Sure, moving to a new city is scary, some would even say frightening, but after a few weeks of exposure to one of the world’s greatest and most historic cities, you’ll be proud to say that you live in DC.

Here are eight reasons why Washington DC is the place to be:

1. City of History

Historically, DC has it covered. In fact, the city is full of history. One could even argue that the average square mile of DC contains more history than many other cities combined. That might be hyperbole, but you get the point.

2. City of Sports

DC is a sports fan’s dream. From the Capitals to the Wizards to the Redskins to the Nationals, there is a professional sport being played in every season at most times of the day.

3. Best chili there is

You haven’t’ had chili until you eat at Ben’s Chili Bowl. A-list celebrities and politicians (including Mr. Obama) frequent Ben’s Chili Bowl regularly. One bowl and you’ll be hooked.

4. Place of charm

Charm abounds! Washington DC may appear as the political forefront in all national media, but that’s not the entire story. DC has many small, even quaint areas that are full of charm and whimsy.

5. DC Skyline

DC has a skyline that speaks volumes about its history. Though DC is one of the most well-known cities in the world, you won’t see a skyscraper anywhere. Because of a very old law, buildings are not to exceed 160 feet. Leaving the view breathtaking and rustic.

6. Public Transport

Take the metro to virtually anywhere, and remain safe and secure while doing so. Plus, if you aren’t too busy, ride the world’s longest continuous escalator in Wheaton at 230 feet long. You’ll never forget it.

7. Cycling-friendly City

DC is a biker’s paradise. No, not motorcycles. Bicycles! There are more than 60 miles of bicycle and pedestrian tracks available for the avid biker or hiker. Get your exercise while breathing in that clean Virginia air.

8. Healthy City

Washington DC was recently named by Forbes as the second healthiest city in the country. This bike-friendly, jogging friendly city has plenty of healthy food options and exercise options to keep you in shape.

There’s a lot of great reasons to call DC home, even if just temporarily. Maybe you should take a chance and join 600,000 others who do the same.

Washington D.C. holds the frown as one of the most prestigious cities to study in the United States. And we’re not just saying this without proof. It’s the itself that ranks Washington D.C. third in their top ten cities that attract university students. But what is it that makes this city a gravity point for so many individuals in the urge of building their career? Let’s take a closer look at some of the potential reasons we have identified.

1.The Outstanding Educational System

Washington D.C is home to numerous universities, with a historical reputation from which many great leaders have emerged. Except for our very own the University of Potomac, which you may find right in the center of the city, Washington is also known for a great educational system. Outstanding universities provide the most qualitative learning methods, including here Georgetown, American University, George Washington, Howard University, The Catholic University, and others that follow.

Like most of the colleges in the U.S, universities of D.C encourage students to develop their critical thinking skills, by making lectures very student-centered. Students are expected to perform very well and enhance their presenting skills if they want to keep up with the flow of their fellow peers. It might sound like a lot of pressure, but this is, in fact, what makes students succeed in the long term. And this quality of teaching is what draws them towards Washington D.C. in particular.

2. Practical Experiences

Washington D.C, as diverse of a system as it is, has plenty to offer for international students. Jobs, internships, research opportunities, these are all opportunities that the city offers in a wide range of fields. Whether that be law, public policy, healthcare, art, or education. This comes as no surprise, considering that Washington D.C is where the American federal government has its roots. Thus, institutes and organizations work in collaboration with D.C professionals or politicians who often make themselves available to mentor international students, employ them, or simply participate as guest speakers during lectures.

3. The Dynamics of the City

Being a student in D.C means that you’re witnessing history in the making. Some of the most important decisions are made in the capital city. For instance, the fact that both the headquarters of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund are in Washington, makes this city a hub of global politics and business. Generally, though, D.C is considered the historic heart of the U.S. When living there, you understand why the city is a political powerhouse and a cultural extravaganza, and that’s what makes studying there so intriguing for youngsters worldwide.

4. The Limitless Attractions

There’s just never enough time to see everything in Washington D.C. The city is defined by imposing neoclassical monuments and buildings, including the iconic ones that house the federal government’s 3 branches: The Capitol, White House, and Supreme Court. It’s also home to iconic museums and performing-arts venues such as the Kennedy Center.

Within a very small area, you have a sparkling array of world-famous sights: The Lincoln Memorial, several war memorials, Thomas Jefferson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Martin Luther King Jr. Memorials. You will notice people running along well-groomed trails to the Lincoln Memorial, or reading quietly on benches lining the beautiful waters of the Jefferson Memorial. A picture-perfect!

