I am considering George Mason University but I am worried about some of the reviews I have seen on niche and cappex saying that it is more of a commuter school. It seems like a very good school, I’m just worried that it won’t have that traditional college campus vibe, or that it will be made up of students from that area that all already know each other. If anyone has any insight towards this, or just George Mason in general that would be greatly appreciated.
I think it is the largest college in VA and because it is right in the middle of one of the most populated counties in VA, it it does have a lot of commuter students. The website says that 34,000 attend GMU, with 6,000 of them living on campus.
With 34,000 attending, I doubt that they all know each other. And with 6,000 (increasing to 7000) in residence, there should be plenty of people for it to have a traditional college vibe.
One thing that is a negative IMO is that the campus is in three locations that are fairly far apart (the residence halls are all on the Fairfax campus though). There are buses that take students to each campus, but that seems like it would be an inconvenience to me.
A positive is that it is very near DC which offers lots of cultural activities - a lot of them free like all the Smithsonian Museums. Another positive is that it is very culturally diverse.
Even though it is the #4 ranked college in VA, I don’t know that it would be worth the cost for an OOS student over the best public university in your home state. Do you have any specific reason for choosing GMU as an OOS student?
It’s ranked very high for the degree program I’m going into, (hospitality & tourism) and I I’m from New Mexico so I think that George Mason based on location and degree program would be better than any university in New Mexico. But I will definitely take these things into consideration, thanks!
As a NM resident, you would qualify for WUE tuition (150% of resident tuition http://wiche.edu/info/wue/WUEsavingsChart.pdf) at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ, which has the #12 ranked hospitality degree program on this ranking: https://thebestschools.org/rankings/best-hospitality-degree-programs/. Also you can definitely have a traditional residential campus experience at NAU. On this ranking, NAU is #45 vs George Mason which is #72: https://hospitality-colleges.com/bachelor.
My S18 was also worried about the commuter school rep, but we were both relieved of that worry on our visit. We had a wonderful tour with just one other family and got to talk to the guide quite a bit, as well as taking a look around. Even though there are a lot of commuter students, the campus is lovely and has a very college-y feel. I think if you live in the dorms it will feel like a pretty typical college. My S came away with GMU as his first choice.
D is a senior and has had a very good experience at GMU. If you can get into the honors college that would be nice since those students get priority registration for classes.
My son is a senior in Economics and has been in the Honors College and has lived in the dorm for the three years he has been there. He has received a fantastic education with access to professors, small classes and a fabulous living experience. The University President is warm and friendly and visible. I can’t say enough good things about GMU.
My DS is a freshmen there and had the same concerns but I can assure you, he is finding plenty to do! Lots of kids live on campus, and some of the “commuters” just live right off campus. This is something that many kids at most universities do - find an apartment right off campus after their freshmen year.The academics there are excellent and there are literally hundreds of clubs and recreational activities. GMU doesn’t have football so that experience will not be had, but that’s only 6 home games per year at any school anyway. The internship possibilities that Mason offers is second-to-none
I know they now require freshman to live on campus. IMO, the school is trying to shake the commuter reputation and help create that tradition college experience. I have a family member who graduated from GMU out of state, had a great experience and never came home.