<p>Hi, I have recently been accepted into both James Madison and College Park. I started a thread in the James Madison forum asking the same question and I have received one vote for each school... not doing me a lot of help. I am interested mostly in the social life and party scenes of these schools, as I have already weighed other aspects of each college. Where do you guys think I would have the most fun?? Thanks !</p>
<p>I live in Va. and my son goes to Maryland. I can tell you from a parent’s perspective that both places have a reputation as party schools. But Maryland is very urban and JMU is very rural. There is much better transportation available at Maryland, bus, Metro, etc. so you could go other places to enjoy yourself (like downtown DC) and aren’t limited to the places right around the college. I know a young lady who graduated from Howard who said she and her friends went up to Maryland for the social scene (via Metro).</p>
<p>All that being said, if your real interest is in the partying/social scene and not the academics and learning experience, then don’t worry about it too much, you won’t last long. /mommed :p</p>
<p>I am with Centh, UMD and JMU campuses are night and day. I do disagree on the academics. UMD has no problem kicking your butt to the curb if you are on academic probation, think about why FRESHMAN FIRST exists, they get in because UMD got rid of the bad wood mid yr!</p>
<p>JMU is not a football/bball college which is HUGE at UMD. The town is small and there is not a lot to do compared to the reality that UMD is a metro ride away from DC.</p>
<p>Take UMD if you don’t want everyone saying bless you when you sneeze because of its size. Take JMU if you don’t want to be a number.</p>
<p>Across the board, Maryland is strong academically. What program specifically are you interested in? What are the factors for cost? If you haven’t already, visit and see what your reaction is then. That seems like the best plan of action at this point.</p>
<p>After 3 years at MD I will say that I have come to the conclusion that there is real value in going to a smaller school. It is NOT true that MD classes get smaller as you move into upper-levels, etc. - that really depends on your major. Academically I wish I was at someplace much different, to be honest, as I have found following lecture to be difficult in large classes (due to inability to ask question because of time constraints), maintaining an engagement with classes to be difficult. Discussion almost impossible in many classes. </p>
<p>Now, I don’t know how class size at JMU compares to class size at MD in your major of choice. </p>
<p>And anyway you’ve said you’ve already considered all that and want to know about the social life and parties.</p>
<p>Well, as others have said, MD and JMU are night and day. MD has a huge house party and frat scene, huge on-campus student group scene, and has VERY very excellent free shuttle transportation for students (to Silver Spring, Bethesda, mall/movie theater, etc.), as well as, of course, access to the metro and all of DC. I think that the social opportunities at MD are unbeatable.</p>
<p>^^ JMU is HUGE party school.</p>
<p>fwiw, my sister transferred from JMU to UMCP after a year. She hated JMU but loves UMCP. message me for more if you want, i don’t really feel like spilling out her entire life on the internet.</p>
<p>I wasn’t meaning to say that JMU isn’t a party school and MD is.</p>
<p>I just think Maryland HAS to have a better social scene. Not only does it have all of the usual off campus craziness, but it ALSO has an active campus life (another thing JHU might have) and it ALSO has a metro stop and great transportation to anywhere in the metro area (a thing JHU definitely DOESN’T have). </p>
<p>So I think in combination MD has a better and more diverse social scene.</p>
<p>thanks to all for replying. I have visited them both, i think i liked JMU’s campus a little better… but maryland has been the college i always pictured myself at. Also, I love MD sports, I’m a huge fan.</p>
<p>JMU is a beautiful campus, but it reminds me more of VA Tech. The building facades and campus lay out are as much night and day as the location.</p>
<p>The two are polar opposites. JMU is considered more of a small LAC, tucked away in the rolling hills of VA with stone buildings an large open areas. UMD is not known for LA and it is urban with federalist design, additionally, the only open areas that I can think of is in front of frat row and their equivalent of the DC mall.</p>
<p>Maryland. There is no comparison. Then again, I could never see my myself at a small, rural school.</p>
<p>“JMU is considered more of a small LAC”</p>
<p>I guess it’s all relative, but at over 17,000 students, can’t imagine classes are much smaller than UMD…and a small LAC? no</p>
<p>“the only open areas that I can think of is in front of frat row and their equivalent of the DC mall.”</p>
<p>I agree with the general sentiment but I think it’s slightly misleading so I’ll clarify.</p>
<p>First of all, the mall is HUGE - bigger than some smaller schools’ open spaces combined haha - and somewhat sprawling, aka areas to the front, back and sides of it are also open and grassy. Depending on your major, you may spend all of your time there (esp. behavioral/social sciences majors, history, etc.). </p>
<p>Second of all, other open, grassy spaces include the engineering fields, Morril quad, Memorial Chapel lawn, some South campus dorm quads, etc. I also like the ampitheater by Stamp Union and Hornbake Plaza is gorgeous in the summer (though it’s a stone/brick plaza, lots of trees, but no grass). Generally “South campus is pretty/North campus isn’t/in between is a crapshoot” is a good generalization.</p>