Fairfax County kids get shafted when it comes to college admission, and it's pissing me off. We have some of the best schools in the country, and we can't even get into our own state colleges anymore.


Many of my friends and I had to go to below-par universities for our freshman year and then transfer to better schools, even though we're more educated and qualified than people everywhere else in the state.

This is bullshit.



Thoughts? Opinions? Excruciating, soul-crushing stories about how The Man screwed over your college education?

Post your high school transcript here and let's see if you are qualified.

Okay, LanEvo, since you asked:
- 3.4 GPA.
- AP Calc BC. AP US History. AP US Government. AP English Language.
- All the rest of my classes were honors.
- Advanced studies diploma.
- Two years at TJHSST, two years at WePo.
- 1480 SAT.
- Extremely active in youth group, theater, GSA, and community service.
- Awesome teacher recs.

I applied to 12 colleges. I got into all 6 out-of-state schools, and only VCU and CNU in-state. Not even JMU took me. Those stats would have gotten me into at least a few more in-state schools if I'd been from, say, Danville.

I'm not UVA material or anything, but I worked pretty hard and deserved a little more. That's the case with a lot of people around here.



I'm not trying to be snotty, pretentious, obnoxious, or whiny. I've talked to college admissions people, high school counselors, and university officials, and they've all told me that Northern Virginia kids don't get in when they deserve to because of quotas and economics.

It sucks, but it's the undeniable truth.

Damn, that blows. I'm really surprised that JMU rejected you. I have around a 2.8 gpa (laugh) 1140 SAT (laugh) and I got into VCU/CNU/GMU.

It's going to be a more pronounced phenomenon soon. The University (of Virginia) will soon have a charter granting it specific rights and areas of sovereignty. William & Mary and Virginia Tech are also part of this new model, which, barring any major obstructions, will soon be the new method of higher education in Virginia.

It means that the state will allow the schools to increase tuition and take more liberties in their enrollment.

This will almost certainly mean that UVA will accept even more out of state students, something that will increase both academic competition and tuition inflows (a win/win situation in the University's eyes). Compared to us the Danville student may have it easy, but compared to the student from New Hampshire the Fairfax resident has it easy. I can confidently predict that UVA would jump at the opportunity to bring in more out of state students as they are invariably better qualified than the Virginia students admitted for quota purposes. The academic edge of the University is hampered by the status quo; some very strong students are routinely turned down because they aren't from any part of Virginia.

It means that it won't matter if you live in Bland County or Falls Church.....Virginians will have to step it up in the future.

Let's face it, most of colleges/universities in VA are run by spoiled money grubbing opertunistic bastards who dont give a shit about you. Have you notice that "education" is much more like a business than a school? Honestly, for the sake of education, why would you give NO CREDIT at all for a late paper or even have rigid due dates at all? This isn't education, this is a capitalist raped system. A shining example of this is the sudden change to Java from C++ at all schools in the area. The reason they gave is that Java is "becoming the industry standard." Considering that you learn more skills that VERY useful and good to know. Education my ass, this is BULLSHIT!


"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

Either start sucking some cock or become Indian, Chinese or Pakastani if you want in to VA state schools.

> Honestly, for the sake of education, why would you give
> NO CREDIT at all for a late paper or even have rigid due
> dates at all?

Because high school is supposed to prepare one for college, and if you turn in something late to a professor you get a zero. College is supposed to prepare you for post-graduation employment, and if you hand something to your boss that is late or overcome by events by the time you delivered it, you may be fired. Due dates are a fact of life, and schools are supposed to teach facts, right? If you loaned money to someone who promised to pay it back by Friday, and on Saturday you don't have the money will you say "Oh, that's a rigid due date and I don't want to act like a capitalist, so I'll just let him pay me back whenever"? Are you going to get pissed off when you don't pay a bill on time and someone cuts off service or charges you a fee? duh.


> This isn't education, this is a capitalist raped system.

Requiring that things be delivered on a schedule is a symptom of a capitalist-raped system? Interesting. Actually it's a symptom of bureaucracy. And if bureaucracy frustrates you then you need to get over it.


> A shining example of this is the sudden change to Java from C++
> at all schools in the area.

