Georgetown University

You'll step into America's oldest Catholic university, founded in 1789 by John Carroll just months before George Washington became president, when the school was little more than a muddy farm on a bluff. Georgetown's legacy fuses Jesuit intellectual rigor with a pre-professional edge, drawing students who crave influence—think debate champions eyeing State Department internships over beach weeks. You thrive here if you're ambitious, articulate, and unfazed by cutthroat networking; the type who quotes foreign policy white papers at brunch. But if you seek a quirky liberal arts haven or laid-back vibes, the relentless careerism and D.C. hustle might grind you down. Nestled in Foggy Bottom amid embassies and the Kennedy Center, with the posh Georgetown neighborhood a stroll away for upscale shopping and nightlife, you gain unparalleled access to power—but trade leafy quads for urban grit, pricey rent, and Metro commutes.