Anonymous
Post 04/27/2026 16:45     Subject: Re:Was JMU always so popular
Anonymous wrote:I like JMU alot. My kid currently goes there and absolutely loves it. My other kid is in High School and has visited many times and probably will end up there....but I just cannot get past railroad tracks and an interstate going right through the middle of the campus. I feel like that would irritate the crap out of me. Makes everything more difficult to get to.


We have a very happy class of '25 JMU grad. I don't think 81 is really a factor in campus environment at all. You can see it from the stands in the stadium but otherwise it is kind of invisible. However the train tracks running through the middle of the campus is a little scary.
Anonymous
Post 04/27/2026 16:41     Subject: Was JMU always so popular
I think it was always a popular choice but getting more so as public schools are more in demand. and the area around JMU has a lot more to it then when were kids. I think that train is part of it's claim to fame!

Anonymous
Post 04/27/2026 15:41     Subject: Was JMU always so popular
Op back. I guess I was blind to that school! No more! It seems like a great school. I’m happy for all the graduates going there.
Anonymous
Post 04/27/2026 15:36     Subject: Re:Was JMU always so popular
Anonymous wrote:I like JMU alot. My kid currently goes there and absolutely loves it. My other kid is in High School and has visited many times and probably will end up there....but I just cannot get past railroad tracks and an interstate going right through the middle of the campus. I feel like that would irritate the crap out of me. Makes everything more difficult to get to.


The train is only 2 or 3 times a day, you get used to it. It really wasn’t that bad.
Anonymous
Post 04/27/2026 15:35     Subject: Was JMU always so popular
I graduated from FCPS in the 90s and JMU was very popular.
Anonymous
Post 04/27/2026 15:34     Subject: Was JMU always so popular
Its been popular since the 80s.
Anonymous
Post 04/27/2026 15:33     Subject: Re:Was JMU always so popular
I like JMU alot. My kid currently goes there and absolutely loves it. My other kid is in High School and has visited many times and probably will end up there....but I just cannot get past railroad tracks and an interstate going right through the middle of the campus. I feel like that would irritate the crap out of me. Makes everything more difficult to get to.
Anonymous
Post 04/27/2026 15:33     Subject: Was JMU always so popular
Anonymous wrote:I went to high school in MD in the 90s and 13 of my classmates went to JMU. It's always been popular in the area.


JMU is the alternative to Towson(along with Delaware)
Anonymous
Post 04/27/2026 15:24     Subject: Was JMU always so popular
I went to high school in MD in the 90s and 13 of my classmates went to JMU. It's always been popular in the area.
Anonymous
Post 04/27/2026 15:23     Subject: Re:Was JMU always so popular
No skin in the game but I feel there’s a lot to like about this school
Anonymous
Post 04/27/2026 15:16     Subject: Was JMU always so popular
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:JMU is a very popular school for my daughter‘s graduating class. I would say it has about the same number of kids enrolling as the university of Maryland. What was the appeal for local students? The proximity?
I don’t remember any kids from my graduating class going to jmu so I am genuinely curious. Was it always so popular or is it just on my radar now?


Are you in MD or VA?



Maryland.

I hadn’t considered the difficulty of getting into other local colleges to the rise of JMU. To be clear, it seems like a great school. I just am surprised at how many kids are going this year.
Anonymous
Post 04/27/2026 15:10     Subject: Was JMU always so popular
Exactly what PP said. The student profile has increased as it's become more difficult to get into other schools that were once easier admits. A bit of a "rising tide" philosophy. Their improved sports has helped as has some of their campus investments. OOS students have increased a bit but still a reasonably accessible admit for a B student.
Anonymous
Post 04/27/2026 15:09     Subject: Was JMU always so popular
Anonymous wrote:JMU is a very popular school for my daughter‘s graduating class. I would say it has about the same number of kids enrolling as the university of Maryland. What was the appeal for local students? The proximity?
I don’t remember any kids from my graduating class going to jmu so I am genuinely curious. Was it always so popular or is it just on my radar now?


Are you in MD or VA?
Anonymous
Post 04/27/2026 15:07     Subject: Was JMU always so popular
It's more on the radar now than it used to be, since it has become much more difficult to get into UVA, William & Mary, and to a lesser degree, VT.
Anonymous
Post 04/27/2026 15:04     Subject: Was JMU always so popular
JMU is a very popular school for my daughter‘s graduating class. I would say it has about the same number of kids enrolling as the university of Maryland. What was the appeal for local students? The proximity?
I don’t remember any kids from my graduating class going to jmu so I am genuinely curious. Was it always so popular or is it just on my radar now?