GWU - Accepted Students '15

[oceanhue]

Hey y'all. Thought that I would create this for those of you that are considering GWU. Does anyone know if we're supposed to submit anything to the financial aid office with the exception of FASFA? I've searched all over and I haven't seen anything. I'm comparing GW to both BU and Tulane and both schools asked for some additional forms.

I wonder when we will receive our financial aid package... That will certainly be the deciding factor! But location is everything as well. GW is in the nation's capital after all! Lots of opportunities there, m'thinks.

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[brwneydRA]

I haven't seen anything about additional forms yet either, but BU is the only school I was accepted to that has asked me for anything aside from the FAFSA so far. The financial package will be a big deciding factor for me, but I'm excited about what GW has to offer. Are you going to Preview Day?

 

[tjt27]

Hey y'all. Thought that I would create this for those of you that are considering GWU. Does anyone know if we're supposed to submit anything to the financial aid office with the exception of FASFA? I've searched all over and I haven't seen anything. I'm comparing GW to both BU and Tulane and both schools asked for some additional forms.

I wonder when we will receive our financial aid package... That will certainly be the deciding factor! But location is everything as well. GW is in the nation's capital after all! Lots of opportunities there, m'thinks.

I went on a campus visit last Friday, and of course costs and aid were some of my main questions. From all of the information I received GWU only offers merit scholarships for those who submitted their applications by the first priority deadline. On the accepted students Facebook page they also said that all of the students who were selected are already notified.

I talked to a few current students and they stressed that many students hold a full time job (because mostly all classes are in the evening) to be able to afford everything.

I was extremely impressed with the program, location, and everything GW has to offer so it is a definite bummer that they do not offer any additional assistance. There are a lot of opportunities for fellowships and assistantships. I was assured that the faculty down there have so many connections and really fight to find you opportunities that really fit your interests.

I have narrowed my 5 choices down to deciding between GW and BU now. BU's tuition is significantly higher however they offer a lot more assistance (I was initially offered a 15k merit award). I am definitely stressing on what to do!!

 

[brwneydRA]

I went on a campus visit last Friday, and of course costs and aid were some of my main questions. From all of the information I received GWU only offers merit scholarships for those who submitted their applications by the first priority deadline. On the accepted students Facebook page they also said that all of the students who were selected are already notified.

I talked to a few current students and they stressed that many students hold a full time job (because mostly all classes are in the evening) to be able to afford everything.

I was extremely impressed with the program, location, and everything GW has to offer so it is a definite bummer that they do not offer any additional assistance. There are a lot of opportunities for fellowships and assistantships. I was assured that the faculty down there have so many connections and really fight to find you opportunities that really fit your interests.

I have narrowed my 5 choices down to deciding between GW and BU now. BU's tuition is significantly higher however they offer a lot more assistance (I was initially offered a 15k merit award). I am definitely stressing on what to do!!

I really like that most classes are available in the afternoon so you can work or intern during the day, hopefully offsetting some of the costs. I received a merit award (12 units the first year, 6 the next) but it's still pretty expensive after that, having to pay for 27 units out of pocket.

Did you feel like the faculty were accessible, or did any students discuss this with you? One of my main concerns is that MPH students are farther down the totem pole than PhD students and therefore won't receive very much attention.

 

[mphlurker]

What is everyone's concentration? I am currently waiting on a few schools but deciding mainly between GWU and BU for Maternal and Child Health. I submitted GWU after their scholarship deadline (oops) and also have the 15k at BU. Does anyone know how these two compare? Both schools look very solid and I will be attending both of the accepted student days. I live in DC so would not mind at all staying in the area. DECISIONS DECISIONS!

 

[tjt27]

I really like that most classes are available in the afternoon so you can work or intern during the day, hopefully offsetting some of the costs. I received a merit award (12 units the first year, 6 the next) but it's still pretty expensive after that, having to pay for 27 units out of pocket.

Did you feel like the faculty were accessible, or did any students discuss this with you? One of my main concerns is that MPH students are farther down the totem pole than PhD students and therefore won't receive very much attention.

