uva:
w&m:
jmu:
vt:
cnu:
vcu:
ru:
odu:
vmi:

uva: preppy pricks
w&m: lucky if they don't kill themselves during freshman year
jmu: good school, good parties
vt: same as JMU, plus their football is solid
cnu: near the beach
vcu: sketchy area
ru: good times....
odu: good all around school
vmi: it will make or break you

uva: preppy, arrogant
w&m: dreary campus
jmu: way overrated from a academic standpoint; great social atmosphere
vt: football, diversity
cnu: beach
vcu: Eric Maynor the only good thing to come out of there.
ru: failure
odu: black people
vmi: military

UVA: Internationally known, one of the top schools in the nation.
W&M: Another top school, similar atmosphere to Ivy League.
JMU: Transfer school.
VT: "My 2.0 in business will get me a six figure job, now time for more beer."
CNU: Another transfer school.
VCU: Strong engineering courses, huge arts program.
RU: Party school.
ODU: One step above Devry Online University.
VMI: West Point rejects.

please- vcu is not sketchy-

Virginia Tech has some new and very popular courses:


Glock Design and Engineering

Hollowpoint Ammunition Theory

Korean Psychology: The Experience

Anger Management behind the Trigger

Virginia Police SWAT Tactics

College Campus Police: Are they a joke?

Self Inflicted Brain Trauma for Beginners

UVA: "Because of my parents and societal pressures, I decided that the most important thing in life is to get into a good college and anyone who thinks differently is going to pump gas at the Exxon."

RU: Possibly the douchiest school in the commonwealth of Virginia.

ODU: "I want to go to college but I didn't get in anywhere else, so I'm going to ODU!"

Personally I would say purely from reputation and academics:

1. UVA
2. W&M
3. VT

If I had kids those would be my top choices for them.



Granted NOVA seems to be overrun by VT grads but since I work in the tech industry I guess that is to be expected in this area.

uva: preppy faggots
w&m: waste management
jmu: the bomb
vt: zero national championships, and still brag about having good sports
cnu: see ODU
vcu: expect to be shot at several times
ru: STDs
odu: NOVA gives a better education
vmi: no girls

If you want to improve your chances of actually getting a job after graduation Id recommend GMU. GMUs proximity to the Federal Govt and major Corp HQs make their internships...and other work as you learn programs absolutely priceless.

Registered Voter...a Big talking coward..big man on FFXU...little man in life.

curious... Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> uva: World renowned.
> w&m: World renowned.
> jmu: Probably better academically than given credit for.
> vt: World renowned (for better and for worse)
> cnu: If you are going to include CNU and Radford, why not GMU, Washington & Lee and Marymount? They are certainly better known than CNU.
> vcu: A poor man's GW.
> ru: See CNU response.
> odu: Okay as a fallback school if you can't get into UVA, VT or W&M
> vmi: I've never understood why VMI and the Citadel still exist. If you can't get into a service academy, why wouldn't you just go the ROTC route at a public college (that's what Colin Powell did).

VCU isn't the safest school in Virginia -- its a large urban university in the heart of Richmond -- but I went there successfully unmugged. Several of my friends, however, not so lucky..



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/22/2010 06:08PM by NovAnon.

Vince(1) Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If you want to improve your chances of actually
> getting a job after graduation Id recommend GMU.
> GMUs proximity to the Federal Govt and major Corp
> HQs make their internships...and other work as you
> learn programs absolutely priceless.

and GMU has the highest in state undergraduate tuition rate of all the public universities in VA.

uva: overrated
w&m: nice area
jmu: teacher's school in the boonies
vt: probably best value for the money
cnu: why? Tiny.
vcu: Mason in Richmond
ru: I wouldn't
odu: I wouldn't x2
vmi: great for military-related folks

All the VA schools are getting huge budget hits from Richmond. UVA, JMU, VT and WM are probably best positioned to handle these based on the length of time they have been around, their low debt service $$ and endowments. Watch for position cuts and large classes, and decreased services at all schools.

VA is still not as bad as Maryland though, where they are facing the same cuts, without the ability to raise tuition. Classes and services are the only place to turn to cut expenses in MD.

Mofo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Personally I would say purely from reputation and
> academics:
>
> 1. UVA
> 2. W&M
> 3. VT
>
> If I had kids those would be my top choices for
> them.
>
I'd agree with that. That would be my reputational ranking.

Is there a point to your question? I think that the answer depends and it is easy to make general statements about each of these schools. If you are interested in nursing or teaching then a school like Radford is a good choice. It also has a some majors that are not offered anywhere else in Virginia. However, if you were looking to go to law or medical school I would probably pick another university.

Frankly, with the exception of a few top-tier schools I really don't think that it makes a big difference where you go to college if you take advantage of the opportunities presented to you. The worst thing you can do, in my opinion, is attend a school based on reputation only to realize that your passion lies in a career field that they cannot help you with. Our neighbor's daughter is majoring in English at UVA and decided over the past year that she wants to be a speech pathologist. Had she attended another school (e.g., Radford) she would graduate with a degree that she could use instead of having to complete a master's.

curious... Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> UVa: Great school and good people who take themselves just a little too seriously.

> W&M:Tough school to get in and tough school to get out.

JMU: Tough school to get in due to numbers crunch. JMU is for the person who wants a friendly atmosphere different from that at Virginia Tech, UVa, and William and Mary.

> VT: Hokie, Hokie, Hokie Hi -- Great school, overall the de facto state university in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Many Hokies are unnecessariy defensive when it comes to our friends in Charlottesville. There is just too much unnecessary jawing between Hokies and Hoos.

> CNU: A filler school for students who should have stayed home in Northern Virginia, gone to NVCC and then transferrred to the four year school of their choice.

> VCU: Great for arts and communications - Pretty good business school also.

> RU: A tad bit higher than CNU

> ODU: A tad bit higher than RU

> VMI: Demanding military college; from day one until graduation Keydets are expected to observe a stringet honor system. VMI students profess to hate the alumni - until they join their ranks. VMI graduates are among the most loyal in the country. Go see "Brother Rat" sometime and you might understand why.

