Good news - Bad news (Virginia tech)

Parents Forum
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<p>My D and I visited Virginia Tech and the good news is … she loved it. The bad news is she is only a B student and we are afraid that her GPA will not cut it. So our quest is to find a school that is like Virginia Tech that a B student can get into. So we are looking for a school that is

  1. large > 10,000 students
  2. great school spirit (she loved that Hokie stuff!)
  3. pretty campus with lots of green spaces for impromptu frisbee and volleyball
  4. campus is in a rural area
  5. lots of club sport opportunities (she is a rower; gym was her favorite class in school)
  6. has chemistry/biochemistry and fine arts majors (she can’t decide which she likes best)</p>

<p>Right now, anyplace in the US is fine. Thanks for any suggestions.</p>

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<p>James Madison University is 125 miles north up Rte 181. It meets your stated criteria, except that it is likely as difficult to get into as Tech. </p>

<p>Radford meets some of your criteria as well - actually a nice campus in an old rundown New River town - but it has a wild party atmosphere and takes some discipline to avoid the distractions of the place. And this is not an unfair criticism. Radford is one of the least competitive public universities in Virginia, so admission may be very realistic. </p>

<p>I would still apply to Tech - many students have received admission late off the wait list.</p>

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<p>According to collegedata.com the average ACT is 26, and 67% of applicants were accepted. Does not seem so unrealistic to me that D be accepted.</p>

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<p>How are her test scores? Although DD’s grades were higher, U of South Carolina was a good alternative and with scholarship money for high test scores, cheaper than going in state to Tech. Several of DD’s friends also liked West Virginia for the same reasons.</p>

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<p>I think both WVA and USC are excellent schools for your daughter to look at.</p>

<p>While South Carolina is in a city - it doesn’t have an “urban” feel. You could go further south and look at Alabama.</p>

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<p>Justamom, Do you mean WVU - West Virginia University? I think the two campuses have a very different feel but I can’t think of too many colleges that are like VT, with lower admit stats in the South. One college that occurred to me that is never mentioned on this forum is Drew University in northern New Jersey. [Class</a> of 2012 Profile](<a href=“http://www.drew.edu/cla/admissions.aspx?id=47806]Class”>http://www.drew.edu/cla/admissions.aspx?id=47806)</p>

<p>My son goes to Roanoke College, which is very close to VT and has a similar feel but is smaller.</p>

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<p>The University of Kansas has great academics, school spirit (NCAA basketball nat’l champs!), and a beautiful campus located in a great college town.</p>

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<p>Sorry - West Virginia University - yes. Great school spirit. easier to get into than Va Tech. The kids from our area who have gone have loved it and been very successful.
Yes, I agree different from Va tech but I was thinking the OP was looking for big Football/Basketball schools.</p>

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<p>Texas A&M - first thought that came to mind when I read your post and :slight_smile: second thought that came to mind when I reread your post.</p>

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<p>A neighbor of mine described Va Tech as “like someone picked up Penn State and moved it to Virginia”.</p>

<p>However, I don’t know if Penn State is any easier to get into than Va Tech.</p>

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<p>Thanks for great suggestions!! They are much appreciated!</p>

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<p>^^ Except for “pretty campus with lots of green space”. It’s hideous. That said, it is a wonderful fit for many students. It is huge, though.</p>

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<p>Hideous–really?? I found it very attractive. Nice stone buildings with similar look for the most part.</p>

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<p>What are the test scores? That can play a role in situation. Ohio University, UIndiana, Bowling Green, WVU, SUNY Buffalo, USCarolina, NJIT, Rutgers, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia Tech (test scores important here), Mich State, Purdue, UAlabama, UMissouri, UTennesee, SanDiego State, East Carolina U, University of Arizona, University of Colorado, and a number of other places. Is cost an issue? Because schools like Fordham, Villanova, Syracuse can also be good fits.</p>

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<p>I beilive MomofWildChild is referring to Texas A&M as hideous. I’ve seen it. She’s got a valid point.</p>

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<p>I used to live near Syracuse. I wouldn’t classify that campus as “pretty with lots of green spaces”. But it does have a lot of school spirit, and a ton of community support for football and basketball!</p>

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<p>You should definitely visit JMU - my D is there and loves it. It seems to have everything on the list - their football season is actually going better than VT’s this year. The kids are very happy there. Almost all of my D’s friends from Virginia, including her roommate, also got in to VT and chose JMU for various reasons. Obviously there are lots of kids at VT who did the opposite. It seems to come down to “gut feeling.” I like JMU’s campus better - not a fan of the institutional look at Tech.</p>

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<p>Texas A&M is getting more competitive - a reach for Va Tech may be a reach for A&M.
I concur with checking out JMU as well - it is getting more and more competitive too though.</p>

<p>How about Appalachian State in Boone NC?</p>

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<p>Yes, Appalachian State is a good choice too. We visited and both my D and I really liked it. Personally, I could see myself living in Boone - beautiful area. The people there were friendlier than anyplace we visited and we found friendly people everywhere. The kids seemed very happy and the professors we met - all music faculty though - were very helpful and accommodating. The only issue for my D was the lack of ease of getting there. My cousin’s daughter went there and absolutely loved it - she graduated over 10 years ago and still visits regularly.</p>

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<p>I think VT is a viable possibility for a B student. I like JMU also, but it is harder to get into than VT IMO. It’s become a very popular school in recent years. Based on your criteria, I think Clemson and Auburn are very good alterrnates.</p>