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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I am a parent of a college freshman.  My husband went to Georgetown for grad school and we lived in DC suburbs for 8 years.  We are Pitt undergrads.

I agree with the upthread characterizations of GW vs. AU.  They both used to be more hometown schools for DMV kids...but provide access into the DC job market.  There are many professions where that applies...pre-law, politics, and int'l relations among them.

I don't think either school stands out from the pack of good options. unless Washington is a preferred locale for college or post-college jobs.  That might be the case, but it seems your search is still broad.

I would recommend that you also look at Pitt (similar to GW in many ways) and Syracuse while you are looking at GW and American.  Simply because I think they check some similar boxes.

Broadly speaking, there is also some DCUM crossover with the University of Rochester and this type of school.

I'm sure American offers a good education but it is currently having some financial issues.  That precedes the issues the Trump Administration has caused with all the big R1 universities.
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How on earth are Pitt and GWU "similar in many ways?"  Cut me a break.  [/quote]

Why don't you tell me why they are not?  The main difference is the DC location and DC job market.  If your goal does not involve living in DC after graduation, and does not involve one of the fields (such as international relations) where it makes sense to go to school in a capital city, these are very similar schools.  I've lived in both Pittsburgh and suburban Maryland.  I've known multiple people who have cross-shopped these schools. My maid of honor went to Pitt and her sister to GW.  My cousin's child looked at Pitt but decided on GW. And I've known people from outside DC who have come to take a look at DC schools and often decided against.  Because DC isn't particularly relevant to their life plans.  It happens.  We lived there and left.  It still is a fun place to visit with many smart people.

There.  You may take your break now.[/quote]

What the hell are you talking about? I’m talking about the universities. Not the city of Pittsburgh versus Washington DC.  AI has it right:

The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) and George Washington University (GW) are both highly regarded universities, but they differ in several key aspects. Pitt is a large, public university with a strong focus on research, particularly in health sciences and engineering, while GW is a private university known for its location in Washington, D.C., and its strengths in political science, international affairs, and business.

You may disagree with AI on this, but it’s a lot more persuasive than “my maid of honor went to Pitt and her sister went to GW.”

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I do disagree with AI.  AI oversimplifies and stresses the obvious.

Pitt was at one point private, and is not a full state university (it is considered state related, and still has qualities similar to a private university if you would like to define what those are beyond funding).  The schools have many of the same majors in the areas I am familiar with.  Both are urban, but not located right in the core of the center city.  Nonetheless, both are well connected by transport to the local cultural attractions.  Pitt is a university with deep emphasis on liberal arts classes beyond STEM (despite what AI says).  Liberal arts college undergrads dramatically outweigh the number of engineering students (10K vs 2K-ish), ensuring a focus on all of the liberal arts.  Pitt is also strong in humanities, social sciences, and business, and has a graduate school of international affairs that has produced some notable graduates. It is not in DC, but not everyone's political goals involve DC, which is why I think DC interest is a sufficient and distinguishing reason to select GW, but Pitt might be of interest to others.  Pitt is likely to be less expensive.  There are also buses at breaks to the NY metro area.  Pitt attracts students from the NY metro who want to leave their home area for college, as many do.

My point was that they are similar enough for a New York family with the stated criteria to consider.  I know people who have cross-shopped these schools because they fill similar niches for students.  Also know MoCo students who went to Pitt because they didn't want to stay home for college, which would have likely meant GW/AU/UMD.

Your disbelief does not negate my experiences. Perhaps you aren't as familiar with Pitt as I am with GW.[/quote]

You’re wrong about GWU’s location.  GWU could not be more centrally located in DC.  You can practically spit on the White House and National Mall from its campus.  It’s half the size of Pitt, it’s private, and it attracts a much wealthier and more geographically diverse student body than Pitt.

67% of Pittsburgh students are from Pennsylvania.  Only 5% are from New York. Almost 15% of GW students are from New York, and only 5 percent are actually from Maryland.  In other words, you are both wrong in suggesting that lots of New York students choose Pitt, just as you were wrong and suggesting that GW attracts many Maryland students who stay home.  It doesn’t and never has.

The bottom line is that there is virtually no overlap between GW students and Pitt students, and none of the schools that OP has identified as schools of interest remotely suggests that Pitt is a fit.

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