To Dorm on the Vern or Not?

<p>Hey guys! Got into the Elizabeth Somers WLP program which is pretty awesome. Love the program but I have to stay at Mount Vernon which is not in the main city part of DC. </p>

<p>Problem is I'm a city person and I've heard so many things like people on the Vern are "weird" (I highly doubt this is true) and will have problems having a social life, etc. </p>

<p>Honestly, I'm not sure if I should do the program or not. I definitely want to experience the city. </p>

<p>What should I do? Any advice would be great.</p>

<p>I wouldn’t participate in WLP or similar programs. Attending freshmen special seminars doesn’t do much for me. I wouldn’t live on a campus I didn’t want to live on just for some freshmen seminar program. WLP does mean meeting some students, staff, and professors, but that could be done in many other ways. </p>

<p>I doubt that 99.9% of future employers would care that you participated in some leadership program your freshmen year. </p>

<p>I would instead put the effort into my GPA/classes, personal networking, and real-world job experience.</p>

<p>You can find a social life on either campus. MVC has traditionally had more “artsy” people simply because 1) it’s a traditional, suburban campus that they preferred 2) there’s a good number of art classes offered at MVC 3) MVC tends to have artsy coffee houses/musics and theater productions… further attracting the artsy students. Also, MVC used to be a women’s college until GWU bought it out in the 1990s. Some dorms on MVC weren’t co-ed until the mid-2000s. You used to get women who wanted to live in women-only dorms. Mount Vernon Campus used to be nicknamed Mount Vagina. </p>

<p>In some ways, the smaller MVC means you see the same faces around campus more often. That could be good for getting to know people.</p>

<p>On Foggy Bottom, that’s where most students are. Also, that’s where you go to nearby bars/clubs/restaurants/city events. And, it’s also where most social organization events and meetings are held. If you live on MVC, you sometimes feel like a commuter student. If you have a class at Foggy Bottom, then 5 hours before your next class at Foggy Bottom, living at MVC is a pain… you’re a commuter student. Sometimes the shuttle is delayed, sometimes the weather sucks (snow), sometimes traffic is delayed. Taking the shuttle a few times a day is a PAIN IN THE BUTT. You’ll have to plan your schedule if you live on MVC to adapt to being a “commuter student” to Foggy Bottom. In fact, you might just sign up for any random classes you can find at MVC just so you don’t have to take the shuttle and can roll out of bed and walk to class on MVC. </p>

<p>FOGGY BOTTOM
Want to live near bars/clubs to go out?
Want to live on the “real” main campus, with the bookstore, student center, most classes, most of the restaurants, etc?
Want to be able to walk to Dupont Circle, World Bank, Washington Monument, the subway, etc.?
Want a roudier, party dorm?
Want to be near the larger library?
Do you not mind noise and being more crowded in dorms?
Do you want/need to work off campus? Do you want a city internship?
More students nearby to get to know-- but more people, so you don’t always see the same faces around.</p>

<p>MOUNT VERNON
Want a quieter “traditional” campus that looks more suburban?
Do you not mind commuting 10-15 minutes each way to your classes on Foggy Bottom? Yes, some classes are available on Mount Vernon Campus, but most are at Foggy Bottom. In bad traffic, that commute could become 30 minutes plus each way. Sometimes it’s taken me an hour in traffic to get between campuses, but the usual delay is 30 minutes or less each way.
Do you not mind commuting to events and activities for social clubs or Greek groups?
Do you not mind walking half a mile off the campus to the nearest grocery store?
Do you want a smaller quieter library?
MVC has coffee houses and smaller events. These can be fun.
Fewer students nearby, in some ways easier to get to know people better.
MVC is a college campus basically in/near a residential neighborhood. Neighbors, overall, don’t like that the college campus is there and means more noise, traffic, disruption.
Do you want to know most of the people who live near you?
You tend to get to know other MVC students since it’s smaller. Feels more like a traditional college campus where you see more familiar faces around campus than Foggy.
Do you want a campus with trees and more natural?
Do you want the sports complex that MVC has?</p>

<p>I’m not quite sure where gwgrad is coming from as any semblance that the Vern has to a coffee house is the existence of coffee in one of the two places that serves food on the Vern. Also, I do not get the artsy vibe at all from the Vern (or from any of GW really), unless ‘artsy’ is just a euphemism for ‘freaks,’ of which the Vern has plenty. I do agree with gwgrad though that the Vern Express can be a pain and you do feel like a commuter student a hefty majority of the time. Nevertheless, I know some people in the WLP and they are completely normal and are really close with each other and go out at night together. And there are a lot more normal people in Somers than say in West because most people in Somers are either in a program like WLP or Politics & Values or opted to live in Foggy and were placed on the Vern because of occupancy issues. Also, unless you’re a socially inept person who actually prefers the Vern, you will make friends in Foggy and have people to go out with and crash with if you’re too tired or whatever to go back to the Vern. Hope this helps!</p>

<p>Haha thanks guys for the advice. It’s just that I don’t wanna be surrounded by “freaks” or weirdos. </p>

<p>@meggles Haha. Yeah, I’m pretty normal but I’m more of a city person. I got into the WLP program for Arts and Culture. It seems like a good program but I hate the idea of living on the Vern isolated from all the fun. I think I’ll end up opting out of WLP and go live on Potomac or Madison instead of Thurston. I am pretty artsy but I’m also really social. Love people.</p>

<p>I wouldn’t live on the vern - however, it’s important to note that GW is in the process of eventually housing all incoming freshmen there, so you definitely won’t be with “freaks” if you do end up living there.</p>

<p>I love the city, I love being in foggy and having easy access to everything, but most importantly I love being so close to my classes. Taking the Vern Express every time you need to go to the main campus is a hassle. The Vern is really beautiful, very green and quiet, like a “traditional campus,” so if that is what you’re looking for then I’d live there. But if you want to live in the heart of the city, definitely live on Foggy.</p>

<p>hi kendrickgirl,</p>

<p>I responded to your post about the Vern. I think the Vern is awesome. I really enjoyed hanging out there. It’s a great place to live, in my opinion. However, there are some awesome Freshman dorms like Madison and Fulbright on Foggy. Madison is quite social, but you can still sleep at night. It all depends on what you want. </p>

<p>Also, congrats on WLP! I think it’s a great program. Pat yourself on the back for getting in. This is where I’m going to deviate from GWGrad (who, btw, is giving you guys GREAT advice) Internships aren’t really important until sophomore year. The WLP looks damn good on your resume and will help you land an awesome internship. It’s a good program young female leaders. I wish I has the opportunity to participate.</p>

<p>@hellobaby thanks so much! yeah it seems like a great program with a lot of opportunities. i am definitelt willing to sacrifice living in the city just for it.</p>

<p>meggles–</p>

<p>Ummm. The Mount Vernon Campus has “coffee houses,” as in special events in Hand Chapel where they bring in coffee, food, etc. and music for special events. There’s no Starbucks or coffee store on campus. “Coffee houses” are special events on MVC.</p>

<p>MVC is a nice campus. It’s just that if you have classes on another campus (Foggy Bottom), the shuttle is a hassle. If you somehow can manage to sign up for all of your classes on MVC (or some combination of online classes and MVC classes), by all means… live on MVC. Then you won’t have to shuttle back and forth to Foggy Bottom as much, except for to student organization events, the bookstore, and nightlife/bars.</p>

<p>do not live on the vern. it is weird.</p>