August 18, 2009    
MEDIA CONTACT: Michelle Sherrard
202-994-1423; mcs1@gwu.edu

ACADEMICALLY TALENTED, DIVERSE AND INTERNATIONAL FRESHMAN CLASS ARRIVES AT GEORGE WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON-The George Washington University welcomes one of its most academically talented, diverse and international freshman classes ever to campus this month.

GW received close to 20,000 applications for the Class of 2013, on par with last year?s pool, and registered a substantial increase in early decision applicants. "Given the current economic climate and the competition, we are extremely pleased to see so many more students selecting GW as their first choice school," says Kathryn Napper, executive dean of undergraduate admissions.

According to Dr. Napper, 925 students entered the freshman class via the early decision process, an increase of 150 students from last year. The University's yield rate also increased by two percent this year, with 2,550 of the 7,290 admitted students placing enrollment deposits, 200 more than the University anticipated.

The Class of 2013 is a geographically and culturally diverse group, representing 47 U.S. states and 42 nations around the globe. 170 students come from overseas. The largest group hails from China, followed by South Korea, India, Canada, and Turkey. Thirty-one percent of the incoming freshmen are from multicultural backgrounds.

Sixty-seven percent of enrolling students graduated in the top 10 percent of their high school classes and 89 percent graduated in the top 20 percent. The average SAT score for the group is 1935.

More than 7,400 GW students will move-in over the Aug. 29 weekend. The academic year officially starts Aug. 30 with Freshman Convocation, a time-honored University tradition held at the Charles E. Smith Center. Classes begin on Aug. 31.

In the heart of the nation's capital, The George Washington University was created by an Act of Congress in 1821. Today, GW is the largest institution of higher education in the District of Columbia. The University offers comprehensive programs of undergraduate and graduate liberal arts study, as well as degree programs in medicine, public health, law, engineering, education, business and international affairs. Each year, GW enrolls a diverse population of undergraduate, graduate, and professional students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and more than 130 countries.

- GW -