA's undergraduate population is 432 students, while 3.8% of Virginia Tech's undergrad student body is 1,029, so actually many more in-state students are admitted to Virginia Tech than to UVA for the third year.

I don't understand your statement. The PP talked about transfers as a percentage of undergraduate population, but you switched to absolute numbers.