<p>Who else on CC goes to GMU? Anyone, anyone? heh</p>
<p>well apparently...since there are 12 views ~_^ and noo..they are not all my views because this is the first time i've checked after posting. c'mon, who else goes to gmu? :)</p>
<p>You are not alone. My d likes GMU alot. She is hoping to finish her application soon and get it in within the next 2 weeks. As we are from NY, she would be staying on campus on week-ends. We are still concerned about the reputation of GMU being a commuter school with most kids coming from NOVA. So if anyone can add some insight about week-ends at GMU, the info would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>from what I have heard, GMU gets most of its commuter reputation from the fact that it used to be the northern VA branch of UVA so it was much more of a community college setting. I talked to some admissions people about this and they said that this simply isn't true or AS true as it used to be.</p>
<p>The campus is pretty much dead on the weekends since only about 28% of the students actually live on campus (I think - my percentage might be off). I live in President's Park and pretty much all I do on the weekends is hang out with friends in our dorms, go out around the city with those who have cars, and go to the game room (pool, table tennis, foosball, etc). If you're into the Greek life, you would probably have lots of stuff to do on the weekends, but don't take it from me cuz I'm not into the whole Greek scene. </p>
<p>I don't have a car here, so sometimes I feel like I'm stuck on campus. I actually used the public transportation for the first time today. I took the Cue Bus from Mason to the Vienna Metro, which took about 20 minutes and then I took the metro to Maryland. So if your daughter wanted to, she could just do that, but take the metro to DC and explore around with friends. I hope that helps :)</p>
<p>Does anyone know anything about the economics program at gmu? How is it compared to UVAs. What are some good arguements to chose gmu over uva</p>
<p>Hi, Michael. I'm a grad student (part time) at GMU, but not in the econ dept. My S is majoring in econ at UVa. He took one summer course at GMU and thought it was good--hard to judge a program based on one course, though. </p>
<p>GMU has, I believe, several Nobel Prize winners on it's econ faculty. But, before you jump on that, remember the Nobel is rewarded for ground-breaking research. This does not mean they are the best teachers. </p>
<p>UVa's econ courses are among my S's favorite classes at UVa. Tons of top ratings on ratemyprofessor.com.</p>
<p>As for the "social scene" at GMU, I think there may be a bit of an inferiority complex going on, here. My kids have gone to three other Virginia universities, and they have very similar issues about their weekend activities as you mention. Really, if you don't get involved in some organized activities, college can get pretty lonely and boring <em>regardless</em> of where you go to school.</p>
<p>Thanks for the great insights redbeard. I'm just trying to decide if the extra presitge is worth going to UVA. I mean I have a very solid shot of getting in but I think I'd be happier at GMU. DC and their econ department is very appealing. UVA has a wealthier and more stuck up feel to it when I visited and I think I would get along with the people better at GMU.</p>
<p>Well, MB, my son had the same impression of UVa, frankly, when we toured. (I think it's the tour guides, who are selected out of an Ambercrombie and Fitch catalogue.) </p>
<p>When he got there, he found lots of down-to-earth people and has had tons of fun. The 'stuck-up' impression was definitely wrong. </p>
<p>I'm on the GMU campus twice a week, and I have kids who've gone to JMU, UVa, and Christopher Newport. I have to say that UVa has the best "feel" for a full time college. </p>
<p>What do you think you might like to do for extracurriculars? UVa has bigger sports and a top-knotch music program. On the other hand, if you're into grunge rock music or Thai restaurants, Northern Virginia may be more your thing. </p>
<p>DO NOT think that going to college near Washington gives you a big leg up on internships or other federal jobs. These are very, very hard to come by, and proximity is not a major advantage. Remember, we have five large universities here: GMU, Georgetown, GW, AU, and UMD. This is a tough town to try to make your fortune.</p>
<p>Not that I'm discouraging you, it's just that lots of students come to WaDC thinking they will grab a gig working on the West Wing. In reality, they serve fast food at Wild Wings.</p>