GMU: One of the best buys in higher education. The academic demographics of the student body do not quite match the outstanding caliber of the faculty

im kinda suprised at the negative opinions of cnu. the average hs gpa of admitted students is almost on par with vt and jmu. it also has a unique leadership program not offered by most other schools (vmi obviously is the defacto choice for leadership training). they also have spent over $.5 billion improving their campus over the past decade.
i would rank the schools:
1 uva
2 w&m
3 vt/jmu tie. vt for science and technology, jmu for business
4 cnu
5 vcu/odu/ru

vmi doesnt really rank because it is military focused, if you want a military school it is better than uva, if not then why go there?

Who cares.

Unless you can think for yourself, all of those schools are going to turn you into a drone or worker bee who drives to work while talking and texting on your cell phone, and who believes the war on drugs is almost, just almost, about to be won, and who also believes that they should crack down on people who talk on their cellphones or texts while driving.

Thurston Moore Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Who cares.
>
> Unless you can think for yourself, all of those
> schools are going to turn you into a drone or
> worker bee who drives to work while talking and
> texting on your cell phone, and who believes the
> war on drugs is almost, just almost, about to be
> won, and who also believes that they should crack
> down on people who talk on their cellphones or
> texts while driving.


Thurston...not sure what you are getting at. Are you saying college is a bad thing? Are you saying the alternative is better?

Like everything else, it depends on your situation. Rule of thumb though, go where ever you will have the least amount of accumulated debt when you graduate. These schools all pretty much use the same textbooks anyways. The school doesn't make the person smarter alone, you only get what you put into it.

Heh, the advice I got was go to the best school you can get into. Took that advice over the notion of going in-state in the state where I was from. I think it was the right move.

George Mason is starting to get itself on the radar. Ignoring the huge parking mess and traffic nightmare on campus.. they are throwing up a lot of buildings. Now they are working on building a hotel.

The value cannot be beat. Last time I looked, tuition was still very cheap.

VT is good but sometimes there are crazy Asian people running around.

VA has a LOT of Great Schools.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/16/2009 08:51PM by ThePackLeader.

UVA: Go Cavaliers! (Good Science School).
W&M: "The Dartmouth of the South", or, as some say, vice versa.
JMU: Beautiful Location, Good School.
VT: I like UVA, enough said.
CNU: Tidewater, Military Community (Good School With Smaller Numbers).
VCU: Some Parts Are In Rougher Neighborhoods (Good Medical School).
RU: Good School From Past Experience, Not Sure About Modern Standing.
ODU: Tidewater, Military Community (Good for Education Majors).
VMI: Military, ARMY. Discipline and High Personal Standards.

Porksta Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> uva: preppy faggots
> w&m: waste management
> jmu: the bomb
> vt: zero national championships, and still brag
> about having good sports
> cnu: see ODU
> vcu: expect to be shot at several times
> ru: STDs
> odu: NOVA gives a better education
> vmi: no girls


You've never been to NVCC, because their education sucks. Half of their professors are Gates clones.

uva: Go if you get in, beautiful campus
w&m: Overrated
jmu: Has everything Tech has, plus hot chicks, less of a drive
vt: "We are VT" says it all, these students often let the school define who they are. Not even a has been of sports.
cnu: Only if you plan on working in Norfolk
vcu: Better of going to Mason
ru: STD University
odu: Only if you plan working in VA
vmi: Great if you really like structure and routine

To bad you're not considering GMU, it actually has a better reputation outside the DC area. I almost regret transferring out. On observation alone, the school does more to promote its faculty then any other school in the state. Watch any of those Discovery or NatGeo programs and GMU professors are always on disproportionally as contributors.

Anyone know anything about University of Mary Washington?

I think the discussion was limited to public universities.

Going the private school route...

Washington & Lee
University of Richmond
Mary Washington
Hollins
Randolph-Macon
Bridgewater
Emory & Henry
Mary Baldwin
Lynchburg College
Hampden Sydney
Sweet Briar
Marymount

W&L is far and away the best of the private schools. UofR comes second. From there it gets murky but schools like Mary Washington and Hollins would probably be higher than other schools.

University of Richmond is often overlooked, but it has an Ivy League atmosphere and is one of the top (private) schools in Virginia. Very expensive and lot of rich kid Ivy League rejects go there. The whole student parking lot is filled with new BMWs and Range Rovers.

Washington and Lee has a top notch law school.

uva: very good reputation both in and out of state. very preppy atmosphere.
w&m: another school with a good reputation, but lack of a real "social scene"
jmu: didn't get into uva/vt/w&m... party school with decent academics
vt: great for science/engineering. good overall reputation.
cnu: eh... fine if you aren't highly motivated/don't know what you want to do yet.
vcu: unsafe, on the same level as JMU academically.
ru: party party party.
odu: same as cnu
vmi: isn't comparable to any of the other colleges. only if it is for you.

ultimately you need to go to all of your choices and see which one you "fit" at. Each one of these schools has pros and cons, but only you can pick which one you feel suits you the best. trust me, i visited a good number of these schools and without question, i knew which one was right for me just after going on those little campus tours. (go hokies)

if you're looking for a ranking of their reputations alone, it depends on the major.

hmmmmm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> im kinda suprised at the negative opinions of cnu.
> the average hs gpa of admitted students is almost
> on par with vt and jmu. it also has a unique
> leadership program not offered by most other
> schools

Visited the campus this summer - it's beautiful and full of brand new dorms, library, student union, educational buildings, gym and large theater. Classes are small and professors actually teach them. My neighbor's kid did a combo undergrad/grad program in environmental sciences. But the B school is the most popular major. For a kid who might not do well in a huge school its a great option - only 1,200 freshman come in each year.

GMU was a fairly large commuter school in the past and much has changed since then with all of the new construction so the aura is changing. Plus,

>If you want to improve your chances of actually getting a job after graduation Id >recommend GMU. GMUs proximity to the Federal Govt and major Corp HQs make their >internships...and other work as you learn programs absolutely priceless.

