Any George Mason University Grads or Students out there? (Fairfax: theatre, school)

[itsajourney]

Decided to post this in the VA forum instead of just northern VA as I realize there will be George Mason students & alumni from everywhere--and not just Virginia.

If you have ever attended or been employed by George Mason University in Fairfax, VA could you please give me your insight into this school? I visited it last week with my daughter-who just fell in love with it.

[dtabb12]

I am a student at GMU and I grew up in Fairfax County.

GMU is a very reputable school, especially in the city. . . .ie, many businesses hire grads frequently. Almost everyone I know who graduated from GMU got a job in DC. Plus, the faculty connections with the businesses are outstanding. Kids get internships with major companies and government agencies . . .The Washington Redskins, The Kennedy Center, The White House, The Capital Building, etc.

Everyone says it's a commuter school, but any school near a major city is going to be that way. Although everyone says that, most freshman live on campus, so it's not like you would be the only one there. Plus, there are TONS of clubs to join in order to meet people. You can't even walk through campus without hearing a club president asking you to join.

There are shuttle buses that take students directly from the campus to the Fairfax metro to go into the city. These run until 3 AM on the weekends and until 12 AM during the week. And the shuttle buses are free and the metro is relatively cheap.

People also say that the weekends are boring at Mason. I believe the contrary, there are always things to do on the weekends on and off campus. (Movie Theatre, Service Saturdays, Every Freakin' Friday, University Village, etc.) Also, students can go into DC during the weekends to explore the city. There are museums, bars and restaurants. You should never be bored there.

Diversity at GMU is awesome. It will affect your whole attitude and force you to be more open-minded towards other cultures and ethnicities.

Overall, Mason is an awesome school, and I would recommend it to anyone. Only negative is the parking, which is just a minor issue, especially for freshman since cars are unnecessary for them. Mason is also growing rapidly, so if you attend now, there are high chances that the school's reputation by the time you graduate will be through the roof.

Hope this helped! Good luck with your college search and decision process.