James Madison University

I am a Quantitative Finance major, which apparently is the hardest major here, but its not as bad as they say, although its not too easy either. First of all, I absolutely love JMU. I recommend it to almost anyone. Here are the pros and cons.....

CONS
1)parking is tough (although the bus system is great so it doesn't really matter)
2)sports teams are good (football is a lot of fun), but it is not division 1 A, it is AA. BUT, they are working on this too and should be D1A very soon.

3)some people complain about the kinda small library, but don't worry b/c they just built a whole new one in addition to the old one that is HUGE!

4)the city of harrisonburg is lame, but our parties kick ass so nobody even seems to notice/care.
5) Gen ed classes kinda suck, especially if you leave any after freshman year and you just want to be done learning about shit that you dont care about.

PROS
1) The people are very friendly.
2) There is something for everybody.
3) There is a work hard play hard mentality. Lots of studying during the week and lots of partying on the weekend (which usually starts on thursday night and goes till sunday, with the occassional wednesday in there every now and then).

4) The parties are fucking sick. The beer is free and everyone is real chill. All parties are apartment parties and any amount of randoms can walk in b/c its JMU and we are friendly like that (unlike other schools where usually if a guy wants to get in he has to bring 2 or more girls). which leads me to my next point...

5) The guy to girl ratio is around 70/30, and you can tell. Our girls are very good looking, meaning if you were a decent looking guy in high school, you will probably clean up here.

6) You will meet a ton of friends here, and have the best time of your life.Overall, JMU is really a LOT of fun and has really good academics at the same time, which to me is the ultimate package!

2nd Year Male -- Class 2009

Education Quality: A+, Surrounding City: D

JMu was an excellent place to help me learn who I was and what was really important to me. The student services there are amazing, and there are so many opportunities to try new things, meet people, and get involved. On the whole, the professors are extremely knowledgable and helpful, and take incredible efforts to help you both with your studies, and with the general questions of life. The student body is not exceptionally diverse, but the people there are friendly and helpful and definitely always ready to have a good time. I feel there is a great balance between having fun and experiencing great things in life and also learning to dedicate your time and efforts to your work and your future. I graduated in May 2003, and although I am happy with my life just as it is, I still miss the friends and atmosphere at JMU. Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

Alumnus Male -- Class 2000