GWU test optional/ financial aid

Any freshman currently at GW that applied test optional and for financial aid: Did you still receive aid and did you receive merit-based scholarships?

@jackrabbit14 My daughter applied test optional and for financial aid. She was admitted to the Elliott School, the University Honors Program and received the Presidential Academic Scholarship. We did not receive aid because of our income level.

@jackrabbit4 My daughter applied test optional and for financial aid. She was admitted to the Elliott School, the University Honors Program and received the Presidential Academic Scholarship. We did not receive aid because of our income level.

how was your daughter’s transcript and ECs if you don’t mind me asking, Thank you!

@jackrabbit4 Not at all. My daughter attended a full IB private school (the school is ranked #2 in our state and #60 in the nation). The full IB required three higher level classes, three standard level classes, theory of knowledge essay (1500 words), extended essay (4000 words) and CAS hours. In May 2016 she graduated with academic honors (GPA 4.16). Her class completed their academic diploma requirements by the end of April 2016. They spent the first three weeks of May before graduation sitting for their IB Diploma. The rest are sent to an IB grader in another country for grading. She learned she earned her IB Diploma in July!!

Among her EC’s, the ones that stood out the most were:

  1. American Legion Girls State
  2. 3 Year Governing Board Secretary (Marion County Commission on Youth)
  3. United Way Youth Leadership United
    (she was one of 25 students chosen by
    the United Way Worldwide to travel to
    the Dept. of Education to speak on
    educational barriers.
  4. Exploration at Yale Foreign Affairs Fellow (one of 18 students chosen from 600 applicants to spend two weeks at Yale University in a intense foreign affairs focus program
  5. Two foreign exchange trips to France
  6. Classically trained violinist (her orchestra was invited to play at Carnegie Hall last April!)
    7)Authored articles regarding international affairs in the YoungDiplomat
  7. Page for the State Senate and House of Representatives for six years.

She was also student body president, led the school choir, started a dance team. The common app only let her include 10 items so she was able to attach her resume.

The key to her success, I believe, was her resume was geared toward international affairs and politics.

When she spoke with the GW admissions officer it was quite clear to them that her ACT/SAT scores did not accurately reflect her abilities. After she was accepted, GW asks kids applying test optional to submit their scores. These will be used as part of a study to compare test optional acceptance and their GPA’s to the GPA’s of students who applied with scores.