Georgetown SFS or GW Elliott School?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>So in short, my college application process has been a living hell. </p>

<p>Skip to the bottom below the line of aterisks (****) if this is too long to read. </p>

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<p>Here's the long version. </p>

<p>While doing a yearlong student exchange program at a high school in South Korea, I applied to UVA and Georgetown SFS Early Action, and then applied RD to American University, NYU, UChicago, and (at the last minute - I literally completed my application and essays in thirty minutes on a whim) George Washington University. </p>

<p>Georgetown has been my dream school since before I can even remember... I have been drooling over their School of Foreign Service since I was twelve or thirteen years old. I've read several professors' E-books on foreign policy, Korean history, and other topics. It had the location in my favorite city in America, Washington DC... it had the prestige and connections that could help me in my career... the amazing internship opportunities... the gorgeous campus... the incredibly talented and diverse student body... I was just head over heels in love with everything that had anything to do with the school. </p>

<p>Until I got deferred in December. And then waitlisted in April (I had to call them to find out because my letter never came for some reason... They may have sent it to one of my past addresses or something) :/ I never officially accepted my place on the wait list because later I decided to go to GW and they said I had to go through this complicated (see below).</p>

<p>Then American University called and said I would have to resubmit my application as a transfer student because I had taken a semester at a community college, and that they wouldn't have any results until July or August (I still haven't heard back from them - truthfully I am not really interested). I got a similar call from GWU. At this point I literally would have preferred to gouge out both my eyeballs and throw them to a pack of hungry wolves than take even one more look at the Common App, so I decided to just hope for the best from my other schools, which was a stupid, stupid decision. </p>

<p>I got waitlisted by UChicago, which I kind of chose as my "rebound school" after being waitlisted at Georgetown... My interview was incredible (I still talk to the woman who did my interview... she is awesome)... The lady said I was one of the most qualified applicants she had ever seen, and I got pretty hyped up about the school, so I was devastated to be waitlisted again. </p>

<p>Then NYU Gallatin, which everyone assured me I would get into easily, rejected me outright. Honestly, that was a hard, shocking blow. </p>

<p>My application process was kind of complicated for the following reasons, in no particular order:
* The SAT got cancelled twice in a row in Korea.
* There were problems with interviews (I couldn't do a Georgetown interview at all for Early Action, and even when I tried to do one for Regular Action after I returned to America my interviewer stood me up the first time -.-)
* I had problems with getting the College Board to send my scores even after I had paid for them
* I was being harassed regularly by my host brother and verbally abused by my host mother
* She eventually kicked me out of her house and then I was technically "kidnapped" - according to the embassy - by my coordinator when I told him what was going on because he refused to find me another host family... It's a long story.
** In short, basically every single solitary thing that could have possibly gone wrong, went wrong. </p>

<p>I don't normally talk about this so candidly to people but I figured hey, it's the Internet, I need advice and I want people to know the exact context of my question.</p>

<p>My application and transcript itself were also very confusing for the following reasons:
* I had to complete high school in 2.5 years instead of 4 because Korean school starts in March
* I had two graduation dates (one when I actually finished classes, and one was the date of the graduation ceremony, which took place five months later while I was out of the country)
* I took all the APs available to me but not some of the exams because I was in Korea
* I had a semester of community college credit but I was not in governors school or IB because of moving
* I had transcripts from a total of 4 different high schools due to moving and doing 8 classes online through Keystone and Virtual Virginia
* I was still 15 when I started my applications
** In short, without an interview to explain things, my transcript looked like a giant, jumbled mess that no admissions officer should have to attempt to decipher.</p>

<p>The only school that offered me admission without any quips was UVA, which truthfully I had (and still have) no interest in for undergrad. Don't get me wrong, it's a fantastic school, but the environment just isn't for me; I need to be in a city somewhere. </p>

<p>Anyway, after several days of being depressed about having no choices, GW called and said that they had processed my application as a freshman after all, and that I had been accepted. They also offered me a $60,000 merit scholarship (over four years) and membership in the Women's Leadership Program in International Politics. I hadn't done much research on the school after they had said they couldn't process my application, but after perusing the website and going to an admitted students day, I decided to commit :) It wasn't Georgetown, but it was still in DC, with internship opportunities, awesome staff, and an amazing group of people (WLP) who have quickly become my friends. </p>

