Chances of getting in??

Colleges and Universities A-Z George Washington University
1

Hey guys!!

I heard about GW through a friend, did some research, and fell in love with the school. I love DC and I’m interested in pursuing something to do with politics, economics, or international relations.

GPA CUM- 4.6 weighted
SAT- 1800 (retaking soon!)
ACT- 28 (retook recently, waiting on scores)
AP- World History, US History, Spanish Language & Composition, Calculus AB, English Language & Composition, US Government, Macro Economics
2 legacies at GW, although they are not direct family (great aunt and second cousin)
Extracurriculars/Community Service-
Debate team Congressional and Public Forum debater. Currently captain of Congressional debate Have competed at UCal Berkeley, Harvard, and Yale. Won Top presiding officer at Berkeley, and have placed in many state/regional tournaments.

Dance team- Performance team member. We perform at hospitals, nursing homes, Miami dolphin games, and Miami heat games. We also compete once a year in which we won 2nd place on the FL regional level last year.
Volleyball- only during freshman year. Was a member of my schools team and part of a regional club volleyball team where we competed both on the regional and state level.
Friends of St. Francis (animal club)- we volunteer at shelters, bring in guest speakers, and raise money for local animal hospitals. We are the only club at our school recognized by our county in the state of FL. Co-president both junior and senior year.

Internships- at a Law firm and transportation logistics company both during summer of senior year.
Parent Teacher Association volunteer- over the summer for many schools in my area where we package and sell school supplies. The money goes back to the schools to improve their learning environments by purchasing new technology, paying for a new playground, etc.
Sawgrass nature center volunteer- volunteered for a camp during the summer of my sophomore year only where we exposed kids, who were interested about the environment, to protection and appreciation for animals and the FL everglades.
Service Hours- 150

My essay was about being an older sibling in a single parent home, thus having to take on a role of responsibility at an extremely young age and how that has impacted my high school career, and will impact my college experience and the rest of my life.

I am taking a campus tour in October of this year.

Should I think about doing an interview? If so, would this be an on or off campus interview?

I am also considering Georgetown and AU. How do these schools compare to GW?

Is it helpful to have recommendations not from teachers? (ie my bosses since I plan on going into the field)

Thanks for all your help!!:slight_smile:

2

It looks like you’ve got a strong EC background, so that’ll help for sure. As far as your test scores, they’re a little low (but not enough to where you wouldn’t be looked-at), but improving your SAT will help you stand out a bit more.

With regard to your essay, was that written specifically for one of GW’s essays? http://undergraduate.admissions.gwu.edu/essay-questions. It looks like it could be in response to #1 but I wasn’t sure. If not, tweak it a bit to fit that question.

If you have an option to do an interview I’d definitely suggest it. It doesn’t matter if it’s on or off campus- the point is that it conveys interest. The campus tour will also help out, too.

Georgetown and AU aren’t too far off, in my opinion. Georgetown generally will have better academics (although not by much) but its reputation is a little better than GW. I’d say that American, overall, isn’t quite as good as GW for academics or reputation, but it wouldn’t be a huge difference. I think the biggest thing you would notice between the three schools is the student body. Georgetown is the preppiest of the three, American is more of a “quiet” crowd, and GW is a Hodge-podge of everything (preppy, jock, artsy, fashion-minded, etc). When you come for a tour in October I’d highly recommend checking-out the other two campuses. Each have a very different feel. And since you’re coming during the school year vice in the summer, you’ll actually get to see the students.

Good luck, and feel free to shoot me a message if you have any other questions!

-GW Alum 2012

3

My essay was written in response to the common app essay question #1, which was about how your family background has influenced you.

Since my standardized test scores aren’t that great, I am considering not submitting them. I’m hoping my EC and grades will distract from my test scores which aren’t too great.

I will sign up for an interview and I am looking forward to the tour. I will be visiting Foggy Bottom and Mt Vernon.

While in DC, I will also be visiting Georgetown and AU. Although as of right now, GW is my first choice.

Thanks for all the help!!!