(Test-Optional Applicant) What to expect at GWU for International Relations Majors?

Hi there,

So for the past week or so I’ve been seriously eyeballing possibly enrolling at George Washington University after high school. To my knowledge, the university is pretty well regarded and also seems to be popular among those interested in law, political science, international relations, and internship opportunities due to its location in D.C. Luckily for me, I’m pretty interested in law school and politics so I don’t mind the primary student interest. As an individual who will be applying this January, I’d like to ask those with experience on issues pertaining to the international relations, ROTC, and financial aid programs.

  1. How does GW handle financial aid for those who opt out of showing their standardized test scores? I’ve read on these forums that financial aid is hardly or not offered at all to those who decline to show their test scores. As a low-income student who never tested well in standardized testing, this is certainly concerning since my family has no means of funding my college education, and I’d be taking a giant leap majoring in international relations should I strive for a job in international affairs.

  2. Specifically regarding GWU, is the International Relations program regarded in a prestigious manner in comparison to other universities like Georgetown or any of the Ivy leagues? If not, I’m tempted to stick with law to pursue going broke later on in adulthood, lol.

Thanks!

Well, since no one has replied yet I guess I can throw-in my two cents, although I don’t know how helpful it is…

  1. I really don’t know how applying test-optional affects financial aid. Unless the FinAid/Admissions offices explicitly tell people how it’s effected, I’m not sure that it’s possible to know. As far as what you’ve read, I’d be curious to know what you’re referring to, as I suspect it’s highly speculative and not based in facts.

  2. Yes, the Elliot School is regarded as an excellent school nationally. I can’t recall the rankings that I’ve seen, but I want to say it’s in the top 15 nationally.

Further, I just wanted to point-out that if finances are a major concern, you should proceed carefully. Even if your parents can’t contribute anything for your school, GW would still expect you to take-out Stafford loans, and you could end-up $60K in debt by the end of your 4 years. It’ll ultimately depend on how many scholarships and grants you receive, but GW will still want SOMETHING. There are definitely ways to mitigate some of it (working during summer, maybe getting a part-time job during the academic year), so there are still options.

Also, you mention ROTC in your post but didn’t ask any questions about it. Is that something you’re looking forward to? If so, I hope you’re looking more specifically at Naval ROTC and not that silly Army version (I’m prior Navy, haha). It’s a really great program and a heck of a way to get a degree from GW for “free.”

@Delcore I can add to @NHuffer comments regarding test optional and financial aid. My daughter is a freshmen at GW and applied test optional. For GW in particular, I was told by admissions that applying test optional has no bearing on financial aid or scholarships. Receiving financial aid depends on your parents/you financial situation (we did not receive aid because we have a high EFC). Scholarships depend on your application. My daughter applied test optional and received a Presidential Academic Scholarship based on the rigor of her high school classes (full IB/ GPA 4.16) and her resume.

GW is “need aware”. This means that the admissions office first reviews applications without consideration of the ability to pay. After the admissions office finalizes that part of the application review, the applicants ability to pay is factored into process. While “need blind” schools don’t consider your ability to pay during the application process, “need aware” school like GW do. While the following article published by the GW Hatchet sheds a not so positive light on the application process, it gives a clear picture of how GW operates which, for our family, was good to know during the application process.

http://www.gwhatchet.com/2013/10/21/gw-misrepresented-admissions-and-financial-aid-policy-for-years/

In addition, students may be eligible for a mix of aid options from aid which does not have to be repaid, scholarships, loans and grants. As @NHuffer said the Stafford loans must be repaid (they are limited each year…1st year $5,500 and increases by $1,000 each year). The scholarship are spread over four years. Grants are a little tricky because they are not guaranteed each year. You may receive $20,000 grant one year and nothing the next. Be prepared for a cost of attendance of between $68,000-$70,000.

My daughter was also accepted to American University- School of International Service and the Global Scholars Program but received no merit (only 25 incoming freshmen are selected for the program). When she received no merit I called admissions and was specifically told that students qualify for merit with a 4.07 GPA but test optional students are “handled differently”. I quickly got the run around when they reviewed her application and could not give me a clear answer as to why she was one of 25 selected for a program which received thousands of applicants (Global Scholars) yet received no merit.