George Mason University

Lots of growth-with great planning. On campus housing is outstanding. Large campus with small school feel. Great place for government/politics majors.

2nd Year Male -- Class 2007

Surrounding City: A+, Campus Aesthetics: F

I've only been at GMU for 2 months, and honestly, I love it. After reading a couple previous reviews, I was a little afraid coming here in August. And to be fair, many of the negative comments that people have said have been true. The people can be cliquish, and Mason does have a large commuter population. But honestly, I've mostly met nice and friendly people. Maybe it's just me and I just got really lucky. I can understand why it can hard for some people to make friends, but if you put yourself out there,and take yourself out of your comfort zone, then you're bound to find people that you'll just clique with. I was proactive and made it a priority to get involved. I joined numerous clubs and I met many cool and interesting people. Now I have a great core group of friends(who actually stay here on the weekends) to hang out with. Also, my professors here have been great. All of them have been really helpful and friendly. Mason isn't the school for everyone, but it is the school for me. You just have to work harder at having a great "college experience" here than at other schools.

1st Year Male -- Class 2008

Friendliness: A+, Social Life: C-

GMU has the 4th best Law School in the States and the trend of quality higher learning is also clearly seen in the English Department. We are gifted with some of the best writers in the States such as Richard Bausch, and award winning poets such as Carolyn Forsche and Susan Tichy. I have learned so much here, and must also mention the amazing Religious Studies Department with professors like Dr. John Burns (former graduate of the elite St. Andrews in Scotland) whose love of Ancient Egypt inspired me and changed my life. The campus is multi-cultural and there is at least one activity that could interest every person.

The worst mistake people make is commuting, they don't take college seriously and put it second to work, social, and family life. By chosing to commute, you chose to distance yourself from all college activities and people who you may grow close to. Some commuters are not part of this group however, being one myself the first semester of my Freshmen year, most are. If you don't want to go to college, and live on-campus to get the full experience, don't complain about there being nothing to do and not getting the full experience; b/c you chose to commute an hour to and from every day is no one else's fault. If you want to go to GMU, unless you live no more than five minutes away, don't commute! Part of college is learning to move out of the house, even for brief periods of time, and strike out on your own. Usually the parents that want you to stay home the most are the ones that sorely need to back down and let their children grow more than any others. I know different cultural values may play a part in this, but still campus living is not only about leaving yourself open for social activities with friends, it also makes you more flexible with your class times and not having to worry about rush hour. You have more time to do your coursework on-campus and every hour counts. It can make you nervous to move out and away from your safety zone, but it's worth it and vital to finding out who you are.

3rd Year Female -- Class 2005

Education Quality: A+, Individual Value: B-