Can anyone give me some insight on what the student life and reputations of Richmond and JMU are?
Richmond is a terrific, fairly large LAC-type school located in an affluent suburban area pretty close to downtown. However, unlike some LACs, it has a very good business school. The campus is incredibly nice. I feel like, sort of oddly, it has a better reputation nationally than within the state. I think people in VA just tend to think of UVA and William and Mary before they think of Richmond and Washington and Lee, which I also think has more of a national reputation. Richmond compares pretty closely to Wake Forest and Bucknell. The student body is fairly preppy and affluent. Only a minority of students come from VA, and I rarely hear of local (Northern Virginia) students applying. I think if they are looking at a private school, they prefer to go out of state. (I also rarely hear of anyone local interested in W&L even though it is often ranked very high among national universities.)
JMU, on the other hand, is very well regarded in VA but less well known outside the mid-Atlantic region. For Northern Virginia applicants, it is very competitive, and it is generally thought that a 3.8 is desirable for admission from strong public high schools that produce a lot of applicants. Often top students looking to go in-state will look to UVA or William and Mary and then either Virginia Tech or JMU as a second choice. Honestly, I’ve never met a JMU alum who did not love their college experience (and have met many). The business program is also outstanding and very entrepreneurial. DC area companies definitely hire JMU grads. Two of the most successful businesspeople in my neighborhood are alums. The campus is in the Shenandoah Valley, surrounded by mountains, and is very beautiful. The student body comes mainly from VA, and many especially from NoVa. Good luck!