George Mason University

I strongly advise against studying here. An institution marked by deep social stratification and elitism, which is exactly what their neoliberal ideas promote. Regardless of effort or number of applications, individuals from the Global South often excluded. It reflects longstanding issues related to colour privilege and inequality.

It’s deeply troubling that serious claims of SA involving a faculty member at this university have come to light. This individual has also exhibited a long standing pattern of unprofessional and inappropriate behavior in the classroom such as mocking individuals with disabilities, making crude and offensive remarks, and frequently canceling classes without notice. Such conduct reflects a disturbing lack of accountability and raises serious concerns about the standards upheld by the institution. For anyone considering enrollment, I strongly urge you to think carefully about your safety, well being, and the quality of education you can expect here.

The George Mason University is better than I expected going in. Many Norther Virginia High School students don’t really want to go to this school because they think it is not that good and they do not want to stay home. This is a great place to learn especially is you are on a budget. Stay at home and commute, it is a great way to save money while getting a good quality education at a university. This school is great and although there is not much on campus culture, there are many things that make the school amazing. This was not my first choice school, but I am content with the decision I made.

I have been to 5 universities myself and sent my kids to 2 additional. GMU is the absolute worst university in existence. This University is not concerned about teaching or the quality of teaching. They only want to steal your money. They are insanely overpriced for a low-grade/low-level university. Their professors cannot speak English or know the subject matter they are teaching. The school offers nothing in terms of student quality of life or well being. The food is terrible and makes people sick. Their housing is overpriced and they pack in 3 to 4 people in a 2 person room. They also stick men in with women in the same room. They are full of drugs through out campus. They encourage abuse and bullying on their sports teams. Stay away from this university. They are bad news.

I was here for two years after my time at Nova CC. I was with the Schar School of Policy and Government. It was a fantastic experience I wouldn't trade for anything. The professors are all experts in their fields with PhD's. Everyone in my classes were respectful and engaging. For a social life it was average, you have to make your own friends by joining clubs or living in dorms with your door open. Be polite and talk to people. Infrastructure wise there is a huge effort by the university to modernize. With the Peterson Medical building, Nguyen Engineering Building, Fenwick library, exploratory building, and the new Robinson building that is being built in the middle of campus, it's gonna be great. For now the construction may put people off but it will become a great school for students and graduate students alike. 4/5 would do it again. Not really but still.

I love this place. Largest research university in Virginia, one of the most diverse in the nation, youngest school to reach top tier research status in the Carnegie classification, no disparity of outcomes among ethnic or socioeconomic groups, home of first Nobel Prize winners in DC or Virginia, in a perfect location!

I attended George Mason University for the Washington Journalism and Media Conference in July 2016 and it was amazing! The door rooms were great; the people were incredible; and the experience overall was one I will never forget. I'm so happy to be applying here this fall, though I am disappointed it's so far away from my home in Florida.

Beautiful campus, unfortunately way better than the HBCU my daughter is transferring from. Glad she did it

First time at George Mason University. We went to the NAIA Spring Powwow in Dewberry Hall at the Johnson Center. The Center was clean, and it was easy to find the pow wow. Parking at the garage nearby was convenient. We parked there for 6-7 hours and were charged $10 for parking there. The food court on the first floor was nice and had a lot of food options. Lots of restroom locations in the building. The powwow was on the ground floor. It was the most comfortable venue I experienced for a powwow. The Native American & Indigenous Alliance provided free meals and bottles of water during the powwow. Admission was free. They also gave free offerings of Native American Indian post cards. The music and performances at the powwow were very entertaining. I loved the camaraderie between the performers and spectators. The outdoor campus is beautiful and well kept. We enjoyed our visit to George Mason University very much.

It was a beautiful landscape with a lot of trees. I enjoy how clean was the university and very easy to access we were able to find a very good parking spot. The purpose of my visit was we had a swim competition at their swim center.

First time at Eagle Bank Arena at George Mason University. I worked around the corner in Burke for many years but really never really came here. The campus is massive as they have added on quite a bit over the years. I have been to many graduations and I have to say this one was very well organized. Parking was easy and well directed. The instructions were very clear about what you could and could not bring in to thr arena ao I passed the test.The arena large and very clean which is a plus. They even offered food during graduation, but I was fasting during that time(My 40 year high school reunion is next month and I am not looking busted) I was pleasantly surprised. And even though I live in Maryland, I will definitely be back to partake of some of events at Eagle Bank Arena in the future.

College touring the huge campus. It seemed nice and pretty open. Our tour was great and we enjoyed the hour and a half tour. Very informative, but the freshman dorms. Small, tiny and very boxy!! Meaning...it's a box. Don't bring the house if you plan to attend this college. Hopefully the night life on campus is very lit....meaning the lighting. It's surrounded by trees and a land of forest. That would be my only concern.

Amazing campus! Huge. Close enough to get to the city bustle easily. Loved this campus and design.

My daughter just graduated GMU today. She enjoyed GMU. Some of her friends went there as well. She had a couple classes online and a couple where attendance in the classroom was mandatory. She loves school. She gets along with all teachers and Professors. She likes to lead in team projects. She just enjoys all that. I'm so happy for her. The campus seems clean and people friendly. I liked watching the delivery robots rolling across campus. Sometimes they get stuck or lost and move in circles. It's kinda funny. I had to chuckle about it. Buildings were nice and clean. Walkable from parking garage. I'm so glad she enjoyed her experience here and is able to take her lessons into a new life, ahead.

it's a good school for learning the right tools but they need help with different leadership skills. some teachers want tech kids at times to be care bots.

