Georgetown University
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Major: Anthropology
Minor: Art
Student Self Identifies as: Chinese Bisexual Female
Summary
None – After transferring in during the Fall of 2019 I decided not to re-join any clubs.
Background
Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: Chinese
Sexual Orientation: Bisexual
High School Experience: Public high school in Bethesda, Maryland with about 500 students in the graduating class. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: No
Major: Anthropology
Minor: Art
Extracurricular Activities: None – After transferring in during the Fall of 2019 I decided not to re-join any clubs.
Academic Experience
Can you describe your weekly coursework for your Anthropology major?
It’s all reading and papers.
Is there anything you feel that the Anthropology department does especially well or poorly?
I think we’re pretty average. We have some really talented professors and some professors with less engaging lectures. As a whole, our program is pretty solid.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
As a fairly prestigious school it’s somewhat competitive, but not as competitive as it could be. Generally speaking, people are willing to work with you. If I’m having trouble in a class, I don’t have a problem going to another friend and asking for their help. In terms of competitiveness, I know that a lot of my friends aren’t very willing to talk about their GPAs. Some people are private about that, and people work incredibly hard. Everything here is very career-oriented.
How accessible are your professors?
Very. They make themselves as available as they can. I’ve gotten in touch with professors over email, and sometimes I’ll have coffee with them. they’re always available during office hours.
Why did you choose your major? Are you happy with your choice?
My high school was unique and it offered an Anthropology course that I took as a junior. I loved the teacher so I wanted to continue that at Georgetown. I think my strengths lie within the writing and literature side of things opposed to hard math and science.
Reasons to Attend
1) There are fantastic professors. They are well prepared, knowledgeable, inspiring, and easy to talk to. They genuinely care about your success and wellbeing inside and outside of the class.
2) I like the location. I think Georgetown itself is a little boujee at times, but you can get into the heart of the city easily.
3) The size is pretty ideal.
Reasons Not to Attend
1) A lot of people were surprised that the club culture was so competitive and exclusive.
Around Campus
Where have you lived on campus?
Freshman: LXR with one roommate.
Sophomore: Henle Village in a suite with three other people.
What was your favorite living situation?
The one I’m currently in. It’s apartment-style so I have a bathroom and a kitchen.
How do you like going to a school in the same area as your hometown?
I initially didn’t even apply to Georgetown because I thought it would be too close to home and I wanted to get out. Now I couldn’t be more grateful that I am so close to home. I can do free laundry whenever I want, I can go home for a meal whenever I want, and I can go back and take my car if I want. It leaves me with a lot more opportunities.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on campus?
Georgetown’s campus is very safe. With that said, we are in D.C. so I get emails often enough about robberies taking place just outside the campus walls.
Social Opportunities
What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
When I transferred in, I tried the typical nightlife of going out once or twice a week. I wasn’t a huge fan of the on-campus parties, so I went to the clubs and concerts with friends on the weekends. Now I don’t have much of social life. Most of the time if I party it’s in a very casual setting. I don’t go out hard. I mainly just go to concerts now.
What do you like to do with your friends?
If I wanted to splurge a little, I’d probably go to a concert down at the Wharf or on U street. If I wanted to stay in, it would be for pizza and a movie.
Why don’t you like the on-campus parties?
They’re all held by clubs, and I don’t really like the club culture. Coming in as a transfer, I didn’t expect that you would have to apply to clubs at Georgetown. Once I got here, I quickly realized how complex the application process for clubs was here. Not every club requires an application, but many of them do. They often require multiple rounds with interviews or papers.
How happy are you with the weekend options at Georgetown? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I’m pretty happy. I think if we were isolated from the city I’d be significantly less happy. But, because I don’t participate in a lot of on-campus activities I still have the city.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
I transferred in with one. I also randomly got assigned to live with another girl, and I’m friends with her friends.
How was transitioning as a transfer student? Are there systems in place that helped you transition?
I think it went pretty well. Coming into the fall they had an orientation for transfer students specifically. They split us up into smaller groups so I got to know a fairly large group of people right off the bat. I was able to have them as familiar faces before the Georgetown students got back to campus.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Georgetown?
A lot of it revolves around partying. It’s pretty exclusive and I find that people tend to surround themselves by people of a similar class. There are a very large number of people here who come from wealthy backgrounds. [Socioeconomically, 21% of students come from families in the top 1%.]
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
I haven’t gotten super involved in LGBTQ life at Georgetown. I know we do have a fairly strong community here. From my understanding, the biggest LGBTQ organization is open and doesn’t require an application. [For the 2017-2018 academic year, about 9% of students were Asian.]
How do you like the size of Georgetown in terms of undergraduate enrollment? [Georgetown has about 7,200 undergraduate students.]
I like it. I don’t know that many people at all. I’m generally not a huge fan of the typical Georgetown student. Of the people I do know, I know enough so when I’m walking to class I’ll see one or two of them. I haven’t felt entirely alone on campus, which is nice.