From College To Cupcakes

Today was another productive, hot day. We had a nice schedule that was surprisingly not too hectic. We were never in a rush, and there was much time to relax from the warm sun.  I was a happy camper to start the day with some pancakes and sausage. It filled my stomach and energized me for yet another college tour.

We burned off all our calories with a walk to Georgetown University. Sunscreen was a must, for the sun was already making me sweaty. We arrived on the beautiful campus; the very first building reminded me of a medieval castle. We quickly found our way to the admissions office, and began by filling out a quick form about ourselves before the information session.

As I was sitting in the room listening to the admissions officer talk, I wasn’t really feeling it. Although he was a very eloquent speaker, everything felt too rehearsed. To be honest, he was just dragging on and on about Georgetown University. I can’t deny the fact that it was very informative, but in comparison to Duke, nothing really struck me, except one thing: their stimulator dummy. Georgetown has a stimulator dummy named GUS which is used for medical students. It is a dummy that has many different functions. For example, it can have a liver problem in the morning, a kidney failure in the afternoon, and it can give birth in the evening. It gives the opportunity to push students to work in pressured areas with a patient of various diseases. I think it is amazing that they have this resource available for their students in not only a man form, but also a woman and an infant form. It’s crazy to see how technology has changed the world today.

Aside from GUS, many of the aspects of Georgetown didn’t really fit what I am looking for in a college. Although it is a liberal school, it doesn’t have as much freedom as say, Duke has. When you apply to Georgetown as an undergraduate, you have to apply to one of the four colleges: Georgetown College, School of Nursing and Health Studies, The Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, and The Robert Emmett McDonough School of Business. Your options are pretty limited once you attend one of the schools, and it's difficult when you have absolutely no clue what you want to do yet.  However, if you have your mind set to something like business or law, this may be the school for you. They are the most populated academic areas at Georgetown. It is also possible to switch schools, if you have the grades and the drive to do so.

On top of those aspects, one may attend Georgetown to take advantage of the exceptional speakers, like President Obama or Bill Clinton. Being located right next to the heart of our nation, Georgetown has quite an advantage when it comes to internships. Many internships are given on a regular basis, especially political positions. Additionally, if you are passionate for politics, you are able to just walk a couple of miles and observe or even participate in protests. You can be part of an engagement that may change our world’s history.

In contrast to Duke, Georgetown has an Early Action program, which means there is no binding commitment if you are accepted early. I believe that is a great aspect for any college, because you are still able to consider other colleges as well.

The tour of Georgetown was shorter than I expected. It was very factual, but our tour guide wasn’t very convincing. The tour involved a lot of details of many buildings, and I didn’t like the fact that there were many stairs and a hill. Our tour guide mentioned that you could slip and fall while walking around campus during the winter, which kind of discouraged me from attending the school. We didn’t explore much of the school, but many of the buildings we did tour were beautiful.

A beautiful view of the city!

We couldn’t leave Washington D.C. without a taste of DC Cupcakes. We took a walk to the Georgetown Cupcake shop and unfortunately had to wait outside in the heat! The line was long, but I can tell you the wait was totally worth it! I ordered a Milk Chocolate Birthday cupcake, and a Chocolate Banana cupcake. They were just right: the icing was very fluffy and not too sweet, and the batter had a perfect texture. I also have to mention the delicious Gyro sandwich I ate for lunch! The meat was very soft, and the combination of everything was great!

My delicious Gyro sandwich!

My Milk Chocolate Birthday cupcake! 

Our dinner with current students and alumnus of Georgetown gave me a completely different impression of the college. I am grateful for the opportunity to actually engage with conversations with those who have attended or are attending the university. They were really passionate for their school, and did their best to sell their school to us!

I began asking the two young ladies sitting near me about their experiences in high school and how they made their decision to attend Georgetown. It was very interesting to find out one of them went to high school in China for 2 years. Once she came back to the United States, she didn’t join any clubs in the American high school, nor did she take AP classes, but still got into the prestigious Georgetown University.  From this, I learned that there’s no exact way to get into college, but one thing they will look for is how you will make an impact on your community.

I was impressed on the many activities and festivities that Georgetown has to offer. From having their own type of Olympics, a large party at the end of the year, and a club party at the silent library, it seemed to me that there was never a quiet day at Georgetown. The students were also very proud that Georgetown offers any club that you can think of.  It’s definitely a plus to know that the college is very lively and has a great sense of community.

This school is perfect for prospective politicians. One alumni from Puerto Rico now works at a law firm in Washington D.C. Because Georgetown is located right next to many law firms, the Supreme Court, and the White House, it is not too hard to make connections and get a job. One current student said, “You’re not putting in your money for a good education, because you can even get a good education at a community college, but you’re putting it in for the connections you will make.” We haven’t gone to college yet, but the ILC is already investing in us so that we make connections to be used as we begin to apply for college.

My baked Ravioli!

The girls ended the night with a quick picture!

Amidst the wonderful dinner of Baked Ravioli at the Peacock Café, Georgetown is a wonderful school, but I feel that it is not the best fit for me, at least not for undergraduate school. It seems like a better graduate school. However, I never know what I will think in the future. As the world changes, I am changing too! I’m looking forward to our last college tour tomorrow! Here we come, University of Pennsylvania!