George 'Please Flush' Mason University, located in the heart of Fartfax, where tuition's sky-high, the vibes are mid, and the squirrels are the most qualified faculty

I hate this campus with a burning passion. The professors and staff are fine and all. But the infrastructure. SUCKS! There is not nearly enough parking let alone DISABLED PARKING for students to get by! And you'd think that they'd have enough online classes to make up for this crowded lack of access! But no, asynchronous online classes are rare. Synchronous classes that we need most are nonexistent. I am writing as a mobily impaired student walking half a mile to get to my class. Because I was lucky to find ONE disabled parking space half a mile away. I am in pain.

Wish I could give a negative rating or at least a 0 rating. I feel scammed by this GMU. I applied to GMU with one day to spare for the deadline to register. They took more than 48 business hours to process my application causing me a late fee. This is the second time in a row that they do this. I strongly feel like they deliberately do this to take advantage of new students. GMU also creates unnecessary holes to jump through in the registration process in order to increase the chances of a late registration. I have applied to close to 20 different universities in my lifetime, this university has been the least welcoming, least accommodating and least willing to remove discouraging late registration fees. They also make the process very difficult to audit my first class that I would miss otherwise because they were late with my registration. I spoke with someone from graduate registration that could not even resend me the registration email for my acceptance. The acceptance email is the only way I can register for classes which is very limiting.

I'm a proud alumni of George Mason University who graduated in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and was awarded the Psychology Outstanding Senior Award by the Psychology Department. It was given to me by Dr. Michael E. Hurley, who has continued to be my highly regarded associate and supporter. I had the honor of serving as Vice President of Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology, GMU chapter, with Dr. Hurley providing leadership. From the GMU website: "Dr. Hurley is the coordinator of the advising office for the undergraduate psychology program at George Mason University. He has been an administrative faculty member since joining the psychology department in 1993. Dr. Hurley also teaches in the undergraduate program, and has served as the faculty advisor for the GMU chapter of the Psi Chi honor society since 2004. Dr. Hurley was the first recipient of George Mason University's Academic Advisor of the Year award in 2005. He was also nominated for the university's Faculty Member of the Year award in 1996 and the Teaching Excellence award in 2007." Dr. Hurley is an integral and valuable member of George Mason University's leadership and faculty team, and he continues to positively impact student lives. I remember all of my amazing Professors at George Mason University and I had the honor of enrolling in and attending a History of Iran class with Dr. Shaul Bakhash, who continues to positively impact my life. I had the honor of having Dr. Bakhash as one of my advisors for my Master's thesis when I was a graduate student at The George Washington University. Dr. Bakhash has expert knowledge of Iran and I was able to use what I learned in his class toward writing my Master's thesis. From the George Mason University website: "Dr. Bakhash specializes in the history of the modern Middle East with a special interest in the history of Iran. He received his B. A. and M. A. from Harvard University and his D. Phil from Oxford University. He worked for many years as a journalist in Iran, writing for Tehran-based Kayhan Newspapers as well as for the London Times, the Financial Times, and the Economist. He has been a Guggenheim Fellow and held fellowships at the Institute of Advanced Study at Princeton and other research centers. He is the author of Iran: Monarchy, Bureaucracy and Reform Under the Qajars, 1858-1896; The Politics of Oil and Revolution in Iran; and Reign of the Ayatollahs: Iran and the Islamic Revolution. His articles have appeared in numerous scholarly journals and books, as well as in the New York Review of Books, Foreign Policy, The New Republic, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and other newspapers." My experience studying at George Mason University helped me to become who I am today and the wealth of information that was presented to me during my undergraduate studies has allowed me to build a solid understanding of the human mind and human behavior throughout the lifespan. I highly recommend the Psychology program to prospective students as the degree can be used in a variety of job settings including mental health, law enforcement, or business, and could provide students with a path to becoming a Psychologist, Neuroscientist, Nurse or Physician. Thank you to all GMU faculty for an amazing learning experience.

Good luck with the application process. I was accepted to two other schools-higher ranking than GMU, yet could not get answers to why my application continued to state "98%" complete despite signing and submitting. Each time I would check it would still state 98% complete but with no reference as to why it wasn't complete. I called and left messages, emailed, and left chats but no response. I still cannot get a response. I'd recommend applying to another school that has an easier process and people are available to answer questions. Unsatisfactory.

Came here with my Mom to attend the Korean orchestra concert, A Summer Night's Dream, at the Harris Theater on August 11th at 5:00 PM. Parking was simple at the garage. Gettting seated inside was a breeze as there were ushers at the entrance. Once the opera singers and pianists came out, their performances were pretty scintillating! There were a whole lot of older Koreans, but my Mom seemed to enjoy it. As for me, it was alright since I prefer more so the K-Pop music. But overall, the performances were great! The Sopranos, the Pianists and the male singers had great voices. Overall, we enjoyed our time.

