Sharing the Madison Experience

Guest Editor's Note

James Madison University is stronger than ever, and we need alumni to help spread the word.

The experience of a family that I happened across recently illustrates perfectly a recurring scenario we think you can help us solve. This family saw our campus while traveling to another school, returned the next day for the admissions presentation and campus tour, then returned to JMU another time when school was in session for a second visit. Their bottom line they said, "Before we made our visits, we knew of you, but we didn't know all you had to offer."

Freshman applications have increased 39 percent in the last five years. The quality of students who apply to JMU has skyrocketed. The university receives high rankings in many areas, including overall academic experience, undergraduate research opportunities and student commitment to public service.

Despite our popularity and selectivity, prospective families often tell us, "We had heard of you, but until we visited, we didn't understand the true quality undergraduate experience that exists at JMU."

Combining Madison magazine and the Admissions Viewbook is a bold new approach that allows us to show, through a variety of in-depth articles and spectacular photography, the true essence of JMU. In this issue, you will see the accessibility of our professors, our academic quality, and faculty members working hand-in-hand with undergraduate students. You see abundant opportunities for our students and the dramatic return on investment that a JMU education affords our graduates. In this format, you also see samples of what our alumni are doing, both recent alums and those who have built successful careers.

Here's how you can help: If you have an upcoming student who may be interested in us, or if you have a friend or colleague who has a student who may be interested in us, please share this issue of the magazine with them. Also share with them your personal experiences. Help us show the amazing and enduring quality of the Madison Experience.

-- Michael Walsh, director of admissions

Distributed four times a year, Madison magazine is the official magazine of James Madison University. Read the latest issue.