Undergraduate Enrollment: 10,394
Female Student Body: 5,824
Tuition: $34,000
Mascot: The Colonial
Popular Majors: Social Sciences, Business/Marketing, Psychology, English
Sources: www.gwu.edu and www.collegeboard.com

Founded in 1821 and named for our country’s first president, the George Washington University is known for its politically-active student body, highly ranked law school and strong International Affairs program. Leah, a sophomore International Affairs major and member of the College Democrats, sat down with Savvy Miss to talk about what life is like on a campus located just a few blocks from the White House.

SM: Why did you choose to attend George Washington University, or “GW,” as students call it?
Leah: The opportunities here are unmatched in any other college in terms of internships and all the things that a person can do in the city. Last year I interned for Congressman Brian Baird from Washington State. This year I’m interning on the [Capitol Hill] for Senator [Patty] Murray, also from Washington State. There are a billion and a half organizations in DC. Last year I literally lived right across from the State Department. Even though classes [and] professors may be phenomenal at another university, [here] I can literally fall out my front door and into a national organization.

SM: Given that the university is located in our nation’s capitol, how politically active is the student body?
Leah: It’s incredibly politically active. I think the two largest student groups on campus are College Democrats and College Republicans. I’m on the executive board for College Democrats and this year we have already hosted 19 events. We have 18 more planned just before the election. It’s incredible the amount of stuff that we’ve done. We host everything from senators coming to speak, to a slam poetry event where spoken word, usually with political messages, is going to be presented.