Georgetown University, Washington D.C

Today was packed from start to finish, as usual. We awoke at 3 AM to get the six o'clock flight to D.C. All the transportation went smoothly and according to plan luckily, and by about 9:30 we were in the capital of the country. We only have a few days here so we wanted to see as many of the monuments and buildings as we could in our limited time. We took a taxi to downtown Washington D.C, and looked at the White House, the National Monument, The WWII Memorial, and the Lincoln Memorial.  We only had about half an hour to really look at the buildings and monuments before we had to head over to Georgetown University to take our campus tour.

The Chicago Cohort at the WWII Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

Georgetown was just a couple minutes outside of the downtown area, but when you were there, you could sense that it was in a small college town, and that it was definitely separate from the city. The streets surrounding the campus were all cobblestone, and the buildings brick or stone with a Gothic architectural style, giving it an old fashioned feel.

The Georgetown Campus

A key difference I noticed right away was that this information session and tour focused much more on the academic aspect of the university rather than more emphasis on the social aspect of the university, as Washington University did. The undergraduate part of the university was separated into separate schools; The school of Nursing and Health Studies, The McDonough School of Business, The Walsh School of Foreign Service, and the Georgetown College. The school of Nursing and Health is probably what I would most like to be a part of, our of all the schools, because of my interest in medicine and biological science.

After our tour and info session we went back to the hotel to take a quick rest before getting ready for our dinner at the Tavern, which is one of the oldest historical landmarks in Georgetown. Sean, alumni of Georgetown, told us all about the history of the location. John Adams and Ronald Reagan had both dined there in the past, and there were many paintings and photos depicting historical figures, and how the tavern looked at different points in history.

The Dinner Table at the City Tavern

I spoke with Andrew Gonzalez, a rising junior at Brown University, about his experience with the ILC and how the experience continues to give him opportunities and connections even years later. I was also seated near Catherine and Trevor, who were both students at Georgetown studying in the School of Foreign Service and very involved in student leadership. All the students and alumni I conversed with were interested in economics or foreign politics and policy. Earlier on the tour, I saw that the majority of Georgetown alums went into economics or foreign policy/politics, which is logical given its location and the opportunities the location provides. Because I am more interested in different subjects, the university might not be the best fit for me, but I absolutely enjoyed spending time with and conversing with Georgetown students and alumni. They had so much great advice to give us having to do with how to prepare for interviews, how to go about the college application process, and what scholarships to apply for. It was so informative, and the food was delicious.

I ordered crab cakes, curried corn, and a tomato and basil salad. The meal was outstanding, and the people I met were so kind and helpful. I cannot wait to stay in touch with these alums and students.

Tomorrow we head to Philadelphia to tour University of Pennsylvania and have lunch with alums and students.