Navigating Admissions to George Washington University: A Comprehensive Guide

Gaining admission to George Washington University (GW) requires careful preparation and a strategic approach. This article provides a detailed overview of the university's admission requirements, offering insights for prospective students at various academic levels.

Understanding the Admissions Landscape

The acceptance rate at George Washington University is 47.1%, indicating a moderately selective admission process. While the university considers various factors, academic performance, including GPA and standardized test scores (if submitted), plays a crucial role.

Academic Requirements: GPA and Coursework

GW's Admissions Committee carefully reviews each applicant based on academic background, the rigor of high school coursework, and GPA.

GPA Expectations

The GPA requirement that really matters is the GPA you need for a real chance of getting in. GW expects you to be at the top of your class. You'll need nearly straight A's in all your classes to compete with other applicants. If your GPA is at or below the school average of 3.96, you'll need a higher SAT or ACT score to compensate.

Transcripts and School Reports

First-year applicants must have transcripts for their entire secondary school career (four years of academic study including the current year in progress). Transcripts are required from each secondary school attended as well as marks from any national examinations. Also, applicants are expected to submit a mid-year report from their senior year which includes grades for all classes. For Early Decision I students, first quarter or first trimester grades will fulfill this requirement.

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Your School Counselor or other School Official may send an electronic transcript and School Report directly to our office.

Standardized Testing: SAT and ACT

George Washington University has indicated that the SAT or ACT is required for some applicants.

Test-Optional Policy

GW has been proudly test-optional for the majority of applicants since 2015. The best indication of whether a student will be successful at GW is their performance in high school-the grades they earn and the rigor of their coursework. This has always been the most important part of the application process at GW and this will not change, regardless of whether you choose to submit scores.

Who Must Submit Test Scores?

GW requires SAT/ACT scores from the following groups:

Applicants applying to the accelerated Seven-Year B.A./M.D. (if submitting ACT scores, the Science section is required for B.A./M.D. applicants) Program
Applicants who are homeschooled
Applicants who attend secondary schools that provide only narrative evaluations rather than some form of grading scale

SAT Score Analysis

The 25th percentile SAT score is 1360, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1470. If your SAT score is currently below a 1420, consider prepping for the SAT and retaking it.

GW considers only the critical reading and math sections of the SAT for admission.

ACT Score Analysis

The average ACT score at George Washington University is 32. The 25th percentile ACT score is 30, and the 75th percentile ACT score is 33. To try to aim for the school's ACT requirement of 32 and above, you should try to take the ACT as many times as you can.

Except for B.A./M.D. applicants, the ACT Science section is not required.

Superscoring Policy

GW will superscore both the SAT and the ACT, which means that the Admissions Committee will consider only the highest critical reading, math, and writing scores you’ve submitted, regardless of test administration.

Submitting Scores

Should you submit SAT or ACT scores, please be mindful of GW’s test score codes: SAT Code: 5246 ACT Code: 0664

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Applicants indicate their test option on their application for admission. Once an application has been submitted, students have a limited time to change their selection in their portal.

Please note that following the release of our admissions decisions, we will ask students who were admitted without test scores to submit scores for research purposes.

Test-Optional Considerations

SAT/ACT scores are an optional credential. You can decide if you want to submit your scores to GW as part of your application. If you feel your SAT or ACT scores are an accurate reflection of your academic abilities, you are welcome to submit them for consideration. There is no preference for SAT or ACT scores.

If you choose not to submit test scores, you will not be viewed negatively. Test scores are not required for consideration in special programs (except for GW's seven-year B.A./M.D. program) or for merit scholarships.

Application Components

Every school requires an application with the bare essentials - high school transcript and GPA, application form, and other core information. Many schools also require SAT and ACT scores, as well as letters of recommendation, application essays, and interviews.

Application Methods and Deadlines

GW offers 2 methods to apply as a first-year student - the Common Application or the Coalition Application. There is a nonrefundable application fee of $80 for students on either platform.

Note that there are multiple decision plans at GW, with different deadlines. GW offers:

Early Decision I (binding)
Early Decision II (binding)
Regular Decision (non-binding)

The application deadline at George Washington University is Jan. 5. The Early Decision Deadline is Nov.

