The Catholic University of America

So far Catholic has been an amazing experience for me. Being in Washington D.C. during your college years can't be beat, especially with the metro on campus making everything in the city super-accessible. But even if we weren't in D.C. there would be lots of great things about our school.

First of all, you really shouldn't take the advice of people who have only been to a school (any school, not just CUA) for a semester too seriously. They most likely didn't give the school a chance long enough to last the year, and many people I know who didn't wholly enjoy their first semester really got into the groove of things second semester.

But other than that bit of advice, CUA has got such a warm atmosphere that really values community, especially in terms of service.

I was surprised how great the free events and freebies that CUA Campus Activities planned/gave out were. I got to go to many events around the city for free/super cheap.

The atmosphere isn't super school spirited, at least not when it comes to athletics, but since we are a D3 school with a football team, we have a lot of students that are also athletes so they keep the rest of us informed on what's going on. Parties on campus aren't really a thing, but sports houses around campus throw some decent parties every once in a while. Bars are a common spot, too. But since you have DC at your fingertips (as well as the parties of about 4 other schools in DC) there's always something to do. The Catholic identity is a lot more apparent here than at other catholic schools, but if you're not religious it's definitely not a big deal.

Freshman housing is actually really great, especially compared to other schools I know about. The food is average at best, but there are options around the school/city if you've got the budget for it. Its nice to have a little green space away from the concrete hustle and bustle of the main city and it's definitely a homey place.

It's very easy to get involved in activities and to earn leadership positions if you work for them, which is really great for career development.

Study abroad program is awesome, even for majors that don't get many opportunities to go abroad (nursing, engineering)

People really are from everywhere, but the majority are from east coast between VA and Massachusetts, and Ohio/PA but also a good amount from Florida and California. It's really cool to meet people from all over the country.

A lot of the majors they have here are actually very good and reputable in the workforce, especially nursing, engineering, architecture, politics, business, music, theology/philosophy, psychology, education. I know that seems like a lot but it really is an underrated school and internships aren't that hard to get in D.C. I know a few freshmen that had internships at the Capitol.Overall, its an awesome school that's not too big or too competitive, but still has the resources that larger schools have. They do care a lot about you, as long as you put the care into yourself and the school. You make the experience your own.

1st Year Female -- Class 1920

Campus Aesthetics: A+, Faculty Accessibility: B+