Is JMU on the rise?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I wonder if there are any parallels from across the river. I remember when UMD was a safety with a higher acceptance rate than JMU. Now it’s a highly sought after world-class university that rejected my 4.7 WGPA kid and broke her heart along with the hearts of 80% of her classmates. What changed? Increased performance in sports? Common App? College in general getting too darned expensive? A tipping point of high performing students embracing the school? Aren’t those forces also at play with JMU?

Stop trying to make fetch happen.

Lol! But actually, I’m curious about this as well. What causes seismic shifts in a school’s popularity and reputation within a decade or two?

First and foremost: Winning some football games and going to bowl games.
Secondarily: joining the Common App; other schools becoming harder to get into because they have so many more students applying due to the Common App; rising costs of colleges making in-state public school tuition more feasible.

This is by far the reason...you see it with every school that joins the Common App. Other factors include schools that now will accept your common statement to satisfy their similar requirements.

You need the awareness that the school exists, but having to complete a different application is a huge barrier. Also, schools like University of Washington saw a big jump in applications when they no longer required you complete their own 650 word essay, but will just accept your common app essay.

Yes, but I still maintain that a school's football team providing national name awareness and recognition is a primary factor. I'm an 80s person, so I reference the Flutie effect - Doug Flutie's success at Boston College significantly increasing applications the following year; and
Villanova making the sweet 16 for the first time.....applications up.

JMU's applications greatly increased as soon as it joined Common App; but it has continued to increase year-over-year since then....during which time the football team won it's conference and has gone to bowl game....raising the school and its name's visibility nationwide. Went to a bowl game last year, this year applications up another 4,000. That 4,000 isn't because of its 5th year with the common app.

I don't disagree with your point - but it's not quite as simple as you say. Doug Flutie's Hail Mary against UMiami was in 1984, but BC hasn't rested its #37 ranking on that one athletic accomplishment for 40 years. George Mason basketball made it to the final four 20 years ago and did have a surge in applications -- but that hasn't equated with a huge surge in its college ranking. So schools either need to keep winning (Penn State, maybe) or keep working at "excellence" (whatever that may be) (say, BC) to maintain its increase visibility through sports.

I'm not considering "ranking." I was commenting on what I think is cause of rising popularity/applications.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Yes it has moved up to Safety School

Agree that it is a safety but isn't safety the "lowest" category?

It depends on what your definition of a safety school is. It used to be that if you had a 3.7 or up unweighted GPA you would definitely get in to JMU. That is no longer true. There were several kids in my DS class that thought JMU was a given and they were either deferred or rejected EA.

Really weird to hear this because I know of multiple kids with 3.4s and below weighted (with good test scores) who got in.

NP. This kind of post is so absurd. You don't know the GPAs of any kids other than your own, and you definitely don't know their test scores. Please stop pretending you do.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Yes it has moved up to Safety School

Agree that it is a safety but isn't safety the "lowest" category?

It depends on what your definition of a safety school is. It used to be that if you had a 3.7 or up unweighted GPA you would definitely get in to JMU. That is no longer true. There were several kids in my DS class that thought JMU was a given and they were either deferred or rejected EA.

Really weird to hear this because I know of multiple kids with 3.4s and below weighted (with good test scores) who got in.

Doubt it

Doubt all you want. The truth is evident whether you choose to see it or ignore it and continue being blind

DP. You making up anecdotes about "multiple kids" is not "the truth," but nice try.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think JMU is very quickly becoming comparable to the VT type kid who doesn't want engineering. Same academics, vibe and culture on a smaller campus

I have kids at both schools, both of whom are getting fabulous educations. My VT kid is not in engineering or STEM of any kind.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Yawn. Endowment troll needs to go to a JMU party.

I'm not trolling...do you know what trolling is? I'm making a fact based argument/noting a fact.

DP. I have news for you: JMU is doing just fine regardless of endowment numbers. You seem utterly obsessed by endowments and I've seen you post this before. NO ONE CARES. Just you.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I don’t know why people get so fussy over the idea that JMU may just be a solid school. There is actually room for one more good school…get over yourself

+1 It’s funny watching the Bucknell booster get triggered by JMU’s rise lol

+100
He shows up on every.single.JMU.thread to try his best to smear the school. It's pretty clear something larger is going on with the poor guy's massive ego.

[Anonymous]

It really does...there are definitely people who just don't want it to be a good school...it is weird

[Anonymous]

Wow this thread started out so civil. I was hoping to show my kid who is considering JMU in a couple years. It’s sad that this board provides anonymous refuge for cowards attacking the choices of others. Why the hate? Bitterness? Jealousy? Fear? Insecurity? Regret? Loneliness?

[Anonymous]

Is JMU “on the rise”?

Yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow this thread started out so civil. I was hoping to show my kid who is considering JMU in a couple years. It’s sad that this board provides anonymous refuge for cowards attacking the choices of others. Why the hate? Bitterness? Jealousy? Fear? Insecurity? Regret? Loneliness?

