With questions like these, I like to refer to a long reply I gave in the past: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/17764251/#Comment_17764251
Overall, GW is pretty awesome. You have to put forth some effort, however. Don’t expect things to just come to you- you have to pursue as well. One of my biggest regrets (as are other alum’s, as well) was that I didn’t take advantage or more opportunities (social, academic, professional, etc).
Fun? Anything and everything. It depends on your interests. There are clubs, club sports, parties, spring break travel, touring the city, trying a new cuisine at DC restaurant… some days you’ll be content with hanging out in your room watching Netflix or maybe playing some video games.
Venturing off campus depends on the person. Plenty of people venture off campus, whether it be for food, shopping, night life, or to just see the sights. There’s plenty to do on campus, so if a person doesn’t feel comfortable venturing out they shouldn’t get bored.
What do you mean by the surrounding area? Like the Foggy Bottom neighborhood? Or are you talking about Georgetown, Dupont Circle, the Waterfront, etc? Or… maybe you’re even talking about NOVA (Northern Virginia) like Pentagon City or Old Town? In one word: diverse. You can find just about anything and everything without going too far. Personally, I loved hanging out in Old Town (20-min Metro ride away). It’s a great section of NOVA that’s quite safe and has a fun selection of bars, restaurants, and shopping.
Academics are what you make of it. If you choose something like International Affairs or Pre-med, prepare to have some tough introductory classes made to weed people out. If you can tough it out after that, I’m told it gets much better. With just about any other program, though, you can load your schedule down or pack it relatively light and take fun electives. It just depends on what you want to get out of it.
Best of GW? I would say the opportunities. You go to GW either because you want an urban college experience or (and) you want access to amazing internships. Take your pick: politics, business, international law, tech… there are so many great places in D.C. to intern, and I’ve heard of a lot of them ending-up in great jobs post-graduation. I must add, however, that internships aren’t the only “opportunity” that I was speaking of. You will also learn from world-renowned professors, have discussions with students from other cultures that will be sure to broaden your own… and what about all the great food D.C. has to offer??? lol
The worst? Things are expensive. There’s not many ways around it unless your family is wealthy enough to pay for everything or if you’ve gotten a great financial aid package (GW is rather generous in this regard). I chose to keep a part-time job throughout my 4 years so I’d have more spending money and be able to put a little towards my mounting debt. Not to mention that going out with your friends (depending how often this happens) can get expensive as well.
If you have any other questions feel free to ask!
-Nate (GW Grad '12)