George Mason is a terrible university. So many professors cant speak English, a lot of them don't care and the overall quality of education is just poor. Small handful of decent professors against the other 90% who are just awful. The only reason why GMU is still even operating is because of the convenience of being in Fairfax (a commuter school), if it were anywhere else, they would have shut down. Alongside the fact you didn't get into the better universities in and out of state or you couldn't afford to go to a better school. GMU also makes any and every attempt to stifle you out of money. Making a ridiculous fee for everything and you cant even use what you are being charged for. If you are a part time student, which a lot of people are because GMU Financial Aid Package SUCK (like REALLY REALLY suck) and all you get is $2000 per semester which doesnt even cover half of part time tuition AND fees, so part time is what you can pretty much afford, and guess what-- you can't use amenities on GMU campus BECAUSE you are part time unless you are willing to pay full price on the gym and pool and parking and recreation. GMU is planning to take on more students and add more ridiculous fees. I had enough and gained enough sense to finally just transfer out to a much better and prestigious university. (Go Hokies!) GMU tries to act like it is a great university (and everyone with half a brain knows darn well that it isnt) and is trying to get more and more money via tuition like a prestigious public university like W&M, VT, UVA, W&L, and their university is awful. If you are going to spend a lot of money, go to a better university with better aid packages, and respectable alumni. GMU will never had the incentive to change if you keep blowing your money there. It takes people 7- 10 years to complete bachelors degrees because of their crappy aid packages.

There are lots of bushes on this campus. And GMU is such a Republican school, I'm surprised they didn't use that as an excuse to rename it George Bush University. But GBU sounds a lot like GBH (Grievous Bodily Harm). Which I don't think ever happened to me here. Did I mention this was my University for 3 years of my life? I know this campus like the back of my hand. I met John Kerry here, we saw Obama here, we went all the way to the Final Four against all odds. We ate the crap food on a daily basis. I slept with so many girls and a few boys and a few I'm not sure of. I lived on campus, near campus and then off campus. It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. It was a waste of time. The University scores 5 except that they never gave me my diploma. Ever. Because I owed for a parking ticket that I never actually got... ever. I disputed it, it was never resolved, so I never got my diploma. They should be ashamed, really. I'm not paying for a parking ticket I didn't get. The professors - mostly - are 5-star rated. Except for the ones that aren't. The gorgeous campus is a 10 out of 5. Secluded and perfect. It's expanded a lot lately unfortunately but it's still lovely. I could go on all day about this place but my stomach feels engeorged, I must be hungry. I'm going down and mason myself some breakfast.

Update: Never received a degree despite graduating. Classes still cost the same even though all classes were online and were nothing but busy work. Unresponsive administrative staff The only thing I learned was how the American education system has failed an entire generation of students.

DON'T GO!!!! They are absolutely the worst college of all. My daughter went there for a year and it made her so depressed and alone feeling, she never wants to hear the name spoken. The students are so stuck up and snobby whatever friends she did make, so she thought they were friends. They used her for money and her intelligence and when she refused once they blew her off and put her down. Also the riots that occurred on campus were out of control. My daughter was so SCARED one weekend that she was afraid to leave her dorm to eat she was afrai for her safety and no guards or staff was around to help. The school also has professors that teach classes they don't have any knowledge in and when you go to talk to them for help they can't. Think about it do you really want your child to go to George Mason!!! There so much more wrong with that school it would take me forever to tell you all.

I came here for Health Wellness Expo. It was hard to find parking spots and the venue. No signs for this event. Not organized well at all. The event was good enough. Free product samples and vouchers. The best one is a free 5 mnts massage. Students are really energetic! Parking: Not free. $3 first 1 hour. I paid $6 means I stayed longer than I thought. Many parking say you need a ticket or a permission. So you have to park in the building at the center.

My experience for my Masters of Social Work was an odd one. When I was accepted, I was not informed the program was actually in a dingy office building way off-campus in Old Town Fairfax which had no computers, no vending machines, no WiFi, no access to food-but oh, there was free parking. My last semester of the program (Spring 2018), we were moved on-campus to a brand new, beautiful building with access to all the on-campus amenities, including the privilege to pay absurd amounts to park on-campus. Had I been on-campus the entire time, I might feel slightly less jaded and like this program even mattered slightly to the university. As for faculty, I can count on one hand the number of professors over the course of 4 semesters that were actually engaged in teaching. After getting frustrated that a tenured professor whom should never have been teaching kept being assigned to sections of classes I wanted to take, I had to work my entire schedule around avoiding their sections so I could *perhaps* actually learn something and not have a 3 hour "study hall". I did not expect this at the graduate level, I can say that for sure. Some buildings are nice, some are old and deteriorating. The Johnson Center, which again I only had access to my last semester, had a nice variety of dining options. Lots of green spaces on campus too. I much more prefer an urban campus vs. a self-contained one, so I know I would not have been happy here as an undergrad for 4 years, but if that's your jam, this should fit you well. Basically I ended up at GMU because 1. there are no other MSW programs that are full time in Virginia except at VCU and I was NOT commuting to Richmond and 2. I was granted in-state tuition. In fact, the only options in DC for an MSW program are at Catholic and Howard, both considerably more expensive considering they are private schools. Bottom line: I am happy I got my MSW so I can pursue the work I want, but I feel the MSW program here is considerably lacking in both the quality of faculty and fellow students. However, I would hope that the program is now on-campus, a prospective student would have a more enjoyable 2 years than I had.

