Do you think as time goes on, JMU will still be known as a "party school"? Do we want that stigma? Also, after the 2010 springfest, it seems like the "partying" scene mellowed out. Will it continue to mellow out at JMU or is that why a lot of people choose JMU to begin with...
I'll admit I did enjoy partying at JMU...actually...those are the best memories I take from JMU Lol.

(05-29-2013 08:53 PM)JMUDDOG Wrote:  Do you think as time goes on, JMU will still be known as a "party school"? Do we want that stigma? Also, after the 2010 springfest, it seems like the "partying" scene mellowed out. Will it continue to mellow out at JMU or is that why a lot of people choose JMU to begin with...
I'll admit I did enjoy partying at JMU...actually...those are the best memories I take from JMU Lol.

I don't think it will lose the "party school" stigma anytime soon. It was a party school when I was there and when my daughter attended. I don't have a problem with the party school label, but it is sad when people with whom I speak can't think of anything that JMU "specializes" in on an academic level. They always know the food is good, women are hot, and the parties rage. I know that the business school is great (my major area) and that 100% of JMU's education students often pass the state teacher licensing test. In addition, ISAT brings a whole new area of research etc. The fine arts program seems solid too, but for whatever reason people down here don't seem to respect the academics but think it's a cool school to attend if you don't get into UVA.

(05-29-2013 09:07 PM)jmutoml757 Wrote:  

(05-29-2013 08:53 PM)JMUDDOG Wrote:  Do you think as time goes on, JMU will still be known as a "party school"? Do we want that stigma? Also, after the 2010 springfest, it seems like the "partying" scene mellowed out. Will it continue to mellow out at JMU or is that why a lot of people choose JMU to begin with...
I'll admit I did enjoy partying at JMU...actually...those are the best memories I take from JMU Lol.

I don't think it will lose the "party school" stigma anytime soon. It was a party school when I was there and when my daughter attended. I don't have a problem with the party school label, but it is sad when people with whom I speak can't think of anything that JMU "specializes" in on an academic level. They always know the food is good, women are hot, and the parties rage. I know that the business school is great (my major area) and that 100% of JMU's education students often pass the state teacher licensing test. In addition, ISAT brings a whole new area of research etc. The fine arts program seems solid too, but for whatever reason people down here don't seem to respect the academics but think it's a cool school to attend if you don't get into UVA.

JMU definitely is growing in terms of an "academics reputation". We are extremely strong in providing exceptional opportunities for undergraduates, especially in undergraduate research. Time and time again, JMU is consistently ranked as one of the top schools in the country for the high quality of undergraduate research. This in turn give students who partake in a significant undergraduate research experience, a large advantage when applying to Ph.D, M.D., D.D.S, Pharm.D., and other professional graduate programs.

For the past few years, we have been recognized by US News & World Report as one of the top 30 schools providing outstanding undergraduate research opportunities. http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreview...h-programs

We're on that list with great schools including: Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, University of Michigan, MIT, Cal Tech, Stanford, UNC, Princeton, Johns Hopkins, and Wash U in St. Louis.

(05-29-2013 09:56 PM)MCVdukesfan003 Wrote:  

(05-29-2013 09:07 PM)jmutoml757 Wrote:  

(05-29-2013 08:53 PM)JMUDDOG Wrote:  Do you think as time goes on, JMU will still be known as a "party school"? Do we want that stigma? Also, after the 2010 springfest, it seems like the "partying" scene mellowed out. Will it continue to mellow out at JMU or is that why a lot of people choose JMU to begin with...
I'll admit I did enjoy partying at JMU...actually...those are the best memories I take from JMU Lol.

I don't think it will lose the "party school" stigma anytime soon. It was a party school when I was there and when my daughter attended. I don't have a problem with the party school label, but it is sad when people with whom I speak can't think of anything that JMU "specializes" in on an academic level. They always know the food is good, women are hot, and the parties rage. I know that the business school is great (my major area) and that 100% of JMU's education students often pass the state teacher licensing test. In addition, ISAT brings a whole new area of research etc. The fine arts program seems solid too, but for whatever reason people down here don't seem to respect the academics but think it's a cool school to attend if you don't get into UVA.

JMU definitely is growing in terms of an "academics reputation". We are extremely strong in providing exceptional opportunities for undergraduates, especially in undergraduate research. Time and time again, JMU is consistently ranked as one of the top schools in the country for the high quality of undergraduate research. This in turn give students who partake in a significant undergraduate research experience, a large advantage when applying to Ph.D, M.D., D.D.S, Pharm.D., and other professional graduate programs.

