<p>I got flat out rejected from George Washington University and I don't understand why. I have a 4.2/3.76 gpa, took around 12 APs (did mostly well on my tests), I have a ton of extracurriculars, and I was told by some tutors that my essays were really strong.
I thought I would be a shoe-in for GWU as it was a target school. What went wrong? Can anyone help?</p>
<p>Might as well read the thread called “Waitlist Rumor True?” I started. I got waitlisted and no clue why but there are alums and admitted students that make valid points.</p>
<p>Read the waitlist thread</p>
<p>Look- It’s obvious that GW is careful during the admissions process. They don’t want to take a risk on such outstanding students because more than likely these students are using them as a “target/safety” and don’t actually want to attend. There is nothing wrong with you, except that you can’t expect to be accepted just because you look good on paper. GW wants students who show interest, and who don’t appear to be students who could have potentially applied to Georgetown or Harvard. I’m not saying that they completely reject people who are stellar students and who do apply to Ivies but they definitely make sure that if they do accept those students that they may actually attend ( ie they look if they show interest by having visited, interviewed, contacted a regional rep.) I know that sometimes overqualified students really only want to be at GW and they don’t apply to the Ivies because that process is even more cutthroat, but GW values students who truly love GW and have made that clear to them multiple times. Take me for instance ( other than being an ED student which clearly makes it obvious that GW is my #1 choice) I am not a stellar, overqualified student. I have a 3.1 UW a 3.74 W and a 1900 SAT score. They obviously saw that I was going to make the most out of my GW experience and that I only wanted the next 4 years of my life to be spent at their school. Nothing about me says “overqualified”, my ED choice showed them that I was committed, and above all I made my passion for GW clear in my essays. You are a great student, I’m sure you are already into other great schools and are probably still waiting on a few and you’ll be happy wherever you end up. Don’t take this decision personally it you were a risk they were just not willing to take.</p>
<p>A current student at GW and loving it! Being in GW/DC is like being at the center of the universe. </p>
<p>I got in RD at GW 2 years ago with 2150 SAT and >4.2GPA (w/ tons of AP), but my brother (also RD applicant) with almost similar stats was waitlisted a year earlier (and decided to go to another school in the hope of later transferring). </p>
<p>I learned my “Why GW?” essay may have been the difference.</p>
<p>(Using parent’s Euro456.]</p>
<p>lauren did you receive any $ our family EFC is $25,000. I am a hs jr
& have similar stats and really love GW but the price tag is very high</p>
<p>Nope- No money. I expected that though because there are a lot of people who have a better academic profile than I have and present more need than my family does. ED students rarely get merit aid unless they show stellar academic achievement. I know that, that fact alone will deter many perfectly great candidates for GW because money is tight and let’s face it GW is really expensive but you could always apply ED and wait for the FAFSA info( if it comes out before you have to send you declaration of intent) to come back and if you really can’t make that kind of financial commitment you are allowed, under that circumstance only, to turn down an ED admission offer. I also know that GW doesn’t put a limit on supplementary materials so if you have severe financial need and you know GW is your #1 you can write a separate essay expressing this to them, they may end up giving you merit aid. Show tons of interest and since you are still finishing up your jr. year, PLEASE try hard to step up your GPA a little bit, it can’t hurt!</p>
<p>Thanks for advice. My GPA unw is 3.85 w is 4.25. I always seem to have one
class which is always my Achilles heal. It’s Physics this year.
I am doing little better this quarter however. Congratulations
on your acceptance. GW is such a beautiful campus. Well time
to hit the books, again;(</p>
<p>Gee, Laurenrwp, I think GW accepts a lot of “outstanding students”. And I wish you’d stop using the word “overqualified” to describe the people who are denied or waitlisted- Gw talks many people with states equal to or above theirs.</p>
<p>I know that they do, and I am not saying GW doesn’t accept people who have high gpas/sats/acts… I am saying that GW is interested in you if you are interested in them. I have known my fair share of people who just expected to be accepted-- “shoe-ins” —. That is the wrong attitude. You can be a perfect student and get rejected/waitlisted, it’s not all about the #'s. A lot of it is interest and passion. I realize I’m using the word “outstanding” in the wrong way. What I mean to say is “look good on paper”… IT IS MORE THAN JUST GRADES AND SCORES. They need to build a well rounded class with interesting and unique students. If you are a straight A student and you also show GW that you want to be apart of their community more than likely you’ll be accepted. GW doesn’t like to take a risk r on students who appear to have it all in the bag but have not expressed interest in them because chances are they are looking somewhere else.
