Marymount University

Date: Feb 27 2004
Major: English (This Major's Salary over time)
I transferred to Marymount after a miserable year at George Washington. After several months as a "little fish", I wanted a smaller school, even though I was nervous about attending a school with no national reputation. Transferring was the smartest decision I could have made. Professors are quick to know your name, your story, and your passions. This is the kind of school where you can drop in on your professor's office without calling ahead and they'll ask you how your mom is doing. But it's also the kind of school that continually pushes your limits. I came here as a nerdy loner that would never dream of speaking in public, but over the last few years I've travelled Europe (through study abroad), interned with DC activist organizations, and presented papers at conferences. You don't get away with being afraid here. If you have strengths, talents, or supposedly secret dreams, they will be found out.

The social atmosphere at Marymount is its one drawback. The student body is primarily made up of commuters. Very few people live on campus. The students at MU generally fall into one of two camps: verrry privileged offspring of diplomats/ambassadors who were too dumb/lazy to get into Georgetown, or blue-collar kids who are the first in their families to attend college. As a result, the campus is pretty cliquey. Add to this the overwhelming Catholic bias (it IS a catholic school) that infiltrates the student paper, supposedly interfaith gatherings, and town hall meetings, and campus life is incredibly exclusionary. But the campus has a surprisingly large gay and lesbian community (though the administration will downplay this), and is in close proximity to restaurants, bars, and downtown DC. In short, go for the education, but be prepared to find friends and fun elsewhere.