I can't speak for all since I am one of the thousands of students that have attended the school during the 2010's: The Good: the location of the school is great for those who want to be in a metropolitan area. Fairfax is a nice and quiet suburban place with a cute old town with mom and pop businesses and restaurants but it isn't exactly poppin when it comes to bars and nightlife. On the days I wanted to have fun, I was able to freely use the shuttle or the CUE bus, hop on the metro and head to Arlington/D.C. Whether for work, internships or to have fun at the bars/clubs/museums, being close to D.C. was a huge plus on choosing GMU. Unless you have the means to pay for a private university by scholarships or being lucky to have parents who are willing to pay for school, there aren't a lot of choices in universities that give you value in the D.C. area while offering a variety of programs. P.S. I read an article ranking universities/colleges on default rates and GMU is one of the top schools were students were least likely to default on student loans. I like that I was able to meet people from around the world. One of my classmates had to move away during the semester and when she had to switch universities, she missed the diversity she experienced attending GMU. The opportunities I found here were great and it was easy finding a job after graduation. Whether you want to work in the public or private sector, GMU hosts many events for employment and networking opportunities. I loved the the career center that is catered to the business school majors and they helped me with my resume. They also hosted many interviews for various companies. The events and concerts were cool at The Patriot Center (I refuse to call the new name!). The basketball games, comedians, bands and singers have definitely made my experience at GMU. The ehhhhh: I majored in Accounting and the professors I had were either really good or really bad. No joke, I had a professor that refused to help me and told me "that's what the tutoring center is for". I can only speak for my major but I like how the good professors had real world experience working in the Accounting field. GMU should definitely hire more professors with real world experience. The bad: For a school with the reputation for being a commuter school, the parking is a joke. Instead of making fancy new buildings, they need to make more parking garages. It gets worse when there is a big event going on. Getting enrolled in the class you need is a pain for a university that has more than 20,000 students. Either hire more professors or stop admitting students. What is the point of increasing enrollment if you don't have room to class all of them? And with a reputation of being a commuter school, there isn't a lot of classes that happen after 5pm. It does get better when you become a junior/senior since you get priority to those evening classes. I hate that they took away the cheap dining options such as the Burger King and Taco Bell in The Johnson Center. For the broke students, go to Chick Fil A in Student Union. The dining halls rarely serve any good food. I would just stay at Ike's the whole day to get more value for my money and it was open 24/7. The 'honorable mention': I know some people complain about not making friends, GMU not being in a college town, it needs to have a football team, etc. I can't speak for everyone but college is what you make of it and there is no perfect university will fit all students needs. I had class mates from out of the area that choose to attend or transfer from other universities to GMU specifically for the good reasons I listed above. I had no problem making friends at GMU from and I still talk to them to this day. I found that people who didn't grow up in this area cherished the opportunity in attending GMU. Depending on what you want to study, GMU is a great choice and I am looking forward to what the future holds at GMU. Proud Patriot!

I'm attending Mason for my BA in IR and so far Mason has exceeded my expectations. As a person who lives in walking distance to the campus, I get to fully appreciate the beauty the campus has to offer. There are plenty of areas for students to hang out and enjoy the sun. Professors of the Schar School for Policy and Government are beyond intelligent and all of them have their PhDs in the respected field. GMU required many of their professors to have experience in what they are teaching so I can relax and know that these professors are coming from a place of knowledge. Infrastructure wise Mason is really up and coming. With the completion of Fenwick Librarys expansion, Perterson Health, and the upcoming new Robinson building(s) the campus looks right out of the future. Housing for students is difficult with not many options but with new apartments being built in the heart of campus you can count on the number of units available rising. A great research University with a prestigious government program puts the school on top.

Awesome campus. I have been before years ago when I was the CCBC Essex volleyball's manager. We walked around the campus while waiting for our event to start and was able to enjoy the campus's dining hall. I was happy to see my favorite food spot Garbanzos, which are only close to Virginia or the DC area. There were several students who were very helpful with directions around campus. Parking was not that bad before and after the event.

Jean Paul Sartre once said that Hell is other people. After my experiences at GMU, I believe he was referring to the sprawling, expendable, incompetent, toadying bureaucracy that has infected the school like a tumor in a cheap suit. It took over a year to get a degree awarded even though I completed all the work on time. M.R. & A.R.'s reviews are spot-on. Expect posturing, indoctrination, and any original thought or dedication to be crushed beneath the weight of the administration.

