James Madison University or Virginia Tech for Business?

<p>Congrats!!</p>

<p>lovelucy what made you pick VT over JMU? What did you like more about Tech?</p>

<p>Anyone else can answer that question if they want</p>

<p>Well, there were a lot of factors that went into my decision. First, I will say that JMU's business school is sooooooo much nicer - the facilty and the rankers were better. However, as I stated earlier, I didn't base my decision solely on ranking. I really liked Tech's business department and the business organizations that I felt that I would like to get involved in. What really sold me though was the feel for the place... I just thought that Tech was a better fit. Also, I felt that in the future, Tech would help me find a good decent job over JMU.</p>

<p>Plus, it is more well recognized and I felt that Tech would challenge me more than JMU</p>

<p>^^Good for you. Ive seen so many people pressured into places that they don't want to be that its refreshing to see when people way their options and make logical decisions for themselves. Hopefully you will enjoy your decision and not regret it. Take it from me, I was sort of guilt tripped into going to VT by my friends because VT has the bigger sports program. Me and my best friend are now transferring to JMU to rectify our decision because that is where we initially felt more comfortable. I realize that most people we know here will question our decision to leave for JMU, but it makes sense to us, and Im glad that your decision makes sense to you.</p>

<p>I have been over the same 2 schools as well. I plan on studying business, and have chosen VT. If you work hard and have a strong GPA to show from VT, you are putting yourself ahead of a large student population that are also studying business (making yourself very appealing). </p>

<p>Also, think about the professors…
If you are a professor deciding between JMU and VT, obviously VT would be more appealing.
Bigger/more well known school with a lot more funding which results in better recognition for a professor, so I would believe that VT professors are great despite what rankings they might receive. </p>

<p>VT over JMU, campuses are both great, academics are both great, post graduation is where VT dominates. JMU is growing significantly, but it will take close to a decade for the school to receive that kind of recognition that VT, UVA, and W@M already have.</p>

<p>I don’t know if I agree with VT being better than JMU for Business. Yes VT is big but I have heard that the professors aren’t really that into teaching, there is a committee at VT just to handle this problem. You can work as hard as you want but I don’t think it is going to put you ahead of anyone, a 3.4 from William and Mary will look a lot better than a 3.7 for VT. JMU is still a TOP 50 Business school while VT isn’t. Plus the return on investment at JMU is 5th overall and 3rd for public schools while VT doesn’t even make the top 51 ([Return</a> on Investment: Public Business Schools Rock - BusinessWeek](<a href=“Bloomberg Businessweek - Bloomberg”>Bloomberg Businessweek - Bloomberg)) I’m not saying that VT grads don’t get good jobs but the odds aren’t in your favor. This is the dumbest thread on this website, yes both school attract the same caliber of student but it’s what happens inside the school that makes the difference and that is where JMU stands out.</p>

<p>U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges 2008” (fall 2007)</p>

<p>Virginia Tech ranked 29th among national public universities. Among national universities, Virginia Tech is ranked 71st.[7] The Virginia Tech College of Engineering undergraduate program was ranked 14th in the nation (tied with Johns Hopkins and Northwestern) among all accredited engineering schools that offer doctorates. It was eighth among engineering schools at public universities. Six Virginia Tech undergraduate engineering specialties ranked among the top 20 of their respective peer programs (aerospace engineering, 14th; civil engineering, 11th; electrical engineering, 17th; engineering science and mechanics, 8th; environmental engineering, 14th; industrial engineering, 6th (tied with Stanford as of 2009 rankings); and mechanical engineering, 14th).</p>

<p>The Pamplin College of Business undergraduate program is ranked 41st among the nation’s undergraduate business programs and 24th among public institutions.[8] Pamplin’s overall ranking places it in the top 10 percent of the approximately 460 U.S. undergraduate programs accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International.</p>

<p>Virginia Tech was also recognized as having one of the top 14 cooperative education and internship programs in the nation.</p>

<p>Virginia Tech ranks in the top 20 public colleges and universities nationally among colleges that offer a first-class educational experience at a bargain price, according to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine.</p>