Java provides better and easier examples of object-oriented software design and development. It's the same reason why in my day Pascal was taught for the computer-oriented degrees. Pascal provided better examples of structured programming, which was what the real world was using at the time (just with C, which is harder to learn). Java is a good choice for teaching OOP, plus schools don't have to invest in licenses for development tools.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/16/2005 11:42AM by pgens.

pgens,

"... high school is supposed to prepare one for college, and if you turn in something late to a professor you get a zero. College is supposed to prepare you for post-graduation employment"

I disagree with you here. College has turned into preperation for employment however, a university or college is NOT meant to be for preparing for the business realm. Check the definition, business isn't mentioned.

As for calling it a capitalist-raped system, you are correct, as for being ridged i was completely wrong and bureaucrate-raped system is what i was trying to express.

---

> A shining example of this is the sudden change to Java from C++
> at all schools in the area.

This is where I meant it was capitalistic. When they annouced their reasoning to switch to Java, they explained it was "becoming the industry standard," and thus the change. That is completely business oriented thinking. In addition, I cannot be sure but I believe SUN may have waved some money at the school. Microsoft has done it before and it's not below SUN to do such.

---

"Java provides better and easier examples of object-oriented software design and development."

This is false. C++ has all the same capabilities and more. Examples come from those who teach and the books they choose to teach from.

---

"Java is a good choice for teaching OOP, plus schools don't have to invest in licenses for development tools."

There are more free developement tools for C++ than Java. The standard compiler that is used at universities is GCC/G++ which is completely open source and free to download. In addition there are several free graphical debuggers for C/C++. I personally use a debugger called Insight.

Additionally, I was pointing out how Java lacks memory management. This skill is common and powerful. C++ is more flexible as you are not resticted to the graphical APIs locked into Java. However, that is irrelivant to my point.

---

Thanks for your input but I disagree that college should be for preparing one for business. I believe that there should be classes to prepare oneself for the business world if you choose. Boo society. :)


"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

I'm not going to complain that "oh, I'm 100 bagillion times better than that moron who got in from that red-neck county down south!" See, survival of the fitest- I don't have to be the best, just better than all the kids in my area. And I'm so screwed up and cynical on the inside I'm willing to do whatever it takes.

Since I screwed around my Freshman and Sophmore years, I really can't be considered a very high class player. But I definetly don't see the point in complaining here. If you really think anything is unfair, complain to the Admissions Board or to a Senator or someone who can DO something.

Other than that, I hate the system and there should be reform.

also has to do with affirmative craption

The Economist Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> also has to do with affirmative craption


Nah, it's all part of the belief system where having a degree is some holy grail towards getting "the right job". I had a mere 2.85 GPA in high school. The requisite to graduate was 2.80, and I was pissed off that, as hard as I tried to hit 2.80 excatly, I over shot and got a 2.85. I did too much. And I scored a 1310 on the SATs, even though I made sure to smoke and drink so much the night before that I was completely and absolutely intoxicated the 2 hours after I went to bed, and woke up to take the test. I scored within the "average", or actually a hundred or more points above it, TRYING TO UNDERSCORE.

I went to college for a few years, but never graduated, which was my plan, and I still make about 25% more than most people I went to high school with. And I went to a private school.

Bachelor's degrees are like big macs. It's becoming where masters are like that too, now. Uncreative, uninformed people can only see that a degree is their answer to getting a good job. And hiring managers actually believe this myth as well. It's an easy measure of the qualification to hire, but it's very misguided. I dropped out of college after two years and took a job as a bank teller. I had co workers who had history, basket weaving, finance, etc degrees. ANd I out performed them day by day. They could handle 40 to 50 transactions, and would take 45 minutes to balance out at the end of the day. I could handle 75 to 100 transactions, balance out in 10 minutes and then help 2 other people balance out, deliver checks to the ach department, and still leave before anyone else.

Hell, I rented a room to a guy that got a double major from JMU, and this dirtbag is now making about 30 - 35k a year working at curries automotive. He's an idiot. He did the work, got his degree, but nobody will hire him because he's basically stupid. I own a $650,000 - 700,000 townhouse, at 35, with no degree, earning ~90k a year, and this dumbass, at 27 with a double degree, is making $30k and living in a hovel.

the reality is, if you know your shit, it don't matter what school you went to, or if you even finished. Step aside from the mainstream, and the whole world opens up to you. Seriously. Mainstream, that's a telling description. If you've ever swam a river, the current is strongest in the middle. That's the mainstream. You have much better control over your swimming (or life) outside the center of the river, outside the mainstream. Don't get swept up into the mainstream! IN the mainstream, the only ones that survive or succeed are the ones willing to pull themselves up by pushing others down. Mull over the idea that mainstream is exactly what it means, the mainstream in a flowing river. Then it all makes sense.