+1

The transition to getting a job is seamless and many of the business in this area have great relationships with gmu so graduates are often at the top of the list for new hires. The old saying was VT has hundreds of employers around where GMU has thousands. This counts as double if you are an IT&E major seeing as this is a very hot area for those degrees, and the starting salaries crush degrees like english and history where at that point an education is almost not worth it. If you start bagging groceries at Safeway your going to be a store manager making the same amount after 4 years of experience. As far as education goes you get what you put in regardless of where you go. They often use the same text books and the information is same. The only difference may be the presentation.

the real rankings based on nationally ranked degree programs...

uva
w&m
vt
jmu
odu
vcu
vmi
cnu
ru

although, it doesn't really matter where you get your undergrad degree, success depends on where you get your professional degree, your willingness to work hard and ability to network in your field.

WashingTone-Locian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thurston Moore Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Who cares.
> >
> > Unless you can think for yourself, all of those
> > schools are going to turn you into a drone or
> > worker bee who drives to work while talking and
> > texting on your cell phone, and who believes
> the
> > war on drugs is almost, just almost, about to
> be
> > won, and who also believes that they should
> crack
> > down on people who talk on their cellphones or
> > texts while driving.
>
>
> Thurston...not sure what you are getting at. Are
> you saying college is a bad thing? Are you saying
> the alternative is better?

That's a totally unfair generalization, WTL. I didn't go to college, and I can STILL afford to wear shoes when I'm taking a siesta in the middle of a sidewalk.

--------------------------------------------------------------
13 4826 0948 82695 25847. Yes.

MrMephisto Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> That's a totally unfair generalization, WTL. I
> didn't go to college, and I can STILL afford to
> wear shoes when I'm taking a siesta in the middle
> of a sidewalk.


Not meaning to bust on people who didn't go to college. Lots of smart people don't. But my point is, having a college degree makes it a hell of a lot easier to get through life. There are lots of reasons people don't go to college, but "fear of being a drone" shouldn't be one of them.

Does anyone think not having a college education prevents you from being a mindless drone?

WashingTone-Locian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> MrMephisto Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> >
> > That's a totally unfair generalization, WTL. I
> > didn't go to college, and I can STILL afford to
> > wear shoes when I'm taking a siesta in the
> middle
> > of a sidewalk.
>
>
> Not meaning to bust on people who didn't go to
> college. Lots of smart people don't. But my point
> is, having a college degree makes it a hell of a
> lot easier to get through life. There are lots of
> reasons people don't go to college, but "fear of
> being a drone" shouldn't be one of them.
>
> Does anyone think not having a college education
> prevents you from being a mindless drone?

Hugo Black and Robert Byrd have degrees and were in the Klan.

WashingTone-Locian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> MrMephisto Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> >
> > That's a totally unfair generalization, WTL. I
> > didn't go to college, and I can STILL afford to
> > wear shoes when I'm taking a siesta in the
> middle
> > of a sidewalk.
>
>
> Not meaning to bust on people who didn't go to
> college. Lots of smart people don't. But my point
> is, having a college degree makes it a hell of a
> lot easier to get through life.

True dat. I was just horseshittin' ya. I lucked into my janitor job.

--------------------------------------------------------------
13 4826 0948 82695 25847. Yes.

Pan the Klan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> Hugo Black and Robert Byrd have degrees and were
> in the Klan.


George W. Bush has two college degrees and went into business with Osama Bin Laden's brother. What's your point?

ITRADE Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think the discussion was limited to public
> universities.
>
> Going the private school route...
>
> Washington & Lee
> University of Richmond
> Mary Washington
> Hollins
> Randolph-Macon
> Bridgewater
> Emory & Henry
> Mary Baldwin
> Lynchburg College
> Hampden Sydney
> Sweet Briar
> Marymount
>
> W&L is far and away the best of the private
> schools. UofR comes second. From there it gets
> murky but schools like Mary Washington and Hollins
> would probably be higher than other schools.


Mary Washington is a STATE school.

uva: Go to NOVA - transfer there and get the best deal - Darden is best. Plese don't become another lawyer.
w&m: Great school and acknowledged as such
jmu: Good school if the kids don't have to live at the Holiday Inn anymore.
vt: Peace Festival. Good solid school with sports
cnu: ?
vcu: Someone already said it, questionable neighborhood
ru: Shoe in
odu: Over Dose University
vmi: Harsh but admirable.

Latest ranking from US News and World reports

1. UVA
2. W & M

Both in Top 40

GMU tied for no rank.

us news and world reports Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Latest ranking from US News and World reports
>
> 1. UVA
> 2. W & M
>
> Both in Top 40
>
> GMU tied for no rank.

Mason is #2 on up and coming, us news and world report - down from last year's #1 ranking.

http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/national-uc-rank

Meaning its no better than #41...

ITRADE Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> http://i.ehow.com/images/GlobalPhoto/Articles/4484
> 133/Burger-King-Employee-main_Full.jpg


Corky! You're back.

I really think these types of rankings can be misleading and overrated at times. Since this is based on undergraduate degrees which most people know, with the exception of programs like IT, engineering and accounting, you would really need a good graduate school to be a solid predictor of future career success. Really, they should just cut the undergrad rankings out all together and stick with rankings of undergrad degree programs specifically, or just graduate programs and professional degrees. This overall ranking of schools seems like it's for inter-reputational purposes in order for schools to justify increasing tuition.

Who would you hire?

You've got a guy with an undergrad degree at UVA who got his MBA at Mason because he didn't study hard enough to get into a better b-school.

vs.

A guy with an undergrad degree at Mason who did well enough to move on to get his MBA at UVA.

Most would agree that the graduate school carries more weight (assuming that there is a solid enough gap in quality between UVA and GMU b-schools). Same goes for medical school, law school or any other lucrative career path.

