James Madison University Top Questions

People are friendly, but it takes a vested interest in order to go beyond simple small talk and chit-chat in class.

My classmates were outgoing and friendly.

My classmates are very smart and friendly people who will help you if you are having trouble, and are great people to study with becuase its not just a traditional sitting-reading your notes kind of studying, you order pizza and quiz each other in a fun manner.

My classmates are: engaging, career-oriented, fun, and diverse.

Very intelligent and friendly.

My classmates are outspoken, dedicated students who love their school and wouldn't trade it for all of the money in the world; If you go to JMU, you LOVE JMU.

They attend class onlt to pass.

My classmates are helpful, knowledgable, and super friendly.

My classmates are very friendly to me.

My classmates are the most awesome, caring, and energetic, group of individuals that God has put on this earth.

There are a lot of girls here. Amen.

people are friendly and very open to opinions and helping people less fortunate than them

james Madison is not very diverse. It is mainly "white". The atire that students wear most often is as follows: for females; uggs, leggings, sirts, tshits, northface jackets, jeans, sweatshirs, sweatpants and males; jeans, shorts, sweatshirts.

I don't think any student would feel out of place at JMU. Everyone has their nitche here, from the frat boy to the hippie chick to the goth and anime clubs. Most people gather on the Quad during warm weather and seem to have their own place, but the places are always changing location. Hooka smokers stay in the shades of our massive trees, a bongo and guitar jam on the porch of a dorm, students throw Frisbees or kick around a soccerball, maybe throw a football. I've even seen someone set up a real-live Teepee on the edge of the Quad. People bring out their puppies and rabbits, maybe a turtle or two to play with as they sunbathe. Half the students come from Virginia, but there are lots who come from New England area, and even a few from Harrisonburg itself. Political views range from right to left to anywhere in between. We have both a Student Republicans and Student Democrats organizations, we have a Campus Christian Ministries, we have an organization against commericialation, we have a Swing Dance club, we ahve whatever you want. If we don't, people start their own group. You can always spot a freshman when walking to class. They are the ones that are dressed like they are going out to a club or trying hard to look their best for class. Upperclassmen show up to class in anything from torn jeans and yesterday's t-shirt to pajama pants and Pooh bear slippers. You see girls walking around in a small t-shirt, short shorts, and Ugg boots in the spring or out a party in the middle of winter.

Unfortunately, there is not a whole lot of diversity on JMU's campus. I believe an Asian or LGBT student would feel out of place. Most students wear jeans and a collared shirt. There is a lot of interaction between social groups on cmapus. Four tables of students at the dining hall would be the fraternity/sorority table, the athletics table, the punk rockers and the average joe's. Most of JMU's students are from Northern VA or New York/New Jersey. Most financial backgrounds include upper middle-class and above. Students are very politically active with most being center to right. Not many students talk about how much they will earn.

I've worked with some of those groups when I was a Director for the University Program Board. We planned some campus events together. I think JMU is trying to diversify its student population as well as make those minority groups feel more welcome. JMU has been very open to the LGBT group. We have a day every year where students wear Gay? Fine By Me t-shirts to show that it's ok to be gay and that those people are no different than any other.

A lot of people look nice when they go to class. When it is warm many girls wear sun dresses. JMU students are mostly from Virginia and a lot are from NEW JErsey.

I would say that our school is predominately white and blacks def. feel out becuase of this. Most students dress up and look nice for class. College dining halls arn't like college ones where you have your goth table,preps, and the popular kids its very scattered. Most JMU students are from VA, im pretty sure 75{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}. Most kids here come from middle class families and definatley are well off financially. Students do talk about how successful they will be and how much they will earn in the future.

Most of JMU's students are from Virginia - about 70{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}. The rest are mostly from New Jersey, Philadelphia, and New York with other states scattered in. As mentioned before, most students are preppy, and girls are blonde. However, most students are also very accepting and very friendly. You can walk around campus and smile at almost everyone and strike up a conversation and receive a friendly response. Most students actually get dressed to go to class, even to 8 AMs. It puts some pressure on what you look like - especially if all you want to do is just roll out of bed. But there is still a sea of people wearing JMU gear all around campus. I'm not really sure about JMU's students political affiliations but I know there are various political groups around campus.

The people are so friendly and outgoing here.

In my opinion the students at JMU are open to differences and differences in opinion. These things stimulate intellectual conversation and help shape perspectives by learning those of other people. We stand up for what we believe in around campus. Students organize all types of student awareness campaigns. When many of our sports teams were taken away due to title nine students organized a petition to protest this.

