Yes, No, Limbo: How GWU Chooses Its Students (a look into the admissions process)

Parents Forum
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<p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/inside-the-admissions-process-at-george-washington-university/2014/03/22/f86b85fa-aee6-11e3-a49e-76adc9210f19_story.html?hpid=z4"&gt;http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/inside-the-admissions-process-at-george-washington-university/2014/03/22/f86b85fa-aee6-11e3-a49e-76adc9210f19_story.html?hpid=z4&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>"Everyone wants the formula for getting in. There is none."</p>

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<p>Thanks for posting, this type of article is always interesting to read, even though there are rarely any surprises.</p>

<p>There is another topic on this though: <a href=“Washington Post: Inside view of an admissions committee - Applying to College - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/1628860-washington-post-inside-view-of-an-admissions-committee.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>I have to wonder what the “senior provost for admissions” does that the “director of admissions” does not.</p>

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<p>The “senior provost of admissions” (what? is there a junior one?) doesn’t read applications or participate in the committee reviews. They do earn significantly better pay. :)</p>

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<p>Pretty interesting that they group the applications from each secondary school and review them consecutively. I suppose that makes some sense, but it also feeds into the fears that people have that you actually are competing with your classmates first and foremost.</p>

<p>I think I’d do it the same way, but with caution about how I’m making decisions. </p>

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<p>Two reactions to the article…like Dadx, I was most intrigued by the (often suspected) theory that colleges bundle all members of a school together and then compare them…this is pretty much going to feed into every paranoid theory here at CC - LOL.
2nd, i’m thinking a lot of their conversation was colored by having a reporter in the room…there are times at my company when we give presentations on “best practices” to outside groups and I’m always thinking to myself, “if only if we really did it that way.” :slight_smile: So there was likely a lot of posturing during those days…in retrospect, it was probably the fairest shake that any college ever gave a group of candidates. </p>

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<p>Seems that colleges use the opportunities of the area as a selling point, but punish applicants for talking about these opportunities in their “why this college” essays. </p>

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[quote]
I was most intrigued by the (often suspected) theory that colleges bundle all members of a school together and then compare them…this is pretty much going to feed into every paranoid theory here at CC - LOL.]/quote]</p>

<p>Since the colleges actually DO engage in this behavior it is not feeding paranoia, but rather substantiating a suspicion. </p>

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<p>This is not the first time I’ve read of colleges taking a group of kids from one HS and saying they’ll admit #s 1, 4 and 6 or whatever. I’m quite sure it is done, at least at the regional read level in determining who to pass up to the committee.</p>

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<p>It’s not paranoia. It’s true, and students have known it for a long time. </p>

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<p>Locally, in the DC area, it is said that the letters GW stand for “Georgetown waitlist.”</p>

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<p>One quote made it sound like the committee knew what other schools the student applied to. Is this something the applicant would offer to share in the app, or something the adcoms glean from FAFSA listings or…? </p>