That said, I'm all for getting into the best school you can that is "affordable" for undergraduate studies (such as choosing in-state vs. out), and while you're there, do really well and shift your focus on getting into the best graduate school possible, irrespective of costs. (Art history majors need not apply.)

That should get about 20% of your career success predictor out of the way. So now, all you have to focus on is the other 80% of showing up to work (also called, working hard and networking).

stop hating on Mason, hater. There law school is top 50 in the US.hater

naw Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> stop hating on Mason, hater. There law school is
> top 50 in the US.hater


Sounds like a typical GMU student.

JMU is THE SHIT HANDS DOWN from a social standpoint, their academics are challenging and the professors care about their students.

New USN&WR rankings?

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/Area-colleges-score-well-in-annual-national-rankings-8134691-53849847.html

Best National Universities (2010)

14. Johns Hopkins (Md.)
23. Georgetown (D.C.)
24. U. of Virginia
33. William & Mary (Va.)
53. George Washington (D.C.)
53. University of Maryland,
College Park
71. Virginia Tech
84. American University (D.C.)
96. Howard University (D.C.)


Where's GMU? Below Howard? Ohh, the humanity...

Best Liberal Arts Colleges (2010)

14. Washington & Lee (Va.)
19. U.S. Naval Academy (Md.)
30. University of Richmond (Va.)
62. Virginia Military Institute
77. Sweet Briar College (Va.)
92. St. Mary’s College of Maryland
97. Hampden-Sydney College (Va.)

That's strange about Howard. Every person we've ever hired from there never seems to work out for us.

Interesting about MD. I didn't expect them to be on par with GW. They are definitely the more affordable of the two, but academically speaking, are night-and-day.

Bill Clinton has two college degrees and went on to become a disbarred disgraced lip-biting rapist. What's your point?

WashingtonTone-Logian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Bill Clinton has two college degrees and went on
> to become a disbarred disgraced lip-biting rapist.
> What's your point?


Someone who is posing as me now spent three weeks on a wild goose chase looking up someone who wasn't me. What's your point?

WTF?? You're on a wild goose chase buddy. And stop impersonating me.

WashingtonTone-Logian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> WTF?? You're on a wild goose chase buddy. And stop
> impersonating me.

u said goose chase, which is really gaye

said gaye, which is really gaye

u said gaye, which is really gaye

but i am what i eat, which is gayss

wtfno Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> George Mason is starting to get itself on the
> radar.

GMU boosters have been saying that for at least the last 25 years, to my personal knowledge.

703-4-Life Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> uva: preppy pricks
> w&m: lucky if they don't kill themselves during
> freshman year
> jmu: good school, good parties
> vt: same as JMU, plus their football is solid
> cnu: near the beach
> vcu: sketchy area
> ru: good times....
> odu: good all around school
> vmi: it will make or break you


curious Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> please- vcu is not sketchy-


i would describe ODU as a sketchy area before richmond...

My list (in order):
WM
UVA
CNU
VT
JMU

WM/UVA - nationally ranked, beautiful/truly historic campuses and known around the world. CNU - up and coming, highly selective, and small campus makes for some of the best student to faculty ratios. VT - go there for tech degrees and kick-ass football games. JMU - good all around school.

VCU/ODU/VMI/RU - not selective/schools for those who cannot get into the ones above or others like W&L, GMU, etc. ODU was known as TCC extended at my HS.

I know many of you are very self-conscious about your school (and yourselves...hence the views), but those saying uva is more highly regarded academically than w&m are wrong. W&M is a great school, and better than uva and tech. Uva is not that much better than tech, so I don't know why uva people are bragging, both are good schools, neither is really superior. You'll see when your looking for jobs...

§ Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I really think these types of rankings can be
> misleading and overrated at times. Since this is
> based on undergraduate degrees which most people
> know, with the exception of programs like IT,
> engineering and accounting, you would really need
> a good graduate school to be a solid predictor of
> future career success. Really, they should just
> cut the undergrad rankings out all together and
> stick with rankings of undergrad degree programs
> specifically, or just graduate programs and
> professional degrees. This overall ranking of
> schools seems like it's for inter-reputational
> purposes in order for schools to justify
> increasing tuition.
>
> Who would you hire?
>
> You've got a guy with an undergrad degree at UVA
> who got his MBA at Mason because he didn't study
> hard enough to get into a better b-school.
>
> vs.
>
> A guy with an undergrad degree at Mason who did
> well enough to move on to get his MBA at UVA.
>
> Most would agree that the graduate school carries
> more weight (assuming that there is a solid enough
> gap in quality between UVA and GMU b-schools).
> Same goes for medical school, law school or any
> other lucrative career path.
>
> That said, I'm all for getting into the best
> school you can that is "affordable" for
> undergraduate studies (such as choosing in-state
> vs. out), and while you're there, do really well
> and shift your focus on getting into the best
> graduate school possible, irrespective of costs.
> (Art history majors need not apply.)
>
> That should get about 20% of your career success
> predictor out of the way. So now, all you have to
> focus on is the other 80% of showing up to work
> (also called, working hard and networking).


Thats just a generalization where you cant produce an accurate answer. As with any college it all depends upon what department youre in. UVA has some majors that rank higher than GMU just like GMU has some that rank higher than UVA. Same goes with grad programs. Just going off a school name doesnt give the real picture of the quality of the education but can help with alumni connections

Virginia is spoiled with some of the best public universities in the country, period. That's one thing everyone should be able to agree upon. The Princeton Review puts out a highly recognized book called the best 376 colleges in the nation. For 2012, the following six public universities made the cut from Virginia.

UVA
W&M
CNU
VA Tech
GM
JMU

The real suprise in the list is CNU. Their SAT scores and GPA are very high, and they are further recognized by the Princeton Review as having one of the top 36 business and biology schools in the entire country. Once they get more visibility, they will soon be on par with UVA and W&M. I do love JMU though.

