2009-2010 George Washington University Application Thread

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sigh. GWU. please take me off your hold list that I've been on for 1.5 months. find it in yourself to throw some kindness my way and impart an interview invite on me 😀
 
i have the suspicion they put you on hold even before they review your app, so stay positive!
 
Sorry if this has been answered before but if they take you off of hold, do they notify you via email? Or did you guys find out by checking your status page?
 
Beren said:
I figure, if I am gonna be at med school for 7-8 years, then I will do my best if I enjoy the setting. The area around GWU is amazing (except for how pricey housing can be): lots of culture, the metro is convenient, and it is fairly safe.
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Those are my sentiments exactly!!👍
 
I mailed my app to GWU on sept. 18, and they still haven't emailed me saying its been received. Is this typical? The website specifically says don't call about it.
 
It definitely takes a while. They have 10k apps and probably 3 if not 2 secretaries handling them, just think about that.
 
LittleRichard said:
I mailed my app to GWU on sept. 18, and they still haven't emailed me saying its been received. Is this typical? The website specifically says don't call about it.
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Hey, I mailed mine on the 19th and I got an e-mail notification that they received it on the 22nd, and was complete on the 23rd. I'd call...
 
On hold... kind of expected it, has anyone been formally rejected yet? or know of anyone?
 
Greetings, everyone!

If you are fortunate enough to be admitted, GW is an excellent place to go to med school if you are primarily interested in clinical medicine. We have a diverse class... many older, married with children, second career types (myself included). DC is a wonderful place to live, unless you get caught in a motorcade before an exam. If you want to research, volunteer etc. during the summer after first year the school will hook you up with great opportunities that you are unlikely to find elsewhere. All of us, even the most hardworking (I'm not) have lives out of school. I find time to work out almost every day, watch the news, eat out on weekends, etc. How well you balance your life largely depends upon how organized you are and what your academic and professional goals may be. None of us, to my knowledge, are screeching "Oh the horror, the horror" about med school.

If you are interviewing, be aware that neither the faculty nor student interview has read your file. They are trying to gauge your maturity and to a large degree whether you will be a fun person to have around for four years. I was specifically asked about what my interests were, what I did outside of school, my prior work experiences, etc. The student interview does count. Relax. Don't blow it off.

Downsides to GW --

1. cost
2. a lot of class time - i don't go to a lot of the lectures unless they are particularly value-added. everything you need to know is in the handouts.
3. i sense that this is similar at most schools, but many different professors will teach your courses. the material can sometimes come across as disconnected. in-class teaching quality varies from excellent to waste of your time.
4. tough to get in to. about 1/4 of my class went to gw undergrad, quite a few others went to schools with linkages to gw or schools that have tacit feeder relationships with the school. so, at least a third if not more of the slots are off the table if you are not in that crowd.

Hope this helps a bit.
 
GirlAnachronism said:
sigh. GWU. please take me off your hold list that I've been on for 1.5 months. find it in yourself to throw some kindness my way and impart an interview invite on me 😀
Click to expand...

Do they let you know you're on their hold list? I got an email saying my app was completed, but never got a "you're on hold" email.
 
Please GW pull through for me.. after two rejections this week I'm wondering if this interview will be my only one.... I got my MA/MPH at GW a few years back so I'm hoping that will help a lot! :xf::xf:
 
Hm...I was complete 9/15 and my status hasn't changed at all...no hold or anything, just "we have received all of your info blah blah blah"
 
sushichopstickz said:
Hi guys! Wow, I can't believe it has been a year since I was in shoe, applying to medical school. A short blurb about myself: I am a first year at GW. Feel free to ask me any questions and I will try to answer them. Good luck!!

I'm studying for my first block exams...so it might take me awhile to get back to you.
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Hi sushichopstickz!

I am working on my last question in the secondary: What is your specific interest in the MD Program at GW? What opportunities would you take advantage of as a student here? Why?

A little stuck on this even after looking through the website. Being a current student, can you give some inside scoop on the schools uniqueness. Perhaps any specific opportunity at GW that is really worth taking advantage of? I would really love to attend GW and live in DC!

Greatly appreciate your time and help!🙂
 
Congrats! 🙂

Do you mind sharing your stats? Just want to get a feel for what GW is looking for...
 
gwg said:
Greetings, everyone!