I did not talk with any faculty myself. I talked with a few students and they said that they had never had any problems getting in contact with faculty. He told me that they usually respond to emails within the same day. They generally don't have office hours, but many professors with work with your schedule to meet with you. I was accepted into the Global Health Program Design, Monitoring and Evaluation and last years cohort was about 40 students and more specialized classes there are only around 6-10 people. I got the overall impression that you get a very personal relationship with a lot of the faculty from various departments.

 

[catinnat]

I'm in for Community Oriented Primary Care (COPC). I'm trying not to dwell on the fact that my GPA was .03 below the cutoff for merit award consideration. So over it. AGHHH

Anyways...hello fellow-Washingtonian! I can't speak to BU, unfortunately; I decided I didn't want to go that far away, even though I did go to college in MA. Congrats on the scholarship! I've seen some people say it doesn't go as far as it would seem, though I think that's a pretty significant amount off tuition. If I do go to GW, it is likely that I will go part-time the first year while staying at my current job to save money. I <3 DC too, so don't necessarily want to leave!

 

[catinnat]

Oh, and I was able to speak with a professor over the phone about assistantship opportunities very recently, so I have a positive view of the faculty accessibility factor. Not sure I would have been able to do that at a lot of other places considering I'm not even a student yet.

 

[oceanhue]

I went on a campus visit last Friday, and of course costs and aid were some of my main questions. From all of the information I received GWU only offers merit scholarships for those who submitted their applications by the first priority deadline. On the accepted students Facebook page they also said that all of the students who were selected are already notified.

I talked to a few current students and they stressed that many students hold a full time job (because mostly all classes are in the evening) to be able to afford everything.

I was extremely impressed with the program, location, and everything GW has to offer so it is a definite bummer that they do not offer any additional assistance. There are a lot of opportunities for fellowships and assistantships. I was assured that the faculty down there have so many connections and really fight to find you opportunities that really fit your interests.

I have narrowed my 5 choices down to deciding between GW and BU now. BU's tuition is significantly higher however they offer a lot more assistance (I was initially offered a 15k merit award). I am definitely stressing on what to do!!

Yea, they told me the same thing when I called them awhile ago (the lack of grants, scholarships, etc.). Anyone else think that it is a bit ridiculous how they offer absolutely NO type of funding whatsoever? How is that even possible? You would think that since they're situated in the nation's capital with a crapload of connections that they could've achieved SOME type of funding for graduate students. To only offer merit scholarships to a small few is absolutely insulting and has somewhat turned me off towards the school.

 

[Occasional Gambler]

I'm accepted there and they are giving me about $25K. First of all, DC is EXPENSIVE. A 925 sq ft 2-bedroom costs $2800/month where I live on U Street. A 500 sq ft studio can be $2000 all told. Foggy Bottom, where GW is located, is a nice area too. Because that area will always have demand from GW students, many of the buildings around there are very outdated and 1-bedrooms in the 700 sq foot range are $2000-2400/month.

 

[brwneydRA]

I just got my financial aid estimate and the estimated cost of attendence (COA) is $55,711 for the year. That number includes fall and spring semester costs, so I'd guess you'd need to factor in a little bit more for summer cost of living too.

EDIT: That includes $23,400 for living expenses, for anyone trying to plan for rent or estimate a budget for themselves.

 

[oceanhue]

I just got my financial aid estimate and the estimated cost of attendence (COA) is $55,711 for the year. That number includes fall and spring semester costs, so I'd guess you'd need to factor in a little bit more for summer cost of living too.

EDIT: That includes $23,400 for living expenses, for anyone trying to plan for rent or estimate a budget for themselves.

I too just received my financial aid estimate and I LOL'd. IDK if it's out of pity (for myself) or because this whole graduate school admissions process has taken away my sanity.

That's a lot of loans to take out... It covers their "estimate", but IDK how I feel about taking out $55K for one year!

I'm accepted there and they are giving me about $25K. First of all, DC is EXPENSIVE. A 925 sq ft 2-bedroom costs $2800/month where I live on U Street. A 500 sq ft studio can be $2000 all told. Foggy Bottom, where GW is located, is a nice area too. Because that area will always have demand from GW students, many of the buildings around there are very outdated and 1-bedrooms in the 700 sq foot range are $2000-2400/month.