Oh Mason. I have been meaning to write this review for some time now. I was accepted to this institution to pursue my B.S. in 2007. I started off as an Electrical Engineering major and realized that although I could do the program, I just couldn't see myself being happy with the profession long term. So I had a late freshman/ early sophomore year crisis and decided to pursue Computer Science instead. One of the best decisions I have ever made. I graduated in Spring of 2012, have been back and forth to the campus for small events here and there, tutored some students in my spare time here, and finally decided to make the plunge to get my M.S. in Digital Forensics starting Spring 2016. I have recently graduated this past Spring semester of 2018 and I feel that my time with GMU has come to an end. I no longer have any major connections there. All the students that I knew from my time there have since then graduated and moved on. I really have little purpose on the campus anymore. So from the time I first set foot on campus in Summer of 2007 for freshman orientation, to the time I walked off presumably for the last time at my graduation in Spring 2018, here is my overall review of George Mason University from over the years. 1 - Leadership *5-Star* When I first came here, it was right after GMU had their famous Final-Four run. GMU was not really a school that stood out to me (possibly because I lived in Maryland at the time). It seemed only known to people in Virginia. After their run in the tournament, they were all over the news. Ever since then, the campus has grown tremendously. The only downside is the constant construction from when I was there but I get it, growing pains. The University has grown A LOT in the last ten years and I mean A LOT. It is hardly recognizable anymore. The schools president was Dr. Alan Merten and during my senior year in 2011-2012 was proceeded by Dr. Angel Cabrera. Both have show excellent leadership for the school over the years and have helped keep the school in a constant state of growth to turn this University into a major competitor not only in the DMV or the state of VA, but on the East Coast and maybe even the entire country as well. 2 - Campus Experience *3-Star* The overall campus experience for me was have to be a 3 out of 5 stars. I made plenty of friends and long lasting relationships while I was here, participated in student organizations, knew plenty of people who were in Greek organizations, participated in my fair share of parties, went to sporting events, seen protests, people standing on the main grounds shouting about salvation etc. However, I could not help but feel like something was missing. I have visited friends on their campuses of Howard University and University of Maryland for example and there was definitely a better sense of school pride. That's what Mason is missing. School Pride. I could never understand why I would see more VT gear up this way over Mason Gear. Now, in 2018, that has changed, I see a lot more Mason gear now, but it still lacks something. Mason is missing that college town feel. University Mall can't be all we have outside of campus. To be fair though, Mason is a young school. So far from what they have it's actually doing pretty well in that perspective. Hence why I gave leadership such a high mark. 3 - Return on Investment *4-Star* Graduating with a B.S. and M.S. from this school has yielded some good outcomes in terms of my career and connections. You cannot beat our location. Mason is in a Prime location being that it's main campus in in Northern Virginia. Once you graduate, it's easy to find a potential job out in the Suburbs or in DC. Maryland too if you wanted too. I am overall happy with the results so far. In a few years, I might need to update this to a 5-Star but it's too soon to tell. So far so good. In the future, I would really like Mason to keep growing as a university. I hope that one day they really work on fostering a sense of school pride, but that does come with time. Another thing Mason could do to foster school pride is to really work on Homecoming. Basketball is great and all but nothing screams homecoming season like a Football Game. Mason seems to strictly focus on Academics and Research as their top priorities. For that, I will give this school a 4 out of five rating. Given the price of tuition, I expect the "FULL" college experience. If I could have done it again, I might have just gone to University of Maryland in state, but at the same time, I can't say my time at GMU hasn't been rewarding either. Green and Gold will be with me forever.

Graduated in 99' reading the reviews n WOW!! Same **it twenty two years later... high tuition, student professors and an overpaid administration who do not care! Yep ! Same Mason I attended.. What's the salary of the president again..? And the basketball has gone to hell...! Shameful and embarrassing.

Terrible university. It's a glorified commuter and community college that tries to act like it's an Ivy League. Enjoy most of the undergrad classes being taught by graduate students with zero real world experience. The professors who do have experience will ghost you at the drop of a hat. (Especially if you're a *gasp* Republican.) Also, watch out for "job fair" seminars that are just money traps to get you to pay them more. You think you'll get a shot a recruiter only to get hit with, "pay xxx to attend this different seminar" instead. Enjoy paying hundreds a year in parking with no actual guarantee of a spot. (If you can't park to take a final exam? So sad too bad.) Good luck with student organizations to resume build when the campus is dead on the weekends. Internships are a crapshoot decided purely on if the department administrators like you and if you have the right politics. Look forward to extended unemployment and underemployment if you graduate. Lord help you if you took out any serious student loans. (Oh and parents, enjoy the predatory credit card companies that are welcomed on campus enticing your kids to sign up for a brand new high interest rate!) Why are so many of my class barely making 30k a year and working part time Mason?

GMU is an idyllic looking campus smack in the middle of Fairfax, Va. I agree that it is mostly a commuter school (although this has been rapidly changing) but I found that a lot of my classmates were entrepreneurial moguls on the side, thanks to Northern Virginia's booming technology industry. I was lucky enough to live both on and off campus and found the school to be a bustling hot spot of student activity...if you actively seeked it out. I met a lot of people who complained that GMU was not a "real" school but these were the people who went to class and then ran back home to their mommy and daddy's house after their two hours was up. A few notes: - Although you will be tempted to eat Chickfila every single day, please don't. It WILL catch up with you. - As an added bonus, you will graduate with a masters degree in finding a parking spot in a crowded lot in the end of your term here. - La Pat has the BEST chocolate croissants in the world. - GMU Basketball love runs deep. - Asians hang out on the third floor. - Don't be surprised to see people praying on mats several times a day. GMU is a truly international school and you will feel more cultured by the end of your tenure here. - First Fridays are a cheap way to get entertained on the cheap! First run movies, drag queen karaoke, free food, and more! Simply put: I met the love of my life here and am getting married to him this summer and I now have a gig with the greatest company in the world thanks to my edumacation here. What more can you want?

OH GMU, how I love U. Great education.. especially for the cost. Obtained my Bachelor's and Master's degree from GMU. Best bang for the buck. So much construction going on though.. you can definitely tell the college is expanding. Currently over 30,000 students.. with some of the best graduate programs in the area. Public university = cheap tuition for in-state students. My M.S. degree only cost $15k.

