Should I choose UVA or George Washington for DC internships?

If DC internships during the school year are a top priority, George Washington has the clearer advantage because it is in downtown DC and students can realistically intern part time during the semester without major travel. That day to day proximity matters a lot for policy, politics, nonprofits, media, and federal agency work, where many students build experience through repeated semester internships. GW is set up around that rhythm in a way UVA is not.

GW tends to fit the student who wants college to feel closely tied to a city and career network from the start. You would be surrounded by classmates doing internships during the week, attending events around the city, and using the campus less like a traditional enclosed college space and more like a base inside DC. For someone who wants to test out different offices and organizations while school is in session, that convenience is hard to beat.

UVA makes more sense for the student who wants a more traditional residential campus experience and is fine using summers, breaks, or occasional structured programs for DC access. Charlottesville is not close enough for easy part time commuting to DC, so semester internships are less practical. But UVA still places students into strong opportunities, especially through its alumni network, career offices, and programs tied to government, public policy, law, business, and media.

So the real difference is not whether UVA can get you to DC at all. It can. The difference is whether you want DC to be your everyday environment during college, or a destination you tap into at key points. If frequent in semester internships are central to your plan, GW gives you more immediate access. If you care just as much about a classic campus community and are comfortable pursuing DC mainly in the summer, UVA can still get you there without closing doors.