(01-28-2021 12:09 PM)JMU Fan In Atlanta Wrote:  To Longhorn's points about students settling in the state where they went to college, Georgia is an interesting case study. Just before I moved here in 1992, the then governor, Zell Miller, pushed thru a state lottery in which all lottery proceeds go to pay the tuition of GA high schoolers who attend state schools, and who have high GPAs. Today the state pays partial tuition (the Hope Scholarship) for GPAs around 3.5 or so, and full tuition (The Zell Scholarship) for something around 3.9 or if you're 1 or 2 in your class. That's how my son is getting GT tuition paid for. Prior to this UGA wasn't considered elite, and GT and Emory were/are small, so lots of the brightest students left the state and never came back. By covering tuition for bright students to attend in-state schools, these students stay in GA - often forever. Most people here believe all of our state schools now have a higher quality student.

One downside to this is grade inflation. My wife teaches English Lit and parents raise hell when she gives a kid a C. That C could literally cost the parent thousands of dollars in their kid's college tuition. Most teachers cave and give the kid a B or even A.

I believe lottery money in VA goes to support K-12 education, but a program similar to GA’s Hope and Zell scholarships targeted at Higher Ed would be a big boon, especially for JMU where our endowment is so small.

(01-25-2021 05:55 PM)JMU Fan In Atlanta Wrote:  I started at JMU in 85 and graduated 89. My son is a HS senior in suburban Atlanta. Goes to a small private school, valedictorian, ACT of 35. We toured about a half dozen colleges and loved JMU the best. The tour guide was fantastic and the admissions person who gave the presentation was great. The prior day we visited VT and the admissions person told everyone not to worry about the grammar or spelling on their essay. My wife was appalled. Next day JMU said to be sure to check your grammar and spelling on your essay, that details matter. I was so proud! But as my son realized he would have a lot of options, the 77% acceptance rate at JMU completely turned him off and he decided on Ga Tech business with a full tuition scholarship. I'm bummed bc I think JMU would fit his personality well, but I agree with his decision. Acceptance rate was around 35% in 1985 when I went there.....77% now is surprising to me.

Where in ATL? Until a few months ago, I lived at the intersection of Roswell and Piedmont in Buckhead. I've since moved to Brookhaven where the cost of living is a bit more tolerable.

I wonder what took some of the big State schools so long to separate themselves from their Aggie & Normal brethren. In the 70s , Alabama, Clemson, NC State, South Carolina, Maryland and Penn State were nowhere near the very selective Universities they are now. I realize now they leveraged their $$$-just wonder why it took so long. As I stated before, ANY high school graduate w/ C average + (who was a Maryland resident) was guaranteed admission when I was a senior. That's beyond a "safety school". Heck, I was offered a scholarship to South Carolina just based on a PSAT score as a high school junior ( the score was a mild fluke- I scored 100 pts less on the SAT ).

(01-28-2021 09:48 PM)olddawg Wrote:  I wonder what took some of the big State schools so long to separate themselves from their Aggie & Normal brethren. In the 70s , Alabama, Clemson, NC State, South Carolina, Maryland and Penn State were nowhere near the very selective Universities they are now. I realize now they leveraged their $$$-just wonder why it took so long. As I stated before, ANY high school graduate w/ C average + (who was a Maryland resident) was guaranteed admission when I was a senior. That's beyond a "safety school". Heck, I was offered a scholarship to South Carolina just based on a PSAT score as a high school junior ( the score was a mild fluke- I scored 100 pts less on the SAT ).

I know we talk about it ad nauseam on here but I do think their successful sports programs play a role. Just another factor that makes the school more favorable for top students who choose to go to a large state school rather than a smaller school or private school.

(01-28-2021 09:48 PM)olddawg Wrote:  I wonder what took some of the big State schools so long to separate themselves from their Aggie & Normal brethren. In the 70s , Alabama, Clemson, NC State, South Carolina, Maryland and Penn State were nowhere near the very selective Universities they are now. I realize now they leveraged their $$$-just wonder why it took so long. As I stated before, ANY high school graduate w/ C average + (who was a Maryland resident) was guaranteed admission when I was a senior. That's beyond a "safety school". Heck, I was offered a scholarship to South Carolina just based on a PSAT score as a high school junior ( the score was a mild fluke- I scored 100 pts less on the SAT ).

Penn State benefited greatly by Pitt and Temple giving up their private status in favor of forming a then 3 school "Commonwealth of Higher Education" system in the mid 1960s. Once that happened, Penn State was forever cemented, for better or worse, as the undisputed flagship university of Pennsylvania.

Given the numerous PSU satellite campuses throughout the commonwealth basically any PA high school student with a diploma and a pulse has access to a Penn State degree. That has been a contentious subject for in-state non-PSU alums for as long as I can remember. It's a big reason I never considered Penn State; it was the ultimate safety school. Most students spend 2 years at a regional campus before heading out to State College for their junior and senior years. To be fair, it is extremely difficult to gain admission into Main Campus as a freshman.

Penn State and Pitt still have Temple beat in endowment and overall resources. However, there's very little difference in academic pedigree and reputation. The gains those two institutions make on Temple in undergraduate programs we make back up at the graduate an phd level. Temple's roots have always been in educating professionals.

I think JMU has the opportunity to position themselves as a William & Mary "light". The idyllic campus and general setting within the Shenandoah Valley screams of a bucolic academic setting. That's why I maintain the JMU administration needs to tread lightly when it comes to positioning the university athletically. Especially as we emerge from what will be the "Transcendent Covid Era". I believe it would be wise to expand online degree options and increase the graduate offerings. But how to and to what extent is the 10 million dollar, or more, question. Especially for a school that seems, from the periphery, to really value its residential student community.

There are a grand total of three state affiliated universities in Pennsylvania that participate in Division 1 athletics. The Commonwealth of Virginia has 11. Virginia has two schools at the D2 level while Pennsylvania has 14....