Congratulations, again, on your decision to join our George Washington University community! You are embarking on an incredible journey to spend your undergraduate college experience in Washington, DC. Today begins the planning for your next stop: living in our nation’s capital.
As you considered GW, you may have wondered about campus housing and what life is like living in our residence halls (we call them residence halls, not dorms, here at GW). Over the next few months, our team here in Campus Living & Residential Education will be your guides as you learn more about your Home@GW -- where you could live, who you could live with, and what you need to bring on your journey to GW.
You may ask yourself: What’s Campus Living & Residential Education? That’s easy: we are the team that manages GW’s on-campus residential experience. We are also called CLRE, which is just one of the many acronyms you’ll soon be learning. Our team will help make sure that your living experience supports your academic pursuits so that you can thrive while in college. We will assign you to a residence hall and room, help you find your sense of belonging in your new home, and be there for you through everything that’s to come during your undergraduate experience.
In this kick-off message we will introduce you to all the first-year housing options and upcoming important dates, and we suggest that you read from the top to the bottom, maybe even twice! At the bottom, we’ve included a link to our website and encourage you to explore our website for all the additional details that we couldn’t fit into this one email.
And, now…let’s get you started on your journey to living on campus:
And, now…let’s get you started on your journey to living on campus:
Our Three-Year Residency Requirement and Exemptions to the Requirement
At GW we have a residency requirement stipulating that all first-, second- and third-year undergraduates are required to live on campus in a GW residence hall. However, we also know that there may be some reasons that a student may need to live off-campus.
As an incoming first-year student, you will live on campus in our residence halls unless you meet one of seven criteria to be eligible to live off campus. For example, a student who grew up in the Washington metropolitan region may choose to continue to live at home with family and commute to campus for classes, or you may be married or in the military and need to be off campus. To learn more about the criteria required to apply for an exemption to our residency requirement, explore our website. The application to request an exemption will be available on May 18 when the On-Campus Housing Registration process begins.
Next, let’s take a look at our residential campuses:
Our Mount Vernon Campus and Housing
A unique experience unlike anything else you could find at GW; our Mount Vernon Campus is home to 25 percent of our first-year students. Giving the feel of an intimate, closely-connected community you might not expect from a school in Washington, DC, the Mount Vernon Campus (affectionately known as “The Vern”) provides a residential and campus environment that offers the best of all GW worlds.
Tranquil and peaceful, the Vern is home to six residence halls with rooms that are generally larger in size than rooms you may find on the Foggy Bottom campus. Every first-year student takes a class on Mount Vernon (our University Writing course), so even if you don’t live here, you’ll be spending plenty of time on the Vern next year. If you live on the Vern, you could live in:
- Clark, Cole, Hensley, or Merriweather Halls: four of GW’s smallest residence halls that, together, we call the Hillsides—because they sit on a hill, of course!
- the spacious and centrally-located Somers Hall, with large double rooms and a plethora of community space.
- West Hall, the largest residence hall on the Mount Vernon Campus that provides almost all residents with their own individual bedroom.
With convenient access to Foggy Bottom via a 10-15 minute shuttle ride, students looking for an environment that supports the big adjustment to one’s first-year living in Washington, D.C., would do well to look at Mount Vernon as a fantastic campus and housing experience.
Our Foggy Bottom Campus and Housing
In the heart of the city, Foggy Bottom is home to most first-year GW students each year. Urban in feel, from people to activity, Foggy Bottom is the reason you may have chosen to come to GW. We have seven first-year residence halls to consider on the Foggy Bottom campus, along with all of our upperclass residence halls.
If you live on Foggy Bottom, you could live in:
- Lafayette Hall, Madison Hall, or Potomac House, where students predominantly live in double rooms;
- Building JJ, our smallest Foggy Bottom residence hall, where community thrives and students have kitchens in rooms;
- the unique environment of affinity suites in District House, 16 or 20 person suites where first-year students live in double rooms, with a suite-specific community kitchen and living room;
- Mitchell Hall, where everyone has their own room and most residents share floor-based community bathrooms;
- Thurston Hall (the one and only!) re-opening in August after a two-year renovation to the 100-year old historic building, the Class of 2026 will be the first students to re-acquaint themselves with this campus legend.
Don’t stop now…there’s more info below:
A Special Note: Housing Accommodations for Disability-Related Needs
We need to take a moment to talk about an important step some of you may take on your journey to GW. Last week, you received an email from New Student Orientation that outlined important tasks to complete in May. One of them could be very important to you as you consider housing at GW — registering with Disability Support Services (DSS).
Housing accommodations are GW-approved requests from the Disability Support Services (DSS) Office for specific types of living environments that a student requires to meet a specific disability-related need. You may be coming into GW with specific disability- or medical-related needs that you are considering as part of living in a residence hall. We strive to work closely with you and the DSS office if you are approved for housing accommodation.
If this is you, now is the time to learn more about housing accommodations at GW, how our Disability Support Services team evaluates them, and how to register with DSS.
What’s Coming Up: Key Dates and Deadlines️
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In the coming weeks, you’ll have a few important things to complete. Mark them on your calendars and be on the lookout for communication to your GW email account when it’s time to take action.
Wednesday, May 18: The First-Year Housing Registration Process Begins
Monday, June 6: Registration Closes
Around June 15:
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Today’s Email Was Just a Preview: Here’s More Important Information
Today’s email was the preview! We have all of the information you need to know regarding first-year housing at GW, how to register, and more on our website. On our website, you will be able to:
- Learn about the various types of living environments in our residence halls;
- Walk through 3D tours, floor plans, and tours of our residence halls;
- View frequently asked questions, and the answers to them.
We look forward to you joining us on this college journey and next stop at GW. Have a great rest of your day!
GW’s Campus Living & Residential Education Team