Vi Posted March 18, 2007 Share Posted March 18, 2007 I was fairly recently accepted to Mason with a great scholarship. I visited the school, attended their Honors Brunch and took a tour... and I think I've made my decision. I'm going to Mason next year! So, I wanted to ask anyone on ES who goes there, went there or just has an opinion on the school what they think I need to know before becoming a student at GMU. Anything about campus life, what the students are like, good majors, bad majors, ect... Really though, any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spaceman Spiff Posted March 18, 2007 Share Posted March 18, 2007 Campus life is a lot better than it used to be. Mason's doing a great job of shedding the "commuter school" rep that it used to have. The new dorms are swank. Do your best to get one I was an English major and really liked it. There are a lot of great teachers there, across the board. I'm sure it goes for any school but take time to get to know them, it'll help you out along your way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wantarace17 Posted March 18, 2007 Share Posted March 18, 2007 i live at mason but i am getting ready to move out. Its a great school. Not a party school by any means of imagination. If you want that visit JMU Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slateman Posted March 18, 2007 Share Posted March 18, 2007 Mason is a commuter school. There isn't a whole lot of campus life there, though that is changing with the them putting a Damon's in. Make friends, and then go to Buffalo Wing University. The likelihood of you getting a dorm is scant. And housing in the area isn't exactly cheap. The student body is very diverse. There is a strong Asian and Middle Eastern contingent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Brown #43 Posted March 18, 2007 Share Posted March 18, 2007 Mason is a great place. It has come a long way since I went to school there. It was always sort of an underdog-type commuter school in the past, but as someone mentioned above, it is shedding that reputation, and I think it is now one of the best institutions in the state of VA. It's a better school than JMU. The only advantage at JMU is it's a more traditional college atmosphere, which attracts a lot of students. But I feel that Mason caught up to JMU, and in fact has surpassed it as an institution of learning. Plus, we kick the crap out of them in basketball. People who went to Mason back when I did were so proud of our Final Four run last year because it kind of legitimized us as a real university. Some JMU people disparagingly call Mason "GMCC," as in George Mason Community College. But we went to the Final Four, so they're just jealous. Their basketball program has become an utter laughingstock. Bunch of spoiled brats at JMU. Enjoy your sorry team, suckers. Sorry for the rant. Go Mason! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vi Posted March 19, 2007 Author Share Posted March 19, 2007 Thanks for the responses guys, even if they are a little conflicting. I really appreciate all the different thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard saunders Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 Buffalo Wing? Go to Rain dude Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedskinPride27 Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 Graduated from Mason in 2006, I lived on campus for four years, which is a rarity actually. I can say that although the campus life isnt great, it's come a long way since I got there in 2002. They have been building new dorms every year and there will be a huge complex that will open up in the next year or so that will add about 1000 more beds, so there will be a lot more people living on campus. The campus student body is VERY diverse...#2 in the nation when I was there and because of that there are a lot of different cultures and organizations and activities. May not sound interesting right now but when you get there and you get a chance to see it and meet other people you'll learn a lot about other ethnicities and religions, which actually is a nice thing. Most of the people I met at Mason are nice, teachers were very helpful and always willing to help. The big departments at Mason are the law school, the economics department, business school, and fine arts department just to name a few. And one thing you can take advantage of is the amount of opportunities you'll have as far as internships with businesses in NOVA or DC. If I have to name a big drawback at Mason, it's the parking and traffic situations, but if you wont commute or need a car on campus that's not much of an issue. And if you like basketball, then you definitely can check out the basketball games, which more students have been going to and the atmosphere is always fun. And of course most people remember the Final Four run last year. Games are free if you are a student. So that's all I really have. Mason like all schools has its drawbacks but it's definitely worth your tuition money cause you can get a good education there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RVAbrendan Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 They have a taco bell in the student commons. "Nuff said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swisha Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 I don't know why they have a two-building campus in Prince William just for IT majors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prosperity Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 Mason is a great place. It has come a long way since I went to school there. It was always sort of an underdog-type commuter school in the past, but as someone mentioned above, it is shedding that reputation, and I think it is now one of the best institutions in the state of VA. It's a better school than JMU. The only advantage at JMU is it's a more traditional college atmosphere, which attracts a lot of students. But I feel that Mason caught up to JMU, and in fact has surpassed it as an institution of learning. Plus, we kick the crap out of them in basketball. People who went to Mason back when I did were so proud of our Final Four run last year because it kind of legitimized us as a real university. Some JMU people disparagingly call Mason "GMCC," as in George Mason Community College. But we went to the Final Four, so they're just jealous. Their basketball program has become an utter laughingstock. Bunch of spoiled brats at JMU. Enjoy your sorry team, suckers. Sorry for the rant. Go Mason! wow, you are a genuine hater Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinsDukes Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 But I feel that Mason caught up to JMU, and in fact has surpassed it as an institution of learning. Not to be a jerk but....bahahahahahahaha :laugh: That has to be a joke..... Plus, we kick the crap out of them in basketball. That's not saying a lot considering everyone does that these days. The mess Sherman Dillard left us in has set the program back 10 years....remember though prior to the current fiasco we owned the CAA with regularity, GMCC included. