9,000 applicants to GW

[woolie]

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I just got my rejection letter from George Washington, and while it hurts to be rejected - 😛 - they sure put it nicely:

"At present, there are nearly 9,000 applicants for our 150 places! ... We want to point out that your rejection is due in part to the extreme competition for places in our class. We have done our best to be realistic and judicious in reaching our decisions. However, we are painfully aware that many more excellent candidates are being denied this year than in the past."

I spoke to someone in an admissions office earlier this week and even she couldn't understand just how a school like GW can decide among 9,000 applicants. Is this an increase over last year? and why exactly do 9,000 people apply? (me included, I guess ... )

 

[jlee9531]

i dont really know...

but these are just my thoughts...

GW isnt a "top" school but isnt bad. Lots of people apply there because they don't feel like you need really high numbers to be considered. I know a lot of people that are applying there think of it as a very good backup school, if they dont get into their top choices.
There are what 35000 applicants? A lot of us obviously want to get into our top choices but obviously we need to be smart and pick schools that we think we can have a good chance to get into and I guess GW is one of those schools many of us feel is a good place to get our medical education if we cant into our top picks.

GW is in a pretty decent location and a med student can do well and have fun there as well.

 

[exmike]

That means one in four applicants applies to GW. thats nuts.

btw 9000 applicants is the # of primary. I hear that the # of secondaries they actually receive is closer to 4-5k. That might make you feel better. I got waistlisted at GW, which is about as good as getting rejected since the interview 1200 students.

 

[boomuntilnoon]

I dialed them up this week to check my status, and the secretary said that I should be "receiving something from them very soon." I wonder if that means I got rejected? 🙂 Anybody else get a similar statement from them?

 

[G0S2]

It may be a HOLD. Did you interview? I called and they told me I was on HOLD meaning that it was reviewed and they will get back to it in Feb. I received a letter stating that a few days later.

 

[UCIgrad2002]

Originally posted by exmike
That means one in four applicants applies to GW. thats nuts.

btw 9000 applicants is the # of primary. I hear that the # of secondaries they actually receive is closer to 4-5k. That might make you feel better. I got waistlisted at GW, which is about as good as getting rejected since the interview 1200 students.

actually, from what i've heard from students at GW, getting waitlisted is a good sign and almost guarantees acceptance come may. a friend of mine who's a second year over there told me that over 90% of her first year class was pulled straight off the waitlist. it's one of the few schools that operates this way. why, i don't know, but it seems like a good thing.

 

[japhy]

I think the main reason that so many people come off the waitlist at GW is the cost of tuition. A lot of people hold a spot at GW and then hope they get into a cheaper state school. $15K is a lot easier to pay for than $35K.

 

[ewing]

I had a really compelling reason for interest in GW...and they still gave me a pre-interview hold. 🙁 Does anyone know the breakdown for how many people get pre-interview hold vs. how many interviewed vs. how many rejected flat-out?

 

[exmike]

Originally posted by UCIgrad2002
actually, from what i've heard from students at GW, getting waitlisted is a good sign and almost guarantees acceptance come may. a friend of mine who's a second year over there told me that over 90% of her first year class was pulled straight off the waitlist. it's one of the few schools that operates this way. why, i don't know, but it seems like a good thing.

Still, if you interview 1200 and 450 are accepted for a class of 150, that indicates two things:

Since it they had to take three times the class size to fill the class, YES, most people that are there get in off waitlist.

However:

Since only 1/3 of those interviewed are offered acceptances, if you are in waitlist, your chances of acceptance are slightly below 33%, thats on average lower than most schools, which hover around 40-50% acceptance off interview.

 

[gschl1234]

Originally posted by UCIgrad2002
actually, from what i've heard from students at GW, getting waitlisted is a good sign and almost guarantees acceptance come may. a friend of mine who's a second year over there told me that over 90% of her first year class was pulled straight off the waitlist. it's one of the few schools that operates this way. why, i don't know, but it seems like a good thing.

I got the HOLD letter too and my thoughts were these: with over 9,000 applicants (whether they filled out secondaries or not) they must have most of the top students of the country (top numbers anyhow). These students are probably only using GW as a backup and will eventually end up somewhere else opening up spaces for people on hold. Sounds like it'll be a scramble. Who knows, though.

 

[phinicky]

I'm a second year at GW- and I know the admissions process pretty well. It wouldn't suprise that GW got 9000 apps. this year. They had close to 10,000 the year that I applied. Reason being location- this is private school, with absolutely no state affliation.

Being on the waitlist at GW is NOT a bad thing at all. There is a lot of movement on the waitlist come the end of May/early June. Towards that time (and not now) you need to write a letter of intent. It really helps the admissions committee know who would come to GW on short notice.

 

[Brickhouse]

I got my acceptance from GW yesterday in the mail. (not to be a bitch to those still waiting) but my numbers were not amazing in any way so I didn't consider any of my schools back-ups - I honestly just hoped some school would let me in. My acceptance came exactly 6 weeks after my interview. If I remember correctly, they take twice as many people as they expect to enroll, so it seems like a lot of people decide to go elsewhere - I would imagine that there is a good chance for waitlisters to get in because of that. I think they tell you where you are on the waitlist, too. Does that sound accurate to anyone?

But yeah, I can't believe how many people apply there!

And I am extremely hungover today.😎

 

[thekaratekim]

congrats 🙂

 

[highclass]

I dont think that they let you know where you are on the waitlist...

 

[jlee9531]

Originally posted by Brickhouse
I got my acceptance from GW yesterday in the mail. (not to be a bitch to those still waiting) but my numbers were not amazing in any way so I didn't consider any of my schools back-ups - I honestly just hoped some school would let me in. My acceptance came exactly 6 weeks after my interview. If I remember correctly, they take twice as many people as they expect to enroll, so it seems like a lot of people decide to go elsewhere - I would imagine that there is a good chance for waitlisters to get in because of that. I think they tell you where you are on the waitlist, too. Does that sound accurate to anyone?

But yeah, I can't believe how many people apply there!

And I am extremely hungover today.😎

haha awesome brick!!
we non amazing people need to have a get together or something haha.
congratulations again.
you still need that 37 cent stamp? 😛

 

[Brickhouse]

Thanks jlee! We should have a forum the average joe's!

 

[G0S2]

Congrats brickhouse!!!


Still holding, but into USUHS, so I will most likely be in the D.C. area anyway.


Nice job!!

 

[neel07054]

Wow, a lotta people applied to GWU! Right now, I got a white postcard that said my stuff had been sent, and about 4 weeks back I got a yellow card that said my application and file were completed and under review. I haven't heard from them since!

Anyone else have a similar situation?