Is JMU for my son??

Colleges and Universities A-Z James Madison University
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<p>Hi!</p>

<p>I'm a mother finding out about JMU for my son. I posted a few concerns in the parents section and they suggested to me to read and to post directly in the JMU section so here I am doing a copy/paste of my previous post.</p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

<p>Previous post:</p>

<p>Hi there,</p>

<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>Thank you very much!!</p>

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<p>Good questions. I have a son who next week will be travelling down to James Madison for a visit. Like your son, he loves the outdoors and wants to opportunity to hike and ski nearby as well as the opportunity to learn rock climbing. At least through high school, he has done very well in school and I would hope that at college the social part does not get in the way of academics. I, too, worry about the party school image. It sounds as though you are applying in state. We would be applying out of state but in our case, at least on paper, James Madison is less expensive than our state universities. out the competitiveness of the school. My concern is also housing. My concern is the ratio of commuter students vs those living on campus. Would my son be the only son on campus on long weekends. We’re too far to let him come home- except for possibly Thanksgiving, Winter Holiday Break and Spring Break. I guess I’ll get a better feel after my visit.</p>

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<p>Hi!</p>

<p>Yeah it sounds also very similar to our situation. We are also out of state.</p>

<p>Are you Jewish as well? I mean, is the Jewish situation also a concern for you?</p>

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<p>No. We are not Jewish. However, I can understand how choosing a school that is tolerant of people from various religious backgrounds is important. We visited Virginia in April twice- once for a school trip and another to look at UVA and William and Mary. My son fell in love with the area- especially the Charlottesville area and was told that he should look at James Madison as another possibility. Because of James Madison’s location, we are making a return trip to Virginia this week.</p>

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<p>In terms of the on campus/ off campus student ratio. JMU is not a commuter school in the sense that most students live at home or leave on the weekends. The on campus/ off campus numbers have to do with the fact that about 1/2 of the sophomores, and most of the upperclassmen live in off campus student apartments. There are many student apartment complexes surrounding the university, as well as houses that are rented by students. JMU is expanding the on campus living opportunities for upperclassmen, but many still prefer to live off campus. These apartments and complexes cater pretty much to all students. </p>

<p>School spirit and student satisfaction is VERY high. Most students seem to stay on campus on the weekends. There are sporting events, theatre events, concerts, movies, tons of clubs. Skiing, hiking, etc…</p>

<p>The average admitted student GPA for the class that entered last fall at JMU was around a 3.8 with a rigorous HS course load. I am about to enter my seventh year teaching at JMU, and the GPA has risen almost each year I have been at JMU. If you are interested you can go back and review the common data sets from the past years on the JMU website. The students I have the opportunity to teach are bright, motivated, and engaged. I teach in Theatre and Music, which are selective auditioned programs, but do also teach students in other majors, and have found them to be the same. The COB, SMAD, and Art, Design, and Art Histortly also have competitive program admissions (other programs may as well). </p>

<p>At almost any college you will find students who like to go to parties. That does not mean that ALL students party excessively, that there are not many other things to do on campus, nor that the academics are subpar. Illegal drugs do not seem to be a large part of the culture at JMU as far as I can see, and the university has actively been working with the students and community to “crack down” on student alcohol use. </p>

<p>Freshmen live on campus. There are some living learning communities on campus that students can apply to be a part of… some are restricted to certain majors (ie. The arts living learning community), others are open only to honors students, but some are open to students in any major who are interested.</p>

<p>We don’t really have any long weekends at JMU, so, that would not be an issue. We have an entire week off for Thanksgiving and the dorms are closed at that time, I believe, as they are for winter and for spring break. </p>

<p>Visiting in the summer will give a sense of the campus and the surrounding area, but not a sense of the vital student energy. If you find your child likes the school on a summer visit you may want to try to visit again at some point during the regular academic year to get a handle on the student vibe. The student body at JMU is overall very friendly!</p>

<p>Sent from my DROID RAZR using CC</p>

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<p>thank you both of you!</p>

<p>KatMT: Everyone seems to be avoiding one of my questions, so let me ask you, since you are college rep might be able to help me. Whats the Jewish life like? I know there’s a Hillel, how active is it? Is there a Chabad on campus? What about antisemitism? </p>

<p>Thanks!!</p>

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<p>I should make clear that I am not a college rep for the university as a whole, rather a college rep on CC because I am involved in the artistic program admissions process for Theatre and Musical Theatre at JMU. So, my comments are based on anecdotal evidence and experiences. </p>

<p>I have never witnessed anti-semitism on campus. I believe that the Hillel is small, but has an active membership. I am not sure about Chabad. </p>

<p>The Hillel maintains a website which can be linked to through the JMU Hillel page. I am sure if you contact them directly they can answer questions specifically.</p>

<p>I went to Syracuse for undergrad where the Hillel was very active, and there were many Jewish students. JMU is certainly a smaller community than there, but Hillel at JMU does not seem inactive at all, and the community seems supportive. </p>

<p>There are students, faculty, and staff of many different religious backgrounds on campus as well as in the Harrisonburg community at large. </p>

<p>Sent from my DROID RAZR using CC</p>

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<p>thank you so much! :)</p>

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<p>Thank you KATMT. I find your insight very helpful. I wish other colleges had representatives on line who were as helpful.</p>

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<p>Enjoy your visit!</p>

<p>Sent from my DROID RAZR using CC</p>