okay, coming from an actual GW person, completely disregard all the people who have provided their expert opinions based off a two hour campus visit, or a bitter transfer that certainly doesn’t represent the majority of GW students.
Yes- GW is a city school, and you will not find a fence or gate separating the GW campus from the city itself.
No-Your social life or college experience will not suffer in any way whatsoever by going to GW.
You will still find a sense of community, particularly through your freshman dorm, the student organizations you choose to join, campus events, classmates in your major, and in greek life should you choose to participate (80% of students do not join, but there is still a very vibrant greek community if that’s what you want). being a medium sized school, you will easily find other people to bond with over common interests. and despite the lack of a proper fence, you will still feel a sense of “campus” when you are at GW. every single building within a 5 x 6 block area in foggy bottom is a GW owned building. everything is all consolidated together, so it is not all spread out like other city schools (e.g. BU and NYU). the campus feels distinct from the surrounding area and is always buzzing with students. honestly, i think we have an advantage over rural universities, in that our social options are a lot more dynamic. my friends at state schools would often complain that there is not a lot to do for entertainment beyond dorm/frat parties and going to sporting events. those things are available at GW if you want to partake in them, but you also have a billion things you can do within DC, since you are obviously in the middle of a vibrant, large city.
and if you really want a traditional campus environment, you also have the option of living at Mt Vernon, which is a cluster of freshman dorms adjacent to where GW has its sports fields. there, you’ll have a traditional quad, trees, grass, brick buildings, etc. or you can live in the regular GW campus area, it’s up to you to choose on your housing form. if your gut reaction when you visited was you “loved it,” i would follow your gut.
@collegebound1516 They basically only put the students in special programs like WLP or the Honors program there. It’s an INCREDIBLE hassle to get to and from class (Can range from 10 minutes up to 40-60 minutes) and you miss out on so many things that go on on main campus, where most freshmen are living anyway. I think if you aren’t really into the social aspects of college or don’t have a bunch of student orgs/Greek life/classes to go to on a regular basis, then the vern is great for you
They should really use the Mt Vernon campus for all freshmen to ease them in to an urban campus r experience. Some kids would resist because they come to GWU for the urban setting but the Vern is just a few mins from Foggy Bottom (the central campus, 3 blocks from the White House).
Our D has been at GWU for several years now. It is an urban setting but it is not as sprawling as NYU for example. You do develop community in your dorm and then in any activities you choose to get involved in. Greek life is actually good for finding a place to belong. Same with being on a sports team.
It is not a traditional campus but because it is not, it offers some exciting opportunities you wouldn’t find in a classic contained campus. It really depends on your comfort level and ability to seek out your niche/community.
i mean mt vernon is 10-15 minutes away from foggy bottom, i wouldn’t really consider it that big of a hassle…especially when it takes much longer than that to traverse other large city campuses like NYU. OP is concerned about community, and vernies do tend to have a strong, tight knit community with their own events and gatherings. nonetheless, you don’t have to live there if you don’t want to, and you get to pick your preferences when you get your housing form in the summer. whatever you decide, i dont think you have to worry about not having a sense of community. in terms of social dynamics, it really isn’t THAT different from a rural state college, other than the fact that we have socializing options beyond just greek parties and sports games (we have those things too, and the basketball team has been especially good the last few years). you’ll find a community through your dorm, colonial inauguration (CI), the other kids in your discussion sessions, and whatever activities you choose to participate in
My sweet girl will be moving in in less than three weeks. I can say, without a moments hesitation, that we have not had any issues with anything. I know she’s not there yet but her class registration, housing and financial communications have been seamless. Being accepted as a member of GW’s Class of 2020 for our sweet girl and our family is a blessing and a dream come true. She/we know that the experience will have it’s moments but that’s life.
@HappyFace2018 Absolutely- there will be moments of frustration, no doubt. However, looking back, we rarely remember the moments of frustration but remember the positive things we experienced: the amazing professors, lifelong friends, experiencing the city, and becoming an adult.
I’m very excited for you both! I remember the few preceding weeks before I departed for freshman year…