I know I want to go to a college in DC and I am debating between these three. I went to DC to visit all three of them today. I liked Georgetown and I’ve always wanted to go there but I found the campus a bit tightly packed. It was hard to move my car around with the small streets and I was wondering if during an actual school day (school was off today) if there will be many cars on campus?
For American University I found it a bit dull. I like the campus, its very pretty, but compared to GT and GW I’m not sure whether I would want to come here.
Lastly I went to George Washington. I liked it a lot more than I thought I would since I didnt think I would like the whole no ‘traditional’ campus thing but I did. Also I read earlier that there’s also the Vern for getting away from the city.
Overall I just want to know more about these three. What are the students like? Are the days hectic or on the calmer side? Do most people know each other and it is a tight knit campus? Which college opens up the most opportunities in networking and internships? This might sound superficial but what kind of style do the students have? What do the colleges look for in their applicants? And what was your general experience with it? Also I like sort of preppy and nautical schools so which ones have that feel?
Thanks
In general, a car should not be your major method of transport in DC.
Georgetown has the biggest name, and may network better.
Go to the forum for each school, and read the comments there; some of your questions might be answered in that way.
Have you been accepted at all three, or are you making your application list for this fall?
If you are still working on an application list, and you really want to be in the DC area, check out Catholic U, Howard U, Trinity University Washington (if you are a girl), UMD College Park, and George Mason in VA as well.
Oh, and yes you will not want to try to have a car on campus for any of these locations other than UM-CP or GMU. You will be taking the bus and Metro like all the other city-dwellers.
Getting your car around should not be a significant factor in choosing a school like Gtown. Many folks just do not have cars in DC, including many professionals.
Happymomof1-
I thought Trinity was only for global relations?
And I’m creating a list for the fall but I wanted to try to get a feel for their personalities.
I also recently visited DC to look at those colleges (though I didn’t stop by American) and I’m still not sure which I would prefer, either. Like you, more than anything I want to be in DC and especially at either GW or GU for their respective foreign affairs programs. If reputation didn’t matter, I would be 100% in the direction of GW. The only thing that keeps me holding onto Georgetown is its stellar academic reputation in foreign service and in all academia. I will say I got a preppy vibe from the students at Georgetown and especially from the tour group of prospective students I was with. (Some of it seemed so preppy that it actually appeared like a fraudulent act, I’ve never seen more people with sweaters tied around their neck over their polo… But I’m from the midwest) But the preppy vibe was not overpowering, and their was a decent amount of prep at GW, too. I did notice a few things about internships. At the GW presentation and as told by my GW tour guide, they have many intern at the White House and State Department throughout their years and 80% will study abroad. My tour guide even said that she knew several freshmen who had interned at the White House during their second semester or the summer after freshman year, which was unbelievable to me. In any case, it seemed like outside opportunities and internships were very available and supported by easy access due to GW’s location. At the GU information session, the admissions officer (who had been there for some time) claimed with the same velocity of GW that she knew of a whopping two students who had gotten to intern at the White House. My heart dropped. She was also ecstatic to say that 60% of students study abroad, nothing compared to GW’s 80%. My biggest issue is that, it seems like there are so many more opportunities for internships and outside experience at GW than at Georgetown, but this is only based off of my visits (I have some of the same questions that you do). I also noted that there was a pretty religious scene at Georgetown, not in that everyone has the same religion, but that most people have some religion and are involved with their religion on campus and in classes. I don’t know if I like that or not. With regards to a car, I wouldn’t recommend having one on either campus. It is so convenient and easy that there is a metro station right on Foggy Bottom and in the midst of GW and it makes going to and fro very simple. There’s no traffic and little stress, it was so great and easy using their metro station that it’s honestly going to be a big factor in my decision. You could go all around the entire Metro area very easily and very safely. Because you will probably not even be able to have a car at either of the campuses, I will say that I found GU a lot harder to get out off and get into. They have a Circulator bus that goes through the Georgetown area and will drop as far as DC Cupcake, but then you still have to climb a few streets and a huge hill to actually get on the campus. There are different colored circulators and only the blue line is the Georgetown/Rosslyn Area and then you have to get another bus (probably in Foggy Bottom) to go anywhere else. Likewise, it’s just as hard to leave. The closest metro station is actually the one in Foggy Bottom and is a pretty far and long walk, I doubt normal city-dwellers even try to walk that (unless they’re running for exercise or something, not trying to get to a location solely). While Georgetown does have such a great name, I urge you to still look at GW and give it the same thought as I have, but it might depend on your major. Though the prestige of GU might help you network with old alumni to a degree, if you are getting more in-field experience during your college career then you’d be networking just as much there. If you are looking into medical, which I am not, I believe that both have very good programs. I haven’t looked into it much, but there is a program at GW where when you apply to the undergrad you also apply for the med school and are accepted into a special 7-year program that goes straight from undergrad into the GW medical school, bypassing the MCATs, too. I am not sure on the prestige of that program or anything though, as it is not a field I’m interested in. (eek! blood!)
I am far from making a decision on where my first choice would be, but these are some things that I noticed.
On the GU v GW front: don’t mix up GU School of Foreign Service with GU - they are separate applications and SFS is much more competitive admissions.
OP, a car is a non-starter @ either uni, certainly as a 1st year, but not realistic until you are living off-campus (or your folks are happy to rent a parking space for you in a parking garage). Uber is your friend.