Yea... I'm not getting much. I'm gonna have to turn down this offer, it's too bad because I liked this program.

To everyone else, good luck!

 

[JewcyFruit]

I got it as I was walking into my stats class and literally busted out laughing. When I applied there for my MA in history it was the same way. School-wide they do not offer any funding for master's level degrees. It all goes to either UGs or PhD candidates. Considering similar cost of living, and the fact that GW will not allow you to graduate in anything less than 4 full semesters, plus summer term spent doing your practicum, I'm out, too. I can get it done faster and most cost-effectively at BU and it's ranking is better (and yeah, I'm that kind of snob).

 

[oceanhue]

I got it as I was walking into my stats class and literally busted out laughing. When I applied there for my MA in history it was the same way. School-wide they do not offer any funding for master's level degrees. It all goes to either UGs or PhD candidates. Considering similar cost of living, and the fact that GW will not allow you to graduate in anything less than 4 full semesters, plus summer term spent doing your practicum, I'm out, too. I can get it done faster and most cost-effectively at BU and it's ranking is better (and yeah, I'm that kind of snob).

It's weird though, I've made up my mind to not attend but I'm having some difficulty sending in my decision! I guess because it's more official, haha!

 

[nblues]

GW is the biggest contender for me so far but that cost of attendance email made me want to laugh and cry. Yikes.

 

[catinnat]

One thing that confused me, though - if they haven't looked at our FAFSAs, is this amount going to change or something?

 

[nblues]

One thing that confused me, though - if they haven't looked at our FAFSAs, is this amount going to change or something?

What they sent was only a cost of attendance estimate so it wasn't personalized or anything. It also said " Also, if you are eligible for any form of tuition reimbursement, scholarships, etc, the loan amount noted above will be reduced by the amount awarded to you by the granting agency."

I'm assuming we won't know anything until the summer because people were saying that they've already handed out scholarship info. I want to talk to someone from the financial aid office personally.

 

[tjt27]

Ahhhh after that COA estimate I was definitely on the verge of tears from laughing and shock. My heart is almost set on attending GW but I just cant wrap my head around over 100,000 in debt

 

[nblues]

Ahhhh after that COA estimate I was definitely on the verge of tears from laughing and shock. My heart is almost set on attending GW but I just cant wrap my head around over 100,000 in debt

Same here . My concentration (the Global Health Design, Mentoring, and Eval program) looks great, I'd love to move to DC, I'm mostly sure I'll be attending BUT the cost!!!! I guess a plus is that the classes are in the afternoon/evening so we can work full time in the day.

 

[oceanhue]

One thing that confused me, though - if they haven't looked at our FAFSAs, is this amount going to change or something?

They've already notified peeps if they were eligible for a scholarship. If you haven't heard anything as of now, it's safe to assume that their estimate is pretty accurate in terms of what you're eligible for (basically, loans).

 

[catinnat]

Same here . My concentration (the Global Health Design, Mentoring, and Eval program) looks great, I'd love to move to DC, I'm mostly sure I'll be attending BUT the cost!!!! I guess a plus is that the classes are in the afternoon/evening so we can work full time in the day.

That option is looking more and more attractive...

 

[tjt27]

Same here . My concentration (the Global Health Design, Mentoring, and Eval program) looks great, I'd love to move to DC, I'm mostly sure I'll be attending BUT the cost!!!! I guess a plus is that the classes are in the afternoon/evening so we can work full time in the day.

I'm almost positive I have my heart completely set on going here too.. And I'm in the same program!! We can go through our financial woes together

 

[unos]

Hi guys, I got accepted at GWU as well without any aid. I don't know if the fees are similar but being an international student I would have to rely heavily on loans. Now amongst MPP/MPA I would be choosing one program and the issue is not about deciding which one.

