<p>Hi! I was wondering if anyone could compare and contrast the 3 schools - Georgetown, American University, and George Washington University? location, surroundings, academics, majors, cost, how they're different...any info would be great!</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Georgetown is the leader in DC by a longshot...
Its got the best location, the best academics and the best prestige.
I would pick Gtown over any of the other 2 in a hartbeat.. Gtown also boasts lots of school pride through its Basketball team rivaling GWU every year :P</p></li>
<li><p>GWU: The second best school in DC (though very far apart to Gtown academics). Has a great reputation and excellent internship opportunities at the school. Also located a few blocks from the whitehouse so a really interesting location... GWU also has a nice COllege Basketball Scene.
The negatives:</p></li>
<li><p>Rediculously high tuition. it hovers around 50k (housing included) however that does not include the high cost of living in the DC area (especially GWU's whitehouse proximity location). </p></li>
<li><p>GWU dosnt have a campus.. They have a satellite campus that has a ugly looking campus but nevertheless has some grass and lawns. If you want a traditional college feel in a traditional college campus, dont go to GWU. GWU is purely located throughout city blocks greatly resembling that of NYU's campus. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>American:
American is trailing to GWU academically but not by much. American does have a great reputation in the DC area (as well as the Northeast) and has great success in placing its students in internships.
Also unlike GWU, American does have a traditional college campus.. some nice buildings and a nice center lawn. Pretty small though overall (expected as it is in a very expensive part of town). </p>
<p>Overall:
- if u get into Gtown, go there..
- Unless GWU gives u some scholarships or financial aid, I really wouldnt pick GWU over American.. American isnt cheap either but GWU is the most expensive school in America and American's academic quality isnt that far off from GWU's..</p>
<p>You really need to go to D.C. in person to appreciated the differences between the universities. We went with preconceived ideas, roughly the same expectations as expressed in the above post, but we discovered additional factors. At George Washington there was an energy in the air--very busy. very urbane--lots of action aound us--people handing out leaflets calling for protests at the Capital building, at the White House, at the Supreme court, etc--there were signs everywhere announcing meetings, concerts, plays--you knew that you were in a major city surrounded by active and aware students. Georgetown, in a word, was pristine. Every flower, leaf, tree, bench was in its place--and we got the feeling that you would be shot if you taped a sign to the immaculate walls. The students were well dressed-preppy clothing-very polite--proud to be, in what they considered, the number one school in the city. They were smart and looking forward to becoming successful in medicine. law , or business--everyone seemed to be focused into going to school beyond the undergrad level. They seemed serious about getting ahead, and not too passionate about creating a disturbance. American was a combination of the two. We found them to be the most flexible as to meeting the students needs--they were innovative and made the most effort to accomodate visitors and answer questions. They have more of a campus atmosphere than GW, and aren't nearly as "stuffy" as Georgetown. The kids are not as high-achieving as the other two schools, and there is not that prestige factor going on--but the students are very happy with their education and seem to have a lot of fun. These were my impressions of the three schools, so it really comes down to the individual student and the atmosphere that they feel comfortable with. I though Georgetown was beautifful, but my son was very disappointed by the aura around it--he loved the energy of GW, but wanted a campus-feel. American offered a lot, but not any better than at many other colleges around the Country.</p>
<p>American is a great place to go for international relations. They have a nice campus and recently built a new performing arts center. Their field hockey team is also top 10.</p>
<p>Georgetown is better for int'l relations than American, but mostly because it's just a better school. It's also much closer to K street (where World Bank and IFC offices are as well as other businesses) and the rest of downtown. It probably has the nicest architecture.</p>
<p>I don't really care for GW. It's sprawled out and big and decent at most things but not particularly great at any.</p>
<p>Georgetown>George Washington>>>American>>>>Catholic</p>
<p>GWU does not have a campus and it also has one of the highest tuitions in the country.</p>
<p>But it is located in the middle of DC (much more so than Georgetown). Some of GW's dorms are literally located right across from the World Bank, and it has a metro stop (georgetown does not unfortunately). Basically, the location is unbeatable. And it is awesome for political science. Because GW has the higher tuition, it has nicer dorms/food.</p>
<p>Georgetown has a beautiful campus which overlooks the Potomac, and it is near a section of DC called georgetown (obviously) which has great shopping/food/bars. But as i said above, there is no nearby metro stop so it is a little harder to get around in DC. Georgetown is much better known for its international relations program (School of Foreign Service), but it's political science program is also naturally strong because of the DC location.</p>
<p>In terms of sports scene, both Georgetown and GW have amazing basketball teams. In terms of partying, GW has much more of a party scene but Georgetown has great clubs/bars right next door.</p>
<p>American U. is much further from DC than GW or Georgetown. It has a metro stop so it is quite easy to get into the city. It's campus is quite small and the school is reputable for political science/international relations and a great internship program. </p>
<p>DC is a great college town. It has great public transportation (taxis are not that good, you'll learn soon enough), great restaurants, great bars, and the best environment possible for political junkies. With 6 colleges in DC and at least three in the immediate surrounding area, you'll be sure to meet a lot of other students.</p>
<p>Good luck on your search!</p>
<p>(P.S. The devil possessed a child at Georgetown)</p>
<p>Thanks everyone! It's difficult to get a sense of the schools when I haven't visited the area, so I wanted to get more perspectives - everything posted so far has been helpful!</p>
<p>I'm looking at those three schools also, so thanks from me too. I'm going to go visit them in a few weeks, so I'll try to post something with my view of how they compare when I get back.</p>
<p>The Foggy Bottom metro stop is actually about a mile from Georgetown. You can take any campus/local bus and be there in five minutes.</p>
<p>Georgetown is the best, hands down. </p>
<p>American is reputable, especially in IR and poli-sci. I'd say that it's just as strong as GWU, but with smaller classes and a bigger emphasis on study abroad. And the campus is much nicer.</p>
<p>I would avoid GWU. It's the most expensive school in the country, and the campus is really...not a campus.</p>
<p>GWU >>> American </p>
<p>it's not even close for International Relations & Political Science</p>
<p>GWU is better but i dont feel its worth the extra $$$$$$$ :D
you can get just as good an education at American...</p>
<p>GTWON is the best hands down.. go there if u get in.</p>