I am currently a senior in high school in the midst of all the big decisions and would love some insight!
So, I was admitted into the Class of 2023 at American University, but waitlisted at GW. Overall GW was my top choice and it was sorta a bummer to get waitlisted.
However, I was thinking if I decide to enroll in American and then by May receive the decision that I was admitted to the class of 2023 at GW just lose my non-refundable deposit and go GW.
However, I would like to know if there is any added benefit for me in the career world or my future to go from American to GW, which is more prestigious in the eyes of the corporate world?
Additionally, I am planning on majoring in political science on a pre-med track, so pre-med resources and medical school acceptance rates are important to me!
If anyone would give me in any insight into which institution is overall better, ad where I can get opportunites for both poli sci and pre-me I would greatly appreciate that!
Wow. Congrats on the great opportunity at American and chance for GW.
I don’t know any particulars about premed at either. As a regular person out and about in the world they are both considered fabulous schools.
Premed yoy know is about gpa mcats and other matters like ec type things like research and recs. You can accomplish this goal at either based on your own desire and focus.
I don’t know about pre-med, but both are pretty close for politics. They were both in my daughter’s top 3 schools so we looked closely at them. I personally prefer American’s campus, though the GW location is arguably a bit better. Your plan of accepting at AU and then moving to GW if you get off the waitlist is fine if you would prefer GW, but I think you’d be totally fine at each. It looked like a tough season for both schools, so congrats btw.
My D is also trying to decide if GW is the fit for her, weighing GW and SMU. What did you mean by your comment about it being a tough season for both school? Just curious.
Best of luck to @nrk2019. I bet either would serve you well for your goals!
The biggest difference was socially GW has a very wealthy student body. There were times one of his friends felt left out simply because she didn’t have the financial resources to do all that friends did.
Also, GW is very much a city school with no green space and classes spread out. GW utilizes the city more, for example, art History class at Smithsonian.
American and GW both have strong networks and great graduate/law school acceptances
DS is a freshman at American and his best friend is at GW. Both have enjoyed their schools. In terms of “prestige” or “recognition” I think they are fairly equal. American is building a brand new science facility and is looking to raise their STEM profile. DS loves the traditional feel of American’s campus and I will say that he & his friends do use their unlimited Metro card to take advantage of all the free things to do in DC. I will echo the sentiment that many students have been waitlisted at both American and GW, so it’s awesome that you have an acceptance to AU. I will add that his friend at GW was placed on the auxiliary campus and that adds to the time it takes to get to class. At AU it won’t take more 15 minutes to get form one end of the campus to the other.
I don’t think the academics are better at one or the other. It’s more about fit. Do you want to be right in the traffic or do you want a campus? We toured both with our S and the students at AU seemed a little more diverse socially and friendlier, but that is probably because the kids self select (the more wordly, on-the-go city kids choose GW). Our S only applied to AU because he didn’t like GW’s lack of a real campus (he ultimately chose a LAC).
We have friends whose S only applied to GW. They are VERY different kids, and the one who chose GW loves it. He is majoring in politics and when I asked what he’s thinking he wants to do, he responded, “whatever my country needs from me.” Seriously, at age 18. (And no, he’s not in ROTC). He also said the city is his playground. My sense was that you’d need some $ to keep up at GW.