she got in to JMU, but isn't real excited about it now. There's this school of thought (apparently common in Fairfax county at least) that everyone goes to JMU, so it's not that exciting. I think it's a great school and disagree with that, but other parents I talk to say their kid felt the same way. Some were so sure they didn't want to go there that they didn't even apply. As much as I like Tech, for her, I don't think it would be that different from JMU. She's had good luck with getting into her other schools, but isn't excited about them. The other one she really liked was Providence College, where she also sits on the wait list. I think Providence would be good for her due to smaller size and interaction. Selfishly I like in-state, and I try to stress that even with a large school, you can find your niche and make it seem much smaller. Like any parent, I want her to be excited about where she's going, and be happy and successful there. The after-graduation pieces can be addressed down the road a bit - all of these schools have good opportunities if the kids work hard and take advantage.