Hi Everyone,
I was recently admitted into GW’s class of 2021(WootWoot!!). Now that I’ve been admitted I was wondering if somebody who either knows more than I do or is currently attending GW could answer a few questions:
1- how would you characterize the students and professors within the Elliot School of International Affairs?
2- what are some of the events that integrate freshmen into GW ?
3- could somebody rank the dorms (personality/most fun people, cleanliness, distance/location from classes)
4- financial aid- describe the process of getting more aid than GW initially offered you
It would be great if someone could answer these questions! Thank you!
Congrats on your acceptance! I’ll try my best to offer some insight into your questions…
- I'd say the students are very driven, and my limited experience with professors (only took one IA class, so my sample size if small, lol) would say that they're passionate about their field and incredibly knowledgeable.
- GW has a Move-In week every fall with a lot of different events. Here's a link to the work-in-progress schedule: https://studentengagement.gwu.edu/welcomeweek Basically, if you attend an event or two each day for the first week, you'll both meet LOTS of new people as well as get some free food. I highly recommend going to anything that even sounds interesting. This is a very busy week, so, if after reading through some of these you still have questions, feel free to ask.
- I'll give it a shot, lol. As far as the "personality/most fun people" characteristic, that's rather subjective, so people will have different opinions. As far as cleanliness, that depends on the inhabitants. Some places get trashed from consistent parties (Thurston comes to mind). Also, there's a wide range of age when it comes to the dorms. Older ones aren't necessarily "dirty," but they'll look dated. The personality of students will depend year-to-year in each dorm, with the exception of Thurston (where people go to expect to party) and maybe Mitchell (single rooms, so the quieter types typically end-up here). Here's some basic notes:
Clark Hall: On the Vern, so the distance to classes on Foggy is at least a 15-min shuttle ride away. Smaller dorm, so chances are good that it’ll be quiet most nights. It’s an older building.
Cole Hall: On the Vern, so the distance to classes on Foggy is at least a 15-min shuttle ride away. Smaller dorm, so chances are good that it’ll be quiet most nights. It’s an older building.
Hensley Hall: On the Vern, so the distance to classes on Foggy is at least a 15-min shuttle ride away. Smaller dorm, so chances are good that it’ll be quiet most nights. It’s an older building.
Lafayette Hall: On Foggy Bottom, right behind the Marvin Center (close to food, library, and many academic buildings). Older building but renovated recently (seems newer).
Madison Hall: On Foggy Bottom, across the street from the library. One of the most “central” dorms on campus, so close to just about everything. It’s an older dorm.
Merriweather Hall: On the Vern (women-only), so the distance to classes on Foggy is at least a 15-min shuttle ride away. Smaller dorm, so chances are good that it’ll be quiet most nights. It’s an older building.
Mitchell Hall: On Foggy Bottom, close to Thurston Hall and the Elliot School (basically the south-eastern corner of campus). You’re not close to many academic buildings, so your walks to class will be little longer (5-15 minutes depending where). Single rooms with communal bathrooms (the only dorm like that). Older building.
Potomac House On Foggy Bottom, close to Thurston Hall. It’s a newer building and has a food shop on the main floor (you’ll learn to love it if you live in or near Potomac). It’s not the extreme SE corner of campus but it’ll still take a little walk to most classes.
Somers Hall: On the Vern, and has the Vern Express shuttle stop right in front of the door. It’s an older building but has been renovated recently enough to where it seems newer. It’s right next to the Academic Center, so you’ll be close to any academic activities there. It’s also right next to Eckles library.
Thurston Hall; A monstrosity on Foggy Bottom. Every year it lives-up to its reputation for parties and promiscuity. Most of the dorm rooms are crammed with 4+ students in each. It’s always loud, so you won’t be able to study unless you wear ear plugs (or if noise doesn’t bother you). It’s very old, but last year it received all new furnishings. It’s in the SE corner of campus (just like Mitchell and Potomac) so it’ll be a walk to most classes.
West Hall: On the Vern. GW’s 2nd-newest dorm, and home of the only legit cafeteria. It’s the largest dorm on the Vern, so there will be more opportunities to socialize within your building compared to the smaller Vern dorms like Cole, Clark, Hensley, and Merriweather.
Alright, that was a lot of dorm info. There’s plenty more to say about each, so if any of those pique your interest and you want more info, just ask. Also, here’s a link to more info: https://living.gwu.edu/first-year
- Getting more aid? Well, first, you can call the FinAid office and petition to receive more. This doesn't always work, but it never hurts to ask. Typically you'll have to have a good reason, though. Other than that, you'll have to apply for external scholarships. There are lots of websites with scholarships you can apply to (check out Fastweb, for example). Other than that, there are jobs/activities you can do on campus to receive more help. I had friends that worked at the Smith Center (the sport complex) and received a good amount of pay (most of the work is sitting at the front desk, giving you time to study). There are some student groups that will pay for your housing if you work a certain number of hours every month. Every little bit helps... just ask around when you get to campus.
@NHuffer it looks like the OP hasn’t been on CC since the date of their post which has been almost a month…not sure if their still interested in GW. I’ll wait to post.
@NHuffer I am all ready to start at Elliot this fall. I’m a transfer who will be a junior after the first semester.
Congrats on getting in! I am planning to apply there in the fall how difficult would you say it is to get in