An interesting claim, since JMU’s acceptance rate is a grand total of 2% lower than UMW’s</p>
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Oh, so you took the same classes she did? </p>
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Just another elitist kid from a big school.</p>
<p>To anyone looking for real advice:</p>
<p>If academics are a priority for you, choose UMW every time. You’ll have smaller classes and your professors will know you on a first name basis. As someone who used to go a big school, this makes a huge difference in your education.</p>
<p>If socializing/partying is your priority, then choose JMU.</p>
<p>Having said that, you can definitely party at UMW. Let’s put that myth to rest. There’s something going on every weekend, and you can do a lot worse than Fredericksburg. If you can’t have fun at UMW, it’s your fault.</p>
<p>JMU isn’t all about parties… which is what a lot of these posts are saying. It has rigorous academics especially with its honors program, not to mention some of the graduate programs that are really excellent. </p>
<p>Sure UMW is smaller, so naturally the teachers will know your first name. But JMU’s professors really strive to teach the course well so that every student can succeed. And if you attend class regularly and go to their office hours, they will remember your name. </p>
<p>That being said, JMU has a fantastic football program and student body that is so spirited during game days and pretty much every other day of the year. It’s a beautiful school set in a valley and the people literally are some of the friendliest you will ever meet.</p>
<p>You will be happy if you choose JMU over another school, and make sure to enjoy your years; they go by way too fast.</p>
<p>There is definitely more going on at JMU, and I would have to say I disagree with those who say UMW is more respected academically, since kids from my school who can’t get into JMU sometimes end up going to UMW</p>
<p>I went to W&M and it was awesome and amazing. It was highly academic but also fun and full of spirit. The students there are very down-to-earth. But it was also hard as hard can get academically – it’s the most rigorous school in Virginia, hands down. The only thing that seems to compare in difficulty in the undergraduate academic realm may be engineering at Tech and UVA. You will be prepared for grad school and/or jobs, though. Just went with D to visit UMW, and S is a freshman at JMU. You can’t really compare JMU and UMW – extremely great schools both, but very different from each other. My D loves both, though – felt that UMW is very “chill” and down-to-earth with strong academics, small classes, and a great community feel. JMU has tons of school spirit and great academics (and amazing food, with 21 dining venues to choose from!!), too – her brother’s classes there range around 25-50 students, with only one being large lecture (around 200). In his major (Geographic Science), his classes have been 20-30 in number. His business major friends there are very bright and love the business school. He’s having a blast there, and his girlfriend at UMW is having a blast there. So, it really comes down to whether or not you want a more chill, small school or a larger, more “rah-rah” school. Both are excellent.</p>
<p>Keep in mind – just because a school isn’t as hard to get into doesn’t mean the academics aren’t as good as a tougher school in terms of admissions. A high quality school can still offer an excellent program to a slightly less competitive student body. It’s the value added from the college education that matters – not how close to perfect the students were when they arrived. Some schools that are famous for things like football and draw lots of applicants are actually not as good as you might think academically, particularly if they shortchange undergrads while focusing on grad students. There are some VA schools (that will remain unnamed) that are overrated.</p>
<p>I went to JMU for a year (transferred to Texas A&M for a better Engineering program, but that is besides the point) and I have to say it was a very rewarding experience. The school spirit at JMU is very rich, and I have to say that I loved my time at JMU. The academics weren’t too difficult for me, but I have to say it has laid a strong foundation for my current studies at A&M. Class sizes can range, but I find that most classes are particularly small. Many of the professors I encountered with tried to remember every student’s name (although it may be very hard considering they have to deal with a large amount of students every semester!). </p>
<p>Atmosphere is very friendly (only went home for breaks/holidays), and I found making friends to be fairly easy, considering the fact that I’m an introvert. Food is very good, and has been consistently ranked by the Princeton Review nationally. Campus is very beautiful and after a few weeks, very easy to navigate. The area outside of the school has a more “country” feel than what UMW would have.</p>
<p>I’ll admit that JMU was not my first choice (actually more along the lines of one of the last ones) but I loved my time there and if I had the chance to do it again, I’d do it in a heartbeat.</p>
<p>However, realize that many of the responses here for either UMW or JMU (either for or against) tend to be a bit biased, so I’d take it with a grain of salt.</p>