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sk1nzHEAD Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 nah dude just come to CSU with me next year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edgun88 Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 I know alot of people that go there. I know a few bros and some hot hot HOT girls that live in the dorms right now. Im probably transfering there in a year. I heard parties arent all that great but, hell, if you have tons of beer and a bunch of people then its a fun party. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwbiggs Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 When you get there could you tell them to cool it with the Mason Nation stuff...that is all played out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panel Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 I loved it at Mason, I love the area, and I loved the campus. As for good majors, I think Economics at GMU is awesome, now for a lot of people Economics is hit or miss, a lot of people fail the basic Econ class that everyone needs to take as a gen ed, but if you can get Higher than a B in those, I'd look to major or minor in Economics. That’s what I did; I took the Basic Econ, got an A, took another as an elective, and then decided that I might as well minor in it. I loved the classes, they were interesting and in gauging, and came natural to me. When ever there is a news piece discussing game theory or public choice theory, they are usually are interviewing a GMU professor. Mason is well known for experimental economics, and has had 2 Nobel Prize winners as staff member in economics. Mason also has a good Tech program, I don't know a lot about it, but all my friends that are there have good things to say. And if decide to go there, sign up for intramural sports, they are a lot of fun. The flag football league is the biggest one there, but there is also soccer, softball, dodge ball, poker, and a few others. It is definitely something worth doing. And on a side note, GMU trounces JMU. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midnight Judges Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 I think it's a great school, but by college town standards night life in Fairfax city rates a 2 on a scale of 1 to 10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prosperity Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 well I wasn't going to say anymore, but I there is too much smack talk against JMU than JMU deserves. So let's try to compare the two. Quality of Life -Social life: JMU, here at JMU you aren't forced to join some gay frat just to be able to party. At GMU about a third of the students end up joining a Frat and paying for their friends. At JMU? 15% -Campus & Food: JMU, we got top rated food, and a beautiful campus. And guess what... you can actually see students walking across campus and sitting on the quad... almost like prototypical college. -Cost of Living: JMU... Harrisonburg is way cheaper Quality of Academics -% of Faculty with PhD's JMU 64% GMU 49% -Faculty student ratio JMU 16:1 GMU 15:1 -Incoming freshmen profiles are stronger for JMU, but I'll admit those probably aren't as good of an indicator Interesting info: GMU has an 80% retention rate while JMU has a 90% retention rate for Freshmen. That means 20% of Freshmen decide GMU isn't the school for them and leave while only 10% of JMU Freshmen do the same. Overall: I would recommend looking at other colleges before you pick GMU, though I am sure you'll love GMU if you go there. Only thing else I can say is that I could have gone to GMU for free but I chose to pay and come to JMU, but that's just one person's opinion. The only strong exceptions I can think of are if you are interested in poli sci or economics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan T. Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 ...And if decide to go there, sign up for intramural sports, they are a lot of fun. The flag football league is the biggest one there, but there is also soccer, softball, dodge ball, poker, and a few others... Intramural POKER? Really?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Brown #43 Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 The Secret of George Mason What its Final Four basketball team and its unusual economics department have in common. By Peter Boettke and Alexander Tabarrok Posted Tuesday, March 28, 2006, at 4:24 PM ET Unlike his neighbors, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison, founding father George Mason has rarely gotten his props from historians and the public. Until recently, the same could be said of the university bearing his name. But the advancement of Mason's basketball team to the NCAA's Final Four is only the school's latest surprise win. The GMU economics department—which didn't even award Ph.D.s until 1983—has two Nobel Prize winners on its faculty. The law school ascended to the first tier several years ago, a striking achievement for a new program that 10 years ago was being run out of an old department-store building. What's remarkable is that GMU's freewheeling basketball team and its free-market academic teams owe their successes to very similar, market-beating strategies. GMU has excelled on the court and in the classroom by daring to be different. Its basketball team and academic programs began with the (correct) assumption that they couldn't hope to compete against the top schools in their fields—say, Harvard Law School or the Duke Blue Devils—by directly imitating their methods. GMU lacks the resources and reputation to recruit McDonald's All-Americans or Alan Dershowitzes. So instead, GMU has hunted for inefficiencies in its markets. Coach Jim Larranaga follows the Moneyball model of recruitment: hunting for the undervalued players—the ones who everyone else thought were too short, too thin, or too fat—and then building them into a team. In its astonishing defeat of UConn, GMU's players were giving away 4 inches