<p>I just want to know more about James Madison University.</p>
<p>My son is obsessed with nature and claiming and skying, etc. But he also cares about the academics.</p>
<p>Eventough, we are in the posission to afford college tuition for him, he insists thata lot of these expensive schools are over rated, etc.</p>
<p>So in short, eventhough JMU is supposed to be a party school (which i'm not so happy about) I heard they are raising the bar in regards to academics. Is that true? Are there a lot of drugs?</p>
<p>Also, eventhough we are not religous at all, we are Jewish-traditional. I saw there's a Hillel. Is it an active one? Also, is there a Chabad on campus?</p>
<p>Also, what's with the housing? What are the choices, and how can I know which one is the best dorm for him?</p>
<p>Sorry for all these questions!! but i feel I'm a little lost...</p>
<p>Hi - JMU is a school we have discussed a bit on the Colleges for the Jewish “B” student thread. A few of us have visited - we were impressed with what we saw. My son did apply and although he ultimately went ED to another university - we would have been happy had he ended up at JMU. You may want to post and read in the JMU forum for more direct responses from current students and parents. There is a Hillel - although we did not get a strong feel for the activity level. I believe there is also a chapter of Jewish fraternity AEPi. My recollection is that you do not get to pick the exact dorm - but you can request your first choice of campus area. Some of the newer dorms with AC are less centrally located - although there are buses continually circulating through the campus. The most central area has the older bluestone dorms - very attractive - but I think those are the ones that lack AC - but I would suggest checking with a current student for clarity there.</p>
<p>Here is a link to the area of CC that discusses JMU specifically; it is not a parent forum, per se, but you will find a great deal of information here. </p>
<p>Re: dorms, you are assigned to one. As others have indicated, you can indicate a preference. Most students live off campus after their freshman year and there are a wide variety of choices. </p>
<p>What is your son interested in studying? Is he already admitted or is he submitting an application for next year?</p>
<p>sabaray: He didn’t apply yet, but most certain he will get accepted almost in any school, he’s an outstanding student thank Gd. Don’t want to brag, but he is :)</p>
<p>He wants to do business.</p>
<p>There’s no option of paying more to get the dorm you want? (he wont let me do that anyways, but I could try ) - Freshmen are required to dorm on campus right?</p>
<p>Me personally would choose a different school, but as a parent I could only support my son and help him make the right choice based on what HE WANTS :)</p>
<p>He believes is not worth the money to pay the extra tens of thousands of dollars to go to an elite university. He says is about you as a student more than the university, and the is not worth the money.
Another reason, is that being from Miami, he likes the idea of being in a place like Harrisonburg and the Shenandoah Valley, he loves hiking, skiing and nature. There are other reasons but those are the main ones :)</p>
<p>JMU is a fine school, however as Marion states there may be better schools to consider. If he is looking to stay in Virginia, depending on his intended major and stats, VT or UVa may be a more solid choice and still afford him proximity to many outdoor activities year round.</p>
<p>Note: I actually crossed posts with you EW. I would say based on his desire to be in the Shenandoah Valley, check out Va Tech. Blacksburg is beautiful and offers more outdoor activities then you can imagine.</p>
<p>blueiguana and I are on the same wavelength.</p>
<p>We’re not objecting to your son’s preference for relatively affordable state schools or his interest in going to school in Virginia. We’re just saying that there are other Virginia state schools, similar in price to JMU, that may also be worth considering. </p>
<p>It is brutally difficult to get into the University of Virginia from out of state, no matter how good your credentials, but it’s not so bad for some of the other state schools, such as Virginia Tech. And several of them are in attractive places for a person who likes outdoor activities. </p>
<p>Maybe a trip to visit several Virginia schools would be interesting.</p>
<p>OP- some more expensive schools may in fact be over rated. Others may have invested in things that are meaningful to your S. It is worth exploring a range of colleges to find out. Some very capable and academically oriented kids don’t care about being surrounded by “intellectual peers” (for lack of a better term) and other kids rise to the challenge of not being the smartest kid in the class.</p>
<p>Your S may want some options when it’s time to decide- it’s early yet in the process to have narrowed it down to one school.</p>
<p>I would not discourage you from having your son apply to JMU. I went to UVA and loved it, my oldest went to VA Tech and loved it, and both of my current HS students (D13, S14) are going to apply to JMU (as well as other schools); for S14 JMU is his dream school, for reasons your son shares- the access to hiking, biking, skiing, camping, etc. The academics are high quality, and the location is ideal for what he deems important outside of the classroom. In addition there are varsity sports as well as club and intramural sports. He liked all the dorms well enough. Be aware of the location of the dorm within the context of what areas your son’s classes will be in since that may be a good way to determine which dorms you want as “first choice”. As a Virginia resident I can tell you I have met tons of JMU graduates and everyone seems delighted with the experience they have had, as do older friends of my kids who are currently enrolled.
Please tell me you are having your son apply to more than one school though? Even if everything about him is perfect, sometimes a student is not accepted. I would hate to see him only apply to one school and have things turn out “wrong”.</p>
<p>we did apply to other schools, I “forced” him to apply to some private schools, like Yale and UM (i know, they are very different) also UWF in Pensacola. But he keeps saying that based on his research JMU is his first choice (go figure!!)</p>
<p>I don’t know, nothing against James Madison, but it makes no sense to me why someone in Miami would focus so hard on JMU because they are “obsessed with nature and claiming and skying.”</p>
<p>While obviously keeping JMU on his list, since he feels strongly about it, it doesn’t hurt for him to check out the merits of Va Tech and see how it measures up for his expectations in a school. One thing to consider is VT has a nice honors college which depending on your sons stats he may qualify for. Another point which may or may not be of consideration is VT has a national reputation whereas JMU is still more regional (although that is changing). </p>
<p>As always, things to consider, while the intangibles may outweigh anything on paper and your son needs to be happy in his environment to succeed! Best of luck!</p>
<p>Has he already applied to other schools?
I think everyone here is respectful of your son’s research and decisions, and your desire to be supportive to him.
The confusing part to me is why would a person without limitations (grades, finances) limit himself to one choice early on in the application process? It’s great that your son is frugal, but if his grades are good, he could also potentially earn some merit aid from schools as well (those that offer it)… and you won’t know what his final choices are until he applies.
It’s fine if he loves JMU, but there is a lot to “love” out there. We are not questioning your or his decision on a school- but rather questioning the idea of limitations at this point. The colleges will impose a limit by their acceptance decisions. There are other schools with what you are looking for- Jewish life, hiking, skiing, and academics. There is also the culture of a school, and the region, and while I do not know a lot about JMU, I am familiar with Miami. Harrisonburg Va is very different.
I think it is very important to support your son with his decision. I would however tell him that his concern about the cost of school is admirable but it is impossible to predict what that cost will be if merit aid is considered. I would ask him to research some others that interest him and apply to them as well. Then he would have the time to visit the schools and spend some time there before he decides.
There is so little information here to decide if any school is right for your son- I guess he is the one who has to know that. However, you are concerned enough to investigate further- and this is important too. Perhaps you and he can come to an agreement on a list of schools that suit his needs and investigate them next year.</p>
) - Freshmen are required to dorm on campus right?</p>
to apply to some private schools, like Yale and UM (i know, they are very different) also UWF in Pensacola. But he keeps saying that based on his research JMU is his first choice (go figure!!)</p>