We visited The Catholic University of America on April 7, 2015. It was a beautiful spring day, great weather! Took the Metro in from our hotel in Dupont Circle, since we wanted to experience how easy it would be for a college student to get around D.C. (pretty easy!) Very nice having the Metro stop right on the campus doorstep. First stop was the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Wow! Next best thing to being in Rome. Magnificent structure and obviously very spiritual as well. There was a Mass going on in the lower level. So many nooks and crannies to explore! Also there is a nice gift shop, and a place to eat there.
Our tour started with a 20-minute presentation in a room off the Admissions Office. (Now located in Fr. O’Connell Hall) Nice overview by a recent grad. I liked one of the points he made about the university offering a deeply spiritual experience if you wanted it, but you could take advantage of that as much or as little as you wanted. All faiths are welcome. There are many service opportunities on and off-campus, and also students traveling on breaks for service.
Impressed with the opportunities abroad, particularly the CUA in Rome semester. Although they seem to have connections in MANY cities abroad, as well as internship opportunities in places like the Irish Parliament, British Parliament, the EU in Brussels, Rome etc. MANY internship opportunities for the school as a whole, due to the D.C. location and ease of travel. We came from quite a distance to visit (Florida), but I would say that is very do-able if you’re near a major airport. We flew into Reagan National. The public transportation in D.C. is very convenient.
Freshman Year Experience is designed to foster the transition from high school student to college. There are certain classes you take with the same 20-25 people, and special events/trips into D.C. planned, as well as a professor cooking for the students in their own home. There are four required courses, taken two in the first semester and two in the second semester of freshman year. There is also an Honors Program.
Dorms seemed pretty standard, and although they only guarantee housing for the first two years, they say pretty much anyone who has wanted a spot on campus has been able to get one over the past decade.
There are a lot of majors and more schools than I was aware of – fairly new is the School of Business & Economics, due to increased interest/resources. Also opportunities if you want to graduate with a dual degree in Civil Engineering/Architecture, or the 6-year law program (4 years undergrad, transitioning to some law school classes senior year and graduating with a law degree a year early).
Our tour guide Lexi was great. It is a medium-sized school, about 4,000 undergrad, and I think another 3,000 graduate students. The school is pricey, but a lot of financial aid is given, both through need and merit.
The campus itself was hilly, beautiful, with nice views. We also visited the Brookland Market area which is right off campus, with several nice eateries and the CUA Barnes & Noble Bookstore.
Overall a very positive impression!