There's the good, the bad, and the ugly. The good: I took a Japanese summer class here for fun and it was fabulous. The bad: I tried taking a biology 101 summer class here, and it was pathetic. The teacher would pronounce polysyllabic words like the students had learning disabilities. I dropped the class and asked for my money back after the first day. The ugly: The parking - I was here for a school competition, and after winning, I found a 50$ parking ticket on my car, even though I was parked legally. Parking was basically a mess when they were doing all of the construction. The cherry on top was that after attending a friend's graduation, the attendees were so crass that they caused me to dent the back of my car. The campus police were no help after that. They told me just to drive away, basically, and not report it. (I have a moral code, so I definitely reported it) I've made a solemn oath never to drive back there again.

It's the bee's knees... The cat's meow... Plus I like to call it Jorge Mass-soon for sh*ts and giggles... Oh, so many great memories of days passed...so long ago. **tears up as that warm nostalgic feeling comes over him**

The worst school ever, no one cares about the student!! They say they care but not really. The Worst experience of my life.

Coming here freshman year and living on campus was not what I excepted. I have always been told coming here would be a commuter school and nothing more. After going here for four years it felt just like any college in virginia. Greek life is a great choice for creating more of a community. Their government program is great. Their biology department lacks in what other schools have. Pre-Health is difficult here. There is only one pre-health advisor for the entire university. However, there is a great college experience at George Mason if you put the effort in.

One star for the lack of outlets, it literally takes me so much time to find a table with outlets. Step it up mason.

Gmu is nothing more than an extension of northern Virginia community college. Trust me... I've taken classes at nova after dropped out of uva just to waste my at gmu. There are so many other choices of universities like VA-Tech, Vcu, UVa, W&M.... Also look at schools in D.C.

Diverse community on campus, this school is what you make out of it. There are endless opportunities for any interests you have and a great network for students looking for internships. Best advice I have for incoming freshman is talk to your professors, don't avoid them. They will help guide you for future semesters (school of business in my case)

I'm a returning student 2nd semester back in over 10 years. So, let's just say Mason has made it extremely difficult for me to continue my education, as the process seems to keep getting harder and harder after each turn of the road. Calling Mason for anything; student accounts, financial aid, registrar office, etc is practically pointless. I'm often placed on hold for an excessive amount of time, 20/30 mins seems to be the average wait time, and it has gone up to 45 minutes quite often. My advisor seems to take his time replying to any of my questions, and regardless of me getting on the Dean's List my first semester back, I'm often left feeling there is no personal touch by any department. I understand a lot has changed due to COVID protocols, but seriously though, why does it feel the school itself keeps letting me down time and time again. I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I'm starting to honestly considering transferring to another university that will value me, not not treat me like just another number. Thanks Mason for shattering my dream.

A worthless price of jewelry purchased at an auction at this University. Beware of silent auctions at this and any other institutions. Theyaybe peddling fake merchandise.

Mason has such a big student population that lives in the nova area. They have a lot of students transferring from NOVA. It's a pretty diverse school. The campus doesn't really feel like a college. There are plenty of things to do outside of campus. You don't really need a car to go here, but parking pass itself cost a small fortune and parking is not guaranteed. There are transportation services available.

All in all, location is good. Unlike most schools in Virginia, this one is centered near the big city. It is urban and there are always things to do around. You have DC, Fairfax, Metro that can take you places, Annandale, etc. It's not like you are stuck in the middle of nowhere. There is ALWAYS construction so that is highly annoying. There are ALWAYS roads blocked off and closed so it's a hassle. This is a commuter school so don't expect a big social life in school, if any at all. I personally don't mind that, but in picking college, know this! Classes are full of students ranging from so many places, so many different ages so it's really nice! The school itself is trying to change its image and be a more 'typical' university. This means, this coming fall, they are forcing all freshman to live on campus (excluding those who are in a certain mile radius from the school). Traffic during the summer isn't as bad as during the school year. There is obviously enough parking spaces on campus, but they are notorious for parking tickets!! Be warned and be very careful! It's ridiculous because I always see them scoping out for people parking in the wrong places. Honestly, they waste more of the money hiring people to look for illegal parking. This school prob gets most of its revenue from parking tickets. It's ludicrous and it's probably the biggest thing I hate about Mason. It was 2 AM once and I saw them posting parking tickets. So, you are warned!!! Academics are good. It's like any other college. You have some professors who don't care, some who do, and some who are only professors so they can get their research funded etc. I don't think there is any college that will have 100% amazing teachers. Just go on Rate my Professor to look for the good professors. What I do really like about the school is, the classrooms and the actual campus itself are really clean. It is really nice! The custodial staff is always so nice and they are always working hard! I really like that. The classrooms are neat and even if the computers suck, I bring my own so it's no big deal. The technology usually always works, and slowly but surely, they are finally fixing the Wi-Fi! It's been horrible!! But I know they've fixed the Wi-Fi in the JC! All in all, it's a pretty good school and it's a really good cost for in-state students!

