I’m parent who’s child is choosing between Georgetown and another school, and has a few weeks left to make a decision. I’ve read online in several articles that there is a serious black mold problem in some of the dorms, and that numerous students have been getting sick. My questions to Georgetown students: Is this mold problem as widespread and serious as the articles suggest? Has it been taken care of or is it still an ongoing problem on campus? Georgetown is a fabulous school, but the mold and other facilities issues has given us pause in making a decision to attend.
Hi @Summer928. We just went to the GAAP weekend last week and toured every freshman dorm. We also talked to several students about the dorms (we were in the same situation–choosing between GT and another school with a fab campus). No one mentioned mold at all. The dorms are pretty basic–that’s just a fact. But they are also perfectly fine. They did say that it’s important to keep your room clean. I understand the concern about health–just did not appear to be a problem from everything we saw and everyone we spoke to. And it’s just such a fabulous school–so very excited about his decision. Maybe our kids will see each other in the fall?
So glad to hear this, thank you FlyerDad!
@Summer928 our daughter is a current student and there are no mold issues we have sent or are aware of. She has enjoyed the rigor & quality of the education. Peers and professors are great as well.
The issues with keeping the room clean are the rodents and they probably won’t show you the rooms my niece had with the water coming in but that was five years ago. Maybe they’ve been fixed. It’s a problem that Georgetown has such a small endowment for a school at its level of excellence. It’s gross for a school that expensive
It’s a great school but the maintenance problems are well known and have been for years. https://www.thehoya.com/housing-open-letter-georgetown-facilities/
These issues need to be resolved promptly. Most old buildings will have some issues but I sincerely doubt any college will knowingly ignore any health regulations. Donor alumni, full paying parents and all students should demand immediate solutions.
No sensible family is going to pass on a fantastic school based for some random place with newer dorms but they should make noise so things get duly noticed and addressed.
I don’t understand how an expensive college won’t spend on maintaining their dorms but find millions to spend on financial aid every year. This is abuse of paying families’s money for forced philanthropy. They should get some discounts.
Black mold doesn’t tend to be the type of mold that causes health issues. That said, if there is mold of one type, odds probably aren’t low that there are other molds growing. I wouldn’t doubt it - it’s humid in DC.
Honestly, it would be a big concern for me. My son was just offered a spot at Vanderbilt, and when we started reading reviews, the mold issue came up. I have a few people in my family with mold sensitivities and I can’t imagine what a nightmare it would be to have to fight a school about a mold issue because my kid was sick. I guess the question would be - how lenient is Georgetown with allowing off-campus housing? If your child got there, became ill, and the school was not willing to do remediation, would you be able to secure off-campus housing? I would imagine GTown would be flexible in that case, but it’s worth looking into.
Other than that - congratulations! I absolutely loved Georgetown when we visited! It wasn’t the right school for my kid, but we all still agree it was a wonderful first school to tour to set the standard of what we were looking for. (Aside from the dorms, LOL)
Many schools require first year on campus. Some encourage more years on campus or at least active involvement. On health grounds, every college allows off campus living all years. Freshmen bonding and immersion has great value so if you have a health concern, request a different dorm. Don’t forget to make some fuss to expedite solution implementation for everyone.