George Washington vs SMU (Dallas, Plano: apartment, dorms, high school)

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by BigDGeek

I realize that.

The subtext was that DC has better universities overall than DFW does. Not that that matters in this context, but there it is!

I think the OP should go to GW.

I agree- DC is a better springboard if OP wishes to go back to his home country or another international post after graduation.

[FiddleDeeD]

Agree with Turtle.

[GreyDay]

DC is a very cOsmpolitan city. Expand your horizons. GWU is also nationally recognized where SMU doesn't have the national Presence. DC gets you out of your comfort zone, blocks from Georgetown and imminently walkable.

Go there to do things and meet people you cant in Dallas. You won't regret DC, ever.

[EDS_]

Context - my wife is CIO of a large company here in DFW. She read the OP's question and said more or less.

GWU - Leans toward the technical somewhat oriented towards science and engineering. Very well respected. Lots of grads go to work for the .gov including CIA, FBI etc.

SMU - Less technical more business oriented. Grads tend to go to work for airlines, hotels, insurance, oil and gas etc. Lots of classes with just a few other students. Lots of classes taught by industry pros.

Her take is that the SMU program is on the rise due to near-limitless funding.


Best of luck. If tuition is really not a problem I'd be hard pressed not to pick GWU.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by EDS_

Her take is that the SMU program is on the rise due to near-limitless funding.

Agree with this whole-heartedly. SMU has been on the most quiet upward trajectory, both undergrad & some of the grad schools. It now has an MBA program considered Top 10 for ROI by Business Week and the overall undergrad program has risen from rankings of 100+ to mid-50's in the past decade.

It's probably not the right school for OP, but SMU is going to take the higher ed field by storm over the next decade and the resurgance of a good football program will only help the applications increase in number, which will allow the school to be more selective.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

Agree with this whole-heartedly. SMU has been on the most quiet upward trajectory, both undergrad & some of the grad schools. It now has an MBA program considered Top 10 for ROI by Business Week and the overall undergrad program has risen from rankings of 100+ to mid-50's in the past decade.

It's probably not the right school for OP, but SMU is going to take the higher ed field by storm over the next decade and the resurgance of a good football program will only help the applications increase in number, which will allow the school to be more selective.

I agree totally they really have it going in the right direction.

[Lakewooder]

I'm hearing SMU has 14,000 applications this year for the usual 1,400 freshman openings..

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

I'm hearing SMU has 14,000 applications this year for the usual 1,400 freshman openings..

Those sound more like Ivy+ numbers than SMU.

For this year's freshman class, SMU had 10,000 applicants with a 49% acceptance rate and a 30% yield.

If the yield held at 30% and 14,000 kids did apply (40% increase to LY?!), the acceptance rate would plummet to 33%. If the yield went up to 35% or 40% (comparable to Vandy or Duke), the acceptance rate could be as low as 25-29%....in line with Rice/ Northwestern/ Notre Dame's selectivity.

Keep us posted.

[mami2emily]

Having gone to school in Boston, my vote is for GWU. Being in a true college town with countless students from all over the world, and close proximity to other major cities, you will be exposed to so much more than going to school in the south.

I've been brainwashing my kids since they were born...northeast schools or bust!

[jonesca]

I am deciding between the exact same two schools.
However, I got about $11,000 (a year-so $44,000 total) to SMU and no merit-based scholarships (and so far no financial aid) from GWU.
GW: more recognition, in DC, academically great, more programs/minors and clubs that I am interested in, (and it seems like) more opportunities in general, expensive.
SMU: more school spirit, scholarship, better campus as a whole, fewer clubs/programs, academically almost about equal, would be more likely to study abroad because less of a financial issue
My parents are willing to pay for GW and prefer it because they think it will be better in the long run, but I'm still not totally sure which to go with-and if GW is really worth that much more than SMU.