University of Mary Washington Top Questions

when i told people i went to UMW, almost always they'd say "thats private, right?" no, its not, but i can see why people think that because its less known and it is smaller. it does have that private feel to it. the second thing people would say when i told them i went to UMW was "oh, thats the all girl one." wrong again. i don't know if its the name or the history but i'm constantly explaining to people that UMW is co-ed. i loved going to mary wash. in my opinion it was the perfect size, not too big or too small. all the people were really nice and down-to-earth and the professors are fun and accessible. depending on where you go in fredericksburg, the locals can be nice or not so nice. the campus is absolutely gorgeous.

The size of the school is perfect, not too many people to not be known but small enough to know people anywhere you go out. The surrounding town sucks.

UMW is a place to lern and study rather than party

The school is small enough to have that "close-knit" feeling, but there is no sense of closeness or comradery to speak of. For those who don't fit the mold of the "stereotypical" student, it is extremely hard to find a niche to fit into. If you are thinking about transferring in, I highly advise against it. The campus is gorgeous, which is its main selling point. Located in Fredericksburg, VA, it really does not exist in a "college town" environment. It exists in the middle of what's left of historic Fredericksburg, while surrounded by traffic-ridden suburbia.

The biggest recent controversy on campus was when some freshmen put a racist poster in a kitchen, which was found by the cleaning staff (who were mainly minorities). The school was very split on their opinion - some felt that the students involved should not be punished because they are exercising their right to free speech and others felt that racism should not be tolerated in any form on campus. I had never really encountered racism before, but I wouldn't go as far as to say that Mary Washington is a racist campus, it is more likely because I came from a smaller high school. In no way did this event diminish my opinion of Mary Washington, but it made me realize that there are still some "backwards" people out there.

UMW is too small. There is just about no diversity whatsoever on campus.Until recently there were very few things to actually do on campus and even still it is not enough.Not many people know about Mary Washington except that we had a drunk for a President.The administration is not very friendly and not helpful at all.There's very little school pride...I mean really what is there to be proud of?? They are way too uptight alcohol violations...they will get you in trouble if you put up pics of yourself in the dorm holding a drink that may or may not be alcohol.Whether it really is or weather your rights have been violated doesn't really matter.

If you're looking for a school that's small but not too small, UMW is a good place to go. A lot of students complain about how our administration doesn't really listen to the students (which is true to some extent), but the administration is no different than at any other school. They get student input and then go on to do whatever they want to do. I would say that UMW is sort of a college town. Downtown has a lot of places to grab food and coffee and places to hang out. We also have great places to play football, Frisbee, or soccer in front of the dorms/academic buildings.

For a state school with a limited budget I think UMW is hard to beat. The lack of Greek Life keeps the students more focused on academics and the course load is rigorous so that is important. As a male student the ratio of Female to Male students was a huge plus. Also the student body and faculty are very respective of everyone's individual viewpoints for the most part. It is not a party school although with some effort there is always something to do. Also GREAT LOCATION!

Theres no greek life, the town pretty much sucks and their isn't much to do if you don't drink. Students complain about the town and how everything closes early.

The best thing about Mary Wash is the campus i gorgeous in the spring. It is small, so you do not feel like a number. However, there are a few number of cliques around school, that most people avoid. The athletic teams are very outgoing and friendly. The town around campus is filled with activities. Most students will go to Central Park to eat, see a movie, or laser tag. The most frequent student complaints are with the dining services. The Nest and the dining hall are filled most of the time and it takes a while to eat in both places. The latest controversy has been over our incoming president, we have been without one for a year because he got into trouble with the law. Also, the curriculum has been changed to get your degree and the required courses have been changed to allow the students to use their major requirements to fulfill their degree requirements. That is a plus about our administration; they listen to student complaints and will change to adjust to student needs.