Overview of George Washington University

I love how they are smack dab in the middle of the city, they have buildings right on city streets, and if you don't like the city feel, you can also take a 15 min shuttle ride to their Mount Vernon campus which is full of green feilds and has a more rural feel. Also if you want to take smaller classes with a smaller clss size, you can opt to take them on the Vern (Mount Vernon campus)

GW has a great campus that is urban yet set up in a way that makes it more of it's own community.

Living in DC is amazing. You will literally NEVER be bored. If you cannot find some sort of club or activity that you love at GW, then there is something very seriously wrong with you.

I struggled a lot more in this area than most. GW doesn't do a great job of helping their students adjust, and the school can really be a pain to work with. The house Proctors (our version of Resident Assistants) aren't really supposed to be there for students in the same way RA's are; they're more of a contact point so that those in the upper levels of housing don't have to deal with minor problems, and many don't go out of their way to interact with their residents. In fact, I was closer to the house proctors from two other dorms than to my own. Another issue that most kids don't really think will be an issue--and that I didn't even consider until I needed it--is GW's University Counseling Center. GW is one of only 10% of schools in the country that offers no free counseling or mental health programs. A student committed suicide this spring, and the UCC didn't make much of an attempt to reach out to the community. This is unfortunately representative of a feeling that a lot of students get from the University as a whole; It can really feel like the school only thinks of its students as checks in the bank. GW also really takes a page out of the Federal Government's Red Tape Book. It can be difficult to get anywhere with the school. You have to really advocate for yourself, and get to know as many people in key departments as you can (Financial Aid, Housing, etc.). All things considered, though, I'm truly starting to enjoy living at GW. There are a lot of student orgs to choose from, and DC is a great city to live in. I've studied at the Library of Congress and walked to the Lincoln Memorial to watch the sunrise when I couldn't sleep. DC is not a concrete jungle city the way that places like New York City can feel, but it offers just just as many, if not more, opportunities (internships, jobs, and just being in a vibrant city). It's also nice to be able to take the Metro to places like Alexandria, VA or the bus to just about anywhere on the east coast.

The University offers a diverse amount of communities where you are sure to find your niche. Located in DC, University students can always find things to do not only on campus, but also in the vibrant city as well. I've met countless new people, and have encountered various vital resources as a result of being a student here.