Educators
Welcome guidance counselors, teachers and administrators! The following information is intended to help you better answer questions your students may have about Summer Scholars. If you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
If you would like to request information about Summer Scholars to be mailed to you, please click here to complete the information request form, or send us an e-mail at gwsummer@gwu.edu.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many students participate in GW Summer Scholars?
Mini-courses average around 25 students per course. The 6-Week Program will enroll approximately 40-50 students. Undergraduate courses typically enroll 20-30 students per course.
What is the typical profile of a GW Summer Scholar?
GW Summer Scholars come from diverse educational, economic and cultural backgrounds. The program attracts a significant number of students from outside the Washington, D.C., metro area, including students from overseas. The students are high achieving, ambitious and academically advanced. They are often involved in numerous extracurricular activities and, in some cases, have participated in other pre-college programs.
What should a student consider when choosing a pre-college program?
First and foremost, students should know what they hope to accomplish by participating in such programs. Too many students assume that participation assures some advantage in their applications to universities as an undergraduate. This is not necessarily the case, especially with more selective schools. Students should view pre-college programs as an opportunity to learn more about themselves, using this experience as a point of reference and perspective for considering college choices down the road. They should also use this opportunity to learn more about possible courses of interest, programs of study, styles of teaching, campus environments, college life and living away from home.
How selective is the 6-Week program?
The program is intended to provide accelerated-study opportunities to students who demonstrate both the academic readiness and social maturity required in an intensive, fast-paced program of study. Admission decisions are made purely on an assessment of the student's potential to succeed in a short-term summer program. Typically, academic backgrounds range from an overall B average in college prep courses to high As in honors and advanced-level courses.
What should teachers and counselors consider in recommending students to the 6-Week Pre-college Program?
Students take two college-level courses in the course of six weeks. One class is taken with undergraduate students and the other with fellow scholars. The Writing Seminar for Summer Scholars is required and will include an intensive schedule of short texts and extensive writing assignments. Courses are graded, and faculty members do not make special exceptions for high school students. This is truly a college-level experience. Self-motivated students who have a demonstrated a consistent record of academic achievement in demanding courses typically do well in this program. Students should also have strong study habits and conflict-resolution skills. They should also demonstrate the self-sufficiency necessary to live in a loosely structured urban environment.
Will participation in the 6-Week Program enhance an applicant's chance of admission to GW as an undergraduate?
Although successful completion of a university level course enhances the overall academic profile and is an excellent indication of the student's potential to do well in a university setting, participation in Summer Scholars does not assure or imply admission to GW.
For students in the 6-Week Program, are there resources available to help with the undergraduate classes?
Yes. Faculty members keep regular office hours and are available to help students with their classes. Students are expected to take the initiative to meet with faculty regularly to discuss their progress. Advising support is also available from Summer Scholars staff. For students with physical or learning disabilities, Disability Support Services are also available at an extra cost for 6-Week students.
What if a student who has asked for a recommendation is not ready for a 6-Week college experience?
Then please do not recommend them for one. Equally important to academic success is personal success and the confidence that the student feels by having a worthwhile experience. It would be best to advise the student to find better-suited options. A 10-day mini-course might be a better option, as it is shorter. Mini-courses are also a lower pressure option, as they are non-graded, non-credit opportunities for academic exploration.
The GW Experience
Students
All in the Family
Greg and Heather Hachenburg talk about their undergraduate experience at GW, one of many sibling pairs to share in the Colonials legacy.
Creating Next Generation Leaders
GW program helps female students connect with leading women across a variety of fields and develop their roles as future women in leadership.
Where the City is a Classroom
Freshman volunteers experience life beyond Foggy Bottom...
Faculty
Fighting Neglected Diseases
GW professor works to eradicate diseases that affect the health, education and economic development of the world's poorest people.
Building the Super Computer
Pioneering lab puts GW at the forefront of high-speed computing and offers GW students unprecedented access to science and skills of the future.
Blast From the Past
Students map an ancient—and dramatic—eruption as part of a geological research program in the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains.
Alumni
Giving Back to the District of Columbia
D.C. public health director calls GW education the foundation of his career.
GW Opens Doors
A chance encounter with a GW alumna helped give one GW undergraduate, an aspiring broadcast journalist from Texas, his big break.
The Legend Lives On
The $2 million bequest commitment caps a lifetime of philanthropy and service to GW, establishing the Elyse B. and Donald R. Lehman Endowed Professorship in Theoretical Physics.