PhilLesh Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> the reality is, if you know your shit, it don't
> matter what school you went to, or if you even
> finished. Step aside from the mainstream, and the
> whole world opens up to you. Seriously.
> Mainstream, that's a telling description. If
> you've ever swam a river, the current is strongest
> in the middle. That's the mainstream. You have
> much better control over your swimming (or life)
> outside the center of the river, outside the
> mainstream. Don't get swept up into the
> mainstream! IN the mainstream, the only ones that
> survive or succeed are the ones willing to pull
> themselves up by pushing others down. Mull over
> the idea that mainstream is exactly what it means,
> the mainstream in a flowing river. Then it all
> makes sense.
>

But 'knowing your shit' is no excuse not to go to college either. Even if you ignore that it's a growing experience, the connections and opportunities that you have are worth the time and money. It's all about playing your cards right.

I'm like you in that I don't even *try*, and when I graduate next semester I can write my own ticket to whatever job that I want. I can start working when I want to, where I want to, doing what I want to because I've (only recently) played my cards right.

It didn't matter how awesome I was when I was working at UPS.. the more intelligent you are, the harder they come down on you. The more you show them that they were idiots, the worse it gets for you. Sure I could have been making 50,000+ at 20, but it would have been because I had no other opportunities to do it- because I wouldn't have a degree in anything. Now I'm looking at making the same money, but with people that are actually capable and informed.

If you don't give yourself the opportunity to succeed, you won't.

Nice colleges are overrated. A degree is a degree in the end, no matter where it's from.

Smobien Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Nice colleges are overrated. A degree is a degree
> in the end, no matter where it's from.

Heh, about the first thing I have been able to agree with in this thread.

For the most part yes^^ , but they can play a role in more specialized careers.

People who say college educations aren't necessary to make big bucks are only partially true. Yes, Bill Gates didn't graduate from college..You might have suceeded in life, made more money by not going, etc, but that's not true for everyone. You are guilty of the fallacy of composition that states "What is true about one is NOT true about the whole". For every 1 person that skips college and suceeds, there are 5 others who don't suceed.

Not only does a college education help you with jobs, etc..You are able to understand real life problems, human behavior, among many other things on a higher level than people who don't have that knowledge.

The only substitution for education is ignorance.........

PS: Comparing yourself to other people w/ less or more intelligence is stupid..You have to compare people of similar backgrounds, similar work ethic, initiative, who have educations and who don't.

The Economist Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> For the most part yes^^ , but they can play a role
> in more specialized careers.
>
> People who say college educations aren't necessary
> to make big bucks are only partially true. Yes,
> Bill Gates didn't graduate from college..You might
> have suceeded in life, made more money by not
> going, etc, but that's not true for everyone. You
> are guilty of the fallacy of composition that
> states "What is true about one is NOT true about
> the whole". For every 1 person that skips college
> and suceeds, there are 5 others who don't suceed.
>
>
> Not only does a college education help you with
> jobs, etc..You are able to understand real life
> problems, human behavior, among many other things
> on a higher level than people who don't have that
> knowledge.
>
> The only substitution for education is
> ignorance.........
>
> PS: Comparing yourself to other people w/ less or
> more intelligence is stupid..You have to compare
> people of similar backgrounds, similar work ethic,
> initiative, who have educations and who don't.

Absolutely. If you want to become a Doctor, you certainly need to go to school. Then we're talking "life or death", and you don't want to get that knowledge "on the job", where you'd have to screw up to learn, meaning lives would be lost while you learn. Sure, no doubt.

However, assuming you have "above average" intelligence, then the reality is that if any other human being can do it, so can you. There is nothing that a human has done that any other human can't also do. Potentially, of course. And we're not talking about morons, we're assuming you are a functional person in that argument.


I generally believe that most people are "functionally intelligent" (even though I'm proved wrong every day of my life), but by that I mean that anyone of average or above competence can do anything, given enough time and enough resources to learn. But at the same time, I don't believe you can only find that knowledge in a college or university.

