I went to Mason (lived on campus, I was an athlete) in the late 80s through early 90s. I really had a great time there and got a decent education, but man, did I miss the boat. I had to go on to campus for something the other day, and I simply could not believe how amazing it looked and the amount of cool things there were to do . In my day, there were also cool things, like hanging at the "Rat", where they gave you this pointless fucking armbands that everyone stripped and gave to everyone else, insuring there was a constant supply of drunken undergrads staggering around, but the campus now makes the one I knew look like a third world country.
Anyone who has been there recently or gone there after going somewhere else, I would like to know- is the place as cool as it looks now? I mean it resembles and actual college campus IMO.

Nope.

ummm.... the consensus is: Nope.

i'll be attending gmu after i'm done with nova, not because i like the campus, but because i am older than 18 and have to work for a living. That the fact mason is one of the few who qualify under a specific program in va, i see no sense.

the only thing that bugs me is how the IT programs at mason are set up.

dude..........it's so cool. sersly.

I'm a junior at Mason. I commute, so I hardly spend any time on campus outside of class, so I couldn't really elaborate on the "cool" stuff there is to do there. But I really like the campus and I have no complains about the school, except for the fact that there are too many damn foreigners there.

GMU is not cool . . . but it is an opportunity.

GMU is an opportunity to pick up a degree one should have earned decades ago.

GMU is an opportunity for the sons and daughters of hard working immigrants to get their undergraduate degrees and then go to business, law, and medical schools.

GMU is an opportunity for folks to minimize their college expenses while working at decent paying jobs.

If you want cool, apply to UVa.

If you want an opportunity, consider GMU.

I always knew of GMU as "Beltway U" and will forever think of it as that.

GMU Hokie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> GMU is not cool . . . but it is an opportunity.
>
> GMU is an opportunity to pick up a degree one
> should have earned decades ago.
>
> GMU is an opportunity for the sons and daughters
> of hard working immigrants to get their
> undergraduate degrees and then go to business,
> law, and medical schools.
>
> GMU is an opportunity for folks to minimize their
> college expenses while working at decent paying
> jobs.
>
> If you want cool, apply to UVa.
>
> If you want an opportunity, consider GMU.


I want to see your facebook, GMU Hokie. You sound like a cool chick.

Not cool in my opinion, but it's okay for what it does. Just go to NOVA for the first two years and transfer, save yourself a shitload of tuition.

OmNomNomNom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Not cool in my opinion, but it's okay for what it
> does. Just go to NOVA for the first two years and
> transfer, save yourself a shitload of tuition.

+1 on NVCC then transfer, but be careful. Just because you spent two years at Nova does not mean you know it all. Classes are bigger, policies different and curriculum oftentimes more demanding. Many transfers just don't cut it at Mason and end up academically dismissed in a very short time.

-------------------------------------------------
“We don’t have any rude, unpleasant people here. We’re different!”

Dane Bramage Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> OmNomNomNom Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Not cool in my opinion, but it's okay for what
> it
> > does. Just go to NOVA for the first two years
> and
> > transfer, save yourself a shitload of tuition.
>
> +1 on NVCC then transfer, but be careful. Just
> because you spent two years at Nova does not mean
> you know it all. Classes are bigger, policies
> different and curriculum oftentimes more
> demanding. Many transfers just don't cut it at
> Mason and end up academically dismissed in a very
> short time.




Someone told me the other day GMU is in the same tier as Virginia Tech. I don't think that is true.

You have been given some bad information. GMU, a good school, is a few steps below Virginia Tech, a great school.




> Someone told me the other day GMU is in the same
> tier as Virginia Tech. I don't think that is true.

GMU Hokie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You have been given some bad information. GMU, a
> good school, is a few steps below Virginia Tech, a
> great school.
>


An obviously biased opinion not based on fact.

Now go look up the average SAT of admitted students, NHS percentage/numbers in freshman class Nobel prize winning faculty and come back with a supported argument. I'll counter with Mason being in the DC region, it's Law School, School of Public Policy and other features that make it better than Hokie-ville. Of course Mason is also less expensive than Tech.

-------------------------------------------------
“We don’t have any rude, unpleasant people here. We’re different!”

wait....GMU Hokie = "George Mason University Hokie", right? So which is it, GMU Hokie? Which college did you go to?

I suspect a Hokie who now works at Mason. If I'm correct, and Tech is so great, then why not head south for a job.

Oh yeah, absolutely nothing to do in Blacksburg.

-------------------------------------------------
“We don’t have any rude, unpleasant people here. We’re different!”

What I'd like to know is how VT became so popular with Northern Virginia.

Oddly enough, as a NoVa native I don't care for GMU.

==================================================================================================
"And if any women or children get their legs torn off, or faces caved in, well, it's tough shit for them." -2LT. Bert Stiles, 505th, 339th (On Berlin Bombardier Mission, 1944).

eesh Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What I'd like to know is how VT became so popular
> with Northern Virginia.


Because for decades a TON of people from N. VA go to Tech and then a lot of them move back here for work. Plus it doesn't hurt that the football team is a lot more recognized. I doubt you found as many "out of the closet" Hokie fans back in the 80's and 90's as you do today.

__________________________________
That's not a ladybug, that's a cannapiller.

I'm finally going back for my masters in January! I love school and Mason is good for what it is. I enjoy free symphonies and oprahs at the center for the arts. Great library with an extensive cd collection. I'm also looking forward to working with some of my favorite professors.
Not much of a sporty or party school, if that is "cool" to you. But they do have an observitory, which is cool to me:)

I have stated this previously.

