<p>I've been accepted to SIS at AU and the Elliott School at GW. I've also been accepted to the honors program at both schools. I plan to study international affairs (major undecided), but that could likely change. I've visited both schools but can't seem to decide. Pros/cons of each? Is the reputation of GW significantly better than AU? Deposit deadline is in a week so any advice would be appreciated!</p>
<p>My son chose AU over GWU because AU was friendly, more accepting of west coast students, SIS is ranked almost the same as Elliott, and AU has a campus that feels like a campus. I know of 2 students from the Seattle area who were called dirty hippies by their classmates at GWU. One is an engineering student and is making the best of it. The other transferred out of GWU to another school back east.</p>
<p>I guess at this point since GW and AU are tied for you, you should think about the accessibility of DC. How often do you want to explore the city? Tenley Town has a nice shopping area but would you want to take a bus or metro to get downtown? At GW the White House, Mall, Georgetown and Dupont are all a short walk away. Plus there’s a metro stop on GW’s campus. GW’s location is just really convenient.</p>
<p>Hi there! I was in pretty much the same situation as you, only I had only been accepted to the Honors Program at GW. However, AU offered me a larger merit scholarship, so I was really torn between the two. In the end however, I went ahead and paid my deposit at GW a couple of days ago.
My decision was based on a lot of factors: first of all, when I visited both schools, it was at GW that I felt like I truly belonged. As @spoonster said, it is right in the centre of DC and for me, being in the centre of a big city like DC is irreplaceable both because all the ‘hustle and bustle’ is exciting but also because you are literally a few steps away from a possible internship opportunity or job offer.
Furthermore, if you do want to live somewhere that has that ‘campus feel’ you can always choose to live at the Mount Vernon campus but still have access to all the perks that Foggy Bottom has to offer. As for the reputation, I honestly don’t think that in the international affairs department (which is also my major!) it’s that much different between the two schools (keep in mind however that GW has some pretty sweet guest speakers (e.g. Joe Biden, etc…). However, GW also has some other strong departments and let’s not forget the university hospital. All this in my opinion, give the university a more well-rounded strong reputation.
Now if money had been an issue for me, I would have opted for AU as it would have been much more affordable, however, I was lucky enough that that wasn’t an issue for my family. But everybody is different so you might want to consider the financial factor as well.
Finally, regarding the snobbish reputation of GW kids, I personally think that that is partly chance, partly what you make of it. But I highly doubt that in a university with an undergraduate population of 9000+ you will not find a group of friends that has the same interests as you.</p>
<p>Hope this reply is not too late and that it helps you!</p>
<p>@elisab96 - just wanted to compliment you on a very thoughtful, respectful and helpful post. You sound like a smart and considerate person and I love how you were able to provide your perspective and opinion without putting anyone or any school down. Good luck to you at GW - bet you’ll do great!</p>
<p>@myjanda Thank you so much for your comment! it was very kind of you :)</p>
<p>"dirty hippies by their classmates at GWU. " Grow up, Mom.</p>
<p>Thank you all for your help. I think I will pay my deposit to GW today :)</p>