George Mason University — Local services in Fairfax

As a proud parent, I would like to express my utmost satisfaction and admiration for my son's experience at George Mason University. His time at the university has been nothing short of extraordinary, and I am thrilled to share why I believe George Mason University deserves high praise.

First and foremost, the academic environment at George Mason University has played a pivotal role in my son's growth and development. The faculty members are not only highly knowledgeable and experienced in their respective fields but also genuinely invested in their students' success. The professors have consistently demonstrated their dedication to providing quality education, challenging my son to think critically, and encouraging him to explore new perspectives. The diverse range of courses offered has allowed my son to pursue his passion while gaining a well-rounded education.

Furthermore, the university's emphasis on experiential learning has provided my son with invaluable hands-on opportunities. From research projects to internships, George Mason University has fostered a supportive environment where students can apply their classroom knowledge to real-world situations. These practical experiences have not only enhanced my son's understanding of his chosen field but also equipped him with the skills and confidence needed to thrive in his future career.

The campus facilities and resources at George Mason University are truly exceptional. The libraries are well-stocked with a vast array of reference materials, and the state-of-the-art laboratories provide students with cutting-edge equipment and technology. The campus itself is picturesque, with ample green spaces and modern facilities that create an inspiring learning environment. Additionally, the university offers various extracurricular activities, clubs, and organizations, providing my son with opportunities to explore his interests, build friendships, and foster a sense of community.

I must also commend the university's commitment to diversity and inclusivity. George Mason University embraces students from all walks of life, fostering an environment that celebrates different cultures, perspectives, and backgrounds. The inclusive atmosphere has undoubtedly contributed to my son's personal growth, encouraging him to become a more open-minded and empathetic individual.

Lastly, the career services and alumni network at George Mason University have been instrumental in my son's professional development. The university's career advisors have provided invaluable guidance, helping my son refine his resume, prepare for interviews, and connect with potential employers. The extensive network of successful alumni has also been a valuable resource, offering mentorship opportunities and opening doors to exciting career prospects.

In conclusion, George Mason University has exceeded my expectations in providing an exceptional educational experience for my son. The university's commitment to academic excellence, experiential learning, diverse campus life, and career development has truly set the stage for his success. I am immensely proud of my son's achievements and the growth he has experienced at George Mason University. I wholeheartedly recommend this esteemed institution to prospective students and their families who are seeking a nurturing and transformative...

I'd give a higher score, but unfortunately my experiences with the office of student financial aid taught me how disconnected some of the departments are with one another. I was told to have a dependency appeal filled out and was misinformed that I had to fill it out ASAP before my advisor would go out on vacation; turned out they already did, and I rushed to put together my documents for my appeal. I ran all over the whole campus trying to get documents from housing, CAPS, SSAC, and the police department. Housing wasn't sure about who was responsible for filling out reports, but thankfully they pulled through and got me the info I needed. CAPS would not provide me any documentation since I didn't come to them last semester for any help (I went to them several semesters ago), but they told me to try going to SSAC. The SSAC was very helpful and even provided me info about Stay Mason, which is my last hope in hopefully getting any extra aid. As for the police department, I was hoping to get a letter from one officer involved in an incident with my parents, but since he was out of town he was unable to type out a letter. I also paid $5 for a police summary that essentially said nothing about the incident. Thankfully, housing's documentation provided a detailed version of the event, so I should have never paid for that.

Overall, all that work lead to me getting denied a dependency appeal anyways. They probably figured that since the FAFSA was already filled, I may as well work with that. This would be fine had I even had a job to begin with that made enough money and tons of other scholarships to cover a whole year, but I really don't have that much to cover for even ONE semester and I don't even qualify for private student loans without a cosigner. I guess I should have parted with my parents before I even considered to fill out the FAFSA or just prepared for myself financially for college.

I do thank the SSAC and housing department very much for their help, but I'm losing hope. I've especially lost ALL faith in the OSFA; sometimes they give the wrong information or they just don't care to help. Freshman year, my parents didn't prepare for me financially at all, and my advisor was the least bit helpful, only referring to their websites rather than give in-depth explanations. Most of my freshman and sophomore year was me having to look up ALL the information on how private and federal student loans worked all by myself. It didn't help that my parents would give me the wrong information to put into FAFSA or private student loan applications, and it would take weeks for me to get it fixed because they had little to no understanding with how to fill in the information. And this summer, after breaking off with my parents, my advisor brushed off my parent's abuse in my personal statement for my dependency appeal as if it was silly. I just felt helpless and insulted and at that point I knew he was not going to be any help.

Honestly, I'd give 5-stars for housing and the SSAC for helping me out, as well as the game design department for being fairly responsive. They at least showed me to look at the positive side of things and were way more active in giving help to students...

I attended the GMU as a PhD student but ended up with transferring to another school. My conclusion is, GMU is a boutique school which is trying to be a good university.

First, I would like to criticize the management system of the university. As an international student, I did not find their international office's work very efficient. They have inexperienced staff and they are not able to solve problems quickly. Same thing for the HR, library services, health services, payment services.

GMU has a very small endowment and budget, comparing with other schools with similar ranking. This causes the lack of the facilities. For instance, their library, student centers, gym or labs just meet the minimum requirements and did not give a WOW at all. There are computers at the library, but they are very slow, and does not have essential software for students, not even adobe pro. Their library database is not good at all. I usually used my previous university's library database to find articles or books because GMU library database did not have them. Library closes at 12 am, during weekdays and it is a big disadvantage. It is hard to find quiet spaces.There are three gyms in the Fairfax campus. All of them are very small. Their equipment are old. Not clean. Student centers do not have cool spots to spend time. Not enough numbers of restaurants or coffee shops. There are a lot of blind spots of WiFi. Restrooms are very dirty. I have never seen a dirtier restroom in the US. They really need a good cleaning staff revision. Parking is expensive. General parking for 9 months is $390. There is no parking next to buildings. There is big parking areas. You should park and walk wherever your building is. Usually parking lots are full because they sell more parking permits than their maximum capacity. You hardly find available places far from buildings. Average walking from parking will be 15 minutes plus the time you spend until you find a spot. Keep in mind to arrive way early than you supposed to be.

I also had personal problems with my department. However, I skip to mention it here because it is not about the university's overall review.

Since it is not a college town, there is nothing next to campus on walking distance. Also, as a graduate student you likely to live off campus and housing is very expensive. For instance a one bedroom apartment in 15 mins driving distance is around $1,500 per month. You may reduce this price by living with more people. Also be aware of their high penalty fees. I was forced to switch two courses after the drop add period by my adviser and penalty fee is 33% of the tuition after the 3rd week, and %66 after the 5th week.

To sum up, there are not enough things on campus which attracts and motivates students. Not many events. Events that I attended were very unprofessional. School does not offer you things which will make you happy or happier. Sometimes even printing something becomes a problem. Please come, visit, spend time in your building, labs, offices, student centers, gyms, library and ask previous students about the school before applying. For me, it was a...