Why would anyone send their child to GWU?

[Anonymous]

The article carries as much weight as the ones that came out declaring that admission rates would drop with Dartmouth after their fall out, bottom line don't mean a thing.

GW was a great school for my son. He had many choices including Johns Hopkins, he chose GW for their superb top ranked IR program. In his 4 years with some of the most amazing internships I have ever heard of and landed a plum job right out of school make about 110k a year for a 22 year old! It served us well and I have no doubt they will get back on their feet.

And to someone who mentioned name recognition, it is a fact (google it) that on an international level GW is one of the most commonly recognized universities far more than Georgetown, I am not talking which is better, but strictly name recognition and that it is looked at as a prestigious school from the broader community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For GWU law grad -- it is ranked a respectable 20 on the US News list. And, GWU undergrad is much worst -- it was ranked #51 until it was thrown off the list this year for cheating on its reporting stats.

Much worse? #51 out of many hundreds is hardly "much worse"...get a grip.

[Anonymous]

My dad went to UMD, my mom Georgetown, and I went to GW. I was accepted to all 3 plus Emory and Johns Hopkins, and heres a little recollection of how I decided I liked GWU better:

UMD was too quiet for me, and lacked the resources I desired. As a pre-med student, I definitely felt that I had more options and a better-taught course at GWU because of its prestigious medical school and the fact that one of the major hospitals in the District of Columbia is literally in the middle of campus- the GW hospital. It was great for me to get a job there and work as a scribe to further my medical experience. Also, the small campus meant that I was integrated with EVERYBODY. Our graduating biology students were about 50 people total, and we had a great sense of camaraderie due to the fact that we all struggled together to reach the finish line.

As for Georgetown, also a little too quiet, and people seemed out-of-touch in reality. This is literally what they were like- I honestly didn't appreciate the snobbish feel I got at Georgetown. Everyone seemed very sheltered and lacked the ambition that GW had- a little arrogance doesnt hurt but once again, I like a "down-to-earth" vibe.

For JHU, It felt too competitive in the school. I did not want to explore my passion and dream in a place where I felt intimidated (I know that my acceptance probably meant that I was ready for the school, but the intimidation and constant stress would not have been worth it).

Another major plus: GW is VERY generous with financial aid. I was able to only pay around $2000 per semester while I attended the school, and it was pretty much equivalent to my brother's $2300/semester tuition at Virginia Tech (He likes Tech because it's a very spirited school, but it honestly wasn't my thing).

I'm not trying to bash on other schools or make GW sound better than it is, but in all honesty, it doesn't matter how academically prestigious a school is. It matters that YOU match with it, in terms of characteristics and overall vibe. A friend of mine went into Princeton when she didn't really like it or felt prepared, and she ultimately dropped out. If you want a student to thrive, send them to a school where they can feel at home whilst also feeling a bit challenged. Take them to campus tours, find someone who can give you a more personal campus tour, etc. GW is fun, while fast-paced, and you're fully integrated into a fabulous road to adulthood due to the campus being in the middle of the city. My advisors (personally) were amazing and truly cared for every student. Our career services are top notch, and you have SO many international students so you get a bit of cultural experience as well.