George Mason University Top Questions

Not true at all. Everyone at Mason is cool. The girls have integrity and are smart and fun to be around. It's a diverse campus.

No, Mason knows how to party. Just because people don't stay on campus, doesn't mean the party isn't happening at a frat house or in a local bar.

These aren't stereotypes. These are scientific facts.

I think the percentage is probably 70{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} democrat and 30{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} republican (excluding independents, etc)

Yes, the school is very diverse, and that is an advantage! I would say GMU has no preppy kids than any other college.

Essentially, yes. They are right on target.

It is kind of a commuter college. I think they're trying to get away from that. It's pretty diverse, but I don't know what colleges to compare it too?

Yes, I would say that based on the facts this school is both diverse and very much a "commuter" environment.

I believe the stereotype that GMU is a commuter school is accurate. However, I don't think it should have the negative connotation that everyone gives it. It really isn't a bad thing in all circumstances.

This used to be the case but since they have built the new student apartments and dorms there are a lot more people on campus at all times, not just during school hours.

1. No. There is always something to do, you just have to put yourself out there and do them. It may take a little more effort than in other schools, but the people here are friendly and very inclusive. Get involved! 2. Again, I'm afraid people expect everything to be done for them. Parties happen, but if they're on campus they're more like get-togethers because Mason cops are very strict. If you're loud on campus it's a recipe for cops. On the other hand, there are parties at houses off campus that are popular. 3. I think about half of Mason students commute, so campus is not as busy on weekends as during the week. That said, I enjoy the break from the business of the week. I like the tranquility. Moreover, it's easier to get closer to people on campus because they're in your same situation. 4. I think Mason can be classified as a "stepping stone" school, but not in a negative way. Mason is a firm institution and will give you a very good undergraduate foundation. As college graduates attend grad school more and more, I really think that Mason prepares its students for a more specific career in grad school.

I believe these stereotypes can prove accurate at most times. There are exceptions, but these stereotypes are pretty evident. The stereotype against the university is slowly changing, but I am not really sure in what direction Mason is headed.

Yes

No, not at all! I work really hard to balance everything in my life. Even when I was single, I still worked part time while going to school, and almost every GMU student that I know has a part time job or does some kind of volunteering. I just don't think that people are appreciative of the education that they are getting at GMU because most people are commuters- there is no romanticism involved in off-campus life like there is, say, down at VA Tech or UVA.

I don't know.

yes

Not entirely, yes we have commuters being that we are in a major urban area. It is also true that we are crowded, but that has to say something of the schools popularity. Even schools such as Virginia Tech have commut3ers because have the school population refuses to stay on campus and lives in Blacksburg townhouses. So do we have commuters, yes. Are we totally a "commuter school," no.

While, there are a lot of exceptions, Mason students can be pretty cold and unfriendly. This isn't the most welcoming of colleges that a person could pick. There are tons of "cliques" which make it crucial to make friends within the first two weeks of class. Just walking through the student JC, you can look around and basically see who hangs out together. That's where it can be easy to percieve students as "stuck-up." This isn't the type of college where you can just walk right up and introduce yourself to someone. As for the college being a "commuter" college--that's also kind of true. There's a reason Mason's parking lot is always packed. There's a huge population of students who live off campus. Tons of students I know drive to school, go to class, and then drive home. The students that do live on campus, usually go off campus for the weekends. They do this to either go home or to go into DC.