<p>I think that emphasis is placed on how interesting the person seems. I was an exchange student my junior year, very involved in music (auditioned for the PSA scholarship), have a lot of leadership positions, and I have a lot of extracurriculars. I'm fluent in 3 languages and live in a really unique place. I have a 4.0uw/4.7w and I'm number 2 in my class, but my test scores aren't great. I only took the ACT once and got a 30 and I never took the SAT or subject tests because of time constraints (I was abroad my junior year, so there wasn't much time left my senior year). I think that if you don't emphasize what makes you unique, they don't care about grades or test scores.</p>
<p>One other important thing to consider is intended major, particularly at schools with a known specialty (such as two in DC). GW is a full service university, and thus needs math and classics majors, as well as comp sci geeks. Not everyone with high stats who is polisci, prelaw, or pre-international relations can fit. The math profs need students too.</p>
<p>It's the same as being an theatre major applying to Yale -- they get thousands of such apps.</p>
<p>GW states on its Common Data Set response that the "most important" factors in evaluating an applicant are the rigor of the student's secondary school curriculum and the GPA.</p>
<p>Test scores are secondary, along with class rank, ec's, etc.</p>
<p>I was rejected. 28 ACT, 4.2 wGPA uw3.8. Low ACT score, but everything else good. Leadership, good AP scores, extra curriculars, community service, etc. One of my friends also applied and was denied... but he got into the University of Chicago. It sounds like everyone who applied was just about equally qualified, so I really don't know how they make admittance decisions.</p>
<p>Hang in there. This process has been so hard and the decisions seem to be random to a certain extent. It is as tough on the parents as it is on the kids.
My son heard earlier in the week he was waitlisted at American so he was very down and basically thought GW was going to be a NO. Yesterday he got the Acceptance notification from GW. We thought it was going to be the other way around. It really does not make sense. He had an 800 V 640 M 750 -5s on AP courses. Grades could have been better. Very involved and an excellent writer - sports team captain, drama, many speech awards.
Good luck</p>
<p>Maybe there was a bit of Tufts syndrome going on, inuk.</p>