<p>I was finally starting to come to peace with my college decisions. Until yesterday morning. I got an email from a Georgetown admissions representative... Apparently they put me on the wait list after all (even though I did not take the appropriate steps to do so), and they want to know if I am still interested.</p>

<p>WHY GEORGETOWN WHY T-T FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY, JUST LET MY DREAM DIE ALREADY... </p>

<p>A very medium-sized part of me still very very much wants to go there. Another very medium-sized part of me thinks I should stay loyal to GW because I have toured there and really, really liked it, and I already know some people who would be in my dorm. I've talked to my friends and my mom about why GW is better for me than GTown anyway. I feel like I would be betraying them somehow if I went to Georgetown after everything. </p>

<p>I never did get to do a tour of Georgetown... my parents thought it wouldn't be a good idea because I had already been waitlisted and they didn't want me to fall in love with a school that I definitely couldn't go to.</p>

<p>It's definitely not a yes from Georgetown yet... but what if they do decide to admit me? I am torn 50/50.</p>

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<p>I want to:
* Major in IR/IA with a concentration in SE Asia
* Gain proficiency in both Korean and Chinese (I already speak pretty good Korean but I want to become perfect at it; I will also be getting a year of Chinese language credit from UVA this summer through their language institute)
* Do a LOT of internships and get work experience
* Study abroad at least once
* Take advantage of DC's amazing location as much as possible
* Not be pressured to drink or do anything crazy (I'll have just turned 17 when I get there)
* Make a quality investment - I am going to have to pay for college completely on my own. Both schools would be around the same price, but I want to make sure every dollar I spend will be worth it. </p>

<p>Which do you think is the right choice? :/</p>

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<p>I recommend you prepare like you are going to GW because getting off the waitlist is still a distant possibility. If you do get off then make a decision. No use stressing yourself out about this when G-Town is not a legit option at this moment. </p>

3

<p>assuming that you have the cash, Georgetown is a no-brainer for your goals. Respond positively to the Admissions Rep and send in a letter on why you are a good fit for them.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

4

<p>@thepontinator‌ Yeah that’s what I’m doing… It’s just so frustrating because I haven’t gotten a definitive answer from Georgetown yet after about 6 months, and it really was my dream school… I had put it out of my mind and was totally happy about going to GW but after I received that email I’m not so sure what I would choose if given the opportunity :confused: </p>

5

<p>@bluebayou‌ With the financial aid package both schools offered, they would come out almost exactly even. GW gave me a $15k yearly merit scholarship, and Georgetown said they would give me $14k yearly need-based scholarship if I were accepted. The names are different but they would basically end up doing the same thing, right? Plus I don’t think a need-based scholarship can be taken away because of bad grades… </p>

6

<p>I don’t know, the people from GW that I have talked to have been so amazing and helpful… What is the atmosphere at Georgetown like in comparison to GW, people-wise? Are they stuffy or pretentious or preppy or party animals or…? I’ve heard a million different things from a million different people but since I never had the opportunity to go and see for myself. </p>

<p>My mom really dislikes Georgetown (despite never having been there) and says they come off as snobby to her. That’s probably biased though :confused: My dad paid 800 dollars to register me at GW, and I feel like he would be mad at me if I were to decide to switch and waste his money (he’s a real penny pincher). </p>

<p>Neither of them really want me to go there anymore, but I still kind of do… I don’t know what the best fit for me would be. </p>

7

<p>sry, can’t help with your mom’s impression, and that you were unable to visit. (Ironically, since GW does not meet full need, it has a reputation of rich, snobby kids. Fortunately, you did not experience that on your visit.)</p>

<p>I and my kids liked the vibe at GU much better than GW. We like the fact that GU has a defined campus, with Frosh housing and dining on campus. But one thing you need to consider is the prestige of the college, particualry if you expect to work internationally. Prestige matters much more outside of the US.</p>

