Georgetown for the Win!

Today our day started early at 7:45 AM. We left the hotel around 8:00 AM to go to National Mall. Before we went to see the National Mall’s monuments, we stopped by the Holocaust Museum to get tickets. From there we started to visit the breath taking monuments. These included Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, the World War II Memorial, and the Martin Luther King Memorial. When it got around 11:30 AM, we tried to call for cabs to take us to Georgetown University for our 12:30 PM tour.

World War II Memorial

Beautiful View from the Lincoln Memorial

MLK standing strong and tall. 

Around 12:30 PM, we were brought into this classroom where the assistant director of admissions, Kelly Young, gave us an information session about the school. Throughout the session, I saw that Georgetown University was an exceptional school. It’s a school that wants to see their students succeed and uses every resource they can, to do so. For example, the advisers and the professors of the university, make personal connections with their students as well as use their connection with different companies and firms to guide them into the workforce. In addition, most students have the opportunity to intern somewhere connected to their career path because the school is in close proximity of companies and firms that want students from Georgetown to work for them. These companies vary from all fields from medical to law, which gives all the students an opportunity to get work experience. The companies and firm include various law firms, The Red Cross, and certain business companies. Not only are there opportunities within the city of D.C, but there are also many opportunities to study abroad. Students can take a semester abroad to more than forty(and counting) countries all around the world.

During the information session, I also learned certain admission information retaining applications, acceptance, and financial aid. I was a bit surprised to hear that Georgetown did not follow common application for college admission. Instead they had their own application that gives the university more incite about the applicant's personal life. The school also required three SAT subject tests instead of two. They also require the subject tests to correlates with the educational path that is being taken. In addition, one thing that I appreciated was that Georgetown was “need blind” with applications. This simply means the university does not look at financial statuses when reviewing the applicant. Need blind takes away any possibility of discrimination in the admission process due to financial status.

During the tour, our tour guide took us throughout Georgetown to see what facilities, buildings, and sites they offer to students. Although it was terribly hot and humid, the heat never took away any attention from the schools beauty and environment. She first took us to the main and most popular building which included the admission office and the building for theology. Throughout the school, the old building were kept in mint condition with a beautiful glow. These building were full of history and it amazed me how much history is encapsulated in one school. From there we went to the buildings of the different dorm rooms/housing and top notch facilities that the science students use. We also visited the many common rooms that the school built to create a more communicative society.

From the information session and tour guide, I realized the differences from our local colleges in the West Coast compared to colleges like Georgetown in the East. To start off our local colleges are very large compared to Georgetown. Although this may seem like a great aspect to a school, it’s also a disadvantage.  With a large campus students are often sectioned off and they don’t really get the same chances of socializing that a small college does. Georgetown makes efficient ways to make socializing easier and more prevalent. For example only having one commons hall, allows more interaction between the classes and students from different schools. In addition, the student to teacher ratio is a lot different from a regular college. At UC Davis it may be 50:1 where as in Georgetown its 9:1. This gives students a chance to gain a better and more personal relationship with their professors. With better connections, comes better opportunities. Georgetown also has a lot of great resources for students. Although our local colleges in California have great resources as well, Georgetown takes it a step further by getting students involved in the new development of building common rooms as well as facilities for research and studying.  Georgetown definitely won the battle between local colleges V.S. Georgetown.

Later on in the day we revisited the Holocaust Museum. This was my second time visiting the museum and it was just as moving and beautiful as my first visit. Throughout the whole museum, I learned new things and spotted things that I missed my last visit. Throughout all the museums I’ve seen, the Holocaust Museum by for is that most touching and inspiring museum yet. Through the videos, artifacts, and quotes, the audience understand the treacherous toll that the Holocaust has affected on minorities like the Jews and Gypsies.

My Delicious Entree for the Night

During the evening, we had the most wonderful time in the City Tavern Club in Washington D.C with some of the students from Georgetown. The dinner was marvelous and to top it off we had amazing guests to accompany us. I had the opportunity to sit next to two astounding women who are alumni. To my right, I had Bebe Albornoz, who now works at a law firm, and Gabriela Perla, which I believe works in international policy field. I was able to get useful incite about Georgetown that the tour guide didn’t mention. For example, Gabriela talked about some of the school’s traditions Bebe talked about some of the things she thought the school could improve on. They also gave me advice about how it is being in Georgetown. For example, how to deal with a competitive community and how to have confidence in one own ability. Gabriela discusses how the college makes students for aware of rejection, need for self-determination, and confidence. Bebe and Gabriela helped me understand no matter what college I go to, I need to be confident in myself and with my education. I need to worry about my own progress rather than others and focus on my goals. They taught me always being persistent and determined is how what will take me far. As long as I’m confident and determined, I can accomplish anything.