Disappointed with Georgetown

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son and I did our first college tours this week. Although we don't live that far away, this was the first time I had seen Georgetown since my own tour nearly 30 years ago. It was very insightful.

A 17-year-old middle class kid who loved politics and fantasized about running for office, Georgetown was my first choice. I got into the College. The financial aid package was very loan heavy, and a top LAC (recommended by my college professor neighbor) was very grant heavy. My parents strongly pushed the latter option, and I threw away my Georgetown t-shirt and maybe shed a few tears alone in my room. The social experience at the LAC was a bit lonely, mostly because of my own anxieties, but I made up for it with academic growth. Majored in mathematics. Took lots of classics and economics courses and ended up at a world-class economics department for my Ph.D.

Obviously this visit was about my son, but I honestly felt a sense of longing as we approached the campus. There were a few initial surprises. First, the campus had a very shabby feel. Asphalt everywhere. One big, beautiful historic building, but mostly a patchwork of 1950s-1990s buildings. 757s flying over every few minutes didn't feel terribly compatible with quiet contemplation and study. After the tour, I couldn't believe that my 17-year-old self found this so desirable. The next surprise was at the information session. Admission to the undergraduate College and SFS is even tougher than I had thought. They turn away nearly 90% of applicants.

When we left, I mentioned none of this to my son, asking instead what he thought. His take: "Dad, if I could manage to get in here, I think I could also get in somewhere much better, so why bother applying." He's much more astute than I was.

Here's my take:

Georgetown is a very good -- and very expensive -- school.

Many US cities/metro areas have very fine Jesuit universities (BC, Fordham, Santa Clara, etc.). I really don't think the quality of the undergraduate education at Georgetown is any better than what one would get at those schools. Candidly, I think its basketball program is emblematic of the university as a whole. There were moments of success, but the reputation has greatly outlasted those moments.

Georgetown got a boost in the late 20th Century for a couple reasons.
1. It's in DC.
2. It's in the fanciest part of DC.
3. There's not a lot of competition in DC for the title "best university in DC."
4. It has a lot of household names among its alumni, because it attracts aspiring politicians. Successful politicians are famous, for better or worse. The vast majority of Georgetown students who want to ultimately hold high office do not.
5. It has some famous faculty who worked in government before receiving a plum academic appointment. These people are extremely impressive to 18 year old students. With age and experience you realize that many of them are just stuffed suits.

If I could make one point to prospective students, it's this: any student who can get into the College or SFS could get into a top 10 LAC -- and maybe even Williams/Amherst/Swarthmore. There is no comparison between the quality of teaching and undergraduate academic experience between Georgetown and those schools. Any student who can get into the College or SFS would also have a good chance of getting into an Ivy League school. There is no comparison between the resources and research going on at those universities and Georgetown.

I decided to write this because I'm curious about how others in this area feel, since the school remains so desirable to so many outstanding young people.

If attending a Catholic school is extremely important to you, Georgetown is the nation's oldest and most selective. If you son or daughter absolutely must be in DC for college, it is the top school in the District. Otherwise, guide your your child somewhere else.

Aren't most private schools cost pretty much the same - total of 80k and up.

Georgetown takes primary home into account so zero FA for UMC families. I get to post bcs I had a kid who was admitted! (but didn't go)

[Anonymous]

George Washington a much, much better school that it was 20 years ago, for sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:George Washington a much, much better school that it was 20 years ago, for sure.

Ok and? It still plays second fiddle to Georgetown.

[Anonymous]

GW stands for Georgetown waitlist. Always has.

[Anonymous]

I mean, not sure what people expect of urban campuses. It’s a tight space for them. I loved the law school campus across town.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I mean, not sure what people expect of urban campuses. It’s a tight space for them. I loved the law school campus across town.

Seriously. Comparing a school built in 1789 in the middle of DC to a school built in 1842 in the middle of nowhere Indiana is more than a little ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Too much asphalt and air traffic noise? Sounds like you’re just not a city person!

I'm pretty amazed by this because I for walks in Georgetown to get away from the asphalt and air traffic noise in my neighborhood....

[Anonymous]

People seem suspicious of Op because he is clear, logical, & fair, which is almost against the rules here. We visited a few years ago, & were quite underwhelmed by the campus.

Combine the cramped campus with the expensive & ove-21 nightlife & dull sports scene, & what you get is a place much better suited for grad study than undergrad FOR MOST PEOPL. It’s still probably great for kids who are already working on their inauguration speech, but for the rest, not so much.