5. Networking Opportunities

Networking is key to success, as people you know along the way can help you climb the ladder to many prospective opportunities. Whether you’re looking for an internship, job, or research opportunity, D.C is a city of professionals. From non-profit leaders to business pioneers or other field leaders, make sure you introduce yourself and test the waters for the possibilities around the corner.

Befriending these professionals is an option, yet, sometimes the professionals may come to you. They are often professors from your university, actively working in the field of study that they are teaching in. They can be a valuable resource when it comes to meeting people who can help you shape your future.

6. Diversity

You will never find a more diverse place than Washington DC. The number of different cultures, backgrounds, and belief systems concentrated in this area might appear overwhelming at first, but you will adapt to it quickly. It is because of this diversity that people choose to study in Washington D.C, as they feel free to be their complete selves. Not only do students become more aware of different social constructs, but they also form a better understanding of the world as a whole. This level of understanding will be one of their biggest advantages in the nearest future, both professionally and personally speaking.

7. Ticket to Independence

With Washington D.C being so dwelled into an energetic atmosphere, filled with professional and personal opportunities, the city culture will shape your mindset to embrace so many experiences. The U.S exposes people to a whole new level of independence, as locals worship their privacy more than anything else. And although that may be extreme in some cases, it will mostly teach you to appreciate the time spent with yourself, while also building up so many of your coping mechanisms.

As you can see, Washington D.C is a city of opportunities. You will find all of the above offered to you within the campus of the University of the ̽����ѡas well, a vibrant multicultural atmosphere located in the heart of the nation’s capital. Our main campus in Washington, D.C. provides its fellow students with:

• Easy access to Metro stations and public transit
• Computer labs
• Libraries
• Conference rooms
• Faculty and staff offices
• Admissions counselor offices

So if you’re looking to start your academic career somewhere in Washington D.C, reach out to us for more information.

Once again, Congratulations Class of 2o19!!

We had such a blast at the graduation ceremony, and are proud to say that the graduating class of 2019 is the biggest graduation class in our 30 year history!  Your energy and passion came through that day, and we loved every minute of it.

Below, you will find a link to the shared drive where the official graduation pictures have been stored.  Feel free to share this link with your friends and family.

Enjoy!

Contact With Faculty

One of the top reasons that traditional campus life can benefit a student’s college life is having contact with the professors and instructors who are teaching them. With online learning, email is the only option. On campus, students can set up face-to-face meetings with their professors to discuss the class, their performance or a project.

Not All Majors Can be Taught Online

If a student is considering a major in nursing, agriculture, biology, music or theater, online classes can only get them so far. While it is easy to take some required classes online in these majors, the classes that include labs, clinical practice or performances cannot be done without a traditional campus class. Having a traditional campus learning environment for these majors will provide access to equipment and materials they would normally not have access to with an online class.

Access to Libraries and Research Materials

The campus library is always a busy place for students to study, collaborate and do research for papers and projects. Without easy access to research materials held by the university and everything that the library has to offer, a student cannot always reach their full potential with in-depth study in a particular field.

If you are interested in learning more about traditional campus life and how it can benefit a student’s academic achievement, contact us for more information

The National Portrait Gallery

The National Portrait Gallery, as its name implies, is a museum dedicated to paintings and other artwork of notable Americans. You can see a portrayal of every American president, for example, from Gilbert Stuart’s portrait of George Washington to Shepard Fairey’s Obama Hope, the red, white, and blue image of the current president that figured prominently in his 2008 election. (The Washington portrait is the most often reproduced image of the first president.) Also worth seeing are sculptures of Abraham Lincoln and political cartoons of George H.W. Bush bowling.

Other famous portraits include the Joseph Duplessis painting of Benjamin Franklin, which is the basis for his likeness on the $100 bill.

Figures outside the presidents and Founding Fathers are also portrayed—everyone from Pocahontas to Thomas Edison to Madonna. One exhibit space is dedicated to images showing contact between the original people and European settlers. Another gallery is devoted to figures of the twentieth century, so you can see Andy Warhol’s silk screen portraits of Marilyn Monroe and a Time cover lauding Madonna.

Through March 2016, the National Portrait Gallery will be showing the work of a Civil War-era photographer entitled “Dark Fields of the Republic: Alexander Gardner Photographs 1859-1872.” Gardner took some of the most indelible images of the war, from soldiers just killed on the battlefield (a shocking and disturbing sight, both then and now), and the “cracked glass” image of President Lincoln, taking just a few weeks before his assassination. After the war, Gardner went to the American West and was responsible for iconic images of Native Americans as well.