at nearly every position. Picking undervalued players wouldn't be possible if the market for jocks worked perfectly. In an efficient market, jocks—like stocks—should be valued no more nor no less than what they are actually worth. So, why isn't the market efficient? One reason is that coaches who take chances on oddball players risk making themselves look foolish. A coach who goes after the same jock that everyone else wants, or an investment analyst who picks the same stock that everyone else recommends, at least can't be made to look worse than average. Herd behavior means that unpopular opportunities remain unexploited. An unusual coach who's willing to look unfashionable with the in-crowd has a chance to excel. This is also the idea behind GMU's free-market-oriented economics department. The department got started with a heretical premise: The academic market is inefficient, so how can we exploit it? GMU knew it couldn't afford to be a first-class MIT and didn't want to be a second-class MIT, so successive chairs of the department, backed by entrepreneurial university presidents George Johnson and Alan Merten, looked for unexploited opportunities. James Buchanan, GMU's first Nobel Prize winner, has never had an Ivy League position and indeed he has never taught above the Mason-Dixon Line. Gordon Tullock, a potential future Nobelist, has no degree in economics and took only one class in the subject. Vernon Smith, who moved his team from the University of Arizona (again, no Harvard) to GMU in 2001, had to fight to get people to treat experimental economics as more than a cute parlor game. In the academic market, herd behavior is compounded by political correctness. In the 1960s, James Buchanan and Gordon Tullock were joined at the University of Virginia by Ronald Coase (who would later win his own Nobel). But the university administration and powerful organizations like the Ford Foundation thought their free-market ideas (limited government, tax cuts, selling radio spectrum!) were disreputable, and they worked hard to push them out of the university. From the 1960s into the 1980s, a small university such as GMU could hire conservative and free-market thinkers of true genius for the same kinds of reasons that, in the mid-1960s, a middling school like Texas Western University could recruit some of the best basketball players in the nation, so long as they were black, and win the 1966 NCAA championship. Conservative and free-market economists were so undervalued that GMU could afford the best of them. Today, blacks are no longer undervalued in the market for basketball players, and neither are free-market economists undervalued in the market for university professors (even if free markets remain undervalued in the world at large). As a result, the George Mason economics department must work ever harder to pick winners. GMU remains an underdog in both basketball and economics. But Coach Larranaga has a plan to succeed in the long term and so do GMU's professors. Click here to read about how GMU is seeking out different new kinds of undiscovered geniuses. The odds are still against GMU on the court and in classrooms. Neither in basketball nor economics is GMU a top-10 school. We cannot match the endowment of a Harvard or Stanford. Building with the odds stacked against you is difficult, but GMU proves it can be done. Look for undervalued assets, eschew political correctness, and take the long view. But don't try to imitate Mason. The opportunities Coach Larranaga found will dry up. A small economics department today is more likely to succeed by assembling a quality group of socialists than free-marketeers. Bring it on! We're ready to play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetSkins Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 I was fairly recently accepted to Mason with a great scholarship. I visited the school, attended their Honors Brunch and took a tour... and I think I've made my decision. I'm going to Mason next year!So, I wanted to ask anyone on ES who goes there, went there or just has an opinion on the school what they think I need to know before becoming a student at GMU. Anything about campus life, what the students are like, good majors, bad majors, ect... Really though, any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks guys! congrats, i just recently graduated from mason, if you live on campus greek life is pretty much the only scene. people will tell you its a boring commuter school but its what you make it, i had a blast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warhead36 Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 I go there now. It's...ehh. I think you could do better. I had to settle for Mason because the schools I wanted to go to rejected me, and thats pretty much the same notion felt by most GMU students. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetSkins Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 and lets forget that they now serve alcohol on campus in Damon's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoony Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 I got in to Mason but I didn't go... simply because of the student life there. Not sure what it's like now, but back in 1993 it was a commuter school. They called it the ODU of nova. But as a school, I think it is very good... one of the better universities in the state. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaMuller7 Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 Well after 5 years of being there, I'd have to say that GMU is definitely a school where you have to join a fraternity or sorority to party or even know someone from those groups VERY WELL to get into parties. I joined one of these fraternities and have to say that I wish there was more of a college life on campus and night life off campus because most people would just commute there and then go home. I made of what I could from the whole GMU experience and it was a blast!!! It is what it is, and I recommend anyone go to GMU for the IT program which is what I was in because they are investing more and more money each year into new programs and projects which they didn't have when I started there in 2001..... So say what you want about JMU being better than GMU, but I'll tell you one thing is that there is NOTHING out in Harrisonburg or in Blacksburg for VT people. At least we have the cities around us and more exciting bars to go to with plenty of things going on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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