I have family members who attended both schools.

Some graduated, some did not.

I am not employed by GMU.

I do not work directly for a contractor at GMU.

I am, however, frequently one of the campuses and I have a good idea of its pulse.



Dane Bramage Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I suspect a Hokie who now works at Mason. If I'm
> correct, and Tech is so great, then why not head
> south for a job.
>
> Oh yeah, absolutely nothing to do in Blacksburg.

Dane Bramage Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> GMU Hokie Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > You have been given some bad information. GMU,
> a
> > good school, is a few steps below Virginia Tech,
> a
> > great school.
> >
>
>
> An obviously biased opinion not based on fact.
>
> Now go look up the average SAT of admitted
> students,

SAT scores
http://collegeapps.about.com/od/sat/a/top-virginia-sat-scores.htm

percentile 25/75 25/75
GMU V 510/620 M 520/630
VT V 540/640 M 570/670


> NHS percentage/numbers in freshman class

http://www.princetonreview.com/GeorgeMasonUniversity.aspx
http://www.princetonreview.com/schools/college/CollegeBasics.aspx?iid=1022823

VT 3.91 average high school GPA
GMU 3.55 Average high school GPA


> Nobel prize winning faculty
Buchanan didn't do any of his 1986 nobel winning work at GMU, in fact, he did some of it at Tech.

Most of the work that Smith did for his 2002 Nobel was done at Arizona, Mason then offered him over 1 million dollars a year salary (public domain information, available online) to come there, he left in 2008 to go to Chapman University.

In mason's defense, it's becoming quite commonplace to "buy" nobel winners and bring them to enhance a university's perceived reputation.


> I'll counter with Mason being
> in the DC region,

Yep, can't argue with that.

> it's Law School, School of
> Public Policy

Neither of which Tech has, but what about departments that they do have - civil engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, computer engineering, MBA, Finance, Physics, geoscience, biology, english, geography, history, the list goes on....

and other features that make it
> better than Hokie-ville.
> Of course Mason is also
> less expensive than Tech.

Not Really

http://studentaccounts.gmu.edu/Forms/Spring2011Undergraduate.pdf
http://www.bursar.vt.edu/tuition/

gmu 12-16 hours 4242.00 +353.5 per credit hour over 16 housing 1915-3310 (non kitchen)
VT 12+ hours 4729.50 Housing 1713-2278 for standard dorms

Glad to see that mason nation is keeping up the standards that everyone expects from them by making a bunch of claims and then saying to check the facts.

3.55 is a great high school gpa. I was expelled my senior year at 1.87.

It seems like there are a lot of unhappy people at mason, both students and employees. Im not so sure about the green and gold school spirit.

Mason Nation? Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>>
> gmu 12-16 hours 4242.00 +353.5 per credit hour
> over 16 housing 1915-3310 (non kitchen)
> VT 12+ hours 4729.50 Housing 1713-2278 for
> standard dorms
>

Last time I checked 4729.50 > 4242.00

Room and board is variable and you could get the same price either place, although I'm betting Mason has a lot more newer and more modern living facilities than Tech.

Typical Hokie, can't do math.

-------------------------------------------------
“We don’t have any rude, unpleasant people here. We’re different!”

Yahweh Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 3.55 is a great high school gpa. I was expelled my
> senior year at 1.87.






You sound like a loser.

lay off Yahweh. He is the jewish god.

eesh Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What I'd like to know is how VT became so popular
> with Northern Virginia.


Tons of VT alumni in the area. Many companies with govt contracts that need engineers. VT is a large engineering school. Boeing, Lockheed, Northrop G, Booz, all recruit engineers en mass. That's why you also see plenty of Penn State alumni in the area. Big engineering program, and lots of engineering demand in this area. I see more Penn State car decals than any other out of state school.

If you look at US News rankings, or Princeton Review, you will find VT in the top 100 schools (in the 70's last time I checked). You will not find GMU ranked.

I could care less about rankings, but anecdotal evidence on this site will not provide a winner. I personally think that they're both awesome schools. Plenty of pride to go around.

Dane Bramage Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mason Nation? Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >>
> > gmu 12-16 hours 4242.00 +353.5 per credit hour
> > over 16 housing 1915-3310 (non kitchen)
> > VT 12+ hours 4729.50 Housing 1713-2278 for
> > standard dorms
> >
>
> Last time I checked 4729.50 > 4242.00
>
> Room and board is variable and you could get the
> same price either place, although I'm betting
> Mason has a lot more newer and more modern living
> facilities than Tech.
>
> Typical Hokie, can't do math.


but, if you're a typical student, taking 18 hours, then GMU = 4949, which, last I checked, is MORE than 4729.

Granted, the typical mason student can't/won't take 18 hours because he/she can't handle more than 3 classes a semester, so yes, it's cheaper. Must be why they have that stellar 38.7% 4 year graduation rate.

By default, mason is going to have more modern living facilities since it was upgraded from a glorified community college less than 45 years ago. I'm sure it has better living conditions than Harvard and Yale, but I don't see many people saying "The Yard at UVA? Fuck that, i'm goign to Mason, they have better dorms!"

Typical patriot - can't think.
At least the hokies can get the asians to do their math for them.

People from the area know GMU for what it is....
A place to transfer from Nova and remain in the area. Hardly a chosen school. But they sure can spend our money!

its awesome