@schmohawk aren’t you already in ED like me–? You know that what I’m saying is true. I apologize if you think that I’m putting down stellar students, I’m just encouraging others to be more than their numbers if GW is really a contender for them.</p>
<p>Graduated 2011, and not ED. I had a difficult choice to make on April 1. I consider myself to be outstanding. And I do think you ARE putting down stellar students when you act like most of us who got in were mediocre. Speak for yourself.</p>
<p>PS- that’s “shoo-ins”</p>
<p>exactly how i feel schmo (ba '07, masters '13, help with admissions when i can). i have no idea why this sentiment still persists but it drives me absolutely nuts.</p>
<p>Look, “outstanding” or “overqualified” is already an ambiguous statement. Some may disagree on what that actually is. </p>
<p>You guys are missing the point on what Laurenrwp is trying to say. For GW (and most colleges actually) its more about interest than it is numbers and statistics. That is just the stuff that gets your foot in the door. The interest is what matters more. The OP couldn’t understand why he/she was rejected because his/her stats were so good. Like Lauren said, that is the wrong attitude. We are not saying GW accepts mediocre students. They are simply weeding out the applicants that actually want to attend. The OP said him/herself that “I thought I would be a shoe-in for GWU as it was a target school.” GW saw that in his/her application and thus decided not to offer admission. It’s a pretty simple concept and a good one to say the least. No one should be offended.</p>
<p>Grrrrr. I can’t imagine why this sentiment exists either.</p>
<p>ATTENTION REJECTED/WAITLISTED PEOPLE: Kindly tell your guidance counselors that they were wrong- GW was not a safety for you.</p>
<p>Love Essence, reread her post. NOT what she said. “they don’t want to take a risk on such outstanding students” and “who don’t appear to be students who could have potentially applied to Georgetown or Harvard”.
The words outstanding and overqualified speak for themselves.</p>
<p>Take a little pride.</p>
<p>Can we at least agree on “shoo-in”?</p>
<p>I agree with you guys, I think I was waitlisted because I did not show an interest in GWU. And to be honest, it was not my first choice because a) I’m not a poly-sci major, and b) I really can’t afford it. Congrats to those accepted to GWU and wherever you decide to go, enjoy and make the best of it! Best wishes to all!</p>
<p>There is no 17-18 year old high school senior who is “overqualified” for GW or any other University. That kind of arrogance is stunning.</p>
<p>For the millionth time I’m going to make this perfectly clear: I misused the word “overqualified”. I am trying to express to those people who are confused as to why the decision they received was rejected/wait-listed even when they have 4.0s and 2400s. The reason is because they are relying on just the NUMBERS to get them into a school–GW sees right through that, they DON’T want students who use them as safeties. When I say “overqualified” I am referring to those people who have wonderful stats but zero to no interest in attending GW. I am not saying someone with a 4.0 can’t have GW as their top choice but obviously in that case they have to make that perfectly clear to GW through their interest in the school just like everyone else. Of course ANYONE is privileged to be able to attend such a University, any university in fact. I was just trying to clear up the wait-listed confusion by explaining why many believe stellar students get turned down.</p>
<p>@laurenrwp, peace my friend. My comment was not directed at you . It was a general comment addressing a pervasive attitude among “high stat” high school seniors.</p>
<p>our point is that the words “overqualified” “safety” “shoe-in” or any similar connotation have absolutely no place on this message board.</p>
<p>if you apply ED, are rich and have mediocre stats/are a urm, you will probably get in anyway. no shocker there. for everyone else, (90%+ of apps) it isn’t that easy and nobody should consider themselves automatic.</p>