The other experience I have had to deal with personally is my religion. I have not found very many students on campus that are Catholic. This has not made my JMU experience negative but it has made it different from my home life and hometown. Since not too many of the students attend regular weekly mass it has been hard to maintain that routine. The campus does offer catholic mass though throughout the week so it is not to say that the campus does not acknowledge the religion. I am merely saying it has been an adjustment for me to maintain going to mass even though my friends do not. Students dress casually to class. Everyone mostly wears jeans. Some wear sweatpants and pajamas to class though it is not overly common. Different types of students interact all the time. Through group projects and clubs I have had to work and develop relationships with students very different from me. Its not to say I didn’t want to or it was hard. Surprisingly it has benefited me. I met many people I would not have normally walked up to and befriend. I would say about half the people I meet are from Virginia. However, this does not stereotype people to being in state or out of state. As I have found (being out of state and unknowledgeable of Virginia) Virginia is a very diverse state. Northern Virginia is very different from Central/Southern Virginia. The differences don’t cause quarrels however. Everyone gets along out of state or in state. Most students are from the east coast though.

I am catholic. I attend weekly mass at the CCM house on campus. Most students dress very preppy to class. There are not many sweat pants or pajamas worn. Yes different students do interact. I think that many different types of kids are friends. Most students are from Virgina, alot from New Jersey as well. Many JMU students are from wealthy or stable backgrounds. Yes, I think that many students are focused on their future and what they will eventually earn.

It's easy to get the impression that all of the students here come from bum-fucking-nowhere. It's not so much that everyone is as much as it is the fact that the bunch that are make themselves noticable. I really don't know how many times I've heard "There were less than ten black people at my high school" or "Wait, so all you Asians don't talk the same?" Being Asian, I'm used to dealing with ignorance, but never on this scale. And, even then, ignorance never really bothers me but it's people that are ignorant and don't give a fuck about fixing it that make me want to start fighting people. It's cool that you don't know what kinf of Asian I am, I'm ambiguous looking, I'll give 'ya that. But when I hear someone go, "Well, it's all the same thing anyways" a bit of my soul dies. Moral of the story: Rednecks need not be present in bulk to make your life miserable. Another thing, I said it only seems like there are a shit ton of rednecks. The true dominant demographic is Affluent White people. No fucking joke, I was in a class where the professor asked people to guess what they think the median annual household income for the NATION is. These douchebags guessed anywhere from $80,000-$150,000. Hell, I take back what I said, these are just rich rednecks. I hear the same lack of minority exposure stories from these people. The depressing part about it all is that these are the children of some of the most powerful people in the world, and they're on the path to the same and they still harbor these ridiculous misconceptions about the world around them. Frankly, the University's recruiting efforts aren't helping.

It's not a very open campus, in terms of gay/lesbian population. There is at least 30{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the population that claim to be Christian/Catholic. Very liberal and Democratic students may feel somewhat out of place, since JMU is in Virginia, one of the more southern states. Girls like to wear Ugg boots and Northface jackets, but if you're in science classes, it's rare to see that. Most students here are very open to interaction and making friends no matter who you are and what you believe in. In the dining hall, you'll see the sports team (because only buffets can feed them), the freshmans who are obsessed with the food and gorge on it until they weigh themselves on a scale, the caving club, and a group of girls that are now upperclassmen but miss dining hall food. We have around 7 dining places, so I'm describing D-Hall, which is our most popular buffet styled dining hall. Most JMU students are from Virginia. They mostly come from middle class families. Students are not politically aware/active at all, which is common in a lot of college campuses. They are predominantly moderately right/apathetic.

No student should feel out of place at JMU. There are so many different types of people and cultures here that it doesn't really matter where you come from. I have personally experienced several different cultures and students promote themselves and where they're from very well around campus helping others to understand and get a feel for different backgrounds.

To be honest, racial diversity is a non-issue. Most students are white Christians, but there is a fairly big Jewish and non-religious population too. The LGBT population here is well supported as well. Students dress pretty homogeneously: North face jackets and jeans almost always. The 4 tables at the dining hall are the "Artsy kids" the "Preppy kids" the "Athletes" and the "Slackers" Most students are from middle class families, but you can really find all different kinds of interesting people here.

Race- This campus IS NOT by any means and ethnically diverse campus religion- i was surprised to notice in a poll freshman year that over 60{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of campus was declared Roman Catholic as a religion. I myself as a catholic actually attended some of the Catholic services held on campus which rarely had more then 100 members in the congregation... tells ya something there huh?! Out of place- people who are strongly against drinking alcohol to have fun... you will be bored if you dont

Most students wear whatever...Ive seen everything from pajamas to North Face and jeans to suits...it depends on the agenda for that day (i.e if you have a presentation, an interview later, etc.) Most JMU students are from NOVA (Northern Virginia, or out of state in areas like Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut). There is a good mix of political activism and I would say students can find a place whether they are republican, liberal, or in between. We have student groups including college republicans, college democrats, an earth club, etc.

