James Madison University

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Students Say - Academics
Offering "great facilities and great prospects for the future" through "tons of valuable experiences such as a great study-abroad program and internships," Virginia's James Madison University "prepares students for the future" with a mix of broad-ranging, general education requirements and career-oriented majors. Students grumble about the "gen eds," which require classes in the arts, humanities, and sciences and consume about one-third of all undergraduate credits. But students also admire the school's commitment to "educating students in all areas, not just a major concentration" and concede that the classes provide "foundation knowledge every graduating student should have." Standout offerings here include undergraduate business, education, and music programs; the School of Media Arts and Design; and the School of Communications. Students also tell us that "The study-abroad program at JMU is fabulous" and that "A large number of students study abroad" thanks to an "absolutely flawless" office of International Programs. JMU's "very good and unique" Integrated Science and Technology (ISAT) program emphasizes cross-disciplinary problem solving and innovation that are "applicable to the real world." All students here benefit from "great recruitment fairs and internship opportunities, small classes," professors who "go out of their way to help you understand a concept," and administrators who "strive to meet the demands of students. Many on the faculty have under- taken projects around campus to help with the overwhelming expansion of the student body."

Students Say - Campus Life
There are tons to keep people occupied on campus at JMU including the campus hangout Taylor Down Under (a place "to catch up with one another, grab a smoothie or some coffee, attend events like open mic night or watch the comedy club, etc."), the Grafton-Storall Theatre ("which shows two different movies each week" at a $2.50 admission price), "sports, bands, frats, a cappella shows, interest groups, everything that a huge university offers"). In addition, there is "a significant amount happening off campus." "A bus line takes you to all the different apartments day and night" as well as "to the different restaurants, the close Wal-Mart, tanning salons, and local mall." In warm weather, "students flock to the quad to sunbathe, play guitar, and play Frisbee" or "go on day trips to go kayaking, rafting, horseback riding etc., through UREC...or swimming in Blue Hole." Off-campus apartments are home to a robust party scene; reports one undergrad, "For fun, people party. Sunday through Wednesday people are involved in school and their clubs and study. Then Thursday through Saturday it's house parties. The beer is free...just with the understanding that when you get a house and you are 21 you flip the bill once or twice." Hometown Harrisonburg "is a great town" with "lots of excellent restaurants, outdoor opportunities, and a great music scene," but "the Harrisonburg community conflicts with the students due to the weekend partying."

Students Say - Student Body
The face of JMU may well be the "Ugg-Northface-pearls-sweatpants-wearing sorority girl" (one student observes it is difficult to get past with the 60:40 ratio of females to males"), but those who dig deeper discover "different crowds" clustered about campus. "A lot of students at JMU are prep kids from up north, but...there is also a great downtown crowd made up of very creative and artistic people. There is a group for everyone." Undergrads tend to be "involved in multiple organizations and clubs while balancing a substantial course load. We tend to be go-getters; we're very motivated to succeed, and we love any and everything JMU." And while the campus "is not known for being as politically involved as larger institutions, JMU finds its niche in community service. Service organizations are extremely popular at JMU, especially the Alternative Spring Break trips (these are so popular, a raffle system has been implemented to cope with the demand)." The student body is "pretty white," and "Although the Center for Multicultural Student Services has a definite voice on campus, whites seem to significantly outnumber other races. In recent years, an effort seems to have been made to diversify campus."

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