Mary Washington is a wonderful school that really gives you so many wonderful opportunities. We have professors here who have won awards, and if you are in the Creative Writing department we have Claudia Emerson as a Professor here. Not only do we have great academics, we have lots of fun here.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
Get involved! I can't stress this enough, for any college or University you attend. I have found that since I became involved in a club that I have met more people, had more fun, and had so many more wonderful experiences. While academics are very important, it is also important that you feel comfortable and accepted where ever you go. Mary Washington has so many different clubs and organizations that it is not hard to find something that interests you. Also, if you don't find something it is not hard to create your own club.
Do you find there’s enough academic rigor at your school?
Mary Washington can be hard, we have been placed near the top in academics. While Mary Wash can have difficult classes it isn't anything that isn't completely fair and doable. The professors make every effort to help you are one of your best resources.
Describe the dorm life at your college.
You are always going to have some drama somewhere when you are living with someone for the first time. If this does happen don't fret it! We have excellent RA staff who are always willing to help if there is a problem. Once you find your group of friends everything becomes much easier. Mary Wash just re-did some of the dorms and is in the process of updating more of them. Not all dorms have AC but all of them have heat. I would not suggest going to one of the dorms that have AC because that can cause a lot of drama. We have two different types of housing, dorms and apartments. The apartments are nicer than the dorms and are reserved for juniors and seniors. The dorms are either in a suite style- two rooms connected by a common bathroom, or hall style- a cluster of rooms that shares a big bathroom. I had a hall style bathroom my Freshman year and found that I met a lot more people that way. You can't help but run into your hall mates on your way to or from the bathroom.
Describe the food and dining at your college.
Wherever you go you are going to find that campus food is not great. Think of your high school cafeteria with slightly more selection. Mary Wash has three main dining facilities. There is Seacobeck Hall, or Seaco as us students affectionately call it. Seaco is your traditional dining hall. It is all you can eat buffet style and has a variety of different foods. It is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We also have the Underground where you can find sandwiches, soups, and salads that have fresh ingredients. Then there is the Eagles Nest. The Nest has a Vocelli's Pizza, a WoW wings, and a sandwich section. This is where you are gunna find your traditional fast food on campus.
What’s there to do for fun at your college?
Explore downtown Fredericksburg! Historic Downtown Fredericksburg is great. There are a lot of different shops there. There are several very nice used bookstores as well as a great coffee shop, Hyperion. All of this is within walking distance of campus so you don't need a car. Also, like I said before get involved. Often the clubs you join will periodically have events and things for you to go to. There is always Central Park, where everyone goes to shop and to find real restaurants. There are two movie theaters near campus that the bus can take you to for FREE as long as you have a UMW ID.
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
Mary Washington has been rated one of the top schools that gives you an Ivy league education for a reasonable price. It is one of the best priced public universities in Virginia. We have great professors here that are experts in their field and really know what they are talking about.
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
Everyone meets at the fountain. When you want to meet someone for lunch or something, the fountain is the best place to do so. It is located very centrally on campus so it is close to everything! We don't have a football team but we have a great Rugby team that a lot of people go out to cheer for. Don't walk over the seal in Trinkle Hall. It is said that if you do you won't graduate on time. So when you are in Trinkle you will find students avoid that as much as possible.
Which types of students will excel at your college?
Someone who likes to get involved but doesn't mind working hard in classes.
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
Mary Washington has so many different clubs and activities that you can join that finding something you are interested in will not be a problem. We even have a campus scout troop where you can get your Girl Scout cookie fix when it is cookie time.
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
Mary Washington is a Greek free campus.
How would you describe campus safety? Do you feel safe on campus?
This is something Mary Washington is improving on. There are security escorts after dark that will either walk you to your destination or pick you up in a police cruiser. Even though Mary Wash is a relatively safe campus I would still encourage everyone to use the buddy system after dark or to call a safety escort.
Mary Washington is a wonderful school that really gives you so many wonderful opportunities. We have professors here who have won awards, and if you are in the Creative Writing department we have Claudia Emerson as a Professor here. Not only do we have great academics, we have lots of fun here.
Get involved! I can't stress this enough, for any college or University you attend. I have found that since I became involved in a club that I have met more people, had more fun, and had so many more wonderful experiences. While academics are very important, it is also important that you feel comfortable and accepted where ever you go. Mary Washington has so many different clubs and organizations that it is not hard to find something that interests you. Also, if you don't find something it is not hard to create your own club.
Mary Washington can be hard, we have been placed near the top in academics. While Mary Wash can have difficult classes it isn't anything that isn't completely fair and doable. The professors make every effort to help you are one of your best resources.
You are always going to have some drama somewhere when you are living with someone for the first time. If this does happen don't fret it! We have excellent RA staff who are always willing to help if there is a problem. Once you find your group of friends everything becomes much easier. Mary Wash just re-did some of the dorms and is in the process of updating more of them. Not all dorms have AC but all of them have heat. I would not suggest going to one of the dorms that have AC because that can cause a lot of drama. We have two different types of housing, dorms and apartments. The apartments are nicer than the dorms and are reserved for juniors and seniors. The dorms are either in a suite style- two rooms connected by a common bathroom, or hall style- a cluster of rooms that shares a big bathroom. I had a hall style bathroom my Freshman year and found that I met a lot more people that way. You can't help but run into your hall mates on your way to or from the bathroom.
Wherever you go you are going to find that campus food is not great. Think of your high school cafeteria with slightly more selection. Mary Wash has three main dining facilities. There is Seacobeck Hall, or Seaco as us students affectionately call it. Seaco is your traditional dining hall. It is all you can eat buffet style and has a variety of different foods. It is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We also have the Underground where you can find sandwiches, soups, and salads that have fresh ingredients. Then there is the Eagles Nest. The Nest has a Vocelli's Pizza, a WoW wings, and a sandwich section. This is where you are gunna find your traditional fast food on campus.
Explore downtown Fredericksburg! Historic Downtown Fredericksburg is great. There are a lot of different shops there. There are several very nice used bookstores as well as a great coffee shop, Hyperion. All of this is within walking distance of campus so you don't need a car. Also, like I said before get involved. Often the clubs you join will periodically have events and things for you to go to. There is always Central Park, where everyone goes to shop and to find real restaurants. There are two movie theaters near campus that the bus can take you to for FREE as long as you have a UMW ID.
Mary Washington has been rated one of the top schools that gives you an Ivy league education for a reasonable price. It is one of the best priced public universities in Virginia. We have great professors here that are experts in their field and really know what they are talking about.
Everyone meets at the fountain. When you want to meet someone for lunch or something, the fountain is the best place to do so. It is located very centrally on campus so it is close to everything! We don't have a football team but we have a great Rugby team that a lot of people go out to cheer for. Don't walk over the seal in Trinkle Hall. It is said that if you do you won't graduate on time. So when you are in Trinkle you will find students avoid that as much as possible.
Someone who likes to get involved but doesn't mind working hard in classes.
Mary Washington has so many different clubs and activities that you can join that finding something you are interested in will not be a problem. We even have a campus scout troop where you can get your Girl Scout cookie fix when it is cookie time.
Mary Washington is a Greek free campus.
This is something Mary Washington is improving on. There are security escorts after dark that will either walk you to your destination or pick you up in a police cruiser. Even though Mary Wash is a relatively safe campus I would still encourage everyone to use the buddy system after dark or to call a safety escort.