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Georgetown University DC 2007 (Off the Record)
Georgetown University DC 2007 - Off the Record Author:Derek Richmond, Andrew Wilson Introduction from the Author — It wasn’t long ago that I was in your shoes. People kept asking, “So, where are you going to college?” I didn’t know. I didn’t even know where to begin. It seemed like I could easily have spent four years just looking at all the options. This was compounded by the fact that, like most of you, I was pretty uns... more »ure about what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. It wasn’t until a friend of the family started telling me about his alma mater that I really started thinking about Georgetown.
I visited Georgetown, and I fell instantly in love with the campus and the entire city. There really is no place like it in the world. Now when I tell people where I am at school, they say things like “Oh, I didn’t know you had an interest in politics,” or, “So, are you going to be president some day?”
But Georgetown University is more than that. Since its founding in 1789, the University has grown tremendously, but its dedication to top-notch academics remains the same. From 12 students 215 years ago, Georgetown has swelled to include more than 6,000 undergraduates and a vast network of alumni. The very name, Georgetown University, has always called to mind an upper-echelon school, and rightfully so.
First of all, let me dispel a few myths. Not everyone at Georgetown wants to be president some day. True, there are those who have such an ambition, and a Georgetown education is certainly a good start. For the rest of us, Georgetown also has highly-respected programs in foreign service, business administration, nursing and health studies, and liberal arts majors like English or psychology. Georgetown has been affiliated with the Society of Jesus since its founding, but that means only as much as you want to make of it. The Jesuit influence exerts itself in a dedication to high standards, not in expectations of adopting Christian teachings. There is a theology requirement, but it can be fulfilled in many different ways. The Jesuits themselves are active and amazing teachers, and most students agree that they are some of the best teachers on campus.
It’s hard to paint an accurate picture of Georgetown through mere facts and statistics, so here’s my take on things: it’s big enough that you could never know the entire student body, yet small enough to ensure that you won’t walk for days without seeing a familiar face. Located in a residential area of DC, Georgetown has all the feel of a college-town school with all the opportunities afforded to a major metropolitan university.
I am going to try to give you an honest, well-rounded view of life at Georgetown. After that, the decision is yours. And trust me, it’s not an easy one. Go where you can see yourself being happy. For me, that was Georgetown. Maybe for you it will be the same.