University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, VA
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Pleasantly surprised with this “diamond in the rough” school in northern VA. Great town right near campus, friendly and strong Div III athletics program.
• 4,320 undergraduates
• 14:1 student to faculty ratio
• 83% acceptance rate
• Mid 50% SAT 490-620, ACT 22-27
• 82% retention rate – Freshman returning for their sophomore year
• NCAA Div III
• State school
• Average merit aid for families with no financial need – $2,390
• 50% financial need met
• 12% of students come from out of state
• Nice downtown with shops and restaurants, along Williams Street
• Hire faculty that have real world experience
• Higher interactions with professors
• Strongest programs – education, business, 5 year masters in education program
• Historic preservation program
• Do conduct and students are involved in research
• Very nice layout of campus, inviting
• Suburban campus but plenty of things to do around the area
• Cross over schools – James Madison, Christopher Newport
• Considered a public liberal arts school
• Out of state cost of attendance -$36k, with merit scholarships up to $9k
• Don’t recalculate GPA, take it from the transcript
• No Greek life
• No split for out of state students vs. In state for acceptance
• Have an interview process, opportunity for more scholarships and also for unusual circumstances
• Apply to school in general other than Nursing
• Can’t declare a major until you have at least 30 credits
• Do consider demonstrated interest
• Students are involved and in tune with the world
• Student that succeeds wants the interaction with their professors
• Very much a residential campus, have to reside on campus for 2 years before you can move off campus, housing is guaranteed all 4 years
• Average Class size – 22 students, no lecture classes
• Prominent athletic facilities, athlete only gym, sports trainer
• Have a strong men’s tennis program
• Service oriented
• Intramural sports are big
• Right on the Rapihanick River
• Friendly environment
• Experiential learning component – Internship, undergrad research, study abroad
• Commuter train right into D.C. And northern VA, walking distance
• Bring name entertainers to campus, concerts
• One of the lowest student debt nationally for graduates
• 90% of faculty have terminal degrees in their field
• First year seminar focusing on critical thinking and writing – cap out at 15 students
• Living learning community designated for all freshman coming in – asking questions for compatibility – take 1st year seminar with them
