JMU does not track demonstrated interest. Students with strong grades in a strong curriculum may be admitted with lower test scores. As and Bs in an above average curriculum and SATs for the mid 50% of 1180-1270, ACTs of 26-28. In order of importance, Admissions considers curriculum, grades in core classes, test scores, and then if considered admissible, optional essay, recommendation and activities. JMU has its own application process and offers both Early Action and Regular Decision options. There’s an on-campus movie theater and lots of campus activities that offer an alternative to drinking. DI sports draw big, enthusiastic, purple-clad fans. Princeton Review ranks JMU food #2 in the nation. Students can scan the schedule on their phones. (On-campus housing is only guaranteed freshman year.) Buses run throughout campus and the surrounding neighborhoods. It’s an 8-minute walk to downtown with Harrisonburg with restaurants, bars, comedy shows and plentiful off-campus student apartments. The university is encouraging more students to participate in study abroad programs, hoping to increase participation from 25 to 30%. Of the 18,000 undergraduates, 70% are Virginians, 60% are female, and 15% are involved in Greek life. Registrar, financial aid office, health services, tutoring centers, writing center, IT center, study rooms, specialty dining options, mini grocery store, and ample hang-out space makes this the central hub of activity. JMU recently opened the new Student Success Center on West Campus that consolidates all of the necessary student services on campus. Teaching is focused on the 18,000 undergraduates, who represent 93% of the students at JMU. Student to faculty ratio is low (16:1) and there’s a strong liberal arts component to even the most pre-professional programs. Formerly an all-women’s Teachers College, JMU continues to offer strong teacher education programs. Nursing has the most restrictive admissions policy. Pre-professional programs in business, heath sciences (including nursing), and education are among the most popular majors on campus. Other practical, skill-based science programs of note include: Applied Geographic Information Science, Intelligence Analysis, Integrated Science and Technology and Computer Information Systems. ![]() Freshmen can indicate an interest in engineering and be assigned an engineering advisor to ensure that they take the appropriate courses freshman and sophomore years. Students typically apply to the major after second semester sophomore year. Practical application is the hallmark of the program that culminates with a 2-year capstone project. The program, designed for 50 students per year, offers a general engineering degree focused on sustainable design. Launched in 2008, JMU’s fairly new engineering program is small and distinctive. There are many female role models in the sciences at JMU. Post-graduate plans for students in the sciences are divided 1/3 graduate school, 1/3 work, and 1/3 medicine. Research presentation posters fill the hallways and the building was bustling with students in classes and working together in small groups. ![]() Biology is big at JMU with approximately 1,000 biology majors. Labs were designed for a maximum of 24 students and the high-tech equipment available was impressive. It’s light and bright with faculty offices and meeting spaces adjacent to classrooms and labs. This vertically stacked building was designed with collaboration in mind. The most impressive example of the Commonwealth’s continued investment in higher education is the Bioscience building that opened in 2012. We started our tour at the Skyline area of East Campus, home to many of the newer science buildings. Students travel from one side of campus to another via shuttle bus, bicycle or on foot. East Campus is home to many newer, environmentally friendly buildings. West Campus is the older, more traditionally beautiful side of campus with bluestone buildings surrounding a grassy quad. The 720 acres campus is divided in two by Interstate 81. James Madison University, located in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley, is another of Virginia’s outstanding public universities.
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