But as far as the social and human behavior aspects, you might be right. I mean, I got that experience in my two years in college, and maybe I'd lack it if I hadn't gone to college. However, I also found those experiences in my first job. Obviously you could argue it's better to pay to find that out, rather than risk losing a salary if you fuck up on the job with those skills. But is that worth the tuition costs? I don't know. Maybe. maybe not. But I could also find another job if I screwed up socially in my first one, and try again. Meanwhile, I'm making a salary, building my credit, etc. It's a matter of doing or learning. Which is better. Tough argument. My experience has shown me that doing always trumps simply learning. But that's just me. Your mileage may vary.

ben Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> PhilLesh Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > the reality is, if you know your shit, it
> don't
> > matter what school you went to, or if you
> even
> > finished. Step aside from the mainstream,
> and the
> > whole world opens up to you. Seriously.
> > Mainstream, that's a telling description.
> If
> > you've ever swam a river, the current is
> strongest
> > in the middle. That's the mainstream. You
> have
> > much better control over your swimming (or
> life)
> > outside the center of the river, outside the
> > mainstream. Don't get swept up into the
> > mainstream! IN the mainstream, the only ones
> that
> > survive or succeed are the ones willing to
> pull
> > themselves up by pushing others down. Mull
> over
> > the idea that mainstream is exactly what it
> means,
> > the mainstream in a flowing river. Then it
> all
> > makes sense.
> >
>
> But 'knowing your shit' is no excuse not to go to
> college either. Even if you ignore that it's a
> growing experience, the connections and
> opportunities that you have are worth the time and
> money. It's all about playing your cards right.
>

But if you just "jump in" to the workplace, you can make the same connections, and discover even better opporunities. I mean, in college, the connections you make are all tentative. But in the workplace, the connections are known-quantities. They already have jobs, they know other actual people with jobs, etc. You know who you're spending time to get to know, what they do, who they know, etc. In college, you're hoping to single out the right people that can some day have those same connections. Which is better? Networking works outside of school. I still have contacts from like 4 or 5 jobs ago, that can help me out when it comes time to find a contractor, find a new job, hook me up with more business for my current job, etc. They're active, in the work place, not about to enter. They are quantifiable. I have zero contact with the people I went to school with. Maybe that's unique to the school I went to. It attracted people from Cleveland, Pittsburgh and DC. I've run into people, and we, of course, get along just great when we do, but there's no commonality as far as career issues are concerned. It's more about buying drinks for each other and talking about "the good ole times", but none of us can help the other out in business.


> I'm like you in that I don't even *try*, and when
> I graduate next semester I can write my own ticket
> to whatever job that I want. I can start working
> when I want to, where I want to, doing what I want
> to because I've (only recently) played my cards
> right.


It's self-satisfying to know you're "playing the system", in a way, by just getting by. As long as you're not dumb and you're not avoiding learning, at least. But don't fool yourself about "writing your own ticket" (unless you go to Yale or Harvard) You need to know what you're doing, people can sense that when you interview. How well you can discuss your abilities is important, if you come across like you don't know the tasks and duties, you'll never get a good job, or any, possibly. SO maybe you can learn that ability at school, but I doubt that this knowledge is exclusive to higher education. You can either sell yourself or you can't. It's all about selling yourself properly. Maybe school can give you that confidence, but you can find it in yourself, just as easily, by doing, by knowing that you know your shit, etc. College isn't bad, it's just not always NECESSARY.


>
> It didn't matter how awesome I was when I was
> working at UPS.. the more intelligent you are, the
> harder they come down on you. The more you show
> them that they were idiots, the worse it gets for
> you. Sure I could have been making 50,000+ at 20,
> but it would have been because I had no other
> opportunities to do it- because I wouldn't have a
> degree in anything. Now I'm looking at making the
> same money, but with people that are actually
> capable and informed.
>
> If you don't give yourself the opportunity to
> succeed, you won't.
>

Yeah, well UPS is blue collar. You can make a lot, but you're going to bust your ass to make it. Not that blue collar is "bad", it's just a lot of hard work, that's all, and there's easier ways to earn your money. Besides, if you're too good, if you make other people feel threatened, you'll experience what you did. You certainly don't want to come across like you're better than everyone else, no matter where you work, and no matter how much better you really are. That's diplomacy, good office politics, etc. I never call anyone on their shit, unless it's completely over the top. You have to figure out how to explain your side as a side they haven't thought of yet, or show someone the same thing for the 5th time without being a jerk about it, you know, that sort of thing. Always come across like the guy that's a "team player", not over-competitive, not condescending, not hateful. Team work. That's all. Plain and simple.


Your last sentence probably sums up this entire conversation. If you don't give yourself the opportunity to succeed, you wont. That is basically the core of what I've been saying, and in everyone else's responses.

