SocialHermit1

I can't really speak about the sociology department, but I attended GW for undergrad. I also lived in the area off and on for a little over 2 years after graduating in Downtown Silver Spring (MD), Columbia Heights, and Bloomingdale. I also have friends that lived in Dupont, Shaw/U St, and the Southwest/Waterfront area.
 
Diversity:
DC is a pretty diverse city, there's some de facto segregation between northwest and the rest of the city, but even within the northwest quadrant you'll find a range of ethnicities (predominantly latinos and african americans, fewer asians). Columbia Heights/Mount Pleasant, U Street, Shaw, Eastern Market are some neighborhoods to check out within the city, also H St. NE (the Atlas District). It's also a very LGBTQ friendly city.
 
Things to do:
GW has pretty much taken over Foggy Bottom, so while the campus is very urban, there is definitely a 'bubble'. They have two or three big campus events each year with popular artists and food, etc. Basketball is a thing, but as far as I know, we haven't done particularly well since 2005/2006ish. That being said, DC has soo much going for it:
lots of FREE things - museums, jazz in the sculpture garden in the spring/summer, ice skating in the winter, movies and events at the national mall, the cherry blossom festival
I also recommend walking around and exploring, it's a very walkable city with lots of neighborhoods and culture. 
Nightlife - this is where DC can get a bit pricey, but there are lots of happy hour specials and cool bars to find. Most GW students tend to stick to Foggy Bottom and Georgetown, maybe Dupont Circle, but I highly recommend breaking out of the bubble and going to U St., Columbia Heights, H St. NE, and SW Waterfont. Things shut down relatively early in DC (the bars and metro close at 3:00 am on Fridays and Saturdays). House parties are quite common.
 
Foggy Bottom is expensive. I imagine  there will be plenty of students in your situation, so it really depends on what you want. I know of students who will rent out 1 or 2 bedroom apartments and divide it in such a way that 2 - 5 people can live there. I'd recommend looking at places in Shaw or up around Columbia Heights, where rent might be more affordable and there are always people looking for roommates. Honestly there are a lot of places to look for affordable options, but it depends on what kind of commute you're comfortable with. I'd budget for $700-900/month for rent, you might get lucky and find something cheaper, but that's the average range. Living alone in the city will cost you $1600+/month, so roommates are definitely the way to go. 
 
GW is a pretty expensive school between tuition and cost of living in DC, but it's manageable. It also depends on what you're looking for. Washington, DC is a great city and there's lots of opportunity there, particularly for work with non-profits, international organizations, or government, so it might be worth it if those are areas that interest you.
 
Sorry I can't answer more questions about the Sociology department, but feel free to PM me if you have more specific questions about living in DC/GW campus. 

I'm in the same boat, granted I'm an MA applicant so I can only imagine what PhD applicants are feeling right now. But, I applied to 7 programs, all by their priority deadlines, and have only heard back from 2 (rejected). One in February and the other the first week of March. The remaining 5 have been incredibly silent. When I look up the status, its just telling me "Submitted" or "Under Review." When you're trying to plan the next 6 months of your life around possibly having to move, working the jobs your currently have and a relationship, it becomes very stressful. You can't think or do anything else.

I'm in the same boat, granted I'm an MA applicant so I can only imagine what PhD applicants are feeling right now. But, I applied to 7 programs, all by their priority deadlines, and have only heard back from 2 (rejected). One in February and the other the first week of March. The remaining 5 have been incredibly silent. When I look up the status, its just telling me "Submitted" or "Under Review." When you're trying to plan the next 6 months of your life around possibly having to move, working the jobs your currently have and a relationship, it becomes very stressful. You can't think or do anything else.

I'm in the same boat, granted I'm an MA applicant so I can only imagine what PhD applicants are feeling right now. But, I applied to 7 programs, all by their priority deadlines, and have only heard back from 2 (rejected). One in February and the other the first week of March. The remaining 5 have been incredibly silent. When I look up the status, its just telling me "Submitted" or "Under Review." When you're trying to plan the next 6 months of your life around possibly having to move, working the jobs your currently have and a relationship, it becomes very stressful. You can't think or do anything else.

I'm in the same boat, granted I'm an MA applicant so I can only imagine what PhD applicants are feeling right now. But, I applied to 7 programs, all by their priority deadlines, and have only heard back from 2 (rejected). One in February and the other the first week of March. The remaining 5 have been incredibly silent. When I look up the status, its just telling me "Submitted" or "Under Review." When you're trying to plan the next 6 months of your life around possibly having to move, working the jobs your currently have and a relationship, it becomes very stressful. You can't think or do anything else.

Not sure if this goes here or possibly somewhere else, but I just contacted NYU Steinhardt for the Sociology of Education department asking when we may hear of results and I was told, "Emails should be going out at the end of this week." 
 
Its possible that anyone else who has applied for this school maybe getting their results this week as well. Figured I would post an update for others who may also be waiting to hear back from not only this program, but also Steinhardt.