Sorry for the typos…itsnot easy landing a 757 and typing at the same time. By the way, if you parked a black Audi in back of Healy Hall, I just noticed that you have a flat tire. Driver’s side, rear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really loved Georgetown back in my day - I ended up at Princeton, but it was for sure my number 2. Just saying no sour grapes here, got in and liked it.

Toured recently with DC. Then did a GW tour after - we were both more impressed with GW than Georgetown. It's funny to me that someone said ND was about a "storied sports program" bcs that was what Georgetown was in my day. I think not having that any more is a loss - even for me, who cares nothing about sports.

We also went to Penn on that trip and realized very quickly the schools with a 15% acceptance rate are not in the same universe as the schools with the 5% acceptance rate.

Again, your son has not been accepted at Georgetown, so your opinion is meaningless.

I don't consider this opinion meaningless at all. Only those who have applied and been accepted can have an opinion? LOL, you sound defensive and insecure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really loved Georgetown back in my day - I ended up at Princeton, but it was for sure my number 2. Just saying no sour grapes here, got in and liked it.

Toured recently with DC. Then did a GW tour after - we were both more impressed with GW than Georgetown. It's funny to me that someone said ND was about a "storied sports program" bcs that was what Georgetown was in my day. I think not having that any more is a loss - even for me, who cares nothing about sports.

We also went to Penn on that trip and realized very quickly the schools with a 15% acceptance rate are not in the same universe as the schools with the 5% acceptance rate.

Again, your son has not been accepted at Georgetown, so your opinion is meaningless.

I guess you don't tour at all with your children? Just apply based on gut and then they can tour and make their preferences known about schools they were attended to?

Honestly, we didn’t tour every school that our kids applied to. We also haven’t bashed any school that they haven’t been accepted to either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really loved Georgetown back in my day - I ended up at Princeton, but it was for sure my number 2. Just saying no sour grapes here, got in and liked it.

Toured recently with DC. Then did a GW tour after - we were both more impressed with GW than Georgetown. It's funny to me that someone said ND was about a "storied sports program" bcs that was what Georgetown was in my day. I think not having that any more is a loss - even for me, who cares nothing about sports.

We also went to Penn on that trip and realized very quickly the schools with a 15% acceptance rate are not in the same universe as the schools with the 5% acceptance rate.

Again, your son has not been accepted at Georgetown, so your opinion is meaningless.

I don't consider this opinion meaningless at all. Only those who have applied and been accepted can have an opinion? LOL, you sound defensive and insecure.

Talk about irony! it’s the ones who are bashing the schools that they haven’t even been accepted to who come off sounding “defensive and insecure.“

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People seem suspicious of Op because he is clear, logical, & fair, which is almost against the rules here. We visited a few years ago, & were quite underwhelmed by the campus.

Combine the cramped campus with the expensive & ove-21 nightlife & dull sports scene, & what you get is a place much better suited for grad study than undergrad FOR MOST PEOPL. It’s still probably great for kids who are already working on their inauguration speech, but for the rest, not so much.

Sorry for the typos…itsnot easy landing a 757 and typing at the same time. By the way, if you parked a black Audi in back of Healy Hall, I just noticed that you have a flat tire. Driver’s side, rear.

Why on earth are you trying to speak for most people? What exactly is clear and logical and fair about trying to speak for most people? This would probably be a good time for you to stop talking, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People seem suspicious of Op because he is clear, logical, & fair, which is almost against the rules here. We visited a few years ago, & were quite underwhelmed by the campus.

Combine the cramped campus with the expensive & ove-21 nightlife & dull sports scene, & what you get is a place much better suited for grad study than undergrad FOR MOST PEOPL. It’s still probably great for kids who are already working on their inauguration speech, but for the rest, not so much.

Sorry for the typos…itsnot easy landing a 757 and typing at the same time. By the way, if you parked a black Audi in back of Healy Hall, I just noticed that you have a flat tire. Driver’s side, rear.

WTAF

[Anonymous]

OP, welcome to DCUM college forum. Thank you for posting. Please keep it up. Are you a professor or at some sort of academic research institute?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:GW stands for Georgetown waitlist. Always has.

this is the kind of thing I dislike about georgetown and it's alumni. they have a totally inflated sense of self. most of the world puts it in the same bucket as BC - good school! but Georgetown folk really take offense to that. best Catholic university in America? the world would say, Notre Dame. Georgetown folk incredulous. do people really want to go to a university affiliated with the Catholic Church? no, the vast vast majority do not. Are there any kids who apply to GW but not Georgetown? Yes, many thousands.