WashingTone-Locian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> curious... Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > uva: World renowned.
> > w&m: World renowned.
> > jmu: Probably better academically than given
> credit for.
> > vt: World renowned (for better and for worse)
> > cnu: If you are going to include CNU and
> Radford, why not GMU, Washington & Lee and
> Marymount? They are certainly better known than
> CNU.
> > vcu: A poor man's GW.
> > ru: See CNU response.
> > odu: Okay as a fallback school if you can't get
> into UVA, VT or W&M
> > vmi: I've never understood why VMI and the
> Citadel still exist. If you can't get into a
> service academy, why wouldn't you just go the ROTC
> route at a public college (that's what Colin
> Powell did).


Or go to OCS...

Creme of the Crop Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Virginia is spoiled with some of the best public
> universities in the country, period. That's one
> thing everyone should be able to agree upon. The
> Princeton Review puts out a highly recognized book
> called the best 376 colleges in the nation. For
> 2012, the following six public universities made
> the cut from Virginia.
>
> UVA
> W&M
> CNU
> VA Tech
> GM
> JMU
>
> The real suprise in the list is CNU. Their SAT
> scores and GPA are very high, and they are further
> recognized by the Princeton Review as having one
> of the top 36 business and biology schools in the
> entire country. Once they get more visibility,
> they will soon be on par with UVA and W&M. I do
> love JMU though.

CNU will never be as well recognized or as good as UVA and W&M. Hate to bring it up, but GMU is a crap college as well.

Seriously, go into the real world and tell anyone (not from VA) "I went to Christopher Newport University". Nobody will know where that is.

Get out of Virginia and get a real education

Sadly one state school seems to be missing from the last postion on everyone's list... Longwood University: Bong Hits and Cow Tipping

Try again Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Creme of the Crop Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Virginia is spoiled with some of the best
> public
> > universities in the country, period. That's one
> > thing everyone should be able to agree upon.
> The
> > Princeton Review puts out a highly recognized
> book
> > called the best 376 colleges in the nation.
> For
> > 2012, the following six public universities
> made
> > the cut from Virginia.
> >
> > UVA
> > W&M
> > CNU
> > VA Tech
> > GM
> > JMU
> >
> > The real suprise in the list is CNU. Their SAT
> > scores and GPA are very high, and they are
> further
> > recognized by the Princeton Review as having
> one
> > of the top 36 business and biology schools in
> the
> > entire country. Once they get more visibility,
> > they will soon be on par with UVA and W&M. I do
> > love JMU though.
>
> CNU will never be as well recognized or as good as
> UVA and W&M. Hate to bring it up, but GMU is a
> crap college as well.
>
> Seriously, go into the real world and tell anyone
> (not from VA) "I went to Christopher Newport
> University". Nobody will know where that is.


Probably because CNU has an enrollment of about 4,800 students and probably won't grow past 5,000 students.

Not to mention there are a ton of big schools that people have "heard of" but have no clue where they are probably.

CNU has some of the dumbest students I have ever encountered in my life.

That is my two cents.

Every state school has their strength. It depends on what program you're there for. But I would put these in the upper tier.

UVA - english, architecture, business, law....?
VTech - engineering....?
VCU - arts & music, engineering, urban planning, medical, marketing
Mason - business, computer science/math, law....?
JMU - not sure what they specialize in, but all their programs are fairly strong
W&M - history, english ...?

and i would put these 4 in the next category as being lower tier. but i'm sure they have a few decent programs in something too.
ODU - ??
Radford- dance/music i think?
MWash - ??
CNU - ??

Wow, way to revive an old subject.

I think it's balantly obvious that the OP wants to get a good education, but really wants to party and have a good time.

Why else would they name every single school except GMU, when it is the only one of the schools based in Northern Virginia, and this is a Northern Virginia web site.

OP, I know you want to have a good time, so just go to JMU and you'll probably be very happy.

Sketchiness depends on your point of view. If you've lived in only NOVA for your whole life, being in a place like VCU might seem like the ghetto. Richmond is probably reasonably safe, but just be street smart as it is not like NOVA when you can walk down a dark street by yourself.

Competition has probably really gone up, but when I was looking at college, VCU, ODU, Radford, and CNU were where people would go that did really bad in high school, but didn't want to go to a community college for various reasons.

I wouldn't want to go to Radford in fear of drinking out of the wrong beer can or beer pong cup.

William and Mary is harder to get into than UVA.

You really need a 4.0 to get into W&M, unless you're black, then you can get in with a 3.5. I'm not being racist, that is the truth.

UVA is just as prominent, so I wouldn't kill myself going to W&M.

Virginia Tech is a good well known school, that probably has a good mix of partying scene with good academics.

However, don't go to Virginia Polytechnical institute or whatever if you plan on majoring in business. There is a reason why it is called Virginia ***TECH***.

There are really three public universites with discussing.

UVA
William and Mary
Virginia Tech

all the others are a distanct second (or third).

-----------------------------------------------

"...your suffering will be legendary even in Hell!"

DEStewart01 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Every state school has their strength. It depends
> on what program you're there for. But I would put
> these in the upper tier.
>
> UVA - english, architecture, business, law....?
> VTech - engineering....?
> VCU - arts & music, engineering, urban planning,
> medical, marketing
> Mason - business, computer science/math, law....?
> JMU - not sure what they specialize in, but all
> their programs are fairly strong
> W&M - history, english ...?
>
> and i would put these 4 in the next category as
> being lower tier. but i'm sure they have a few
> decent programs in something too.
> ODU - ??
> Radford- dance/music i think?
> MWash - ??
> CNU - ??

Yes you moron. I'm sure you can compare the McIntire School of Commerce at UVa with GMU's undergrad business program.

And, yes again you fuck-twat, I'm sure you can really compare UVa with VCU with regards to medicine or pre-medicine for that matter.

(sarcasm)

I always find the whole ranking system somewhat humorous. However for those who are hung up on them BusinessWeek ratings of undergraduate business schools might be of interest. According to them in 2011 UVA is number 2, U Richmond is number 12, W&M is number 23 and JMU is number 28. Four Virginia schools in the top 30. Median starting salary are pretty close for the four schools.

oh no. I think I offended a graduate of the UVA McIntire School of Commerce.... LOL. You clearly missed my point. My point was that each school has strong programs, and you should chose your school for that reason.

