Welcome From the Dean
I am excited to welcome you to the inaugural issue of the Counselor Education Program newsletter. The objective of this newsletter is to foster growth in our relationship by promoting transparency and accessibility through this new initiative. The JMU Office of Admissions understands that this year brings new challenges for everyone, and the admissions staff is fully committed to doing all that we can to support you and your students as we all embark on this new academic year. Please take advantage of all of the resources this new program offers, and, whether big or small, please contact our office if we can be of any assistance to you.
Michael D. Walsh, Dean of Admissions
COVID-19 Impact:
We realize every school system has had to make challenging decisions on how to handle grades based on what was best for their students. We will be taking all of this into consideration when evaluating your students for admission. Our application evaluation process has always centered around reviewing a student within the context of their high school and this year will be no different.
There are a few ways that you can help ensure that we are aware of all of the decisions you and your colleagues have made. First, we strongly encourage you to include that information in your high school profile that is sent to us with a student's transcript. We also recommend including that information on your high school's counseling website. Finally, please do not hesitate to simply reach out your regional admissions counselor with additional information or concerns you may have. We are here to help!
Have more COVID-19 questions? Please join us at our upcoming webinar and get your questions answered! More details below.
Information on Applying:
Good news - there have been no changes to our application process for the upcoming application year! Applications remain available on JMU’s own application and the Coalition application. The only required materials for applicants to submit are their online application, an official transcript, and a copy of their senior year schedule. Optional components that can be submitted include standardized test scores*, extra-curricular involvements, one letter of recommendation, and a personal statement.
*Test scores are not required for admission to JMU, admission to the Honor's College, or for scholarship consideration. JMU is truly test-optional: students will not be disadvantaged in any way by electing not to submit SAT/ACT scores.
Our office has also added a dedicated space on our application for students to share about the impact of COVID-19 on them personally and on their education. There are checkbox options as well as an optional text box (300 words max) for students to use. Counselors will also have a space to share information on how your school responded to the coronavirus outbreak. There will be checkbox options as well as an optional text box (200 words max) available for counselor use. You can see the full questions and options here.
Updated Counselor Website:
The counselor portion of our admissions website has recently been revamped into a one-stop-shop of all of your counseling needs. You will find counselor-specific admissions information, ways for you and your students to connect with our office, webinar programming, downloadable resources, and more. Check out our new site here!
Meet Your Admissions Counselor:
JMU assigns admissions counselors by geographic region. You can find your high school’s counselor by going to the “Contact Us” portion of the admissions website and providing state, county, and/or high school. You are also welcome to follow this link.
Upcoming Webinar Programming:
August 25th, 2-3PM: COVID-19 Impact on Evaluation Process
Join Associate Dean of Admissions, Adam Anderson, as he discusses COVID-19’s impact on JMU’s application review process. There will be significant time allocated for discussion and conversation. We want to hear your thoughts, concerns, and what accommodations you’ve made to your school’s profile so that we are able to fairly evaluate your students.
Ways to Stay Connected:
Check out our upcoming webinars, stay tuned for next month’s newsletter, and check out our helpful resource guides.
Your students can stay connected with our office as well. They can check out our virtual visit options, join JMYou, and register for the October Open House. JMYou is our social media platform for prospective students to learn more about majors and campus life, in addition to being a place where they can connect with other prospective students as well as current JMU students.
We invite you and your students to follow us on Instagram @JMUadmissions, too. If you have not already, please consider joining our counselor mailing list to stay up to date on all things JMU!
Have we missed anything?
Do you have ideas for new content, questions, or concerns? Please let us know! We are always looking for ways to improve and to provide the most current and helpful information as possible. Your opinions and ideas are valuable to us.
Please feel free to email the Counselor Education Program at counselored@jmu.edu or reach out to your regional admissions counselor with any questions or concerns.