Judging from the crowds of young children with name tags and the abundance of middle-aged men wearing backpacks, it looks like GAAP Weekend is upon us! GAAP Weekend is a weekend where accepted students come to campus to see if Georgetown could be their home for the next four years. The people at GAAP set up three different weekends for prospective students to come to Georgetown and they work tirelessly to make sure these weekends run smoothly.

WARNING: Things are about to get real sentimental. To be completely honest, GAAP Weekend was one of the main reasons I came to Georgetown. Without GAAP Weekend and the chance to meet all of Georgetown’s awesome students and professors, I might not be writing this post right now. GAAP Weekend can be an awesome look into what it’s like to be a Hoya, but there are a few things that can ruin the wonderful experience of the weekend. In order for everyone to enjoy their time on campus, I have come up with a few pieces of advice for both prospective and current Hoyas. Follow these, and I’m sure you’ll be donning a blue and gray t-shirt and shouting “Hoya Saxa!” come August.

Prospective Students:

1. Avoid mentioning your application to Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Northwestern or (insert name of prestigious university here).

You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t smart, so you don’t need to prove that any longer. During GAAP Weekend, you will be among some of the smartest kids in the U.S. Use that as something to bond over. This isn’t the college application process, so there’s no need to be competitive. Really get to know the other prospective Hoyas!

2. Take advantage of the professor lectures.

One of my main regrets  my GAAP Weekend was that I didn’t get to attend one of those awesome lectures. I showed up five minutes late and there was no standing room. Attending these lectures will be an awesome way to get a feel for what it’s like to attend class at Georgetown. Plus, they are given by some of Georgetown’s most interesting professors on really interesting topics. Make sure you arrive ten minutes early and get a good seat!

3. Go to the TOMBS!

Do anything you can to fit in a lunch at The Tombs. There’s nothing more quintessentially Georgetown than a Bulldog Burger from The Tombs. The wait may be thirty minutes long, but it will be more than worth it. If you’re not willing to wait, head on down to M Street for some more Georgetown favorites like Dean and Deluca or Baked & Wired. Basically, get off campus and enjoy the area because you will be definitely be frequenting these places if you do decide to come here.

Current Students:

1. Let’s keep the Village A madness to a minimum.

This goes for all typical party spots, but Vil A in particular. Over the next few days, campus tours will be flocking to the rooftops to get pictures with the classic view of the Potomac and the Washington monument in the distance. No one wants a picture with a pile of Nattys in the background. Let’s be considerate and at least clean up a bit!

2. Avoid classic happy hour spots if you can.

Paolo’s, Mei Wah, Cuates. Let’s just avoid them all. I know it sounds impossible. But it’s for your own good. These places will be filled with families for the next few days. There’s nothing I’d hate more than to see mothers cry about the inevitability of their child going to college while I munch away on my complimentary bread stick. Plus, no parents want to see you sloppily fall out of your high top chair when happy hour comes to a close. (It happens.) So let’s avoid that experience all together. 

3. Give the best directions possible

I can’t begin to give an estimate of how many times you will be asked directions for the next few days. And trust me, the destinations will never call for routes that are easy to explain. You’ll be getting a lot of mothers asking “Can you show me where the St. Mary’s building is?” or “How do we get to the barn where all of the cars are?” Please be considerate and try and help these people out. If you have no idea, “Yo no hablo ingles” should suffice. I mean we are known for our language programs, right?

GAAP Weekend should be an enjoyable experience for everyone involved. If you follow these tips – whether you’re students avoiding prospective parents or parents avoiding current students – your GAAP Weekend will be a success!

Photo: facebook.com