<p>I am trying to decide between four very different schools: GW, Franklin and Marshall, Skidmore, and University of Florida. Does anyone have any insight into where I would be happiest? I am an artsy, politically active, studious girl from Miami. (WOW i just described myself as a total geek...) Anyway, i really need help, so any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!!!</p>
<p>I'd go to Florida or GW. </p>
<p>Florida has a great rep (and my friends who go there say the academics definitely live up to the rep), it's cheap, and it's just all around a good place to go. If you are artsy and politically active, you'll love GW. There is really no better place to be for politics than dc!</p>
<p>What kind of school are you coming from now? UF is HUGE whereas at GW your professor could actually know your name even in intro classes. You sound like a GW girl because of the arts and political activism, while GW itself is not very artsy, DC surely beats Gainesville.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>There is a lively arts scene that people don't know about in DC. Galleries litter places like Georgetown and Dupont Circle. If you're into the music scene, there are a lot of jazz clubs and performance venues in DC. Black Cat, 9:30 club are two examples. </p>
<p>What are you looking for in a school? If you tell us, we can definitely answer the question easier.</p>
<p>My high school is huge-almost 4,ooo people. I really am looking for a more personal environment, but UF is free for me (being a Florida resident) and I know that they money i save on GW would be spent on grad school. See my dilemma? I would love to be in D.C. I adore that city. I guess i just need to know if its worth the money. Thanks again for all of the help.</p>
<p>That is a hard choice. Free college is always good. </p>
<p>I attended GW for two years, and my professors there were amazing. My classes were reasonably sized -- first year classes were somewhat large/medium, second year classes were very small.</p>
<p>I am also attending a state school this semester (I will be returning to GW this fall). I will tell you right now that a big school =/= big classes past the freshman year in every department except psych (which is always huge no matter what school you attend), so don't let that scare you off from Florida. My state school has 40,000 students, and every single one of my classes have been the same size as my GW classes and my professors have also been very good.</p>
<p><em>However,</em> there are a lot of advantages GW have over Florida. DC >>>>>> Gainesville, in my opinion. The internship opportunities are better. The ability to attend lectures by the most famous and influential people in the world is an opportunity you can only get here. </p>
<p>Also, despite the higher cost, it is MUCH easier to get high paying jobs in DC (I am making less than 7/hr at my state school right now, it sucks). </p>
<p>In addition, I find that the GW student body is much more active (politically and otherwise), ambitious, and involved in school than most state school kids. I am not saying they are necessarily <em>smarter,</em> but they are definitely less sheltered and more driven. I find the standard of living in DC to be waaaay better. </p>
<p>Finally, it's really great to attend a school where everyone is extremely ambitious and worldly. You can't walk a block at GW without hearing another language or overhearing people discuss current events. It is very diverse and not very segregated (unlike many state schools). I just think it's a really exciting place to go to school!</p>
<p>Skidmore all the way: strong academics, like F&M, but a more arts-oriented.</p>
<p>Wow. Thanks for the information. You make some great points about the advantages of GW, and its so great to hear from someone who has experiened both GW and a state school. I have alot to think about!</p>
<p>Do you go to Skidmore/know anything else about it? I'm desperate for guidance! How bad is the location? How are the students? Thanks!!!!</p>
<p>I live near Skidmore and I personally like GW a lot more.</p>
<p>why? location or the school itself?</p>
<p>I went to Skidmore and loved it. The location..."bad?"...have you ever been to Saratoga Springs?!? It is one of the loveliest college towns..historic, idyllic, etc. So, location would be one of the top selling points...not detractants.</p>
<p>The students are really really interesting, I found (coming from a top b-school where everyone talked, looked exactly the same.) There is depth to the students: athletes who play jazz, math nerds into environmentalism, etc.</p>
<p>It sounds as though you havent visited the College. Why not pay a quick visit?</p>