<p>Virginia Tech’s endowment is known as the Virginia Tech Foundation, and as of 2007 total assets, gifts, and funds equal $524.7 million. Virginia Tech’s operating budget for the 2007–2008 school year is $967 million.[citation needed]</p>

<p>The architecture and landscape architecture programs in Virginia Tech’s College of Architecture and Urban Studies are ranked among the very best in America. In its 2008 report, DesignIntelligence (the only national college ranking survey focused exclusively on design) ranked the undergraduate architecture and urban/regional studies program 1st nationally among both public and private universities. The graduate architecture program ranked 5th in the nation and 1st among public universities.[9] In its 2007 report, DesignIntelligence ranked the university’s undergraduate and graduate interior design programs 7th and 5th respectively.[10] DesignIntelligence also ranked the university’s undergraduate interior design program seventh in the nation.</p>

<p>Programs in the College of Natural Resources consistently rank among the top of their type in the nation. The college’s wildlife program is ranked first by its peers, and the fisheries program is ranked second. In a recently published study of the research impact of North American forestry programs, the Journal of Forestry ranked Virginia Tech’s programs second on the perceptions-based composite score and third on the citations- and publications-based index.</p>

<p>The HTM Department is fully accredited by the American Association of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the Accrediting Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration (ACPHA). We are one of less than 10 programs nationwide accredited in both business and hospitality. </p>

<p>Historically, the HTM Department has been ranked as one of the premier programs in the nation. The Undergraduate Curriculum has been ranked 17th, the Masters of Science Curriculum 4th, and the Ph.D. program 1st. A recent study reported in Hotels Magazine ranked the HTM faculty 3rd in the world on research productivity.</p>

<p>we look pretty good, IMHO</p>

<p>The school is nationally recognized for its academics. U.S. News & World Report has ranked JMU as the top public (4th overall), masters-level university in the South for 14 consecutive years, [10] and among public colleges Forbes.com ranks JMU 22nd in the nation.[citation needed]</p>

<p>The University is also ranked 22nd overall in value for money in the nation amongst public colleges and universities, according to Kiplinger Magazine’s 100 Best Values in Public Colleges.[11] According to BusinessWeek magazine in its 2009 ranking of undergraduate colleges of business, JMU’s undergraduate business school is ranked 44th in the nation, and 3rd in Virginia.[12]</p>

<p>Money Magazine, in 1996 ranked JMU 5th in the nation for best value among in-state students.[13] Princeton Review, in its 2007 rankings, called JMU one of “America’s Best Value Colleges”.[14]</p>

<p>I can’t find anything on their business school by itself. So not sure for JMU, but Va Tech measures up well, and better in some areas. Like JMU can not match the HTM program at VA Tech, but both look like very good schools. I am not sure you can wrong with either</p>

<p>It all depends but If you are looking in to more “business” nature of classes such as Marketing and Business Administration, I’d suggest JMU. Let me explain why</p>

<ol>
<li>School name recognition- VT</li>
</ol>

<p>VT has more school name recognition and it is important (no matter what people say) because employers know what kind of school you go to. Most people in Human Resources would know JMU and VT but if you are applying for jobs overseas or some companies, they might not know JMU. </p>

<ol>
<li>Business School- JMU</li>
</ol>

<p>They both have similar academic level in business. JMU rank is bit higher but I’d say it doesn’t really matter. What matters is that JMU is business oriented when VT is engineering oriented. I’d imagine JMU has lots of business classes. I constantly find myself frustrated looking for my major elective courses in VT because they don’t have too many choices</p>

<ol>
<li>Employment- Same</li>
</ol>

<p>I think both school attracts similar employers. It all depends on how you do in school and how you actively search for internship and jobs.</p>

<p>I think no matter which school you choose, you will be satisfied. But I’d suggest going to JMU just because it is business oriented. </p>

<p>If you are looking to major finance, Economics, or any computer related business major, I’d suggest VT. VT has good math and BIT program.</p>