The Smithsonian American Art Museum

This is the U.S.’s official art museum, in a sense, with the largest and most representative collection of the nation’s art in existence. The pieces cover three centuries, from the colonial period to the contemporary work of David Hockney, Annie Leibovitz, and Jenny Holzer.

The collection is very rich. There are major collections of New Deal art, showing the political engagement and power of government and people in the 1930s. There are the beginnings of American Impressionism, with the beautiful canvasses painted by Mary Cassatt and Childe Hassam.

There are the masterpieces produced when American painting began to come into its own in the late nineteenth century, with artists such as James McNeill Whistler Winslow Home, and John Singer Sargent. There are the early twentieth century modernists, such as Edward Hopper and George O’Keeffe.

Trough March 2016, the Smithsonian Museum of American Art is featuring an exhibit called “Irving Penn: Beyond Beauty.” Penn was one of the major photographers of the twentieth century. He made a living as a fashion photographer, and is perhaps best known for iconic photographs that graced the pages of leading magazines such as Vogue in the 1950s and 1960s.

However, the exhibit—drawn from the Smithsonian’s vast collection and not always on display—displays images from all the stages of Penn’s varied life—street scenes from the late 1930s, photographs of the American South from the early 1940s, celebrity portraits, still lifes, and more private studio images.

However, the exhibit reveals a unity among these disparate elements: all focus on and make use of plain simplicity, whether he was photographing celebrities, fashion models, still lifes, or people in remote global lands.

There are docent-led tours of both museums and a café in the National Portrait Gallery.

Contact us for more information.

Busboys & Poets 

contains a restaurant, lounge, theater, and bookstore under one roof. When it comes to the menu, you’ll find chicken quesadillas, shrimp cakes, sweet potato hash, coconut tofu bites, and vegan quesadillas.

Burger Tap & Shake

At , you can bit into a juicy burger such as the Haight-Ashbury, Brunch Burger, and Six Buck Chuck, and on the side, you can have onion rings, French fries, or sweet potato fries. This restaurant is also known for its milkshakes that come in several flavors including chocolate, blueberry-pomegranate, and tart cherry.

We, the Pizza

If you’re in the mood for a hot pizza with gooey cheese, head to . Its menu includes Pepperoni Pie, Artisanal Four Cheese Pie, Fresh Buffalo Mozz & Roasted Tomato Pie, and The Sicilian.

Good Stuff Eatery

Located one block from the Library of Congress, the offers farmhouse burgers topped with farm fresh tomatoes, pickles, lettuce, and thinly sliced onions, along with its original burgers that include Spike’s Sunnyside and the Blazin’ Barn. Don’t forget to order a hand-spun milkshake!

Bub & Pop’s

At , you can bite into a delicious sandwich: Pop’s Beef Brisket, Bolognese Parmesan, Chicken Parmesan, and Bub’s Italian Hoagie.

Lebanese Taverna

Situated across from the Woodley Park Metro station, this conveniently located is perfect for meeting up with friends. Its menu has entrées such as chicken curry, ovzi with grape leaves, and traditional lamb sharat, along with flatbread sandwiches, salads, and desserts.

Ted’s Bulletin

If you’ve studied late into the night, head to where you can order breakfast 24/7. Its menu offers omelets, pancakes, French toast, and house-cured corn beef hash. Not in the mood for breakfast? Then try the fish and tots, grilled chicken kababs, or buttermilk country fried steak.

Pearl Dive Oyster Place

Found in DC’s Logan Circle neighborhood, the has a rustic the decor that features repurposed items from around the country. On its menu, you’ll find Cedar Island Oysters, Old Black Salt Oysters, Kumamoto Oysters, and Wood Grilled East Coast Oysters.

Amsterdam Falafelshop

Taste the authentic flavors of the Middle East and Europe at the , where you can order a falafel sandwich or a falafel bowl with fries on the side.

Founding Farmers

All food comes fresh from the farm, and the lunch/dinner menu offers long roasted pork chops, meatloaf and gravy, salt crusted prime rib, and an avocado bacon burger.

Luke’s Lobster

limited menu offers a shrimp roll, crab roll, and lobster roll as well as sides such as New England Clam Chowder, Jonah Crab Claws, and Cape Cod Chips.

