James Madison University
Reviews

It's Okay

The academics are good, but you can find better. Seriously, the only reason why people go here is to drink every weekend. If you're not a borderline alcoholic, you'll probably be in the minority.

Great Profs Great Classrooms

Really good veriety of classroom sizes. Profs are very passionate. Material is covered well and prepares you for higher levels, your major, your career, and life!

Guy Girl Ratio Not A Concern

Its true that there are clearly more girls than guys at this school. But don't worry ladies, if you want a guy there is no trouble finding boys dying for your attention. This ratio is not noticable at all if you don't go looking for it.

Pretty Good

The awesome thing about living on campus at JMU is the different areas you can live in. Each has its own feel and appeal. A lot of the dorms have recently been renovated making them pretty nice. No wireless internet though. Maintenance is awesome, very helpful if you have problems.

Our Dining Is Amazing

We have a ton of options from the "high class" Madison Grill to D-Hall. There's something for every night. If you get bored with one place, there's plenty more to go to

Watch Out

During Halloween weekend, James Madison triples the police force and stakes out bus stops in order to ticket student drinkers. The Residence Halls are extremely strict on drinking and drug use in the dorms and on campus. If you are caught doing one of these, you will mostly likely be issued a strike and will then be put on academic probation. James Madison abides by the "3 strikes and you're out" rule however strikes can be considered "minor" and aren't as serious as a major strike so you may not be kicked out after 3 minor strikes.

Drugs Aren't Really an Issue

If anyone is doing drugs they're most likely smoking weed. I haven't seen anyone do any hard drugs.

Outstanding Food

E-Hall is the best when it comes to buffet-style eating. Saturday and Sunday brunches are very popular and the omelets are fantastic. If you want more diverse food choices, Festival and PC Dukes are the best. Bottom line, you will never leave hungry from a dining facility.

Off-Campus Nightlife

There is always a party to be found every night. Thursday night is typically the start of the weekend and late-night buses for party-goers run Friday and Saturday nights until 2 AM. There aren't many bars/clubs, but off-campus housing provides adequate nightlife for both the legal and underage.

Great Time!

The campus is absolutely beautiful! The classes are fun and interesting. Facilities are great, new, and convenient. Free gym membership and good campus food. People here are so nice!!! And there is ALWAYS something to do if you want to go out!

So, So

I always felt comfortable and as if I could walk around like I did at home. But you also can't be dumb. Don't walk around by yourself late at night, because then you are just asking for trouble. The only time I ever feel unsafe is when I receive emails about off campus crimes (robberies, etc).

GREAT

The nightlife here is great. There are plenty of things to do both on and off campus. There are always parties to go to or things to do. The transportation system is really great here with the bus system. They take you to the parties off campus and bring you back to campus so that you will not have to worry about getting a ride if/when you are intoxicated

AMAZING!

The food here is absolutely amazing! I have not yet had a bad experience with the dining services.

Local Culture

Harrisonburg is very committed to supporting local buisnesses! That's what I love about it. There's a farmers market at least once every week, and a brand new co-op grocery store that stocks only local and organically grown items! JMU is lucky to be located in a place that accepts and welcomes students so much!

Variety

JMU is number 5 in the country for having the best food. We have 2 main dinning halls and several small eateries. Each dinning hall caters to the various diets such as gluten free, vegetarian, or vegan. Also each dinning facility will have a speciality of the week.

Scholarship

After reading other scholarship reviews on this site, it was obvious that others just weren't looking in the right place. If you want the money, then you have to do dirty work. All I did for my scholarship, was type in "scholarships" into the JMU search bar and lo-and-behold, a whole list comes up with available scholarships. i just clicked on the ones i was interested in and filled out online applications. After that, I got a scholarship that funds for "75% of instate tuition, renewable for all four years" for basically writing a paragraph of why I want to be a Math major. Now that is a deal for 1. A girl in a 60-40 girl/guy ratio 2. A student who is far from being declared "in-need" and 3. A white student in white-dominated campus. In fact, this scholarship is why I chose JMU. So all in all, the scholarships are great and definitely there. They just won't appear for you out of the blue.

The Students Looks

This school is very well kept when it comes to fasion. Very preppy school and one of the most beautiful campus' in the nation when it comes to girls. Very strong Greek Life as well.

The Registration Process

James Madison University makes it challenging for younger students to get into the classes NEEDED for their degree. They quickly fill up before registration for younger students and don't make it easy to get into leaving the student stranded. However, if it is a huge problem JMU can be helpful in giving an over-ride

On Campus Housing Is Great at JMU

There is something for everyone at JMU. With 34 different halls, there is a lot to choose from. Not all halls are air conditioned, but that is not a huge deal- it's only hot for a couple of weeks in September, then you don't really need it. The dorms are all in good condition with pretty new furniture. The newer and renovated halls are really nice. Even Eagle, the 8 story dorm has a good sense of community. I really liked living on and was able to sign a two year contract which guaranteed my spot for my sophomore year. I like this option. Staying on campus is so convenient.

Good Transportation Options

Bus routes cover campus at regular intervals and the transportation to shopping areas is adequate. Cabs always available at reasonable rates.

Average Safety and Health Concerns

I feel very safe on campus at JMU and have never had any safety related issues while on the campus. Campus security is readily available.

Great School

JMU has something for every one. If you're a partier, there's something going almost on every night. If you don't drink at all, the campus provides plenty of fun and interesting on-campus activities. JMU really encourages people to get involved, which is great, because once you do get involved you'll feel right at home. Even people who aren't really involved in activities still have a great experience because of how friendly and personal the people are at JMU. The academics are challenging, especially if you're any type of science major. But no matter what your major is, JMU does an excellent job of preparing students for internships and jobs. JMU is the perfect place. :)

Need More Late Night Buses

The transportation system in harrisonburg via buses is great! I use them to go to wal mart or the mall and use the bus often to get from class to class that are across campus from another. The only thing I would change is that there should be more late-night buses during the week because during the day I have classes and then usually something in the early evening that if I went to wal mart or something after my classes, then I wouldn't be back in time for my night activities. And also, I wish that there were a few more places that the buses went.

Half and Half

I would say that half of the people at JMU are diverse, or appreciate all forms of diversity, while the other half are ignorant of other cultures completely. There are a few people who are even intolerant of others

JMU = AMAZING

JMU has been my home for four years and I would recommend the school to anyone. There are extracurriculars for every person, the professors genuinely love being there, and the food is incredible. LOVE this school!