The George Washington University has received more than 18,950 undergraduate admission applications for fall 2014.
“Although we are in the early stages of reading, it is clear that the applicant pool has extremely accomplished students from around the world. Narrowing the pool down is going to be a challenge, but it is the sort of challenge that we welcome,” said Director of Admissions Karen Felton.
In an effort to streamline the application process for prospective undergraduates, GW joined nearly 200 other institutions in adopting the exclusive use of the Common Application this past fall. As the Office of Admissions predicted, there was a decline in the number of undergraduate applications from last year’s 21,789 total, likely because of the significant changes to both the GW application process and the Common Application system, said Senior Associate Provost for Enrollment Management Laurie Koehler. The number of Early Decision applications GW received was also down from 2,157 last year to 1,106. The Office of Admissions is targeting to enroll an incoming class of around 2,350 students.
“Given the dramatic changes to our process this year, I had anticipated a much greater drop in our application numbers. I’m pleasantly surprised and pleased with where we’ve landed,” Ms. Koehler said.
This year, the Common Application rolled out its fourth generation online application system, CA4, making the application process more rigorous for prospective students. Additionally, the new system requires students to submit payment (or indicate fee waiver eligibility) as part of the application submission process.
GW is not alone in seeing overall applications drop this year. According to a Jan. 15 release of statistics by the Common Application, 43 percent of returning member institutions that use the Common Application exclusively saw a decline in total applications.
“Because the application submission process requires more from students, we are confident that this year’s applicant pool includes an even higher percentage of serious, highly qualified students who will create yet another academically strong enrolling class at GW,” Ms. Koehler said.
Despite the application changes, 17 percent of all fall first-year applicants are international, up from 15 percent in last year’s group. And as GW strives to strengthen efforts at providing access to first-generation college students, the university made systems changes to allow the Office of Admissions to track how many applicants fall into this category. This year, 17 percent of applicants are first-generation.
Ms. Koehler said she applauds the work of the Office of Admissions, as staff members have worked tirelessly all year to expand campus visits, connect with high school counselors and conduct off-campus interviews in cities around the world.
“Our team has worked hard to develop and maintain personal connections with many prospective students, their families and their counselors, and we are thrilled with the strength of this year’s applicant pool,” Ms. Felton said.