Chance me? Elliot School RD :)

Colleges and Universities A-Z George Washington University
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Hi! I’m applying to George Washington this year and hoping to double major in Russian and International Relations with a minor in political science or military science. Also applying EA to Georgetown which is my top school but also kind of a reach, so I can’t apply ED to GW just in case.
I’m homeschooled and haven’t taken any SAT subject tests (I really wish now that I had) and have had no opportunity to take AP courses or participate in any kinds of school clubs or organizations or anything, so I’m really worried that I won’t be taken as seriously.

Academics:
GPA: 3.9 out of 4.0
SAT scores: 2010 (600 math, 700 reading, 710 writing)
ACT: 29
Participated in the Russian Summer Language Institute at the University of Virgnia this summer and graduated with a B, currently taking 300-level Russian at Virginia Commonwealth University through the Advanced Scholars Program and making all A’s.
(SLI is an intensive eight week language program that covered two years of Russian in 8 weeks. I was the only high school kid in my class ((the rest were college students and grad students)), one out of two highschoolers in the entire language program((out of 127 kids, although some dropped out later on)), and the only highschooler to participate in all 8 weeks. So I don’t have any AP or CC courses, but I have taken actual college courses alongside college students.)

Plans after college: Commission as in officer in the Navy and pursue a Master’s Degree in Strategic Intelligence from the National Intelligence University

Extracurricular:
Horseback riding all four years in high school, volunteered at the stable and helped conduct historic trail rides for clients from all over the world, as well as worked with kids (some of whom had special needs).
Interned in the Office of the County Administrator where I live
Worked at historic Shirley Plantation
Served on two different committees at my church
I’m volunteering to campaign for Dave Brat this month (he’s running for Congress)

Community service:
Volunteered for various community service projects through my church
Working with special needs kids and horses (as stated above. I have a lot of hours doing this as well; I spent the summers before freshman, sophomore and junior year going there every day for six days a week*, and lots of weekends and some week days during the school year.)
Have gone on three separate week-long mission trips through my church (one every summer excluding this past one)
Volunteered a couple times at a senior living apartment complex where 85% of the residents are Russian and speak little to no English.
Participated in Relay for Life

*except for the week every summer on church mission trips

Recs:
I’m getting a teacher rec from my professor at UVa who graduated from Harvard, and two other recs from my pastor at my church and my County Administrator for whom I interned.

Hooks: Homeschooled first generation student from a small town with big future plans, applying for ROTC scholarships as well, completely self-motivated and hard working. I have a lot of passion and vision for my future and will definitely incorporate that into my essays and alumni interview.

I also did a tour and interview at GW back in the fall and it went really well.

I know my academics aren’t as strong as they should be, but I’m hoping that my application will be a little unique and that it will make me more of a serious contender. Any feedback is very much appreciated. Thank you so much!

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Remember that the Navy really – truly – wants its ROTC scholarships to go to engineering majors. The chances are small of getting a Naval ROTC scholarship for the fields you mentioned. Not impossible, just really small.

If you and your family can afford to pay for college, and you really prefer the Navy, then you could choose to enroll in Naval ROTC without a scholarship. Then you can major in whatever you want.

If you are interested in military intelligence, then the Army is probably a better choice, and it will let you use a ROTC scholarship to study whatever you want.

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@coppertopp As it happens, I was in Air Force intelligence and I got a MS in Strategic Intelligence from the “National Intelligence University”, although at that time it was named the Joint Military Intelligence College (when I went) and, prior to that, the Defensive Intelligence College. Been a little while :).

For certain reasons, I was assigned to the program and didn’t have to compete for admission. But typically the admissions decision is extremely competitive. Need to really be at the top of the career field at your rank. I don’t recall seeing anyone below the rank O-3 there (Navy Lieutenant, Army/AF Captain), so people had spent at least 4 years in the military generally before attending - usually more. Things may have changed.

Good thing about the degree is that, if you can get it, you are in DC at the Defense Intelligence Agency - can do research papers on very interesting classified subjects and have access to all of the analysts and document libraries. Of course, you have to like going to school basically in a “safe” and not being able to do much of your work at home. Gotta stay at the school to do anything classified, but you usually can also choose to do unclassified research as well.

Once you get out, you have many opportunities available that are typically very difficult to otherwise be exposed to. I went to a general and he gave me a job on the Joint Staff in the J2 (Intel) shop in the Pentagon, but my assignment guy down in Texas got angry with me for going straight to the general and asking for the job. It was kind of going around his back :). I could have still taken it, but decided to be nice to my assignment guy (not good to make him or her mad) and go to work for one of the three letter agencies around town - extremely interesting work. Didn’t wear a uniform much at all for the next 5 years and then I got out.

Just a little info in case you are interested.