<p>I was talking with a friend tonight about GW since my son has been wait listed, and she proceeded to tell me how much her daughter (and another friend's daughter) decidedly did NOT like GW for a host of reasons ranging from the campus "not actually being a campus" like many universities to the heartless professors who have no problem giving even a freshman an "F." I was shocked at the horrific assessment and wondered why those of you who have selected GW did so. Any current students, I'd love to hear from you, too.</p>
<p>They are completely right though, GW’s campus isn’t really gated off like, say, University of Maryland. But that’s really only subjectively a problem. I really wanted to go to a University that was in a city. Like most Universities in cities, they are plopped in there as opposed to gated off from everybody else. I actually love that fact.</p>
<p>On the other hand, I can’t really give any information on the professors seeing as I didn’t take any classes yet, but I think the graduates statement might be a little overreaching. I think the graduate must have had one (or even multiple) bad experiences with not doing well in a difficult class. The graduate can’t possible know all the teachers in all schools.</p>
<p>I am not really shocked though, since those are all legitimate reasons not to like the University. Even though they are legitimate, it is kind of personal and subjective.</p>
<p>Anyway, I picked the university because, as an Engineer and Physics major/minor, I was extremely impressed by the faculty I talked to, the resources they had, the University’s thrive to improve the school’s Engineering and Science programs, the amount of research being done in each department and the possibilities in the area. </p>
<p>The school is also tied in with a great Hospital/Medical School, which would be really cool to work in.</p>
<p>The only negative for me was that GW wasn’t well known for their Science and Engineering programs. But after learning more about it I was very impressed.</p>
<p>So, in closing, do your research and make your own opinion while also taking other peoples opinions with a grain of salt. Including mine :P</p>
<p>Nyu also has a love/hate relationship with people. You have to know what you’re getting yourself into when you apply to city schools with 20,000 students. It’s kind of sink or swim. Some people thrive on that while others don’t. But the freshman retention rate is 94% so not everyone must hate the place.</p>
<p>I’m a current student, and I don’t particularly like gwu very much either. I prefer both an opened and closed campus. However, I like NYU’s campus a lot more because it’s very vibrant and it just feels like you’re never alone. I guess this could be due to the closeness of the buildings and the abundance of people in NY in general. And this is one of the reasons why I am trying to transfer to NYU next year. I dislike GW’s campus because it’s…pretty wide I guess. By that I mean the buildings aren’t as tall and close together as NYU’s. Also, it feels less vibrant. They’re both major cities, but also very different.
My professors have been alright so far. They really cared about the students. Maybe the freshmen who got Fs deserved it? Many of the TAs are bad though. Most are international grad students, so their english bad and hard to understand. My stat TA is terrible. He can’t teach very well, doesn’t think we’re trying so he refuses to help, and he’s hard to understand.</p>
<p>Esthetique- I hope that you get your wish and are able to transfer. Everyone is certainly entitled to their opinion and MY is that you overgeneralize about specifics re: majors and all (in other posts). Further, I did not experience,“many TA’s are terrible” my freshman year. In fact in my experience, my Calc and Chemistry TA’s were very helpful. Be aware that your specific experiences/ opinions. especially since you are not happy at GW, might adversely impact someone who could truly thrive at GW . No school is right for everyone, GW is no exception so, prospective students must do their research, visit, visit, visit and make their own decision . As noted in another post , I will graduate soon and will truly miss GW and the vibrant city of DC.
P.S. I wish you Good Luck at NYU, an environment that I find to be crowded, impersonal, dirty and not esthetically very pleasing. Just my opinion of course.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Over sugar-coating something has the exact same effect. Like you said, let prospies/admitted students visit and then decide if it’s right or now.</p>
<p>MsBC, do you know of any resources available other than visiting campus (I’m in MN) that would be good to look at?</p>
<p>Hi again MsBC,
I feel like you are attacking me simply because I do not love the school like you do. You feel that I am trying to bash on GW whenever prospies/admitted students look for advice. However, the only way prospies/admits can make an informed decision on attending GW or not, though, is to look at both sides. In this thread, I give out my own opinions and support them with reasons/facts. I said why I disliked the campus because it’s what the two girls disliked too. But this is merely an opinion and not a fact, and any GW prospie/admits knows that. So I doubt this opinion will make any impact. I then gave a positive opinion about GW saying why the professors are good here. About the TAs, maybe I did generalize it a bit. After all, I’ve only had my experience and some of my peers to base it on.
I know that you’re older than me, but it’s kind of immature to attack me for wanting to transfer out. Instead, you could have just offered a different account of your experience at GW; that’s more helpful to the prospies/admits. It’s a better way to refute me. Also, in all the threads I reply to, I do not let my transfer decision affect my responses because I know it’s unfair to students. I try to give the most honest and two sided responses because I’m sure that people would rather have no BS than OMG GW IS AMAZING!! Plus, I only respond if I know about the major pretty well, so I don’t think I’m OVERgeneralizing. Anyways, have a happy graduation!