Oh George Mason, what I love hate relationship I have with you my scornful beloved alma matter. You are bureaucratic nightmare, lost my paperwork more times than I can possibly count, you were a ghost town on the weekend, George Mason police and housing department were the fun Gestapo. You constantly made stupid decisions, like giving RA jobs to people who had never lived away from home before, or putting a 31-year old RA with 18 year olds? I know you contract out housing but still? Your food is less than mediocre. Your construction started at 5:55am. College students just love that, I will neve forget hearing the power drill at 6am on a Friday morning. Karl Rove is an alumni. And we were the ones who gave Fox News the study that they were "Fair & Balanced". In a more serious note--this school takes drinking, partying, and drugs very seriously. If you get caught, and don't get kicked off campus you are lucky. Last week according to the police blotter someone got arrested for littering. On the other hand, I have made great friends here from countries that sound like the Olympics: Nigeria, UAE, Afghanistan, Pakistan, etc. This is truly vauable. George Mason really has students from every walk of life. This is truly the truth. I have met students who are Muslim, Morman, Jewish, Catholic, Wiccan, Athetist. I have met humans who are retired war vets, young mothers, poor, rich, snobby and kind hearted. I have met students who are drug addicts and students who have never touched alochol. I have met people who are from every walk of life, and every age. I had a human sexuality class with 8 women and one 75 year old man! The professors here are wonderful and caring and brilliant. I have to say almost every professor here, shows empathy and kindness and brilliance in their field. There is a beauty in the diversity of this school, it something that despite my love hate relationship with it, makes me totally love it. They say it's hard to make friends here, and while that's true if you reach out, you'll end up with more friends than you can possibly dream of!

To All my Yelping friends I bring to you all the good, the bad and all the trends All I know I learned at this school To get somewhere in life and not stay a fool Over 50 concentrations they offer Fill your mind and brain, this is your coffer Almost all of it is good, there is very little bad Anyways I don't look for perfection: it's not be had You may be a mother or a dad A girl or a lad Come here and refine your mind The world awaits to be conquered, it will then be thine.

Mediocre at best. If you plan on being like a majority of GMU's students (the ones that work full-time and pay for school on your own, while commuting to both work and school usually an hour each way for both), then you will hate life. The school caters to students who do not work during the day, for example: 1. teachers office hours only available mid-day 2. counseling center closes at five 3. academic advisors leave at five 4. everything (food, bookstore, etc.) shuts down after 3pm on friday, and does not re-open till monday (what about the people who can ONLY be on campus during the weekends?) 5. so on, so forth, etc. Those who don't work and live on campus will hate life, although, with the new dormatories this may be a little better (prior to the additions, the only options were three people sharing an 8X10 room with no kitchen access). The new dorms have kitchenetts, common areas, as well as private rooms - at a price of course. There is also a new gym on campus just for students, and the acquatic center rocks my socks off. Ever since GMU got a chunk of change from their Final Four kick, it's sucked less, but a majority of my experience at GMU is from prior to '06. It may have gotten better since then, but as a commuter student and being unable to spend enough time even on campus to enjoy what they do have (EFF is pretty cool, and if nothing else you get free pizza) I can't account for GMU's recent changes (although, new facilities has NOT extended office hours for financial aid, etc.) Masons financial aid sucks, and (if i can find it) according to the princeton review, mason last year was in the top ten for dissatisfaction in aid given to students (i.e. until i turned 24, even with an extremely low income, i could only qualify for a maximum amount of federal loans that covered approximately HALF of a years tuition, forcing me to take 2-3 classes at a time, because i couldn't even get federal loans to pay for it on low income). TWICE - i tell you, on two seperate occaisions, two separate aid years, two different women at the financial aid office told me that the only way i was going to get enough money as a LOAN (not a gift like a grant) from the government was to have babies. I kid you not, i was told TWICE to get pregnant and i will see money for school (and i was requesting LOANS just to cover the cost of tuition, NOT free money!). Needless to say, mason only continued to dissapoint from there. BTW - mason had budget cuts this semester too, and the MATH department was the first to go, so if you have any MATH prerequisite courses to take in order to graduate, you will find MOST classes only have ONE availability slot, and i garantee you the time it's available blows. For example, Math111, is only available Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 12:30-1:20 - - - this is absolultely unrealistic for any working person to be able to attend this class. ALSO - one big bonus, since it is "conveniently located" (i use this term VERY loosely, because while it physically is located near DC, GOOD FREAKIN LUCK COMMUTING to and from DC to FFX campus - especially if you are an IT major and your classes got moved to MANASSAS campus, talk about a NIGHTMARE commute), there are more opportunities for internships throuh GMU or through your company/agency if you are a student. It's a mixed bag of this place for me, the good opportunities were good and unique to GMU, but the bad experiences with GMU were definitely really friggin bad too, so it is what it is I suppose. Everyone is unique and individual, and while this place definitely doesn't suck as much now as it did in early 2000's, it's still not the "dream" college any of the tv or movies project college to be either (there are also local laws against having official frat/soririty houses so while they may exist, it definitly is not in a formal way, so good luck with that if you plan on going greek at GMU).

George Mason University has one of the highest percentages of graduates who get a job within a year of graduating. I love it for the diversity and ever-changing environment, as well as the varied degrees that they offer students.

