<p>OOS d wants to attend W&m over being Marquis Scholar at Lafayette - any advice?</p>
<p>Advice? Honestly, I thought it was going to be a financial slam-dunk - a $16K / year scholarship seems awfully hard to compete with - I was about to tell you to disappoint your daughter ... :)</p>
<p>As it turns out, though, the costs look to me to be roughly the same between the two schools. </p>
<p>If so, if I were in your shoes, I'd probably defer to her preferences - 4-years is a long time to spend someplace, and if she thinks she's going to be happier at W&M, I'd think that's pretty important.</p>
<p>And certainly you're not giving up anything in the academic side. </p>
<p>So, I guess the question might be - what are your specific concerns?</p>
<p>The president of W and M was fired over a controversy surrounding the removal of a cross from the 'ecumenical' chapel. Will that, and the fact that there is no president currently and the dean of students is retiring, affect the students. Also, where is the prestige in attending a state school with no scholarship vs. a private school with a top scholarship?</p>
<p>What prestige is there going to Lafayette? lol</p>
<p>Never heard of it.</p>
<p>j/k</p>
<p>The president of W&M being fired is old news. Everyone has moved on.</p>
<p>Okay, I understand your concerns, but there are many things wrong with what you are saying. </p>
<p>1) Former President Nichol was not fired over the Wren Cross. As a new president, he faced a review from the BOV, which chose not to renew his contract. He was not fired, and while you might think they are the same thing, they aren't. The decision not to renew was made for many reasons, not the least of which including President Nichol's lack of political savvy. He certainly did not help matters with the method of his departure and taking pot shots at William and Mary via external media in the aftermath. </p>
<p>There was a big to-do among many of the students in the aftermath, as they mourned the president. There is nothing wrong with this and is completely understandable; he was a great man and loved William and Mary with all his heart. I can say though, that I have not heard anything regarding the matter from anyone on campus in nearly two months now. It, like so many things, was the flavor of the week, and has since disappeared.</p>
<p>2) William and Mary is not "without a President." The BOV appointed former Law School Dean Taylor Reveley as the interim president (for the next 2-3 years) while they find a suitable replacement. President Reveley was one of the finalists the last time WM had a president search, ultimately losing to Nichol. Thus, he is extremely qualified, and I have no evidence that he is doing anything other than a superb job.</p>
<p>3) The Dean of Students is not retiring. Sam Sadler, the Vice President for Student Affairs, is retiring after 41 years of service to the College. Sam is a wonderful man and does a terrific job, and all will miss him. I hope you do not get the impression that Sam Sadler is leaving due to the impending collapse of William and Mary brought on by a political conspiracy. I know Sam Sadler, and he told me that 'after 35+ years of his family having to plan around his schedule, it's time to give them more time.' His former assistant, who I think will be his replacement, Ginger Ambler, also does a wonderful job. While WM will miss Sam, the school should not miss a beat under Ginger's eye.</p>
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<li>I think you are confusing "prestige" with "being better than everyone else." Just because William and Mary is a state school does not mean that it is bad; likewise, being a private school such as Lafayette does not make it good. Think of it this way: if your daughter got into both schools but only got a scholarship to Lafayette, perhaps this means that the quality of students at WM might be better. Scholarships are generally a good reference of relative standing; ie, she is better than most at Lafayette, but perhaps this would not be the case at William and Mary.</li>
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<p>inchoative addresses your concerns about the BOV not to renew Gene Nichols contract & the impending retirement of the VP for Student Affairs succinctly. The former is old news & has had little to no effect on the students. The latter is a seamless & natural progression.</p>
<p>Both my daughter & son considered Lafayette & decided against it for a variety of reasons ( both thought the campus was small & isolated, each had different other concerns). My daughter chose TCNJ, while my son chose William & Mary. While prestige is a subjective matter, I personally don't think there is any comparison between the schools. W&M is considered a public Ivy along with UVA & Michigan.</p>
<p>My son is finishing his Junior year at W&M & has been very happy. The academics are excellant, the campus is beautiful & the pre-med program & placement rates are great. It also has a strict Honor Code, good weather, & all the charms of a southern school. As a parent it is refreshing to be addressed as Sir & Ma'am by students. Please feel free to contact me regarding any other aspects of W&M you might be curious about.</p>
<p>I think lafayette is a great school, but I believe that W&M both has more prestige and will give a better education. If they cost about the same, I would say W&M is the way to go.</p>