Lets say your daughter is a straight A student, took AP classes etc. has a 4.0 but wants to study digital art in college because AP Art was her favorite class. Her senior year she put on her own galleries in school, clearly art is her passion. She should probably go to VCU, because an art degree from VCU means more than an art degree from UVA (if they even have art). Her teachers and counselors will probably think UVA when they see her transcript, but it might not be the best school for her. The world renowned UVA McIntire School of Business does nothing for an art student.... or an engineering student, or an urban planner.

I could go on. But I think I've made my point.

Aryan_Foster Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> Yes you moron. I'm sure you can compare the
> McIntire School of Commerce at UVa with GMU's
> undergrad business program.
>
> And, yes again you fuck-twat, I'm sure you can
> really compare UVa with VCU with regards to
> medicine or pre-medicine for that matter.
>
> (sarcasm)

This guy unintentionally brought up another important factor in college choice: Cultural Fit.

When you start visiting schools make it a point to talk to as many people as possible (current students, alumni, faculty, etc.). And if possible attend a few school functions: sporting events, pep rally, art show etc. Get a good feel for the community and their common personality and behavioral characteristics. Are you a good fit?

Example: UVA is obviously a great school, consistently ranked as one of the top public schools in the country. But its mostly populated by arrogant, preppy, self-satisfied a-holes. The whole university has an aura of general unfriendliness.

Are you an arrogant, preppy, self-satisfied, a-hole? Are you willing to learn? Do you enjoy their company? Does bad football excite you?

If the answer is no, then you probably want to look elsewhere.

(I went to UVA undergrad and then to Duke, so I'm biased a bit. My brother went to William & Mary. I'm trying to approach this as neutrally as possible.)

UVA: Excellent school. Nationally known and respected such that if you don't know where you want to go after college, the UVA degree may help open doors, especially if you want to continue into a graduate or professional school. Easily the best place to go in the Commonwealth unless there's a particular program at one of the other schools that interests you and that is not offered at UVA. But it's brutally hard to get into UVA and it will just keep getting harder in the coming years. I'm glad I went there when I did because if I had the same high school grades today, I wouldn't have made it.

W&M: You've heard of "grade inflation"? William & Mary has "grade deflation." Professors take pride in being brutally tough graders. Other than that, it's an excellent school (if you're willing to study your arse off) that tends to fly under the radar a bit. A lot of people don't realize it's a public university, even people who live in Virginia. You do have to be willing to feel a bit like you're a part of a tourist attraction if you go to school there due to its proximity to Colonial Williamsburg. My brother tells me Greek life is a lot more important at William & Mary than it is at UVA simply because it's a smaller place and there's not as much to do. Be prepared not to have a car for a longer time than at other schools; because of limited parking in the area, William & Mary has a more restrictive car policy (or at least they did in the 1990s).

JMU: A notch below UVA and William & Mary but a notch above VPI. Everyone who goes there seems to love it.

VPI: Very good school for engineering and the veterinary program, but known less for their academics than for football. Needs to get over their apparent inferiority complex as to all things UVA because they constantly try to compare themselves to UVA in everything they do (hell, even their class rings say "Beat UVA"....don't you folks have anything of your own about which you can take pride?). Further away from Northern Virginia than you think (and be careful of the speedtraps on I-81 through the Roanoke area). The shooting thing is very unfortunate and shouldn't be viewed as a reflection on the school as a whole.

CNU: I assume this means Christopher Newport? Don't know anything at all about the school beyond its name, and I've lived in Virginia for almost 40 years.

VCU: Best-known for its medical school. I'm not sure how the medical program compares to UVA or Duke. Close to some sketchy areas of Richmond that ought to give female applicants reason to pause when deciding where to go. I don't know a lot about VCU.

RU: I assume this means Radford? Don't know much about it. Most people I know who didn't get into UVA, William & Mary, or JMU found themselves deciding between Radford and VPI and they opted for VPI. That's probably a good call because VPI is probably better-known outside Virginia such that you leave yourself with more options after you graduate.

ODU: Norfolk is a rough place.

VMI: Requires a very special type of discipline that would not appeal to the vast majority of people, especially if the stereotypes of kids today as being coddled and soft are true. VMI will chew you up and kick your arse. You have to have a really thick skin to go there. I have no doubt that anyone who survives the experience would be well-prepared for just about anything. I also wouldn't be surprised to hear that some potential employers of a more liberal bent might harbor a subconscious prejudice against VMI because of the dispute over admitting women.

GMU: Certainly improved big-time over the past 30 years from the days when it was just a commuter school. The law school is a decent place to go IF you are certain you want to practice in Virginia, as you'll get more Virginia practice classes than you will at a more nationally-known school like UVA or William & Mary such that you'll be well-prepared for the bar exam (though if you are smart enough to go to law school, you're smart enough not to go).


Posts like the one "Case in point" made just up the thread don't help much except for his first two paragraphs. The point about visiting, talking to lots of people, attending functions, exploring the area (preferably without your parents), is all good advice. The rest of the stereotypical stuff is a load of garbage because it doesn't help anyone. So "Case in point" has a bad impression of UVA folks. The whole point is that you should decide that sort of thing FOR YOURSELF. There are plenty of stereotypes of all the Virginia schools: William & Mary having ugly women; VPI being obnoxious rednecks; ODU being black thugs; GMU being the fall-back safety school; etc. Go visit for yourself and decide and ignore other people's comments about the student bodies except for people you know personally and whose opinions you respect.

Rich has some good points, but not all entirely accurate.

I would not say JMU is a notch above Tech. Overall about even.

Some sterotypes are dead-on. W&M IS full of ugly girls, so is Tech. JMU is #1 in the state in this regard, by far.