The Red Hen

Located in the historic Bloomingdale neighborhood, this Italian-influenced American serves a variety of dishes such as butternut squash fonduta & quinoa, grilled beef short ribs, and rigatoni.

Sakuramen Ramen Bar

At the , start with an appetizer of spicy beef pork before your main meal of DC Miso, Shoki Bowl, Gojiramen, or Spicy Miso.

Chop’t Creative Salad Company

When dining at this , you can order the spicy Singapore noodle bowl, falafel market plate, Mexican Caesar, kebab salad, and the New England Harvest.

Georgia Brown’s

cooks up fine Southern cuisine. Entrées include buttermilk fried chicken, gumbo, sugar and spice pork chops, and shrimp & grits. Save room for one of the delicious desserts such as bourbon chocolate pecan pie, bread pudding, and a flourless chocolate tort.

Please contact us if you’re interested applying to our university.

First Night Alexandria, complete with stunning fireworks along the ̽����ѡRiver and a chance to tour Old Town Alexandria, is widely considered one of the best New Year’s Eve celebrations in the area. It is also safe, affordable, and suitable both for adults and families.

First Night Celebration

The fireworks finale is preceded by a performance by the Stairwells, an all-male a cappella group from the College of William and Mary. The Stairwells’s performance begins at 10:00 at the Alexandria Waterfront, at the end of King Street. At10:30, dancing to a DJ begins! Right before midnight, Alexandria’s mayor was lead off the countdown to 2016.

But before the star-spangled finale, there is almost a full day of celebration! Local shops, restaurants and buildings in Old Town Alexandria are open with food and performance venues. Throughout the day, there are tours of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial at 101 Callahan Drive. It is both a colossal memorial and museum intended to honor the memory and character of George Washington.

From 2 to 5, you can learn about Alexandria’s potters at this fun, hands-on activity at the Alexandria Archaeology Museum, located on the third floor of the Torpedo Factory Art Center.

At 3:00, clowns, carnival games, and magicians will be available to entertain the public. A bit later, there will be comedians and jugglers. At 7:00 p.m., performers begin all over the city: fiddle music, jazz, blues, classical guitarists—you name it. From then until 2016, it is your musical choice and more!

Old Town Alexandria

In addition to the festivities, of course, there is the charm of Old Town Alexandria itself. It is an area of cobblestone streets, beautifully preserved architecture (homes, churches, and waterfront taverns) dating from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Make a day of it; tour the Old Town during the day and enjoy First Night once evening falls.

Alexandria, Virginia was a vitally important city during both the American Revolution and the Civil War. The families of first president George Washington and Robert E. Lee, the commander of the Confederate army during the Civil War, had homes in the city and were deeply embedded in the region. There are monuments to both. The first is the George Washington Masonic National Memorial, which will be open for tours during First Night. The second is the historic , built in the late eighteenth century, which housed generations of the Lee family.

A walk around of Old Town Alexandria should start at the historic . Ramsay House was built in the mid-eighteenth century by a Scottish merchant and is the first house constructed in the city. Currently, it is also the home of the Alexandria Visitors Center. Helpful staff and maps for a self-guided tour of the Old Town neighborhood are available.

The Lyceum, a beautiful columned nineteenth-century structure, serves as Alexandria’s History Museum. It contains decorative items such as teapots and silver services and historical photographs, such as the Civil War photographs taken by Matthew Brady. (The building served as a hospital during the Civil War.)

The self-guided tour will also take you to the breath-taking Captain’s Row, a street of nineteenth-century sea captains’ mansions, the Episcopal Church where both the Washington and Lee families worshipped, and numerous historic homes and sites.

Alexandria has wonderful food choices, and restaurants will be celebrating the First Night festivity with special menus and abundant hours of operation.

Please contact us to discuss your education plans.

First, the tree itself. It’s big (40 feet plus), it’s beautiful, and it’s a winter holiday tradition.

This year, the tree is decorated to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. As a result, it will be decorated in sparkling gold and silvery white, colors that are traditionally used for milestone anniversaries. The tree’s decorations are subtly layered so they reveal warm lights whether looked at from afar or examined at a closer distance. Warm white constant lights are the base, topped with twinkling icicle lights that provide texture and subtle animation.

To create vertical garland bands down the tree, gold net lights are encased with beautiful gold mesh ribbons that appear to shine in both nighttime and daytime. Illuminated pure white star ornaments flow along the gold ribbon, providing a lovely silver color contrast. The stars pay tribute to the National Park Service Centennial by reminding viewers of the National Parks–the “shining stars” across our nation. (The National Parks Service is responsible for the National Christmas Tree every year.)

