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<p>maybe you can get her a droid blackberry…</p>
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</p>
<p>[New</a> York Thieves Refuse To Steal BlackBerries And Droids – Only iPhones - Business Insider](<a href=“http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-12-15/tech/30519543_1_iphones-thieves-student]New”>http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-12-15/tech/30519543_1_iphones-thieves-student)</p>
<p>I’m sorry to hear of your son’s experience, but my daughter’s time (now in her third year) at W&M has been 100% different to the OP.</p>
<p>There have been no issues with theft, safety or similar concerns. And let me assure you that my daughter is not exactly careful with her stuff. :-)</p>
<p>There have been no issues with lack of responsiveness from W&M staff. </p>
<p>My daughter (and her friends too) have so far accomplished good grades and appropriate for their hard work. And she has managed to fit in a lot of extra curricular activities too. If your son and his peers are “failing classes left and right”, perhaps they just weren’t a good fit for W&M. </p>
<p>My perspective, which like the OP is from just a handful of data points, would suggest that the OP is looking to place blame in the wrong places.</p>
<p>The part about 300 people in an introductory class made me laugh. That’s quite small for a state school – my private college has just as many kids in an intro course (well, that many registered, anyway… the number of them that actually attend is a different story). W&M is definitely more bang for your buck.</p>
<p>Besides, a low GPA especially first semester is normal. A friend of mine had a 4.0 her whole life – her GPA is nowhere near that now.</p>
<p>A low GPA is really cool.</p>
<p>Is there really any reason to go here other than being cheap?</p>
<p>It actually is not that cheap; COA for instate is approx $24K a year, and more for the 35% of out of state students. VCU and VT are less expensive.</p>
<p>It may not be the school for you, however. The good news is that there are plenty of colleges for you to consider without even setting foot in Williamsburg. And there are plenty fo students who would happily take a spot at W&M, so if it not for you, no worries.</p>
<p>no… there are basically zero reasons to attend one of the best undergraduate schools in the country.</p>
<p>Way, way down the list of good schools, and way more problems than most.</p>
<p>trollface.jpg</p>
<p>I’m sorry, Orcaa…but upon what are you basing your assertion that the College has “way more problems than most?” and is “way, way down the list of good schools?” Do you know anything about W&M? Have you visited? Attended? While no school is perfect or for everyone, the overall reputation of the school is very strong and most students and their families are very happy with their experience. </p>
<p>If you have nothing positive, informative, or helpful to say, then why are you here?</p>
<p>btw here is the US News page on schools with excellent commitment to undergraduate teaching: [Best</a> Undergraduate Teaching | Rankings | Top National Universities | US News](<a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/undergraduate-teaching]Best”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/undergraduate-teaching)</p>
<p>Four spots down from Miami of ohio and two ahead of Clemson.</p>
<p>That’s Hot!</p>
<p>One down from Stanford and tied with Berkeley. That’s hot!</p>
<p>To the OP: “Another interesting aside: in the Monroe Dorm, which houses the brightest 5 percent of the freshmen class”</p>
<p>Where did you get that idea?</p>
<p>When my d entered W&M in 2001, Monroe was reserved for Monroe Scholars and actually filled every room with them; so many enrolled that year that they needed to overflow into the first two floors of Hunt Hall, as well. Monroe is no longer limited to Monroe Scholars only.</p>
<p>According to the Monroe Scholars webpage, Scholars constitute the top 7 percent of the incoming freshman class. I imagine the OP heard that Monroe Scholars represent the top 5 percent, and that Monroe Hall is the honors dorm - that’s possibly where her assertion came from.</p>
<p>There are, in addition, some “softer” criteria for Monroe Scholar…intellectual curiosity, service or the like. Just having the rank and stats doesn’t insure getting in. It’s not clear how the other factors are evaluated, since there is no separate application, so it must be the essay, recommendations…</p>
<p>@frazzled1
My point wasn’t about the percentage, I knew where they got the number, it was about the body deciding the intelligence of incoming students.</p>
<p>Actually, I am worried now. I applied to W&M as a 2016er. I have seen many posts about problems in the W&M. I have to admit something they said might be true. No matter whether these anxious parents exaggerate the situation, the administration should step in and try to do something to improve. If you were the parents of these freshman students, you will certainly be concerned about their lives, studies and so on. Now, I don’t dare to tell my mom how W&M is.
I always thought W&M a small state school and it could not have so many problems like huge state schools. It seems that I was wrong.</p>
<p>mmmmiiii, I don’t understand what you mean by “now, I don’t dare tell my mom how W&M is.” I submit that the two negative posters on this thread with personal experience at the school (fountain and lovethewayyoulie) are not giving you a more accurate picture of “how W&M is” than the several positive posters who also have extensive personal experience at the school. (Discounting orcaaa’s posts here because he/she has opinions without any personal experience.)</p>
<p>You can learn a lot from the OP’s son’s experience. Pick a good fit school. Don’t leave your laptop unattended. Buy an inexpensive bike but a really good bike lock, and always use it. If you have symptoms of ADHD, see a professional and get it treated before going off to a school with a lower average GPA than most. That applies to every school you’re considering, not just W&M.</p>
<p>W&M is not for everybody and it may not be for you. If you’re accepted, have your mom read this thread.</p>
<p>mmmmiii - what problems does W&M have?</p>
<p>some students getting bad grades is not a “W&M problem”</p>
<p>^^^Ditto soccerguy315 and frazzled1!! mmmmiii, I challenge you to find a College, ANY College without problems! I’m sure there are frustrated parents and students at every school, and they are usally frustrated at or near the end of semesters. W&M is not exempt from the normal happenings of college life. Is it a good school? Yes, very good…BUT its not immune from issues that both large and small schools deal with daily. Making a decision on the words of a disgruntled parent and students isn’tvery rational IMO and there is always two sides to every story. Not saying that hearing anything negative should be ignored because it shouldnt, but considering you don’t know these people at all, I just would be cautious in making a rash decision on hearsay.</p>
<p>Calm down, everybody. If only one person tells something bad about XX college, I certainly do not believe. But if a lot of people say that, I might be convinced a little. You can see, no one would write a passage containing thousands of words without first-hand experience. I just said what this student’s father wrote could be true. I don’t dare tell my mom because I don’t want to let her worry because of problems appearing in most colleges. W&M is an excellent school. I never deny it. Otherwise, I would not apply. I have seen many negative posts on forums of other college , but none of those posts are so specific. And tiharo, I never, never make decisions based on what others say. But I usually listen to others’ opinions, no matter they are positive or negative. When something happened and is getting worse and worse at the campus, both students and the school should find a solution. We should listen to what other people say, even these people are disgruntled parents and students. Everyone has a point.</p>