September 14, 2023

James Madison University, a Virginia public school with around 19,000 undergrads and under 2,000 grad students, somehow seems to infuse its community with undying love and affection for the place. True story: My daughter just attended a wedding where the mascot Duke Dog was a celebrated guest! (Why Duke Dog? No relation to the school in North Carolina. Samuel Page Duke was an early president of the teachers college that became JMU.)

Important updates and upgrades:

• JMU’s Carnegie classification moved up in 2022 from master’s level to R2, a doctorate-granting institution with “high research activity.”
• A new library to open in fall 2026 adds 56,000 square feet to accommodate 24-hour study spaces, a makerspace, rooms for recording video and audio podcasts, and more. Existing books and study spaces have been spread out over campus.
• Residence halls are being taken offline, demolished, and rebuilt one by one. The reimagined Ikenberry Hall will reopen in fall 2025.

Numbers for the incoming class of 2027

• record 37,000 applications
• 4750 enrolled
• 79% in-state students
• 21% out-of-state (JMU doesn’t place a cap on out-of-state students.)
• 73.5% admit rate overall
• 80% for out-of-state
• 66% for in-state

What matters

According to Chris Carlberg, JMU’s associate director of recruitment, essentially two things are considered for admission to JMU:

1. Your program of studies within the context of your high school, with emphasis on core subjects—English, math (a year beyond Algebra II), social studies, science, foreign language
2. The letter grades you earned in core and AP classes (JMU doesn’t use a GPA and doesn’t recalculate grades.)

What doesn’t

Carlberg and Keyvon Scott, assistant director of admissions, said that test scores don’t matter. You can send them but they have “no impact” on the admissions process or on merit aid. (Only 5% of students receive merit aid.)

NOTE: According to JMU’s Common Data Set for 2022-23, only rigor and GPA are “very important” to admissions; however, the school marked SAT/ACT, recommendation, and essay “considered.” [Categories are “very important,” “important,” “considered,” “not considered.”]

Your selected major doesn’t matter. You’re admitted to JMU, not a major. There are no direct-admit programs; even nursing can be entered after you matriculate.

If you apply

Early Action deadline: November 1

Regular Decision deadline: January 15

MUST PROVIDE transcript and courses scheduled for senior year.

Optional elements: activities, essay, letter of recommendation , SAT/ACT

Ready for a challenge?

Strong students may wish to consider applying to honors if these core values resonate:

1) independent, student-centered learning

2) interdisciplinary training

3) collaboration

4) active and informed service and leadership Why JMU Honors?

Honors is a minor that can be combined with any major. Honors College counselors hold office hours every week. Carlberg strongly suggests reaching out to them at honors@jmu.edu if you’re interested in the program. Applying to the Honors College entails writing a 250-word essay.