As an undeclared major at entry, I filled my freshman year with GCRs. While many students gripe about the fairly comprehensive requirements, I used them as an opportunity to figure out what I was interested in studying. There's a great variety of classes available and I've had good experiences with the faculty, both professors and advisors, during my first year.
Do you enjoy the experience at your school?
It's pretty common knowledge that the best part of GW is the city it's located in. Great music venues, restaurants, hookah bars, night clubs, and museums are either within walking distance or a short metro ride away. Within the school, however, much of the student body has a reputation for being rich, white, Long Islanders with superficial interests. I'm not going to dispute this (instead I'll refer you to stuffgwpeoplelike.com) but I will say that the school also has a great deal of diversity and it's easy to make friends, particularly if you get involved in activities and make an effort to reach out to students in classes. It's big enough so you'll never meet everyone, no matter how hard you try, but small enough that you're likely to pass a friend on the street every day.
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
GW is a very expensive school. I would never have been able to attend if not for the fairly generous financial aid that I received. Due to my complicated family financial situation, I had to petition the school for more aid around the time of my enrollment. It was an arduous process but I ended up getting the money that I needed. In my experience, the people in the FA office have been helpful and friendly. The price tag is high but there are ways to make it affordable, if you put in the work.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
- Always check out professors on RateMyProfessor.com before registering. Take the reviews with a grain of salt, but in my experience they've always been accurate.
- Make sure the class times work for you; don't sign up for 8 ams if you know you'll struggle to get up each morning. Will you need significant gaps during the day? Do you plan on getting a job?
- Make an effort to contact professors and TAs if you need help, or if you just want to discuss what you're learning.
- Avoid living on the Vern unless you don't mind a 10-50 minute commute and knowing almost everyone in your dorm (and the drama that results)
- Take advantage of the city and try to find fun, free events in the area whenever you can. Don't waste money going clubbing every weekend when there's such an awesome variety of things to do.
- Cabs are ridiculously expensive. Get comfortable using public transit and you'll save money.
Which types of students will excel at your college?
Work hard, play hard type kids; people with political ambitions; people who enjoy an urban environment but think New York is a bit much
As an undeclared major at entry, I filled my freshman year with GCRs. While many students gripe about the fairly comprehensive requirements, I used them as an opportunity to figure out what I was interested in studying. There's a great variety of classes available and I've had good experiences with the faculty, both professors and advisors, during my first year.
It's pretty common knowledge that the best part of GW is the city it's located in. Great music venues, restaurants, hookah bars, night clubs, and museums are either within walking distance or a short metro ride away. Within the school, however, much of the student body has a reputation for being rich, white, Long Islanders with superficial interests. I'm not going to dispute this (instead I'll refer you to stuffgwpeoplelike.com) but I will say that the school also has a great deal of diversity and it's easy to make friends, particularly if you get involved in activities and make an effort to reach out to students in classes. It's big enough so you'll never meet everyone, no matter how hard you try, but small enough that you're likely to pass a friend on the street every day.
GW is a very expensive school. I would never have been able to attend if not for the fairly generous financial aid that I received. Due to my complicated family financial situation, I had to petition the school for more aid around the time of my enrollment. It was an arduous process but I ended up getting the money that I needed. In my experience, the people in the FA office have been helpful and friendly. The price tag is high but there are ways to make it affordable, if you put in the work.
- Always check out professors on RateMyProfessor.com before registering. Take the reviews with a grain of salt, but in my experience they've always been accurate. - Make sure the class times work for you; don't sign up for 8 ams if you know you'll struggle to get up each morning. Will you need significant gaps during the day? Do you plan on getting a job? - Make an effort to contact professors and TAs if you need help, or if you just want to discuss what you're learning. - Avoid living on the Vern unless you don't mind a 10-50 minute commute and knowing almost everyone in your dorm (and the drama that results) - Take advantage of the city and try to find fun, free events in the area whenever you can. Don't waste money going clubbing every weekend when there's such an awesome variety of things to do. - Cabs are ridiculously expensive. Get comfortable using public transit and you'll save money.
Work hard, play hard type kids; people with political ambitions; people who enjoy an urban environment but think New York is a bit much