@londondad What is IR bad business? We looked at AU but 29% admit rate is harder than W&M. She doesn’t like the look of the campus either but we assumed it was just too hard. GW is test optional but sooo $.
.You can’t go by admit rates alone- that is effected by things like number of applicants, strength of applicant pool at a particular college. So, look at things like average ACT, SAT , GPA at AU vs. averages at W & M and compare that.
UMW is a regional school and does not have the more national draw and name recognition that W & M has. The average applicant pool numbers at W & M would be higher than UMW. as well.
@sevmom Thank you - what sort of reputation does MW have?
I believe Mary Washington would seldom be a top choice for top students in Virginia. It seems like an okay school though. Not sure it would be worth paying OOS rates for if you can’t get good aid from them. But that is certainly your decision. Fredericksburg is a nice, historic town with an Amtrak stop in town if I recall correctly. The valedictorian at my kid’s high school went there a few years ago. But, I believe she got their top full ride offer. A few of the kids in the top 10 that year went to UVa so her picking UMW was definitely an anomaly. But, she did well there and ended up at a very top (one of HYPS) school for a PhD. So, like any school, a top , dedicated student from UMW can certainly go places!
@cloudysmom it was a typo. I meant
“IR and business”. I have no idea why AU has become so hard to get into recently. It just seems that urban schools in nice cities have become more popular.
I think 4.3 is a good gpa for WM, at my school people who got accepted had an average of about about 4.25. I think if this school were to be her first choice, she would have a very good chance to get in
Mary Washington is a very humble school. people who go there are well educated and theres a mix between quiet intellectuals/outgoing extroverted people, and probably leans a little more toward the quiet intellectual side. Socially, your daughter seems like she probably will like it there. Although not really nationally known yet, its a pretty good school, would this be her safety if she applied here?
What about VCU? it does have a pretty big party scene, however, it is has an artsy feeling and is quite diverse. I think VCU is more well known just a little bit more than MW
I’d suggest considering AU. Their admission rate has gone done an almost unbelievable amount in the last two years (as in 45% to 35% to 25%), but I still think they are definitely easier to get into than W&M OOS. They recently switched to promising to meet full need (though they are one of the schools with a mostly useless Net Price Calculator).
My D and I found that AU was pretty good at everything, though not great in that many ways (other than things like IR, and being in DC if someone really wants that). But I think they are on the rise, and are working hard to have the best experience and get the best students they can.
You mention your D wasn’t impressed with their campus. I agree it’s not that big, though it has some pretty nice spaces and buildings. I suspect your D is comparing things to W&M, and if you’re ranking every college in the country on historic campus feel, W&M may well come in at #1. I’m not saying she should consider a modern urban campus, but she might have to compromise on this one somewhat. At a certain point, buildings are buildings.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but when a school states they meet “full need” that includes loans, grants , scholarships and work study, it’s not all " free money" , correct?
From the W and M website concerning need based aid for OOS students:
“We typically meet 100% of demonstrated financial need for in-state students, and through the William & Mary Promise, implemented in 2013, we reduced loans and increased grants for entering Virginians. Qualifying out-of-state students may receive up to 25% of their full cost of attendance in grant aid.”
W and M would not likely be affordable for your D even if she was accepted , with limited aid for OOS students, and would not likely be affordable as a transfer student either.
UR’s average ACT for accepted students was a 32 last year, so also a reach, but ED2 should give a slight boost. The UR student profile is very similar to W and M, link to UR profile here: http://admissions.richmond.edu/studentprofile/index.html
The biggest majors at UR are business and the sciences, so being interested in history may help a little, too.
@mamag2855 Yes Indid see that but we were willing to do whatever it took as that was her dream school & a perfect fit for her. She is going to apply as a transfer student for her 2nd yr, they told be the best things for her to do. We had the 1st yr paid for and most of the 2nd with time to sort it out. Grandparents have a education IRA for 15 yrs to help.
I don’t think she’ll get in UR but she wants to try, still time for ED and, unlike W&M it’s private so no 65% must be in state rule to deal with. What I saw for W& M was middle 50% had 29-32 on ACT. Yes she had a 29 but if they bothered to look, which I thought they would, she got a 34 & 35 on Eng & writing, 23 or 24 on math but she wants to be history major so didn’t think it should matter as much as it did. We have no illusions about UR but we have a fee waiver so what the heck. We will compare FA packages in the spring & go from there.
Interesting about majors at UR, good to know!
They " bothered to look" and saw her composite-which you have said was a 29, the low end for them. And she is OOS. Every school has a right to set their own standards for admission. And W & M is a public university and has to accept a higher percentage of instate students.
@cloudysmom There has been some very helpful information given to you but only you truly knows your daughter so please take all this information with a grain of salt and do what you think is best. Sometimes this college stuff is just a crap shoot and you just never know what will happen. Take risks and see what happens. Have a follow up plan and go from there.
Yes, most schools that say they meet full need (there are maybe 60 or 70) would include all those in the package. Your “full need” would be whatever’s left after you give them your full EFC, and have the student borrow maybe $5500 and work-study for $2500. Maybe 15 or so top schools say loans aren’t included in packages, but I don’t think that includes any schools discussed here.
@sevmom. When I said bothered to look, I meant at the ACT breakdown. Of course they looked at the composite. I was told schools weigh the breakdown against intended major, therefore I was told, and hoped, they would see how good her eng & writing were and realize she wasn’t going to be doing much math. Yes, 29 was on the low end but still in their middle 50%, somebody has to be getting 29’s or it would not be listed. My D had other strong qualities including a W&M transcript from last summer giving her 4 college credits.
Of course they have a right to set their own standard, I never said otherwise and yes, in state students make up 65% so we knew she wasn’t a shoe in. We weren’t shocked she didn’t get in but it still was hurtful & dissapointing.
@LMHLAW3. Thank you, I am but it’s great to speak with VA locals & those who have been to the different schools, I have so much to weigh and am unable to travel there so this is a great source. We are taking risks, thank you for mentioning that.,Playing it safe is not our usual mode as if you don’t strive you never know! As long as C won’t be crushed by all the no’s we’re bound to get, we figure why not try? Apply places, compare FA and make a plan. Trouble is finding a variety of schools she’s interested in that have a high likelihood of FA.
I think that everything will work out even if it’s not what you expect. Fingers crossed!
You probably know this, but if your D is planning to transfer make sure that she will be eligible for Fin Aid. I have read on CC that it’s hard for transfer students to get financial aid at many schools. Not sure, but definitely look into it.
Although schools usually don’t provide this breakdown, OOS applicants are held to higher standards at public universities, because they can only accept a certain percentage of out of state kids, therefore making the OOS applicant pool more competitive than in state. So at W&M, it is likely that a 29 falls below the middle 50 for OOS applicants. Schools also have mid 50 ranges for the sub scores, even though not all schools publish those. Your D was below the mid 50 for math and science, plus the composite was likely below the mid 50 for OOS applicants, making admission tough despite all her good qualities.
@cloudysmom sounds like UR would really be your D’s first choice at this point, she might like it there enough to stay and if not she surely should be able to transfer to W&M with good grades from Richmond. I would really go all out in the app process there - try to connect with the schools regional rep, interview if she has not already, and emphasize in the essay why its the right place for her, maybe even have her English teacher look over the essay. After that seems every place else will just be a means to get to an end i.e. W&M. Don’t be too put off by GW price tag, for a student with a high GPA like your D (and I suspect high GPA’s are important now that they are test optional) they could come in with a generous offer. Could be worth an app to see what happens. Good Luck and keep us posted!