Money and Fitting In?

<p>Hi everyone,</p>

<p>I'm choosing between two very good schools, one of them being SFS at georgetown. My question however pertains to social life on campus. To be blunt, my financial situation sucks. Majorly. I am getting a lot of financial aid from the school (and i mean A LOT) but that does not change the fact that the Georgetown area is expensive. I cringe when i see the prices on a lot of things on M Street. I also hear many of the students at Georgetown are preppy and very rich. My question is therefore this:</p>

<p>Given my financial situation, will it still be easy for me to make friends and hang out in the area with them? Is there any classist discrimination going on cliques and social groups?</p>

<p>Also, another question: I only turn 21 my senior year, but I hear social life revolves around bars. Is this true and how much of an obstacle is this to my social life? (I hear M street is strict on fakes? Do most students go to bars on M street or other areas, and are other areas less strict on fakes?)</p>

<p>I'm sorry that there are so many questions here but I really have to make a choice and I am just so torn between these schools.</p>

<p>If it helps, know that there are at least two of us that have awful financial situations (I’m almost getting a full-ride just from need-based scholarships), so at the very least you’re not alone.</p>

<p>Sure, there are some preppy, rich kids at Georgetown, but plenty are not. There are tons of activities that don’t involve spending money, and honestly social life doesn’t revolve around bars. Every college, Georgetown included, has people who spend $80 every Saturday night on drinks at a bar, but most people don’t and plenty of people never go to bars at all.</p>

<p>Complete agree… and plus just because someone is rich, doesn’t necessarily mean they are snobby and only loves to drop cash/hang out with others who are loaded… a few of my friends’ families are loaded (and I mean loaded), but you couldn’t ever tell by the way they act and etc… it’s all about how they are brought up</p>

<p>bars are only one aspect of the social life. about half my freshman floor had fakes, and they went to the bars that are easy to get into (there are plenty), and i don’t think they spent much money (they would pregame, then go to dance, maybe buy a drink or two).</p>

<p>i didn’t go to too many bars because i didn’t have a fake, and i don’t think i missed out. i think most of the social life revolves around house parties thrown by different organizations. i would also go to clubs around DC on 18+ night, but it seems most people stay near campus.</p>

<p>i don’t think your financial situation will seriously inhibit your social life any more than at any other college. but there definitely is a culture at georgetown where a small group of people can be very showy with their wealth. i was very surprised, as it is not something i’m used to. i would say it depends on what the other school is – any prestigious, expensive college is going to have that pretty, wealthy group of kids. luckily there are plenty of other people at georgetown who are down to earth.</p>