If you are fortunate enough to be admitted, GW is an excellent place to go to med school if you are primarily interested in clinical medicine. We have a diverse class... many older, married with children, second career types (myself included). DC is a wonderful place to live, unless you get caught in a motorcade before an exam. If you want to research, volunteer etc. during the summer after first year the school will hook you up with great opportunities that you are unlikely to find elsewhere. All of us, even the most hardworking (I'm not) have lives out of school. I find time to work out almost every day, watch the news, eat out on weekends, etc. How well you balance your life largely depends upon how organized you are and what your academic and professional goals may be. None of us, to my knowledge, are screeching "Oh the horror, the horror" about med school.

If you are interviewing, be aware that neither the faculty nor student interview has read your file. They are trying to gauge your maturity and to a large degree whether you will be a fun person to have around for four years. I was specifically asked about what my interests were, what I did outside of school, my prior work experiences, etc. The student interview does count. Relax. Don't blow it off.

Downsides to GW --

1. cost
2. a lot of class time - i don't go to a lot of the lectures unless they are particularly value-added. everything you need to know is in the handouts.
3. i sense that this is similar at most schools, but many different professors will teach your courses. the material can sometimes come across as disconnected. in-class teaching quality varies from excellent to waste of your time.
4. tough to get in to. about 1/4 of my class went to gw undergrad, quite a few others went to schools with linkages to gw or schools that have tacit feeder relationships with the school. so, at least a third if not more of the slots are off the table if you are not in that crowd.

Hope this helps a bit.
Click to expand...

Hi gwg,

I am working on my last question in the secondary: What is your specific interest in the MD Program at GW? What opportunities would you take advantage of as a student here? Why?

A little stuck on this even after looking through the website. Being a current student, can you give some inside scoop on the schools uniqueness. Perhaps any specific opportunity at GW that is really worth taking advantage of? I would really love to attend GW and live in DC!

Greatly appreciate your time and help!🙂
 
NdNThunder said:
Hi sushichopstickz!

I am working on my last question in the secondary: What is your specific interest in the MD Program at GW? What opportunities would you take advantage of as a student here? Why?

A little stuck on this even after looking through the website. Being a current student, can you give some inside scoop on the schools uniqueness. Perhaps any specific opportunity at GW that is really worth taking advantage of? I would really love to attend GW and live in DC!

Greatly appreciate your time and help!🙂
Click to expand...

Hi! I am sorry for the late response, but my class just finished our first set of exams last week. We spent the weekend re-cooperating...so please accept my apology.

In regards to your question, GW is really big on its Track Program, which is spearheaded by the Office of Student Opportunities (OSO). There are numerous track programs, ranging from healthcare policy, biomedical research, integrative medicine, emergency healthcare management, green/sustainable healthcare, global heath, and a few more that I can't remember from the top of my head. The purpose of the track program is to get students involved in areas outside the basic sciences. Track focuses on the student's interest(s), whatever it may be. The OSO does a great job with pairing students with various volunteer/research/etc. opportunities in and around the District. The track program is not mandatory. However, it adds an extra element to your resume when it comes time to apply for Residency. I am thinking of signing up for the Environmental Health Track. Visit the OSO's website for more information: http://www.gwumc.edu/smhs/students/opportunities/programs.htm

In addition, GW is big on the healthcare debate. If you're interested in healthcare reform, politics, and policy this is the place for you! GW is only a few blocks away from the center of power, the White House, and maybe a mile or so from Capitol Hill. DC is definitely an exciting place to be, especially when it comes to healthare debate and/or reform.

My last piece of advice is be yourself. Express what you're really interested in secondary, as oppose to listing things that you think the ADCOM might like. GW is really about "fit," as the school receives tons of secondaries from applicants each year. I wish you the best and if you have any question, feel free to message me.

GL!!!
 
Last edited:
complete 7/9, been on hold for around 2 months now...
 
I'm sorry if this question has already been asked, but when putting our grades into the secondary for the pre-reqs, she would include pluses and minuses?
I e-mailed the school, and what I got was:
Please match your grid exactly to AMCAS. If they have a plus or minus, then yes please include it.

Well AMCAS has one with +/- and one without. What should I do?
 
Dazedaisy said:
I'm sorry if this question has already been asked, but when putting our grades into the secondary for the pre-reqs, she would include pluses and minuses?
I e-mailed the school, and what I got was:
Please match your grid exactly to AMCAS. If they have a plus or minus, then yes please include it.

