When I think of Georgetown University, I think of Washington and world affairs. I do not know yet exactly what type of professional career I will pursue after schooling, but I do know that I wish to be inter-nationally aware and involved, and that Georgetown would provide me with a solid foundation for that goal. I am glad I do not know specifically what I want to do later on, because it should be an adventure choosing which course I will take in life. Thus, I have time to experiment and learn from a wide variety of topics.
At Georgetown, I am present with the opportunity to take any classes I want and to be taught by some of the most learned and dynamic professors in the world. I was once told that in college, I “ will take classes in subjects I had never thought or heard of, ” and I am very excited to do this. If I were required to pick a major at this instant, I would choose history. If history were only studying, memorizing and regurgitating events, facts, and dates, I would be just as uninterested as most people. However, in studying history, I get a chance to contemplate ideologies and the nature of human beings.
I believe that Georgetown University is the best place in the world to study history. It is a school located in Washington, D. C. , the capital of the country, of outstanding academic reputation and recognition; my resources would be absolutely unlimited. Living in Washington, I would feel the pulse of our world today. The United States is the world’ s dominant power and every issue of great global importance is brought to the country’ s capital. I have been told that although Georgetown has approximately 6,000 undergraduates, the students and faculty alike feel as if the school is a small, interwoven community.
I believe that this sense of closeness is a vital aspect in an outstanding college experience. We learn most from interactions among other people, and the fact that this reputation of faculty accessibility and student involvement— both in the immediate Georgetown community and in Washington, D. C. — exists, is very attractive to me. The college admissions and selection process is a very important one, perhaps one that will have the greatest impact on one’ s future. The college that a person will go to often influences his personality, views, and career.
Therefore, when I hear people say that “ it doesn’ t matter that much which college you go to. You can get a good education anywhere, if you are self-motivated, ” I tend to be rather skeptical. Perhaps, as far as actual knowledge is concerned, that statement is somewhat valid. Physics and mathematics are the same, regardless of where they are taught. Knowledge, however, is only a small piece of the puzzle that is college, and it is in the rest of that puzzle that colleges differ. At least as important, or even more important, than knowledge, is the attitude towards that knowledge.
Last year, when my engineering team was competing in the NEDC Design Challenge, held at Hopkins, after the competition I and a few friends talked to a professor of civil engineering. What struck me is the passion with which he talked about his field of study. At Hopkins, everyone— the students, the faculty, the administration— displays a certain earnestness about learning. This makes Hopkins a good match for me, as I, too, am very enthusiastic about the subjects I study. I love learning, and when those around me do too, it creates a great atmosphere from which everyone benefits. My enthusiasm and activeness extend not just