For the past few years, we have been recognized by US News & World Report as one of the top 30 schools providing outstanding undergraduate research opportunities. http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreview...h-programs

We're on that list with great schools including: Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, University of Michigan, MIT, Cal Tech, Stanford, UNC, Princeton, Johns Hopkins, and Wash U in St. Louis.

I have always followed the US N&W Report lists. People in the know are aware of your info, but I am speaking of the typical response and view of folks down here with whom I come in contact. That being said, I was unaware of the specific "advantage" you mentioned in regard to advanced research degrees- good to know.

Are we considered "regional" and not "national" because the opportunities at JMU are primarily undergrad?

(05-29-2013 10:10 PM)jmutoml757 Wrote:  

(05-29-2013 09:56 PM)MCVdukesfan003 Wrote:  

(05-29-2013 09:07 PM)jmutoml757 Wrote:  

(05-29-2013 08:53 PM)JMUDDOG Wrote:  Do you think as time goes on, JMU will still be known as a "party school"? Do we want that stigma? Also, after the 2010 springfest, it seems like the "partying" scene mellowed out. Will it continue to mellow out at JMU or is that why a lot of people choose JMU to begin with...
I'll admit I did enjoy partying at JMU...actually...those are the best memories I take from JMU Lol.

I don't think it will lose the "party school" stigma anytime soon. It was a party school when I was there and when my daughter attended. I don't have a problem with the party school label, but it is sad when people with whom I speak can't think of anything that JMU "specializes" in on an academic level. They always know the food is good, women are hot, and the parties rage. I know that the business school is great (my major area) and that 100% of JMU's education students often pass the state teacher licensing test. In addition, ISAT brings a whole new area of research etc. The fine arts program seems solid too, but for whatever reason people down here don't seem to respect the academics but think it's a cool school to attend if you don't get into UVA.

JMU definitely is growing in terms of an "academics reputation". We are extremely strong in providing exceptional opportunities for undergraduates, especially in undergraduate research. Time and time again, JMU is consistently ranked as one of the top schools in the country for the high quality of undergraduate research. This in turn give students who partake in a significant undergraduate research experience, a large advantage when applying to Ph.D, M.D., D.D.S, Pharm.D., and other professional graduate programs.

For the past few years, we have been recognized by US News & World Report as one of the top 30 schools providing outstanding undergraduate research opportunities. http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreview...h-programs

We're on that list with great schools including: Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, University of Michigan, MIT, Cal Tech, Stanford, UNC, Princeton, Johns Hopkins, and Wash U in St. Louis.

I have always followed the US N&W Report lists. People in the know are aware of your info, but I am speaking of the typical response and view of folks down here with whom I come in contact. That being said, I was unaware of the specific "advantage" you mentioned in regard to advanced research degrees- good to know.

Are we considered "regional" and not "national" because the opportunities at JMU are primarily undergrad?

Yes, it's a huge advantage our undergraduates receive because they actually get the hands-on research experience, unlike major Ph.D granting schools. At those institutions, all the research gets funneled to graduate students, and undergraduates just watch, or wash the petri dishes after they're done. At JMU, you actually get the opportunity to conduct meaningful research and present your findings at international conferences. That really builds up your CV prior to applying to graduate schools, and many applicants out of JMU have publications in major peer-reviewed journals. Many of my past classmates have shared stories through various forums, that while presenting at major conference, people have come up to them from various institutions asking when do you finish your Ph.D, when in fact they're still undergraduates. I think JMU needs to do a better job promoting the successes of its undergraduate researchers.

We are indeed a regional school because we do not offer enough graduate level doctoral programs classified by the Carnegie foundation. Hopefully, we'll get to that point because I'd love to see where JMU stacks up in the US News & World Rankings. We're continuing to offer more terminal degrees, and the Doctor of Nursing Practice is now being offered at JMU, a few more and I believe we move up in classification to national. I think the fact that we are a regional university plays up to your "stigma" of us being just a party school. Many top universities are known for their partying, but are also considered academic powerhouses (UVa, Michigan, Emory, UF, etc.)

This is the second thread I've read today referring to UVA as obvious choice #1 for graduating HS students & JMU as choice #2. I understand the academic logic here, but geez. I remember the kids who applied to UVA who were attending JMU were d-bags. I'd rather they not even apply to JMU.

i havent met a uva guy grad that ive even remotely liked in a long long time.

(05-30-2013 08:55 AM)HyperDuke Wrote:  This is the second thread I've read today referring to UVA as obvious choice #1 for graduating HS students & JMU as choice #2. I understand the academic logic here, but geez. I remember the kids who applied to UVA who were attending JMU were d-bags. I'd rather they not even apply to JMU.