CNU is basically a commuter school in Newport News. Over the last 5 or so years, they have become much more selective. May actually be #5 in selectivity behind UVA, W&M, Tech, JMU.

ODU is much improved in recent years. They now have a nice campus.

if you haven't visited any of these campuses in the last 5 years, you should not comment. if you are judging based on your knowledge from the 80's (pre cell phones, pre internet, pre TJHS, pre 1.1 million fairfax county residents), your information is outdated. if you don't know that fairfax county's student population is 23% of the entire state of virginia, and if you don't know that virginia state universities accept fewer in-state students than any other state, you should not judge.
-------------------------------------------------------
> uva: excellent academics, prep school kids
> w&m: excellent liberal arts, draws relationship challenged kids
> jmu: very good academics, great social life, white school, little diversity
> vt: excellent academics, loyal but obnoxious alumni,identity is tied to D1
cnu: very good academics, small, nothing to do
> vcu: some excellent programs, improved campus, dining hall has a way to go
> ru: good academics, needs more sports, kids drink too much
> odu: some excellent programs, brand new campus, sports program better than jmu
> vmi: should be compared to other military academies

CNU is highly selective? I think not. Its funny how students from CNU desperately try to promote themselves as a top university. Coming from the Newport News area, I transferred from VCU to W&M and can tell you VCU's reputation is about 2X better than CNU. Also, to the people stating VCU as unsafe, it’s an urban campus people. I'm sure students from Colombia and NYU get mugged too, but then again I would risk a mugging for a Colombia degree, not a VCU degree.

1) UVA and W&M are considered public ivy. I think UVA is a little overrated, but still a top 40 school. W&M is a boot camp college. UVA-"I'm god's gift to earth" " W&M-"I’m smarter than you, but I'm going to blow my brains out if I fail another class"
'
2) VT- good school and strong alumni base, but VT is a redneck cult. "Our football team is the best but we keep losing"

3) JMU/GMU-Where the mediocre students at my high school applied and then transferred out of. "Dude, JMU/GMU had some good parties, too bad I'm transferring to UVA"

4) VMI- Decent with a strong alumni base, but for individuals destined for military careers.

4.5) VCU- Easier to get into, but not easy to stay in. VCU has a lot of slackers, but they don't last long. Also its a very diverse student body, but segregated (oxymoron, I know). There is not much interaction between races, social groups, or majors. I transfered to W&M because I wanted to look better on paper. "I’m pre-med and on academic probation”

4.75) Longwood- Longwood is in Farmville, VA aka "middle of no where", but has a good campus. "I’m smart, but I never did my homework in high school”

5) CNU -It's improved a lot, but CNU had a 98% acceptance rate in the late 1990's. "Let’s build a ton of new buildings, cook the acceptance-rate books, and then say we have a great school. btw don't hire anymore instructors"

5.5) ODU/Radford-I don't know much about ODU, but I know most of their students are from the immediate area and the school is not ranked. Radford is a party school where slackers go to die.

curious... Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> uva: overrated
> w&m: unemployed
> jmu: intoxicated
> vt: spirit wear
> cnu: unworldly
> vcu: creative
> ru: alcoholics
> odu: friendly
> vmi: why

What about:

Columbia College
Kings Park University (KPU)
IGlobal University
University of Fairfax
University of Northern Virginia (UNVA)
Virginia Christian University (VACU)
Virginia International University (VIU)
Virginia University of Oriental Medicine
Washington Baptist University

All are located in Fairfax County.

uva: Great school, a little preppy(UVA & W&M will get you to your next stage of your life)
w&m: Great school, Humid
jmu: Too many NOVA kids, still like high school
vt: Good school, a little isolated, push the quality of the food, not academics on visit
cnu: your last choice, too new
vcu: sketchy area
ru: STDs
odu: ok all around school
vmi: good school but a choice

i got the herp-a-derp from a bitch at Radford even though i used a rubber. wtf?

seriously, be careful of the bitches there, took me forever to get rid of that shit.

Uh, McDoucheBox?

Herpes is incurable.

Nice to know you're spreading it to all the sweaty teenagers you hang with.

By the way, did you tell the guy who infected you?

Thinkbox MC Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> i got the herp-a-derp from a bitch at Radford even
> though i used a rubber. wtf?
>
> seriously, be careful of the bitches there, took
> me forever to get rid of that shit.


you really know how to pick em

BEH Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Uh, McDoucheBox?
>
> Herpes is incurable.
>
> Nice to know you're spreading it to all the sweaty
> teenagers you hang with.
>
> By the way, did you tell the guy who infected you?


Hey stupid cum-dumpster BEH?

ever heard of Valtrex?

i'm not an uninsured lowlife dreg of society like you so my insurance got me some of that bitch.

think before you speak next time you dumb whore, try again.

-thinkbox out.

People like "thinkbox" are a waste of space. Valtrex doesn't cure herpes, it suppresses outbreaks.

I went to undergrad at CNU and UVA for graduate school. I currently live in Fairfax, and I've lived in Virginia my entire life. I have/had friends at every public university in the state, excluding Virginia State. And yes, I have actually visited every college in VA except for Radford in the past 5 years, so I think you guys should give the following words some credibility.

The best three Virginia schools, in order:
1. UVA
2. W&M
3. JMU

UVA is the best, check the rankings, it's not debatable. W&M is probably equal to UVA in regard to academics, but everyone I know who went there for undergrad dropped out because they felt "depressed" (yikes, considering W&M is often joked for having the highest suicide rate in the nation, no longer true BTW) is by far the BEST MIX of reputable academics and fun/partying. My advice to high school kids is to aim for JMU because it is hard to NOT love that school once you're a student. I have never heard a JMU kid complain about their experience, and I have heard kids from every other school complain about theirs.