<p>I understand your concerns redbeard, but I consider myself a rather intelligent and incredibly competitive person. I think (please correct me if I'm wrong) that being a big fish in a little pool would suit the internship market better than being a little fish in a big pool if you get my drift. Plus, I plan on taking full advantage of DC, not just internships but observing Congress, going to the Smithsonian, and hopefully scoring an internship with Library of Congress like a friend of mine at GMU. If you don't mind me asking, what impact does prestige of undergraduate school of study have on graduate school admissions and getting jobs in the working world. I am considering GMU very seriously but I am wondering what type of impact this will have on me later. Thanks a lot...</p>
<p>I understand your question, and it's an ancient one. Would the strength of your GPA at a less difficult school (which would presumably be higher) outweigh the value of a tougher, but more prestigious university. Maybe. I know you needed a better explanation, but here are some things to think about:</p>
<ul>
<li>Normally there's a GPA cutoff for internships. You don't get considered if you're below a 3.0, or sometimes higher (3.2, for example). After that, most internship programs are looking for diversity in universities.</li>
<li>Don't discount how much learning goes on between classmates in college. You help others on problem sets and homework, and they help you. There are group projects--do you want to be in a group with kids who barely got in to your school?</li>
<li>Graduate school right after college is not normally the best path. Test your ideas about yourself and what you like in the real world (and get paid for it) before you launch into the graduate school arc. I've spent a lifetime learning, why rush?</li>
<li>That having been said, graduate schools look first at your academic performance and then at the school you attended. A 4.0 from GMU is more likely to get in than a 3.2 from UVa. </li>
<li>Later in life, nobody will ask what your GPA was. A few will consider where you went to undergrad. The most common "labeling" thing about your undergrad experience is your major. Not that you will work in your major, but accomplishing a tough major will signal your ability to rise to a challenge.</li>
</ul>
<p>i don't have much to say but I do want to thank michaelburt & fhshortie for the info on week-ends at GMU. I think the application is almost completed and my d will get it in this week. She received a letter about visiting GMU in November- so I think we are planning to take another trip down that way. I have been on the website many times, and it seems they are building more residence halls for about another 1000 kids- so my guess is there must be some life on campus on the week-end. And I want to say hi! to Redbeard. I believe our paths crossed 2 years ago in discussions on UVA vs. Cornell in helping Noodleman make a decision on which school to go to. I do not know if he is on the boards anymore. I do not think he made it up to Ithaca l so I am assuming he's at UVA. If I get any info re: internships, week-ends at GMU etc. when I go to the GMU week-end, I'll be sure to post the info here. Good luck to all.</p>
<p>Well, howdy yourself! This semester at GMU they've blocked off almost the entire NE sector of campus for the new construction--mostly for those new residential buildings. GMU has some nice auditoriums and the Patriot Center has plenty of events. (The circus comes to town in January, for example, lending a peculiar odor to the parking lots.)</p>
<p>GMU will always be a suburban campus--nobody's going to build a city around GMU! But, is appears they're doing a lot to try to create a living village where there used to be only parking lots. It's interesting to watch the gradual change--I've lived nearby for almost 30 years. </p>
<p>Ah, noodleman. Now there's a happy CC memory. I hope he's doing well. He had quite a following on the Cornell board and a lesser one on UVa. Might still be around CC with a different handle. </p>
<p>Cheers, RB</p>
<p>I am a former GMU student.</p>
<p>I graduated from GMU a couple years ago and living on campus never worked out for me during my first 2 months. I switched to commuting which seemed to awesome. </p>
<p>On campus life can be somewhat boring for someone new in the area, hopefully alot has changed by now. </p>
<p>Good lucky.</p>
<p>Application is done and in the mail. Actually my d completed it about 2 weeks ago. We're heading down to GMU next week-end for the Open House on Saturday 11/12. I'll report back with any info I gather from the Open House.</p>
<p>My roomate and I are showcasing our room for Open House :) </p>
<p>...time to clean up...</p>
<p>I appreciate your efforts to clean up for us. Who knows - Maybe I'll be touring your room on Saturday.</p>
<p>Haha no problem, I clean up the room every week anyways. Well, if you go to a room with an Asian girl and Black girl, then I'm the Asian one, lol.</p>