The University of Mary Washington

I want to kill myself everyday that i wake up at this school. it sucks. the people are weird, there is absolutely nothing to do, and you have to completely lower your standards for guys. If you do happen to go out on a weekend the parties are so lame. they are overcrowded and just stupid. not to mention that you are surrounded by 108424874837 old people. Fredericksburg is the mecca for old/retired people. Also, there is NO SCHOOL SPIRIT. i honestly don't think there is one positive thing that i could say about this school after spending a year here. it was definitely the most miserable year of my 18 year old life and i am not alone in saying that. I am 100% transferring and pretty much all of my friends are as well. I would have to say that high school is better than this school. SAVE YOURSELVES, don't ever come here. better yet, don't even apply.

1st Year Female -- Class 2011

I would recommend against coming to UMW. I acknowledge that this school may be the perfect place for some, but I can't say that I am amongst those. My grievances with the school lie in the poor social life, "cliquish" high school extracurriculars, poor undergraduate advising, and the bureaucracy.

The parties at UMW are off-campus, but are usually broken up so it is pointless to go to them. Therefore, if you are a big-parties I would advise you not to come here. If you liked social "cliques" in high school then you will love Mary Washington as it is a 4,000 strong high school with a few sets of individuals running the extracurriculars and making it awkward for new members to join. For example, I was in debate but quit after it became apparent that it felt more like a high school extracurricular than the "typical high school experience." I did not want to do activities just to fill time and make myself attractive to prospective colleges which is essentially what I did by joining debate. Therefore, it was time-consuming and very unenjoyable.

As a Freshman, I understand that I can not declare a major. I, however, did fill out a form prior to Preview that specified my interest as history and that I would be paired up with someone from the history department. What I got, however, was a biology advisor and felt mislead from day one. I hardly ever talk to my advisor about stuff relating to declaring majors, courses, etc. as she does not know anything outside of what is necessary for bio. majors. Therefore, I have learned only to rely on myself in finding out what courses I need for my major.

The bureacracy here true to what the Princeton Review reports is definitely a nightmare. Finding the right person to talk to about a specific economic problem is very difficult. For that very reason, it is best to look elsewhere if you want a smooth transition to college. Overall, I can't wait to transfer to another college (probably UVA) fairly soon. Avoid this school if you are into getting the "typical college experience." If you want a good liberal arts education, then come here. However, if you want a school that has a good academic reputation along with a good social scene, go elsewhere.

1st Year Male -- Class 2009