Agree - let them go somewhere else. I had a dude who lived in my suite in Hanson freshman year who wanted to go to UVa so bad, but didn't get in. He was a miserable pain in the ass. He even doctored a JMU bumper sticker to read "JMU - Just Missed UVA", and he actually had it on his car. To this date, that guy was one of the biggest d-bags and the most miserable person I've ever met in my life. He would have fit in beautifully at UVa, where d-baggery seems to be the norm. I think he transferred to Richmond. Again, he fit right in there.

If UVA was the #1 choice school in VA, they would have more applicants than us.

(05-30-2013 10:33 AM)JMU08 Wrote:  If UVA was the #1 choice school in VA, they would have more applicants than us.

While people who don't like this fact will try to make excuses & pretend like you're wrong, there's no avoiding this fact.

This is a silly thread; we wouldn't be having this discussion unless we were a party school.

OWN IT BROS

I guess maybe OP doesn't want that moniker, but I don't think anyone else is under any illusions that JMU's nightlife is tame.

Who wouldn't want the reputation of good academics, hot girls, great parties and great food? If you wanted great academics, ugly chicks, no party life and prison-fare, then you were already going to W&M. In order to maintain our reputation of being well-rounded, we have to be good or better at ALL aspects of college life (and pretty much be great at life in general). I agree with Dirty, just own it. Every other school in the Commonwealth wishes they were us.

I've noticed it's calmed down a lot since Springfest though. Each time I go back I see less random/craziness and more people doing the bar scene.

I still wouldn't argue it isn't a party school though.

[/u]

(05-30-2013 12:08 PM)All Dukes_All Day Wrote:  I've noticed it's calmed down a lot since Springfest though. Each time I go back I see less random/craziness and more people doing the bar scene[u].

I still wouldn't argue it isn't a party school though.

I feel like the bar scene is completely different now than it was 10+ years ago (and for the better). I remember going to the Boston Beanery to get a drink. The diversity of places downtown is really nice these days.

Is JMU a "party school"?

Is water still wet?

(05-30-2013 10:10 AM)91Alum Wrote:  

(05-30-2013 08:55 AM)HyperDuke Wrote:  This is the second thread I've read today referring to UVA as obvious choice #1 for graduating HS students & JMU as choice #2. I understand the academic logic here, but geez. I remember the kids who applied to UVA who were attending JMU were d-bags. I'd rather they not even apply to JMU.

Agree - let them go somewhere else. I had a dude who lived in my suite in Hanson freshman year who wanted to go to UVa so bad, but didn't get in. He was a miserable pain in the ass. He even doctored a JMU bumper sticker to read "JMU - Just Missed UVA", and he actually had it on his car. To this date, that guy was one of the biggest d-bags and the most miserable person I've ever met in my life. He would have fit in beautifully at UVa, where d-baggery seems to be the norm. I think he transferred to Richmond. Again, he fit right in there.

I've got a similar story. A woman on my hall fall of freshman year was endlessly bitching about how awful of a school Jmu is and that she didn't want to be here. She hardly socialized with anyone and refused to go out on weekends. She'd roll her eyes at her roommate for being drunk and enjoying her college experience.
She apparently didn't get into W&M and or UVA for some reason. She spent the entire semester commenting about how she got straight a's and is transferring to W&M so that she can "get a good job".
She did transfer and everyone on the hall was glad to see her and her endless anti-Jmu complaining hit the road.

I just wanna say I love you all....I have so much pride in JMU, sometimes I think..." wow...i'm a JMU grad" and I just love it. God bless all.

(05-30-2013 12:06 PM)JMUSteeler Wrote:  Who wouldn't want the reputation of good academics, hot girls, great parties and great food? If you wanted great academics, ugly chicks, no party life and prison-fare, then you were already going to W&M. In order to maintain our reputation of being well-rounded, we have to be good or better at ALL aspects of college life (and pretty much be great at life in general). I agree with Dirty, just own it. Every other school in the Commonwealth wishes they were us.

I'm with you. I love my school. I rep it everywhere in the 757 or wherever I go. Most of the ole dirty people down here are jealous of us and didn't get in. However, they now try to hang that cusa/fbs thing over our head. That being said, the fact remains that many of the kids I talk to down here don't see JMU as having a specific academic specialty or area of excellence. of course, that's not everyone, and I am only speaking for those I know. (my business puts me in contact with a lot of high school student's families) Then the engineering folks around here seem to love vaj tech.