A visit to the tree includes walking the Pathway of Peace, a group of smaller trees that are (like the National Christmas Tree itself) beautifully decorated. The trees are intended to represent all 50 states, 5 territories, and the District itself. Check out D.C.’s tree!

In addition, choirs, dancers, musical groups, and bands will be giving free performances throughout each week. From Tuesdays through Fridays, performances start around 5 p.m. and end by 8:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, performances go from 1-8:30 p.m., great for a weekend tour. Musical groups and dancers from the Washington, D.C. area and across the country are scheduled to perform.

The programs of music and dance can be found . Want a representative sample? On Sunday, December 11, for example, ice dancers from the Virginia Ice Theatre will perform, followed by the Dawn Crafton Dancer Connection of Gaithersburg, MD and the Children of the Light Dancers of Fairfax, VA. They will be followed by singing from Ashburn, VA’s Studio Bleu Vocal Arts. The evening ends with a dance by the Cardinal Cloggers of Herndon, VA.

On the next Sunday, visitors have a chance to hear The Christmas Singers from Gaithersburg, MD, the Washington D.C. Mennonite Chorus, The Trinity Brass of Frederick, MD, and the Central Bucks West Chamber Choir of Doylestown, PA. The evening ends with a rousing Celtic dance finale from the Boyle School of Irish Dance in Manassas, VA.

Altogether, visitors to the National Christmas Tree have a chance to see ukulele orchestras, clogging, and step dancing, and to hear choruses and chorales made up of their fellow citizens.

The area also includes a large-scale model train and a Yule log.

Where can you see the National Christmas Tree and the Pathway of Peace? It is on The Ellipse near the White House. The entire area is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Entrance to the area is free.

Parking near the White House is very limited, of course. However, public transportation will get you there! The closest Metro stations to the White House are Federal Triangle, Metro Center and McPherson Square.

To get the latest updates about the National Tree festivities, you can follow @TheNationalTree lighting, or text NCTL2015 to 888777.

Please contact us to discuss our programs.

Plus, Washington DC is perfect for those who want to get their foot in the door after they graduate.

We truly believe that living, working, and attending school in Washington DC is most certainly where you want to be while in college.

The University of ̽����ѡis located right next to just about everything — you can even see the White House from our campus. But it’s not just a location inside of the city, the university is part of the nexus of higher education and scholastic advancement.

Other advantages of living and attending school in Washington DC are:

– Proximity to all things cultural and educational. There is no shortage of things to do, places to see, and people to meet. When you have downtime from studying, all you have to do is step outside, pick a direction, and your destination will amaze and impress you.

– Students who have graduated from our university often brag about how much of a golden opportunity it is being in DC afterwards. The staggering amount of careers available for a graduate in Washington DC is truly unsurpassed by any other city.

– Students attending the University of the ̽����ѡalso have many possibilities involving their current status as well. Paid internships are available throughout the city for any student in any field of study that we offer.

Going to school in Washington DC is a guaranteed amazing experience in more ways than one. For more information on how we can help you, please contact us���ٴǻ岹��.

1) Cultural and entertainment value:

Not many cities can boast as many quality cultural and entertainment opportunities as Washington DC can. The city is home to some of the best museums in the world such as the Smithsonian, the Newseum as well as top-notch performing arts centers such as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, weekends are never boring when living in Washington DC. Plus, there are plenty of great restaurants all across the city to try in between exploring the cultural sights the city has to offer.

2) Proximity to great internship and networking opportunities

Living in Washington DC means a close proximity to influential policymakers, government bodies and other world-class resources. All of the aforementioned can be leveraged to find internship and employment opportunities that are otherwise inaccessible for many students across the country. Being a student in Washington DC can be incredibly beneficial since there are unparalleled opportunities to gain valuable work experience as well as perform meaningful service work while still being able to attend school.

3)  A great public transport system

While this may not seem like a strong reason to consider attending a university in Washington DC, it is an incredibly important consideration. A vast public transport network means being able to forego a car (thus saving money on expenses such as parking, insurance and gas) while still being able to explore the city without having to worry about whose turn it is to drive. DC’s Metro system allows students the opportunity to gain a great education, live in a vibrant, outgoing city to the fullest, and still be able to travel around the city even if they do not have access to a vehicle.

These are just a few reasons why attending a university in Washington DC can be incredibly beneficial. To learn more about our programs, online education services or to enquire about anything else, please do not hesitate to contact us.