College might be A way to get that opportunity, but it's not necessarily the only way to accomplish success. Success is what you allow yourself to have. If you believe you can only achieve it by going to college, then you'll probably only find it through going to college. If you consider other options, you might find out that you don't need college, and can do it on your own. (unless you want to be a doctor). Just simply defaulting to college as the answer may or may not achieve that goal, but giving consideration to your situation, what you want to do in life, and how to achieve it, really thinking it through, looking at real world situations, you might find that college is either a waste of time, or a waste of money. Or not. But never just believe that college is the only answer. It's not. It's just the conventional wisdom to think that's the only route to your goal.

Smobien Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Nice colleges are overrated. A degree is a degree
> in the end, no matter where it's from.


Yeah, I can spend $30 on a hamburger at a really nice restuarant, and I can spend $1.00 on a burger at mcdonalds. In the end, they've both filled my tummy and tasted good. They've both done their job. Each is high in cholestoral and sodium, each is basically "junk food", but both really really tastes good.

Which is better?


IMHO, the more expensive burger is better for you, but neither are any good, when you really get down to it. So maybe that's just opinion. And so maybe what school you go to is also, just, opinion.

Agreed for the most part^^ , I've learned so much for so cheap..

College does provide you with alot of applicable skills for most every situation, so it's hard for me to see how it could possibly be a waste of time/money..you gain priceless critical thinking skills among many other things that you just can't get by going to another job.

Even for people who look to start sole propreitorships, an Associates in Business Adminstration or even the core business/accounting classes that are required for the degree will vastly improve your ability to stay afloat; provided that you apply them correctly.

See, that's the thing. College is what you make of it. All of my peers in the same discipline as I that graduated this semester already have jobs- most of them at the big 4 accounting firms, one at the CIA. I don't just know some college kids- I know the recruiters for every large accounting firm in the area, partners at those same accounting firms, and people in-between. I could have just gotten drunk every weekend with some random college kids, but I don't just do that, I make room for what's important for getting ahead in the business world. Guaranteed I wouldn't be on a first-name basis with all of those people if I'd just jumped into the work place. I wouldn't been looking forward to 6-7 job offers to start.. whenever I damn feel like starting. That's the beauty of college.

Plus, it's a field that requires a 4 year degree to make any real progress. And I'm not tooting my horn when I say that in the DC Metro area, as a graduate of GMU with a degree in accounting and as the vice-president of Beta Alpha Psi, I can get a job wherever I feel like- in the accounting profession, making fantastic money for a 21 year old college graduate.

I never said it was nice to know that I- or anyone- is gaming the system. I'm certainly not gaming anything. I work my butt off as much as anyone, but I've acquired the skills to study smarter, and I'm bright enough to pick up things fast. It's the same reason I excel at work. In fact, the internship I'm at now, they really don't have anything for me to do since I did everything in the first few days. It's the same in any profession.. if you're capable, you'll go far.

I'm also not trying to go into a huge history of my life, but being judicious and diplomatic did not help at UPS. If there's one thing I've learned, it's how to help people help you, and trying to make things work at that job was a lesson in futility. The manager who made my life hell had his car vandalized quite seriously (tires slashed, entire car keyed) his last day before being transferred. I wasn't the only one that felt that way about the job either. The turnover rate for hourly employees was > 100%, for management, about 25%. I lasted two years in management before I quit.

I'm definitely not trying to have an attitude since you've brought a lot of good information to the table. It's just not exactly how you see it. Because for me, I had no direction after I graduated high school. I've had an amazing time, met tons of people, grown, and found something that's an excellent entry into the world of business. College was definitely for me, and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

Then there are my friends that make $25/hour doing electrical work and being lazy the rest of the time. I know all kinds from all walks of life, and you're absolutely right, college isn't everything.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 05/23/2005 03:33AM by Cary.

> if you're capable, you'll go far

That's basically it, in a nutshell. College or no.


So my arguments were more to say that maybe people should think it through before just going to college because "it's the thing to do."

Sure you can learn alot. No doubt. But you're not learning anything you won't learn on the job.

I could introduce you to people I've met in bars at happy hour that could recruit you into all sorts of jobs. Want to be a lobbyist for a very large special interest group? Want to be a senator's aide? Want to consult on defense contracts? You name it. I've got business cards in my rolodex for just about any field of work. Networking is key, but the kind you find in College only gets you in the door. You have to be out there, doing it, and meeting people to make it worth anything.

So again, I poo-poo college a little too much, and of course it's not all bad, but it's not the panacea everyone makes it out to be. And no matter how well you're doing, you can't assume you're an expert because you got an A on your last test.