<p>To me the $800 lost deposit would be worth it for what I consider a much better school and undergraduate experience. </p>

8

<p>I didn’t really get a question except from your title. I tried for the tl;dr after just too much drama in the long version and there isn’t a question. So I would pick Georgetown. Look at the big picture, not small temporary or inconsequential things.</p>

9

<p>This is what your fellow students at GW will be driving.</p>

<p><a href=“Cars On Campus: GWU CARS”>Cars On Campus: GWU CARS;

<p>Lots of stupid-rich intl’s. People at GU are great! If you can afford it, I think you should go.</p>

10

<p>my two cents and impression from just living in the DC area: </p>

<p>Georgetown is the best college in the DC metro area,.
GW is filled with very wealthy students.</p>

<p>If the costs are not an issue, I’d pick Georgetown in a heartbeat. </p>

<p>good luck.</p>

11

<p>It isn’t even close – give up the deposit and go to Georgetown. You will forget all this ever happened by a couple months into the school year.</p>

12

<p>Both Georgetown and GWU have boatloads of incredibly wealthy students and settings which allow for more conspicuous displays of wealth.</p>

13

<p>^^yes, and no.</p>

<p>Georgetown is slightly over half full pay, which generally means top 5 per centers. In other words, nearly half of students qualify for need-based aid.</p>

<p>In contrast, at George Washington only 20% qualify for need-based aid.</p>

14

<p>Um that’s incorrect. According to George Washington University’s CDS*, over 44% of full time GWU students were awarded need based grants and scholarships last year. That’s still a ridiculously wealthy student body, but it’s a far cry from 20%. </p>

<p>*<a href=“Institutional Research | The George Washington University”>Institutional Research | The George Washington University;

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<p>For all the posters who are suggesting the OP spring for Georgetown… she hasn’t even been accepted yet.</p>

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<p>You’re borrowing trouble by worrying about where to go if you’re accepted. Pursue the Georgetown waitlist but come back here IF you’re accepted… cross that bridge when you’ve come to it. No point getting attached to Georgetown again if you end up getting rejected and having your heart broken again.</p>

16

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<p>Yes, we all realize that. The OP is asking a ‘what-if’, almost as if s/he should even pursue the WL; and we are responding accordingly.</p>

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<p>Oopps, my bad. I was reading the incorrect line. Thanks for the correction.</p>

17

<p>Ah, I thought since the OP seemed to know what the FA offer was from Georgetown that they had gotten the acceptance after all. If not accepted, then there really isn’t a discussion to have…</p>

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<p>@bluebayou‌
“Yes, we all realize that. The OP is asking a ‘what-if’, almost as if s/he should even pursue the WL; and we are responding accordingly.”</p>

<p>Yes, that is precisely what I meant. After all of this “drama”, so to speak, I was seriously wondering if going to GU would even be worth making myself miserable all over again. </p>

<p>I mean, is SFS really THAT much better than the Elliott School?</p>

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<p>Yes. But you don’t actually have the choice. So stop making drama for yourself.</p>

20

<p>@intparent I’m just trying to make sure I consider every possible outcome ahead of time so that I can allocate my energy and resources accordingly :slight_smile: Nobody in my family has ever gone to a university, so my parents don’t really know the difference between Georgetown and GW (and Yale, and J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, for that matter). They, understandably, want me to just go to the school that will make this whole process as easy as possible for them. They feel like they have done a lot for me during this process anyway (which they absolutely have, and I am so grateful.), and are reluctant to throw away the time and money they have put towards sending me to GW even if I do get into Georgetown. I totally understand and respect how they feel, and don’t want to upset them (by continuing to hope for a positive response from GU, or trying to go there if I do get in) if it isn’t going to be worth it in the end.</p>

<p>With me being out of the country for most of the year and so many things going wrong, this has been a really difficult year for my parents and I. They are honestly tired of the whole college application/acceptance/rejection process at this point. If Georgetown does decide to accept me, I want to be able to explain my decision to my parents without making them think I am forcing them to jump through extra (expensive) hoops for no reason. I also don’t want to make myself miserable chasing after my “dream school” when the best college for me just might be GW. </p>