GW. . .

[trojanforlife]

A bunch of us were recently accepted at GW, so I was wondering if any current GW students or anyone with insight on GW would be willing to answer some questions?

thanks!

[TheDudeMan]

Sure, PM me

[greenie]

shoot

[trojanforlife]

Do you feel overshadowed by Georgetown students?

I've never been to GW's area of DC. Do you like it? Can you describe it and its vibe?

How are GW's facilities? Is the library open 24 hours?

Do many people commute from Virginia and Maryland or do most students live in DC proper?

I'll probably come up with more, but those are the first few that came to mind.

Thanks in advance.

[TheDudeMan]

LoL - Why would we feel overshadowed by GULC students?  Sure, most of us didn't get into GULC, but GW isn't THAT far behind them contrary to what people on these boards say.  I got Biglaw 1L summer and 2L summer and I am not top of the class.  Seems to work out just fine around here and if you are IP (which I am not), then GW has a far better program.

GW is in the nicest part of DC, but I wouldn't live right where the campus is as it's expensive as hell.  It is right in the middle of the city though so it's a great location.

GW's facilities are nice.  High tech, but sometimes crowded as there are a lot of students at the school.  Other than cramped at times, it's a nice campus.  However, no, the library is not open 24 hours, but the law school buildings are during exam periods.

I would say half or more commute from MD or VA.  It's far cheaper and it only takes 10 minutes on the metro.

[greenie]

1) Honestly I don't even think about GT... I am too busy with school and my own life to have time for any inferiority complexes outside of my busy life.  And I don't say that to be snooty, I really mean that.  There are too many other things to worry about.  I have encountered a situation where this has come to light or anything.

2) DC is awesome.  I'm from Boston and I was really hesitant to move but it's really grown on me.  The transit is good, the nightlife good, and the culture of the city is professional and respectful for the most part.  School is in a great location.

3) GW facilities are really nice.  At times the school feels small because there are so many students, but everything is really nice.  The looks of the school are impressive.  Classes have wifi and plug ins, and video cameras for if you miss class due to religious holidays and such.  Library is open 7am-midnight, but if you REALLY want to study past that you can head to the undergrad library two blocks away which is open 24/7.  I find the midnight deadline is good because it forces me to go home and not miss the metro.  During finals the library is open 24/7.

4) I would say, at least 25%-50% of students commute from MD or VA.  I am one of them.  Some places in VA give a more convenient commute to school than some DC neighborhoods.

[trojanforlife]

I have a friend who went to GW as an undergrad. He said some interesting things about the law school.

He said..

-they have some of the most amazing guest lecturers (including Supreme Court justices). Have you guys gotten to experience anything like this?

-that on campus the joke was that GW must not have a law school since no one ever sees its students (the implication being that GW law students spend all of their time in the library). How true is this?

[greenie]

I have a friend who went to GW as an undergrad. He said some interesting things about the law school.

He said..

-they have some of the most amazing guest lecturers (including Supreme Court justices). Have you guys gotten to experience anything like this?

-that on campus the joke was that GW must not have a law school since no one ever sees its students (the implication being that GW law students spend all of their time in the library). How true is this?

1) I went to the Van Vleck moot court competition last week and Scalia was on the panel of judges for the final of the competition and it was great to see him in action.  Afterwards, at a reception in the student center I got to meet him and talk with him with other students.  And I'm a 1L.  Totally amazing!  (article about it: http://media.www.gwhatchet.com/media/storage/paper332/news/2009/01/26/News/Scalia.Judges.Moot.Court.Competition-3597274.shtml)

2) I have found that at ANY university the law school and the main university are pretty segregated.  It makes sense though - law students are busy #1.  Also, we have our own student groups, our own cafeteria, our own library, our own newspaper, etc.  The most interaction I get with the regular campus is walking through it on my way from the metro station and occasionally eating in the student center.  Not to mention that we like to stick to ourselves because, well, there's enough people here to get to know, and also UG's are relatively immature compared to where we are in life.  Oh we also (at least at GW) have a separate e-mail and wifi system completely different than the rest of the UG's.  I can only imagine it's 10x worse at a school with a completely separate campus for it's law school.

[non parata est]

Thanks everyone.  I'm pretty excited about my GW acceptance, and I'm very seriously considering the school.

What other schools were you choosing between, and why did you choose GW over those schools?

What's the student culture like, especially with such a large class?

Do you have an idea of how easy it is to break into markets like New York, Chicago, or St. Louis?

What do you like best about GW and D.C.?  What do you not like?

[TheDudeMan]

For me it was DC or bust as my employer paid for most of my schooling.

The student culture is very congenial in my opinion.  There are constantly activities going on, though you aren't pressured to be any more involved than you want to be IMO.

I spent 1L summer with a firm in DC and will be in NYC this summer.  That should answer your question .

I like that I have had job opportunities.  I don't like that there are so many students and the administration seems to care about money more than anything, but that's law school in general.

DC is a great place to be, but it's different.  I can't really explain it. You just have to feel the vibe yourself haha.