Graduate Programs Orientation

The Graduate and International Programs Office is excited to welcome you to GW Law next semester!

Now that you are part of our community, we invite you to join our Facebook group and interact with members of your class. To do so, please Friend "Eliza Lisner", which is an account operated by our office. The profile is linked here. After we receive your friend request, we will invite you to the new class group. There you will be able to connect with and gain insight from fellow incoming students, current students, and recent alumni.

To be invited to the WhatsApp group chat, send us a message on WhatsApp with your name, and we will send you an invitation to join the group. Our WhatsApp number is (202) 384-2433.

We look forward to "meeting" you there!

You should have received (or will receive soon) an email from the sender "identity" with the subject "Welcome to the George Washington University - Action Required." Please follow the instructions in this email to claim your GW Identity and set your password. (If you do not receive this email within 24 hours, please check your spam folder.) A video explaining this process can be found here. You can also learn more about GW Identity, how to reset your password, and how to change your chosen name/email address here.

GW requires all members of our community to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, including a booster shot, or have an exemption on file. To be fully vaccinated means completing your first booster five months after two doses of Pfizer or Moderna and two months after one dose of Johnson & Johnson. (Vaccines approved by the WHO are also acceptable.) Students are not required to complete the second booster that is currently recommended for individuals over 50 or who are immunosuppressed.

You must first claim your GW Identity. Once that is set-up, you will use your GW UserID to log-in to GW’s medical portal to upload your documentation or request an exemption. Verification may take up to a week to process. 

Although you may have already begun your search for housing in Washington, DC, we have compiled additional information for you to aid you in the process.

We strongly discourage students from trying to secure long-term housing from overseas. It is very important to physically see a place and meet your landlord in person to confirm they and the apartment are legitimate before handing over money. Unfortunately, there are a handful of common scams to avoid during your search. Being in DC early to find your housing is instrumental in ensuring that you find a secure place to live. Think about arriving a few weeks before orientation and staying in a short-term accommodation or hotel upon arrival and then look around at your options in person. Other options include AirBnB or VRBO. If you are entering the country on an F-1 or J-1 visa, you may enter the U.S. thirty (30) days prior to the Law School's official first day of classes, which is August 22.

Most students live in apartments around the GW campus or in the surrounding areas. We encourage finding a location that is either close to campus or metro-accessible. A few examples of areas with good housing options that are also close to metro stations are Silver Spring, Maryland, and Arlington and Alexandria, in Virginia. Even if you cannot find housing near a metro station, the area has extensive bus service, and buses are a viable way of getting to and from campus. GW Law is closest to the Foggy Bottom Metro Station, but Farragut North and Farragut West are both close as well. You can explore the metro system using this link.

GW has partnered with VeryApt to create a student housing portal. The portal allows you to buy/sell furniture, list apartments, find roommates, and assist incoming students with typical housing questions. Click to access the portal.  You can log in using your personal email address.

There are also several Facebook pages for housing at the University, since there are many students in the same situation as you. While most of the postings are legitimate, please be aware of scammers using the page with ill intentions. Never pay a deposit without first seeing the apartment; similarly, application fees that are excessively high may also be a sign of a scam. You should not pay rent until you are there to take your keys and have seen the unit. The best practice is to verify the identity of the person you are working with before handing over money; you can also search only for properties owned by reputable agencies. Here are links to two Facebook groups for housing. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is; we suggest seeking a second opinion if something feels wrong. 

If you have any additional questions about housing, please do not hesitate to contact us. While we are not able to endorse specific properties, we are happy to advise on neighborhood choices and transportation options.

We look forward to meeting you very soon.

We have previously informed you of the GW COVID-19 vaccine requirement, but there are also additional immunization records that those under 26 must submit by August 1. 

The District of Columbia Immunization Law requires that all students who are under age 26 as of August 1, 2022, provide proof of certain immunizations. This is regardless of nationality or US immigration status. 

If you were born before August 1, 1996 you only have to comply with the COVID-19 vaccine requirement.

Detailed information on immunizations is provided here. (Upload instructions are also provided.) Documents will be uploaded to the Colonial Health Portal.

The immunizations required are:

• Full series of a COVID-19 vaccine. Please see the coronavirus website for more information.
• One Tetanus Diphtheria booster or Tdap vaccine given within the last 10 years.
• Two vaccinations against Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) given after age one and a minimum of 30 days apart, or provide laboratory proof of immunity.
• Two vaccinations against Varicella (Chicken Pox) given after age one and a minimum of 30 days apart,  or provide history of Varicella (Chicken Pox) disease, or provide laboratory proof of immunity.
• Three vaccinations against Hepatitis B: dose two given 30 days after dose one, dose three given five months after dose two, or according to the Hepatitis accelerated schedule, or provide laboratory proof of immunity.
• One Meningococcal vaccine (ACYW-135) given on or after their 16th birthday, or a signed Waiver Request Form (PDF).
• International Students need required immunizations and are also strongly encouraged to complete a TB screening (PPD).

You can also obtain any missing immunizations at the Colonial Health Center upon arrival, for a fee. Not submitting your documentation before arrival nor arranging to get any remaining vaccines at GW upon arrival may be impede your registration for classes.