<p>Hey forum, I am a high school senior and I will be attending JMU this fall. I am going into business and I want to graduate from a top notch college like UVA. I will have to use JMU as a stepping stone as I am not at the level of UVA yet. My gpa is a 3.73 and SAT is a 1970. I want to know what it will take at JMU to get in to UVA. I want to transfer ASAP. What should I do at JMU? In terms of grades, clubs, extracurriculars, leadership positions, relationships with professors, etc? Please help me, I really want to go to a top college like UVA.</p>
<p>naku1k -
Hi! JMU is an excellent school, their business school especially is on the rise and is actually ranked above Pamplin now (but you probably know that). Rankings aren’t everything, but it’s one indication that a program is doing well. IMO, the first thing you should do is acclimate to JMU, focus on core academics (gen ed’s that transfer) obviously doing as well as you can, and get involved in some campus activities that really interest you. It’s important to not spend your time thinking “I’m just here for a year so I’m not really going to immerse myself/make a lot of friends/get involved/etc”. A year is a long time (think travel abroad) and if you spend if putting off that kind of a vibe it might be offsetting to your peers and you could be very lonely. You want a great experience while you’re there, however long that might be. You absolutely may transfer after a year, it might be two. You may find that you love JMU so much and the opportunities there for you are such that you don’t want to leave. Don’t close yourself off to exploring everything available to you.</p>
<p>If you’re not familiar with it, UVa has a blog just for Transfer Students (link below). In the Fall there will be an Open House with an information session, presentation from individual schools, and tour. Watch the blog for the date and registration link. Best of luck to you!</p>
<p>[Transferring</a> to UVA](<a href=“http://www.uvatransferadmission.blogspot.com%5DTransferring”>http://www.uvatransferadmission.blogspot.com)</p>
<p>If you really really want to graduate with a business degree, you may decide you are better off staying with JMU, vs. taking your chances on being accepted to UVa’s McIntire.</p>
<p>But see now if I wanted to get on Wall Street, I feel a UVA degree would be crucial, I even think they recruit from UVA</p>
<p>Stay at JMU for two years and in March of your second year be sure your transfer application is in as a transfer student to UVa for McIntire. Follow the McIntire prerequisites with your JMU curriculum, too. This way if you get in, great, and if not, then you are still at JMU working your way through their business program. </p>
<p>Next, JMU’s business program is well ranked, 28th overall and 11th among public universities. This is an article for you to read:
[JMU</a> - Undergraduate B-schools ranking](<a href=“http://www.jmu.edu/cob/ranking.shtml]JMU”>http://www.jmu.edu/cob/ranking.shtml)</p>
<p>You may want to be on Wall Street, but to get there you need to do internships and well in your courses. Let me assure you you can get there from wherever you graduate. Do they recruit from UVa, yes, but only the top students. Do some firms/alumni recruit from JMU, yes, but again only the top students. If this is your goal you need to go where YOU are the most successful GPA wise. McIntire is hard and the students in that program are pushed to the limit. Also, your competition for those positions at UVa is high. These are OOS and IS students with high GPA’s and a lot of EC"s. </p>
<p>Don’t underestimate JMU’s business program. As Blue said, go to JMU engage yourself in all it has to offer, send in your transfer app to McIntire, if you still want to, and don’t think twice about it. If you get in you decide if it is for you, if not you are still at a program that is well ranked and can get you where you want to be career wise. </p>
<p>Best of luck to you at JMU!</p>
<p>Let’s face it: JMU is a no-name school in the business world and won’t get you on Wall Street unless your last name is Blankfein. I would try transfer to UVA and get into McIntire.</p>
<p>If you’re planning to go to JMU for a year or two just so you can transfer to UVa, then you’re probably better off going to a Virginia community college instead of JMU. From what I understand, UVa’s transfer acceptance from the VCCS is much higher than compared to in-state universities. You’ll also save a lot of money.</p>