The Admissions Committee is most interested in the quality of the applicant's high school program of study.  Students with solid achievement in four or more academic courses each year of high school will have a distinct advantage in the admission process.  Students who challenge themselves with the upper level courses offered in their high school (i.e.  Honors-level courses, Advanced Placement classes, etc.) will increase their competitiveness for admission.

Academic Achievement

To evaluate students' achievement in the high school programs, the Admissions Committee notes the high school grade point average and class rank if reported by the high school.  JMU is more interested in how a prospective student performs over the four year high school program than the results of a standardized test. 

Standardized Tests

Performance on the SAT I or ACT helps the committee discern applicants' past academic achievement and their potential for future academic achievement.  Please refer to the “Quick Facts” link to the left for statistics of this years enrolled class

SAT II's are NOT required for or considered in the admissions process.  However, students should take the SAT II in writing and foreign language for placement purposes.  More information on how SAT II's are used can be found by clicking here.

Secondary School Report

This form is located in the application and must be given to the high school guidance office.  This is where the Admissions Committee will learn if the applicant chose the most demanding program of courses, an average program of courses, etc.  They also tell us how competitive the high school class is by sharing with us how many students intend to go on to a four year college next year.  They will rate the applicant in some areas such as academic potential, motivation, and leadership skills.  They will also complete the only letter of recommendation that is required to be submitted with the application

Personal Statement

We do not require a particular topic for the Personal Statement.  We allow applicants to decide what the committee still needs to know in order to accurately evaluate their application.  Please do not repeat information that can be found in the application.  This space is provided to help the committee get to know the applicant better.  We encourage students to be creative and have fun with it!  Please know that the committee will consider content and grammar as well as spelling.  The statement should be about a page but no longer than a page and a half.  We don't have a preference in font type or line spacing. 

Extracurricular Activities

We are looking for quality involvement rather than quantity of involvement.  We like to see the type of involvement students have in particular clubs and/or organizations rather than just being a member.  Please tell us about club, organization and athletic activity.  We are also interested in students who have been involved in community service or held part time jobs.