Pretty damn good tier:
4. VT
5. CNU
6. Mary Washington

VT is definitely overrated in a general sense regarding their academics. Their engineering program is the best in VA, but everything else is on par with JMU. I rank them in the second tier because the social scene blows unless you are in Greek life. CNU will one day = W&M. The school is quite difficult to get into, contrary to what some of these haters on this thread think, and their academic programs are most certainly considered reputable throughout VA. Partying is there, trust me, but campus cops can be assholes which deters a lot of would be partiers from venturing out much until junior and senior years. ***If you want to get a pre-med education, go to CNU; their program sent some of my friends to the best medical schools in the country. Mary Washington is just a good school, too bad it is not well known.

Mid tier:
7. GMU

This school got too big before it got reputable. No campus life whatsoever. You will absolutely be required to join a sorority or fraternity if you want to party, period. Transfer rates are very high. Nevertheless, academics are solid, just not top-notch. It's also the most expensive undergrad school in VA, which turns me off. If you want a deal on a law degree, go here, it's a great law school.

Bottom tier:
8. VCU
9. ODU
10. Longwood
11. Radford

These schools are just not good. I'll give VCU credit- some idiot above bashed their med school and I will tell you that VCU is an excellent medical school if you want to do emergency medicine or trauma surgery. But I digress because we are speaking about undergrad only. ODU is probably more hood than VCU for sure because VCU = hobos but ODU = shootings and drugs. Someone above said Longwood = bong rips and cow tipping. Yup. Radford is just a piece of ish. Sorry, there's no other way to accurately describe that school.

I would look at it like this:

Top Tier:
1. UVA
2. W&M
3. Tech

Good:
1.JMU
2.GMU
3.Mary Washington

Average:
1. VCU
2. CNU

Terrible:
1. Longwood
2. Radford
3. ODU

Tech is nationally ranked; JMU isn't. One is good for engineering, the other is good for business. Any of these schools can be decent for certain people... just don't expect much of an education out of the bottom.

VMI isn't on the list, because it has very limited appeal. CNU is never going to be W&M. Sorry, but it's true. 59% is a pretty high number. It's not Radford, but it's still pretty high.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/23/2013 08:49PM by Young Curmudgeon.

Tech is nationally ranked alright, for D-1 football. It's admissions acceptance rate is just a few percentage points below Radford's. However else Tech is"nationally ranked" is probably pretty bogus. It's a farm school with a good ag and engineering school.

UVA, CWM, and JMU are much more difficult to get into.

theREALtruth Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I went to undergrad at CNU and UVA for graduate
> school. I currently live in Fairfax, and I've
> lived in Virginia my entire life. I have/had
> friends at every public university in the state,
> excluding Virginia State. And yes, I have actually
> visited every college in VA except for Radford in
> the past 5 years, so I think you guys should give
> the following words some credibility.
>
> The best three Virginia schools, in order:
> 1. UVA
> 2. W&M
> 3. JMU
>
> UVA is the best, check the rankings, it's not
> debatable. W&M is probably equal to UVA in regard
> to academics, but everyone I know who went there
> for undergrad dropped out because they felt
> "depressed" (yikes, considering W&M is often joked
> for having the highest suicide rate in the nation,
> no longer true BTW) is by far the BEST MIX of
> reputable academics and fun/partying. My advice
> to high school kids is to aim for JMU because it
> is hard to NOT love that school once you're a
> student. I have never heard a JMU kid complain
> about their experience, and I have heard kids from
> every other school complain about theirs.
>
> Pretty damn good tier:
> 4. VT
> 5. CNU
> 6. Mary Washington
>
> VT is definitely overrated in a general sense
> regarding their academics. Their engineering
> program is the best in VA, but everything else is
> on par with JMU. I rank them in the second tier
> because the social scene blows unless you are in
> Greek life. CNU will one day = W&M. The school is
> quite difficult to get into, contrary to what some
> of these haters on this thread think, and their
> academic programs are most certainly considered
> reputable throughout VA. Partying is there, trust
> me, but campus cops can be assholes which deters a
> lot of would be partiers from venturing out much
> until junior and senior years. ***If you want to
> get a pre-med education, go to CNU; their program
> sent some of my friends to the best medical
> schools in the country. Mary Washington is just a
> good school, too bad it is not well known.
>
> Mid tier:
> 7. GMU
>
> This school got too big before it got reputable.
> No campus life whatsoever. You will absolutely be
> required to join a sorority or fraternity if you
> want to party, period. Transfer rates are very
> high. Nevertheless, academics are solid, just not
> top-notch. It's also the most expensive undergrad
> school in VA, which turns me off. If you want a
> deal on a law degree, go here, it's a great law
> school.
>
> Bottom tier:
> 8. VCU
> 9. ODU
> 10. Longwood
> 11. Radford
>
> These schools are just not good. I'll give VCU
> credit- some idiot above bashed their med school
> and I will tell you that VCU is an excellent
> medical school if you want to do emergency
> medicine or trauma surgery. But I digress because
> we are speaking about undergrad only. ODU is
> probably more hood than VCU for sure because VCU =
> hobos but ODU = shootings and drugs. Someone above
> said Longwood = bong rips and cow tipping. Yup.
> Radford is just a piece of ish. Sorry, there's no
> other way to accurately describe that school.


Finally someone who knows what they're talking about. For the record, I have lived in Virginia for 33 years. I started my undergrad at GMU, and transferred to Mary Washington (during which time it was renamed to a University- silly). I just finished grad school at GMU.

GMU engineers are dumb.

GW is now unranked.

WM grads are as unemployed as the rest of the Va college grads.

SHaZbOt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> JMU is THE SHIT HANDS DOWN from a social
> standpoint, their academics are challenging and
> the professors care about their students.


Nova kids who go to JMU and return to Nova remain ignorant their entire lives

Anything new on the college front? My son is considering cnu. Apparently its gaining alot of steam

skinsfan80 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Anything new on the college front? My son is
> considering cnu. Apparently its gaining alot of
> steam

CNU is up and coming, in a good way, but stay on campus. CNU gets a lot of curriculum and faculty assistance from W&M.

GMU needs a time out for a few years. It grew faster than the academics could support.

Both my kids started college in Virginia, then transferred to out of state private schools. They believe it was the best choice for them.