<p>Just remeber, it all depends on how you do in school, how you actively search for internships, what kind of courses you take. Getting good GPA is good start but, in today’s job market, it is very basic requirement. I think most employers at least look for people above GPA 3.3+. On top of that, You have to take good courses and show employers or graduate admission that you have really tried to learn. Also, internship is important. Try to look for it as soon as possible and be prepared for interviews. Leadership opportunity is important, too (Don’ just join the organization, try to go for leadership position)</p>

<p>Remember why you are going to college. VT and JMU both are similar academically in business. I think it is stupid to argue over who is better or who is not. It is same. There are difference here and there but pretty minor (I’d definetly choose UVA or WM over VT and JMU).No matter what college you choose, it is going to be depends on how you live your college life. You go college so that you can get a job. Classroom isn’t everything. Do whatever you can to stay ahead of the rest.</p>

<p>I’m glad this debate was brought up again as I wish I had the perspective I do now as a high schooler making this decision. I made the right one, but did so with incomplete information.</p>

<p>Post undergrad opportunities are superior at VT for (at least) three reasons: Better on campus recruiting, more involved alumni, and greater national perception among companies. </p>

<p>Better on campus recruiting: General Electric, Amazon, Vanguard etc… Every year, especially when the economy is doing well, VT attracts and retains many employers that will allocate their limited recruiting resources to VT over JMU. Yes, the two schools share many of the larger firms (Big 4, IBM, Accenture, etc.), but even in those cases, there are more spots available to Hokies than Dukes (albeit more competition as well.) </p>

<p>The latter two benefits (more involved alumni and better national recognition) are admittedly related to a factor completely unrelated to education… Virginia Tech’s football program. I joined GE’s rotational program after graduating and moved to seven different states over the last three years. Having VT on my resume was always an easy discussion starter and something I could be proud when speaking with peers from the Ivy’s, Notre Dame, Penn State, UVA, Michigan, the UC’s, etc. VT was instantly recognized as a solid state school, though definitely a tier down from those mentioned above. That said, having to explain JMU over and over would have honestly been embarrassing.</p>

<p>Finally in terms of alumni involvement, there’s no coincidence that the VT Business Horizons career fair is held on a weekend with a football game every year. No one can argue this doesn’t help bring back many alumni who might otherwise be apathetic or too busy to return. Furthermore, that football program also stimulates the pride within all alumni, something that can be seen in the car stickers, license plates, and apparel across VA and the rest of the country. Hokie pride is everywhere and that certainly adds value to your career prospects.</p>

<p>One last point I’d like to make. I have been fighting an uphill battle against my Ivy and premier state school peers since I graduated. Joining GE’s FMP program instantly placed me against peers with much higher ranked undergrad institutions on their resume. My recent acceptance to UCLA Anderson and eventual attempt to join a top-tier consulting firm will finally remove any self doubt that remains. That said, a top tier undergraduate opportunity like GE FMP was only available to Hokies at the time I graduated, and it was that opportunity that allowed me to get where I am now. (And no, Big 4 public accounting will most likely not get you into a top-tier business school… I promise.)</p>

<p>You can look at VT vs. JMU for a variety of reasons besides career prospects upon graduation, but that debate has a clear winner in VT. Also, campus, food, football, pride, collegiate attitude (vs. clique’y feelings of high school part 2 at JMU), etc. are all the other superior factors of VT. But those are definitely more personal opinion. Except football… and basketball. :)</p>

<p>Can anyone tell me if you are eligible for JMU’s business school upon acceptance or do you have to wait and take out the "weeder " courses to get in. I’m trying to help my sister with college selection and she likes JMU, but we are getting mixed messages about how betting into the business program works. I go to UVa and it is two years before you know if you got into the comm school, which is a pain.</p>

<p>She has her heart set on marketing.</p>

<p>Any info would be appreciated.
Thx</p>

<p>Thank you guys for all the insight, I applied to VT and JMU and got waitlisted at JMU. Still waiting to hear back from VT. But that is what I want to major in, and I appreciate all of your input. Thanks!</p>

<p>Closing 3 yo thread.</p>

<p>Please only use old threads for reference, do not post and resurrect them.</p>