For anyone who goes there, is it really hard to get in to? I mean I know it’s private and selective but I’ve heard both sides: sons say it’s hard other say not too hard? Is it all about gpa and test scores or extracurricular or what? What’s the key to getting in? And what should you write in your essays, especially the why gwu essay.
Acceptance rate is about 30%. GW has become much more selective over the years, especially popular programslike poli sci and international relations. It’s now seen as a top tier school. The leadership has put up very impressive infrastructure and further developed programs. I’m a GW grad. While I found its academics top notch, I also found the whole college atmosphere pretty soulless.
@annamanna I can say that it’s not about test scores because my daughter was just accepted test optional. However, she does have a full IB high school curriculum (4.16 weighted GPA), outstanding EC’s, essays and LOR’s. She was accepted into the Elliott School, University Honors Program and received a Presidential Academic Scholarship. This years class of 2020 will be 2,575 (from 25,481 applicants).
@Angkor123 can you elaborate on what you meant by “soulless”? We just came back from Inside GW and I have a theory about that but was interested in your thoughts. We are down to two schools and the other one really is the opposite of soulless in that it is an elite small LA school. Thanks!
@Angkor123 when you mean soulless is it because there isn’t really any campus? I’ve heard people say if you want college feel, gw doesn’t have that because it’s in DC
@HappyFace2018 a congrats to your daughter! If you don’t mind me asking, did she have have a high ACT/SAT score that got her the scholarship or was it her gpa? Also, how was the admissions process? I know they use common app. And also, were essays a huge part of the application or do you feel a lot has to do with gpa?
@annamanna The acceptance rate this year is 40%, so yes it is selective, but not super selective. My dtr is a freshman who also received a generous Presidential scholarship and she struggles with the no-campus / community aspect. When she was accepted, she was invited into a living/learning community, which she declined because she didn’t want to live on the Vern. She regrets that decision. She feels the Mt. Vernon campus provides a great Freshman transition. There’s more community there, even outside of special affinity housing groups. She has found that you need to make your own community at GW by involving yourself in activities.
The DC experience and GW’s proximity to Govt’s hub, though, is phenomenal, both on and off campus. A political figure is always on campus, sometimes just casually strolling through. My dtr is a journalism major and has attended some terrific events. For example, on Thursday, GWU’s SMPA hosted a screening of Spotlight, followed by a discussion with Martin Baron and Walter Robinson. A GWU prof, who now works for Martin Baron at the Post, moderated the talk. It was a small venue and provided a great experience for all the attendees. So… like all things in life, the success of the experience is equal to the effort you put into it.
Best wishes in your upcoming application process!
this whole talk of not having a campus is nonsense. there is no fence that encloses the university like other schools, but you do certainly get a feeling of “being on-campus” as a student. being a city school and having crosswalks on campus will not interfere with your sense of having a university community or making friends. it is not any different from any other medium sized university: you join clubs and organizations and organically build out your personal community.
GW had a 30%~ acceptance rate when i enrolled. in recent years, it has increased its class sizes in order to generate revenue for its fancy construction projects like the high-tech science building or the new “super dorm.” so acceptance rates have gone up to 40%~ for the last couple of years. however, there are concrete limitations to these increases, as the city of Washington DC sets a maximum limit on the number of students that GW can matriculate. GW also went test optional last year, which will increase the number of applicants to the school and therefore increase the level of competition. i anticipate the acceptance rate dropping down over the next several years. if you want to apply to GW, now would be the best time to do it.
@annamanna My apologies, I just now saw your question. My daughter applied test optional. Her acceptance was based on a her GPA, her full international baccalaureate high school curriculum, her essays, outstanding LOR’s and her extensive resume. Her personal essay addressed dealing with adversity and her Honors essays showed she would be a perfect fit for the program (between her IB extended essay and Theory of Knowledge essay topics and Socratic Seminar discussions GW was very impressed with her writing abilities). Her ACT/SAT were below the mid-50% (high English, Writing, Reading but lower math and science with perfect essay scores) but when GW went test optional she knew she had a really good chance. One huge item which caught their eye was the fact that her resume was specifically geared towards her major/minor since the 6th grade (international affairs with a concentration in Conflict Resolution and minor: political science). She attended a highly selective summer program (18 students chosen from 600+ applicants) which focused solely on US foreign affairs…she did Girls State…she was a State Senate/House of Representatives Page…she did two foreign exchange trips and is on the board of directors of a company. She applied EA to other highly selected schools with the same resume and made it to RD but didn’t make the cut. That was with less than mid-50% scores. With some schools you can walk on water but if you don’t have the scores…resume means nothing.
Not the original question, but I just wanted to add a note about the atmosphere. In the final analysis (in fact the final night), my daughter was also choosing between a classic LA and GW. She feels that for her, GW was def. the right decision. She loves the vibe, internship opportunities, and has a close campus community due to heavy involvement in her extra-curriculars. It is a great college experience and atmosphere for her, but certainly has a different feel than a smaller suburban or rural college would (or a vast state research univ, etc.). She has stressed that it is very much what you make of it, which of course is the case at all schools… She did live on the Vern her freshman year and thought it was great for one year, with pros and cons (distance), - and she was ready and excited to move to Foggy the next year. Visit if you can to find out if it feels like college to you!