James Madison is full of polite, mostly white, people. JMU is lacking as far as racial diversity goes, but I have met a few Asian friends and nobody I've met of any ethnicity has felt out of place here. Even though the campus isn't very racially diverse, the student body here is diverse in every other way. Well, except that the majority of students are either from Virginia or New Jersey. Those aside, Madison has it's fair share of preps, skaters, jocks, and people from other walks of life. Overall, everyone is very chill and accepting of others. The campus is only around ten percent greek, so most parties are off campus. Personally I like it better that way because there are so many places to go, and people to meet.

JMU is not a very diverse campus. However, they are working to change that. I personally come a from a very sheltered hometown so to me personally JMU is a very diverse campus. I can't imagine anyone feeling out of place at JMU. I walked on campus and fell in love with the scenery, people, and the food. Words can not give justice to how great JMU is. If you have never been here, I suggest you visit! Dress for class is very casual. A lot of students wear sweat pants, hoodies, jeans, or JMU appearal.

I don't have experience with those groups of campus. No student would feel out of place on JMU's campus. We are very open and committed to making this a place for everyone. Most students wear sweatshirts and jeans in the morning, but some dress up mainly towards the afternoon. yes, all types of students interact. One table is filled with the sorority members. One is filled with the football players. One is filled with a diverse group of friends, and the last is filled with one person listening to their ipod studying. Most JMU students are from NOVA. All types of financial backgrounds are here, but mostly upper middle class students attend. yes, students are politically aware and campaign for what they believe. We have all three groups. Some do, but not often. Money is a factor, but its more important to prepare for a job that will get you any type of money.

-jmu is not a very diverse campus, not very many minorities, so a minority might feel a little out of place, mostly a caucasian student body -most students wear comfortable clothes to class, jeans and shirts -most JMU students are from northern virginia, a lot are also from new jersey -mostly middle class to upper middle class backgrounds

not much diversity. a student who doesnt like to party would feel out of place. dress for class can sometimes be stereotyped by the college they are in. most jmu students are from va/ md--dc area. most students are upper middle class. i would say most jmu students are politically unaware and not invovled. students do not really talk about future income.

Needs more diversity

-I've been open to new religious events and clubs here -I dont think anyone would feel out of place. I see a diversity of people every day. - 4tables- Jocks, girly girls, down-to-earth people, immature boys

There is something for everyone here. No one would feel out of place. Some people dress up for class, meaning jeans and a sweater/nice shirt. But most people roll up to class in sweats, sneakers/uggs/flip flops and whatever shirt was on the top of the drawer. But when we do dress up we go all out. Most students are from Northern Virginia, Richmond, VA Beach, New Jersey, Long Island and Boston.

I do not have much experience with those groups, but I know they are very active and do great things to make everyone feel welcome. I don't think there are kinds of students that would feel out of place at JMU, everyone finds their place. Students wear a variety of things to class, there are many students who always dress nicely, as in jeans and nice top or in the spring a skirt. There are some students who dress much more casually in a hoodie or t-shirt. There are also students who go to 8ams in pj's. Different types of students do interact, but like in any community there are cliques that stay together. Four tables of students in the dining hall could all be different, there's no way to describe them, they could be all girls, all boys, a mix, they could be different organizations, different years. There are not set cliques that you see everywhere. JMU students are mostly from the east coast, lots from Virginia and north of VA, not many from south or west. Financial backgrounds that are most prevalent are probably middle to upper class. Students are politically aware, we have young republicans and democrats and most people take a stance. There is a good mix of left, right, and center. Students don't really talk about how much they'll earn one day, most students are where they are because they want to be.

Haven't really had any, have gotten the occasional email from groups like that. No student would feel out of place theres something for everyone! Most students wear jeans and a t-shirt to class or sweats. Different types of students definately interact, it's why we are here. Four tables, one is all girls, one is all boys, two are co-ed, everyone is dressed similarly jeans, JMU, or high school gear. There is talking, laughing, conversing, it's a good time for all. Most JMU students are from Virginia. Most students come from a comfortable/well-off/wealthy financial background, money isn't a problem for most of the students here. A lot of students are politically active and aware however a great deal aren't. Students do talk about how much they will earn but usually only once and usually in sessions with advisers.

As I said earlier, JMU is diverse and I've have friends of every background. Students dress very casual - jeans, t-shirts, flip flops. There a lot of students from VA of course, and then a bunch from NJ, PA, NY; I've also met students from Utah, CA, and Texas - so it really is a range. I think a middle class financial background is most prevalent. I have some friends who are very politically active, in the Republican or Democratic Student Organizations, but as a whole, I don't think students are very politically active.