Don't forget, you're learning from professors. Those that can, do. Those that can't, TEACH. and those that can't teach, lead.

You guys are forgeting one very important thing. Management. At the higher points of management at your job, they know what they are doing. Lower to mid-level managers are employees who have failed upward. Now the idiots run the show.

Note: this is not an absolute... stop writing your angry reply and go fuck yourself. Ok... now write the angry reply. :)


"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

I've always considered college a tool to get a better job ... IF the college is teaching you that particular skill. If college isn't teaching you how to do the job you want to do then why waste your time? To go for the sake of going simply feeds the bureacracy and waters down the value of a college education.

PaperPusher speaks the truth. We live in a sad day for higher education.

PaperPusher,

> "If college isn't teaching you how to do the job you want to do then why waste your time?"

Believe it or not, some people (like myself) like learning about interesting topics not just to further a career but to become more informed and knowledgable. I personally can't get enough CS classes. \o/


"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

So then your career apparently utilizes you CS education. you don't contradict my point, you reiterate it.

There's a lot of good points on this thread. I agree with PhilLesh after having followed a similar path in life and succeeded with it up to this point. I also agree with Ben & The Economist who have pointed out that college is useful for some people and absolutely necessary for others.

PS: What's up Ben, this is Tim K formerly of Centreville.

PaperPusher,

> "So then your career apparently utilizes you CS education."

just because a career utilizes something does not mean it must be specifically taught for the idea of using it in the career. a career can benifit from things that are not associated with business practice at all. an example of this is the ability to use a computer. i learned to use a computer on my own for fun, the same with learning to use linux. i was never concerned about it having an effect on my career.


"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

well, thankfully the FAIRGRADE iniative has resolved some of this to the general advantage of Fairfax students.

MentalDiaspora Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Fairfax County kids get shafted when it comes to
> college admission, and it's pissing me off. We
> have some of the best schools in the country, and
> we can't even get into our own state colleges
> anymore.
>
>
> Many of my friends and I had to go to below-par
> universities for our freshman year and then
> transfer to better schools, even though we're more
> educated and qualified than people everywhere else
> in the state.
>
> This is bullshit.
>
>
>
> Thoughts? Opinions? Excruciating, soul-crushing
> stories about how The Man screwed over your
> college education?
>
So you went to JMU then?

MentalDiaspora Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Fairfax County kids get shafted when it comes to
> college admission, and it's pissing me off. We
> have some of the best schools in the country, and
> we can't even get into our own state colleges
> anymore.
>
>
> Many of my friends and I had to go to below-par
> universities for our freshman year and then
> transfer to better schools, even though we're more
> educated and qualified than people everywhere else
> in the state.
>
> This is bullshit.
>
>
>
> Thoughts? Opinions? Excruciating, soul-crushing
> stories about how The Man screwed over your
> college education?
>

sorry to say but a 3.4 GPA really isn't that good around these parts, esp. with the higher scores you get for the AP classes. And why did you drop out of TJ? There must be a story behind that. Having read your post, it's also possible your essays were not very good and lacked agood reason for the better schools to accept you. Turned down by JMU? Man, that's rough.

the JMU comments you two left actually are pretty funny - hats off to both of ya :)

that being said..........



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/08/2011 09:03AM by Gordon Blvd.
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MentalDiaspora - this is likely the last thing you want to hear, but I wouldn't go to any of the colleges to which you have been accepted. Your SAT scores are high (yes, folks, this generally means a high IQ), you are obviously bright, and what will make you successful in your endeavors is focus and maturity. I would opt for NOVA for a year or even two years. Yes, you won't get to play animal house at a college, and you might feel a bit left out, but with your level of academic preparation and any sort of work effort you will blitz NOVA and get in UVA, Tech, et. al. Plus, it will save you some money, and even better, might cause you to connect with employment in the area that will help develop practical skills. This advice is hardly strange - many young people in California, finding Cal or UCLA or UC San Diego out of reach after their senior year in high school, go to junior college knowing that if they do the work, their chances of admission to these schools is reasonably high.

I agree with Gordie Road about zombie threads, but since this is a problem that won't die it is somehow fitting that it should be discussed on a thread that won't die.

I didn't notice initially that this thread was started in 2005.
That said, the inability of many very smart, highly qualified high schoolers in Northern Virginia to get into the two or three better universities in the state is still very troubling. This thread can be an ongoing venue to discuss that. And what's up with GMU? With its location and access to smart grads in northern virginia you'd expect it to be a better school than it is?