Well AMCAS has one with +/- and one without. What should I do?
Click to expand...

Yeah, I know this happens with A+'s (AMCAS just puts, A's). I would put exactly what's on AMCAS. Remember that GW doesn't have your actual transcript at this point, so if it's not on your AMCAS, they can't verify that you actually have the plus or minus.
 
My status is coming up with some ASP error and other computer lingo. Is anyone else having this problem?
 
So, I know the status page is updated weekly, but does anyone know what day of the week it is updated?
 
Hi everyone. I got an email on October 4th saying my file is complete, and my status was changed to "on hold for re-review at a later date" a few days after that. I have a 3.92 science/ 3.97 cumulative/ and 26O. What do you think are my chances for an interview?
 
FutureMed1 said:
Hi everyone. I got an email on October 4th saying my file is complete, and my status was changed to "on hold for re-review at a later date" a few days after that. I have a 3.92 science/ 3.97 cumulative/ and 26O. What do you think are my chances for an interview?
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Your MCAT is a little lacking. A 28-29ish could have garnered you an initial interview. Your GPA is excellent. Your chance for an interview is slim. Send updates and keep the heat alive but I'd also caution you to start looking into other prospects.
 
Thanks for your feedback MegaProjectile. I called the admissions office and they said that the average mcat is 30 and gpa is 3.64. Since my gpa far surpasses their average, wouldn't that accomodate for my mcat being a bit lower. Also, if the average is 30, then doesn't that mean that they accept applicants with mcat's above and below 30. How are my chances at an interview slim?
 
FutureMed1 said:
Thanks for your feedback MegaProjectile. I called the admissions office and they said that the average mcat is 30 and gpa is 3.64. Since my gpa far surpasses their average, wouldn't that accomodate for my mcat being a bit lower. Also, if the average is 30, then doesn't that mean that they accept applicants with mcat's above and below 30. How are my chances at an interview slim?
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Your chances are slim because they have 13,000 applicants. Right now there are thousands of students with great stats on hold(if SDN is any indicator). So GWU has a large pool to choose from and that is what affects your chance. I will advise you to write a strong letter of interest. Highlight what you like about GW, your love for clinical medicine, the uniqueness and diversity you bring and why GW is right for you. Don't email it. Hand-write it.
 
Really quick question: if you call the admissions office, they tell you that the best way to send letters of interest/intent is by email, as they receive it and place it in your file sooner. I'm sending one post interview. Would you recommend sending it by email if you're post-interview and handwriting it if you're pre-interview? Does it really make a difference?
 
ramleigh7 said:
Really quick question: if you call the admissions office, they tell you that the best way to send letters of interest/intent is by email, as they receive it and place it in your file sooner. I'm sending one post interview. Would you recommend sending it by email if you're post-interview and handwriting it if you're pre-interview? Does it really make a difference?
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Email post interview is fine. You've already been interview so you are just waiting for a final decision. Handwritten letter of interest add an extra special touch ,shows how serious you are and most importantly it helps them remember you. For people on hold(pre-interview), it can make a difference. If your hand-writing is bad, find someone with a good hand-writing and dictate your letter to them.
 
MegaProjectile said:
Email post interview is fine. You've already been interview so you are just waiting for a final decision. Handwritten letter of interest add an extra special touch ,shows how serious you are and most importantly it helps them remember you. For people on hold(pre-interview), it can make a difference. If your hand-writing is bad, find someone with a good hand-writing and dictate your letter to them.
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seriously? i would recommend typing it if you're not going to email it. JMO.
 
dw2158 said:
seriously? i would recommend typing it if you're not going to email it. JMO.
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I can't remember the last time I handwrote anything except for class notes and post-its.

Oh, and grocery lists, although that all changed when I got my new phone.
 
dw2158 said:
seriously? i would recommend typing it if you're not going to email it. JMO.
Click to expand...

dru2002 said:
+1

This is a professional correspondence which is almost always typed. Just my two cents.
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Handwriting is not the typical route but I've explained why it might help in my above. Schools like GW probably get hundreds of these typed one-page generic LOI. Pre-interview hold is a tough place to be(compared to post-interview hold). Adding character and uniqueness to your application can help you stand out from the piled. My own 2cents 🙂.
 
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