I've attended several different schools, all over the world, and have a few thoughts about GMU. Pros: Beautiful campus great on-campus transportation service (cue bus, mason shuttle, biking/pedestrian friendly) great perks for students (free access to gyms on campus, library, etc.) commitment to multicultural sensitivity/diversity vending machines in almost every building & they take credit cards main bookstore has reasonable hours big variety of food places on campus Cons: Extremely difficult to get in-state tuition, even if you have lived in the area for years Master's programs do not support work-life balance, VERY rigid about only being allowed to miss 1 class, even if it's related to work-injury, pregnancy, family crisis, etc. Areas where students can print for free are very hard to find Specific info about Master's in Counseling Program: Pros: Professors are highly qualified, well-educated, published, etc. Most professors seek to make classes engaging Curriculum is based on latest research, very forward thinking & culturally aware Professors bring in guest speakers & for the most part are very willing to connect you with people they know in professional world, write recommendations for internships, etc. Cons: Culture of this program in terms of some of the more controversial issues is extremely liberal, so if you're conservative, you won't be treated with hostility, but you won't be making a lot of friends either... Several required classes are only offered once a year Program is super anti-online classes: none are offered & they don't transfer in classes that were taken online Professors are not all on same page when it comes to academic advising, which is pretty disorganized Overall, I feel this program has provided me with a solid education in Counseling; however, it would've been a better experience had they been more workable in terms of that work-life balance, especially being a mom & full-time employee while taking full-time classes.

When I was growing up in NoVa we always kinda referred to Mason as, well Mason (said with scorn and sarcasm. Like, oh, MASON, ha ha, loser commuter school for people who can't get in anywhere else.) Well, due to circumstances none of you people need to know about, my dad said Mason or nothing. And when you're being offered a free education or a life of working at CompUSA, you take what you can get. Reluctantly, I signed up for classes. Oh, Mason (said lovingly in a reminiscent kind of way), how I misjudged you. Besides the fact that a ton of professors there have won nobel prizes in things (mostly econ, if I remember correctly), the professors prove every day that they are on parallel with their colleagues at more well known establishments. Not an easy professor in the bunch, I tried the Anthropology, Religion, and History departments and got nothing but supportive and challenging teachers. I would even say I found a few friends along the way, and discovered more about the world and myself than I thought was possible in this "commuter-school." And there are sports at Mason! To my great surprise, though none are really in the big leagues, there are sports! While I was there the basketball team even made it to March madness, and oh what mad pride we all developed. Oh, parking is a pain, due to all those commuters, and don't be surprised if you get stalked into leaving your parking lot. It's just the way it is, accept it and move on. Don't be a jerk. All-in-all, an excellent school which prepared me for a glorious career in desk riding, but helped me learn how to learn and what I really loved.

Foreword: If you're using Yelp to make college decisions, I strongly suggest considering other tools. Buy a copy of the Fiske Guide to Colleges -- it's like Yelp for universities! Better yet, talk to your high school guidance or career counselor. George Mason prides itself at being a big bad up-and-coming university, and I have to agree -- this place is becoming slicker every day. I grew up across the street and have really had the opportunity to see this university grow with me, too. I can't speak much about the academic programs here -- although my sister, an undergraduate, says the Art & Visual Technology group is killer -- but as a destination, there's a lot to attract your attention. Here are a few notables: 1. The Aquatic & Fitness Center, as a gym, is unparalleled. There's a great summer deal for students, around $100 or so for 4 months! 2. The Southside Dining Hall is a fine place for lunch or dinner, buffet-style with plenty of options. It's on Yelp. 3. The Center for the Arts is a venue that has a lot of great groups come through. Check it. 4. The Patriot Center is a pretty huge arena. I graduated from high school there, saw Disney on Ice years and years ago, and have seen Sting and Trans-Siberian Orchestra there, too. Great location. The next plan of action is to stay a night in the new on-campus hotel that's sprung up, the Mason Inn. Would love to review that soon!

If you're going to speak about GMU, at least read their web site and speak about their offerings. Compared to other Universities or where you've been or want to go to. Transferring from NOVA to GMU made such a huge difference in my life. Cost, convenience, close to home, metro access and Fairfax connector. In state tuition. http://gse.gmu.edu/ is where you must start. travel: www.wmata.com can map your trip for you and get you home cheaply. Buy a used bike for $100 to $150 and you'll not regret it. The bike can be put on front of ALL buses in Fairfax County. Bring lunch, a sandwhich, chips, and drink can save thousands. Don't buy buy buy and why complain about geeks? What does that have to do with how good the schools is to your education? Hater?

I first went to Mason for a degree in music, but then switched to marketing. My four years spent at Mason were okay--a lot of great memories, and then some memories I would like to forget. Anyway, in terms of the school and general opinion about things on campus--I know GMU tried their hardest to try to get the student body involved and active with campus activities, but there still was a huge lack of student campus life/activities/etc. A lot of activities weren't well announced to the student body, so people had to basically be in the JC (Johnson Center) and find announcements about certain events happening around campus in order to be informed. The system of emailing announcements to students was rather irritating--in short, GMU really needed help with their PR and trying to target their audiences. Academia-wise, some classes were difficult, and some classes were real jokes. I felt like a lot of times, professors had to really 'dumb down' their materials for classes because so much of the student body seemed to not comprehend topics they should have been able to comprehend at their age. Some professors also just seemed to not have the knack for teaching, which I can understand, but it really turned me off to certain classes because of the professors. Overall, GMU is a decent school, but it definitely doesn't have the 'typical' college feel. It's a good and bad thing; I didn't mind it.

I spent four years here for my undergraduate and am coming back for my graduate degree in education. I loved it here and it was a fantastic experience. Yeah there is lots of construction and parking sucks but keep in mind you're here to get an EDUCATION - it's not about the stupid inconvenience. The three departments I have been with are Education, Economics, and Music and they are all outstanding and staffed by incredibly passionate and smart professors. Maybe other departments aren't like this but I have always had great experiences there. The music department specifically is ON POINT.