My main concern is being a non-US citizen, I would not be able to work in federal govt. so that reduces job opportunities for me. Do you have any idea if I can work in state or local government level or that's for locals only as well. This may sound dumb but I don't know whom and where to contact for more info on this.
I am guessing I can work in non-profit or private sectors but usually how are the job prospects for these degrees?

Any tips/suggestions?

 

[rpflash100]

Did you all only receive notices via email? I know that a lot of schools use portals, and when I applied for undergrad at GW, I could check on my status via the GW website.

 

[mimiQ]

Hi guys, I got accepted at GWU as well without any aid. I don't know if the fees are similar but being an international student I would have to rely heavily on loans. Now amongst MPP/MPA I would be choosing one program and the issue is not about deciding which one.

My main concern is being a non-US citizen, I would not be able to work in federal govt. so that reduces job opportunities for me. Do you have any idea if I can work in state or local government level or that's for locals only as well. This may sound dumb but I don't know whom and where to contact for more info on this.
I am guessing I can work in non-profit or private sectors but usually how are the job prospects for these degrees?

Any tips/suggestions?

Also an intl student here. I don't think we are eligible to work at US federal agencies. I have seen state/county health departments hiring foreign epidemiologist, but I heard that is very rare and can be a difficult process. But then again, gaining employment at the government section is all about politics and connections so I am sure there are exceptions.

 

[tjt27]

For those who attended the preview day yesterday, what were your thoughts?

 

[rpflash100]

I just got my acceptance email!!! I can not express how happy I am, and what a relief this is (this is my first acceptance).

 

[Orchidmph]

Good afternoon (3/24) was just accepted this morning to GWU MPH Health Policy!

 

[Orchidmph]

Yes thoughts would be great! Apparently that was the last preview day :/ I'm going to make a trip out there with a 1 on 1 tour in the coming weeks.

I'm very anti-making a decision without visiting the school & being able to get an overall vibe!

I've got until April 15th to make a decision

 

[rpflash100]

Yes thoughts would be great! Apparently that was the last preview day :/ I'm going to make a trip out there with a 1 on 1 tour in the coming weeks.

I'm very anti-making a decision without visiting the school & being able to get an overall vibe!

I've got until April 15th to make a decision

Right, I live here and so I've been there numerous times. I live the area and campus, but I'm a little biased.

 

[Orchidmph]

Right, I live here and so I've been there numerous times. I live the area and campus, but I'm a little biased.

I've came numerous times to DC/Georgetown/VA for family and friends since I was a child; my last visit being in December. I've driven by GWU but I haven't actually gone down and spoken to anyone, or walked around campus.

 

[Orchidmph]

Does anyone know the amount of the enrollment deposit? I didn't show up when I logged on... and I haven't decided yet if I will be accepting GWU offer so I don't want to screw up... Not sure if the MPH Health Policy is a different amount? Or all concentrations are the same...

 

[rpflash100]

I was surprised when I looked at the enrollment decision page that it wasn't listed right away. I haven't accepted yet, so I can't tell you; I was hoping there was not deposit....

 

[Orchidmph]

I was surprised when I looked at the enrollment decision page that it wasn't listed right away. I haven't accepted yet, so I can't tell you; I was hoping there was not deposit....

The deposit will go towards first semesters tuition; so if you're a 100% sure where you're going it's not bad...

I tried to google it but I haven't found :/

 

[tjt27]

Does anyone know the amount of the enrollment deposit? I didn't show up when I logged on... and I haven't decided yet if I will be accepting GWU offer so I don't want to screw up... Not sure if the MPH Health Policy is a different amount? Or all concentrations are the same...

The deposit is $300

 

[Orchidmph]

Thank you!

Glad I have enough time to make a decision...

 

[yezzy123]

I know this is a long shot, but if a female is going to GW and moving to DC (or just needs a roommate in the area), I'm looking for a roommate for mid-May!

Edit: Never mind. I think I've found something.

 

[nblues]

Paid the deposit today!

 

[cgaiu001]

Paid the deposit as well! :-D . Were any of you able to go to preview day? how was it?

 

[rpflash100]

Decided, that I will not be attending GW. Best of luck to everyone! See ya in the field.