Essays

The application essay provides an opportunity for applicants to demonstrate their interests and English language writing skills. Applicants will choose one of two specific prompts that best allows them to share their story with the Admissions Committee.

In addition to the required essay, GW offers an optional Writing Supplement on the Common Application. The GW supplemental essay is a chance for an applicant to show their personality and make connections between their experiences and GW’s institutional values. While this optional essay may give additional context to the application, those who do not submit it will not be penalized.

Letters of Recommendation

GW requires one letter of recommendation/evaluation, which can be from a high school counselor or an academic teacher. The letter must be submitted directly by the recommender.

Portfolios

All students are required to submit 12-20 completed works of art. The included work should be your best and most recent work. If possible, the work should be related to your area of interest.

It is very important that the majors match on both your admissions application and SlideRoom. Please take care when selecting the program (e.g., B.A. in Fine Arts vs. B.F.A. in Fine Arts), and make sure you've selected the same major in both locations.

Additional Considerations

Holistic Review

Because we take a holistic approach to the application review process, we have no minimum GPA or SAT/ACT requirements for admission. However, admission to GW is competitive; admitted students are typically strong academic students in their high school graduating class.

The GW Admissions Committee carefully reviews each applicant based on academic background, the rigor of high school coursework, and GPA. In addition, the committee takes into consideration essays, letters of recommendation, and extracurricular activities.

Special Programs

These include:

Cisneros Scholars
Civic House
Corcoran Scholars
Politics & Values Program
Seven-Year B.A./M.D. Program (Additional requirements)
University Honors Program (Essays required)
Women's Leadership Program

For further information on these programs and any additional requirements, visit our Special Program webpage.

Matriculating Student Requirements

GW will not require any matriculating student who did not take the SAT or ACT to take the test before enrolling. However, GW will continue to analyze the correlation between standardized testing and academic success.

International Students

Applicants who have earned their degrees outside of the US must hold degrees from institutions in compliance with their national standards.

If your transcripts or records are from a university outside of the United States, carefully review the admission requirement for your program to determine what you should upload to your application.

International students must provide English language test scores. Scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the academic International English Language Testing System (IELTS) may not be more than two years old.

If you’ve previously applied to or attended GW, you must provide official copies of score reports for any required tests, even if these reports have been submitted as part of an earlier application.

You are still required to demonstrate English language proficiency if English is not your first language.

Graduate Admissions

To be eligible for admission, applicants must hold a Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university.

You must submit a transcript, detailed marks certificate or comparable document that shows all course work, grades and proof of earned degrees from each institution you’ve attended. This is required for all colleges and universities where you have taken academic courses, regardless of whether or not you earned credit, the program was completed or the credit appears as transfer credit on another transcript. You should upload unofficial transcripts to your online account.

Use your statement of purpose as an opportunity to tell us about personal and professional interests and goals, and how your background makes you a good fit for a graduate program at GW. Your statement should follow the content and length requirements as described by the program to which you are applying.

The number and type of recommendations you are required to submit depends on the program you are applying to. We strongly encourage you to submit your recommendations online and you can request them through the Graduate Application Center.

Some graduate programs require standardized test scores, such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT). Your scores must be sent directly to GW by the testing agency. These scores cannot be more than five years old and you should take the test early enough so they arrive at GW by your application deadline.

Résumés, proof of specialized certification, writing samples or other supporting documents may be required by your program of interest. These materials should be uploaded to your online application.

Medical School Admissions

With the Development of AAMC/HHMI scientific and personal competencies, the George Washington University Committee on Admissions for M.D. Programs have moved from strict premedical requirements to competency-based recommendations.

To further enhance our holistic review process during the 2026 application cycle, we are recommending applicants take the AAMC PREviewTM Professional Readiness Exam. It is a situational judgment test assessing the pre-professional competencies that we believe are essential for success as a student and physician. We consider this score as just one part of our process. Again we are recommending not requiring the exam.

Applicants must be a Permanent Resident, or Canadian citizen or confirmed Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) status at the time of application.

MCAT exam scores are required, regardless of the version, and must be completed from April 2022 through September 2025. We do not accept scores from the previous version of the MCAT.

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