P.S No need to hate on NYU, I’m not even officially transferring yet haha.</p>
<p>Hello, MsBC:). Nice going-heavy is the head that wears the crown. How’s are you doing? I bet DC is just beautiful about now.</p>
<p>laplatinum: Did your daughter visit? If so, then she saw the campus. Either she wants a city campus, or she doesn’t. Maybe she should check the Mount Vernon campus, which is circumscribed and very nice. As for “heartless professors” giving Fs, well, yes. If you don’t do well, you may get an F. It sounds like your friend’s kid may have an ax to grind. Personally, my experience was work hard>get good grades> Phi Beta Kappa> Summa >great job. ( I am an alum)</p>
<p>Esthetique: De gustibus non est disputandum, but NYU’s campus now extends from South Street Seaport to 34th St. If that sounds good to you, by all means go for it, but it is WAY less campus-like than GW.</p>
<p>Haha you a latin major? And I know, but I don’t really have a preference of a closed or opened campus. A campus, to me, is how people make of it. I like NYU’s because of all the bustling people; I really like that kind of vibe. So it doesn’t really matter to me how widespread it is. Haha I guess I’m more of a NYC instead of DC girl. :P</p>
<p>Yeah I don’t quite understand about the heartless professors. In my experience, the kids in my classes who do poorly blame the professors in the end. Well…maybe they would’ve done better if they’ve been to class! I once had a harsh professor who clearly had favorites, but she was still fair. Maybe there are some heartless professors here, but I highly doubt that they’re in the majority at GW.</p>
<p>I got an F in math my first semester. Best thing that ever happened to me.</p>
<p>My d goes to GWU (current junior) she has been very happy. she is focused on her internships, and has many friends. She is in a professional sorority. She is pretty closed mouthed but hasnt really complained about her professors. She gets good grades. She is very happy with the school. It is not especially enclosed its true, but she loves studying at the Lincoln Memorial. She loves the city. One thing I like about the city school is there are lots of things to do. Plus the car thing is not an issue. She loves getting aorund on the metro. She is a very adaptable kid in general but has loved. Plus this year she studied abroad. The area is surprisingly quiet at night. I enjoy visiitng her there.</p>
<p>Schmohawk: I can always depend on your words of wisdom 
Hope you are doing well and yes, DC is and was especially beautiful the last few weeks with the cherry blossoms.
esthetique- No attack intended, you are of course correct that it’s important to hear both sides and I did precisely that; gave a different opinion then yours. Don’t recall anyone ever promoting the "“OMG GW is amazing” mentally. I merely gave feedback on the TA issue and my pending sadness on having to leave. I find it curious that whenever I voice my mostly positive experiences at GW (not perfect), I get responses that I’m “sugar coating”. I will reiterate for the last time I hope, GW is NOT for everyone as you have confirmed. If you are a freshman I also respectfully disagree that you could possibly know all there is to know about a major. I genuinely wish you good luck in your pursuit of a transfer.
Adam, Unfortunately, I cannot give you resources which could substitute for visiting. Go back in the archives of this forum, read as much as you can and really try to make a trip if GW is at the top of your list.</p>
<p>Thanks, all, for the great discussion. I particularly like GW Alum’s comment on the F from first semester. With hope, you are either in a great grad school now or earning a decent living! to Schmohawk, yes, my son (sorry if I suggested a daughter) has been to GW, so yes, he knows what the geography of the place is. I was less alarmed with the layout of the campus comment from my friend than the sense that there was little “community” at GW. That seems not to be the case; it appears based on many comments here that there is a great GW spirit. Since my son in on the wait list, do you know if there is any way they will accept him before the May 1 deadline for commitment or will he need to commit elsewhere and then hope they come through? At the end of the day, I think he’s going to have to make a commitment to somewhere else and then wait and see with GW. Appreciate the lively comments, CC’ers.</p>
<p>@OP Waitlists are pretty unpredictable. I was on a waitlist for a school once, and they gave me the decision before May 1. But most of my friends who were on waitlists for diff schools heard back way AFTER they committed somewhere else. One even had an extended waitlist! I don’t know if this will work, but maybe your son can send in 3rd quarter grades and a letter saying how much he wants to go to GW.</p>
<p>Yes, currently in a great grad school…at gw lol</p>
<p>@wmurphy wrote: “The school is also tied in with a great Hospital/Medical School, which would be really cool to work in.”</p>
<p>Of the three med schools in Washington DC (Georgetown, Howard U, and GWU), GWU has the lowest ranking based on the residentphysician.com website. Hopefully that will improve now that it is in its second year after being on a fall 2008 to winter 2010 probation from its accrediting body, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education.</p>
<p>based on NIH awards from 7 years ago? please do some more work on your sources. that website just screams “made solely for click through revenue”. </p>
<p>not that med school rankings matter (they don’t) but GW is #55 research and #93 primary care, via usnews 2013. also #99 among all institutions for research funding, NSF 2013.</p>