If all of you would just report the troll instead of engaging, that would help.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Will JMU catch W&M in the rankings now that VT passed W&M?

As to post itself, the poster assumes this is permanent and then uses ranking as a plural. Tech is one spot higher in the USNWR ranking than William and Mary and methodologies will change again. Forbes has W&M significantly higher in its 2025 ranking. I can locate others where W&M is higher so the post is not correct but give Tech credit as a great school.

As to the question itself, maybe one day but not in your or my lifetime. W&M just received $150MM in donations to fund one degree program and the amount is greater than JMU's entire endowment, not to mention JMU is many times larger than W&M.

Yikes. Why is JMU's endowment so low? I have a person connection to JMU and I find this troubling........

Perhaps a different thread topic but endowments are driven by a small number of very large gifts. The PP mentioned the $150m Batten gifts to WM. That’s the Weather Channel founder family and the family net worth is probably $3 billion.

JMU as a historic women’s teachers college has not had graduates who founded companies or went to Wall Street or hedge funds. The two largest gifts in JMU history are a $5 million and a $6 million donation.

https://www.jmu.edu/news/2019/04/01-may-commencement-speaker.shtml
https://www.jmu.edu/news/2019/11/11-christina-tosi.shtml

Both clearly high performing grads that JMU should be proud of. But Morgan was SAP CEO for less than six months before getting fired with no severance. And Milk Bar has stagnated - down to 11 locations (from 17 when the JMU article was written). Neither article mentions a gift to JMU and they aren’t the $5m or the $6m gift PP mentioned.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I don’t know why people get so fussy over the idea that JMU may just be a solid school. There is actually room for one more good school…get over yourself

+1 It’s funny watching the Bucknell booster get triggered by JMU’s rise lol

+2. The only way a Bucknell grad is gonna see the Boca Raton bowl is driving by on the way to Bubbe’s house.

The reason the Bucknell grad is in Boca is because he has a second home there like most Wall Street MOTUs/BSDs. The JMU grad has to beg his boss for time off for the bowl game and put the tickets and airfare on his Discover card.

The Bucknell booster must feel threatened by JMU or he wouldn’t be on this thread desperately trying to stay ahead. Probably never imagined in the 90’s that JMU would come this far. Go Dukes!

JMU's acceptance rate was lower in the 90s than it is now.

+1

It is NOT the primary objective of a university to be as exclusive as it possibly can be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know why people get so fussy over the idea that JMU may just be a solid school. There is actually room for one more good school…get over yourself

+1 It’s funny watching the Bucknell booster get triggered by JMU’s rise lol

+2. The only way a Bucknell grad is gonna see the Boca Raton bowl is driving by on the way to Bubbe’s house.

The reason the Bucknell grad is in Boca is because he has a second home there like most Wall Street MOTUs/BSDs. The JMU grad has to beg his boss for time off for the bowl game and put the tickets and airfare on his Discover card.

The Bucknell booster must feel threatened by JMU or he wouldn’t be on this thread desperately trying to stay ahead. Probably never imagined in the 90’s that JMU would come this far. Go Dukes!

JMU's acceptance rate was lower in the 90s than it is now.

+1

It is NOT the primary objective of a university to be as exclusive as it possibly can be.

This. The JMU haters are so mad a school that doesn’t focus on exclusivity is still popular and on the rise. Keep hating, it must make you angry that JMU kids are happier than you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know why people get so fussy over the idea that JMU may just be a solid school. There is actually room for one more good school…get over yourself

+1 It’s funny watching the Bucknell booster get triggered by JMU’s rise lol

+2. The only way a Bucknell grad is gonna see the Boca Raton bowl is driving by on the way to Bubbe’s house.

The reason the Bucknell grad is in Boca is because he has a second home there like most Wall Street MOTUs/BSDs. The JMU grad has to beg his boss for time off for the bowl game and put the tickets and airfare on his Discover card.

The Bucknell booster must feel threatened by JMU or he wouldn’t be on this thread desperately trying to stay ahead. Probably never imagined in the 90’s that JMU would come this far. Go Dukes!

JMU's acceptance rate was lower in the 90s than it is now.

+1

It is NOT the primary objective of a university to be as exclusive as it possibly can be.

This. The JMU haters are so mad a school that doesn’t focus on exclusivity is still popular and on the rise. Keep hating, it must make you angry that JMU kids are happier than you!

Lol

[Anonymous]

JMU is an awesome school with solid academics, infectious spirit, gorgeous setting, cute town, happy students, strong undergrad focus, and proud alumni happy to “hold the door” for fellow grads. It’s a well rounded option for a wider range of students than the more selective (or rejective) colleges in VA. The fact it’s becoming better known nationally - due to the Common App or academic success - will elevate its standing among peers even more. Yes, it’s on the rise and much deserved. VA is lucky to have such strong options.