Special Interest Programs

Programs with Application Requirements

Living-Learning Communities

Civic House (First-Year Living-Learning Community)

The Civic House Academic Residential Community (ARC) is a selective first-year program for students interested in becoming active citizens engaged in their communities. The three core values of Civic House are live, learn, and serve. Students work with nonprofit organizations across the city through their service-learning coursework in University Writing 1020 and a number of service projects during the academic year.

The Mount Vernon Campus is home to several innovative living and learning communities for students who want to combine a small-college experience with the resources and opportunities available at a major university. If you value the opportunity for individual expression and exploration, Mount Vernon is the place for you. Programs at Mount Vernon provide guided academic opportunities for students who want to collaborate with other students, faculty, and post-doctoral fellows on a variety of exciting cross-disciplinary and interdisciplinary themes and projects and who eventually want to chart their own path with individual research projects and other challenges. Mount Vernon also provides special programs for residents, from cultural events to excursions.

How to Apply

Students apply for Civic House on their application.

Politics & Values Program (First-Year Living-Learning Community)

In the Politics & Values community, a select group of students has the opportunity to explore relationships between individual citizens, society, politics, and values, while living and studying together in an intensive year-long course. The course covers Political Theory, American Politics, Comparative Politics, and International Relations – all at an accelerated pace, with each field studied in great depth.

The Mount Vernon Campus is home to several innovative living and learning communities for students who want to combine a small-college experience with the resources and opportunities available at a major university. If you value the opportunity for individual expression and exploration, Mount Vernon is the place for you. Programs at Mount Vernon provide guided academic opportunities for students who want to collaborate with other students, faculty, and post-doctoral fellows on a variety of exciting cross-disciplinary and interdisciplinary themes and projects and who eventually want to chart their own path with individual research projects and other challenges. Mount Vernon also provides special programs for residents, from cultural events to excursions.

How to Apply

Students apply for Politics & Values on their application.

Sustainability LLC (First-Year Living-Learning Community)

The Sustainability Living and Learning Community is a year-long residential experience that brings together students who care passionately about the future of the planet and its inhabitants. Students will live, work and learn together, host events and speakers, and engage across campus and in the city. From plastic pollution to clean water, climate change to environmental justice, this is a community of creative and committed students who want to contribute to planetary well-being as they forge new friendships and meaningful networks.

This LLC is a collaboration between GW's Office of Sustainability and the Alliance for a Sustainable Future, focusing on both education inside and outside of the classroom.

The Mount Vernon Campus is home to several innovative living and learning communities for students who want to combine a small-college experience with the resources and opportunities available at a major university. If you value the opportunity for individual expression and exploration, Mount Vernon is the place for you. Programs at Mount Vernon provide guided academic opportunities for students who want to collaborate with other students, faculty, and post-doctoral fellows on a variety of exciting cross-disciplinary and interdisciplinary themes and projects and who eventually want to chart their own path with individual research projects and other challenges. Mount Vernon also provides special programs for residents, from cultural events to excursions.

How to Apply

Students apply for the Sustainability LLC on their application.

Women's Leadership Program (First-Year Living-Learning Community)

The Elizabeth J. Somers Women's Leadership Program (WLP) is a selective, year-long, living and learning program for first-year students of any school at GW. They offer 4 cohorts to which a student may apply:

• International Arts & Culture
• Globalization, Economics, & Business
• International Politics
• Science, Health, & Medicine

Offered exclusively at the Mount Vernon Campus, WLP students live together in Somers Hall and take foundational courses in small cohorts with dedicated faculty. The program offers development in women's leadership through a weekly symposia, featuring professional workshops, city exploration, and guest speakers.

How to Apply

Applicants must indicate their interest in the WLP and select a cohort on their application.

University Honors Program (Four-Year Program; Also a First-Year Living-Learning Community)

The University Honors Program (UHP) is a diverse community of scholars across all GW schools & colleges who are intellectually and socially engaged with each other and their faculty members. UHP students live together in West Hall on the Mount Vernon campus during their first year and, in later years, have the option to live in an Honors community on the Foggy Bottom campus. Our distinctive curriculum promotes a broad liberal education that encourages students both to probe the most foundational questions of humanity and to apply their understanding to complex problems of the world today. Students enhance their coursework with research and other experiential opportunities and work with our faculty and staff to achieve intellectual and personal development throughout their undergraduate years.

Application Process

How to Apply

Applicants must indicate their intent to apply to UHP on their application.

This program requires two additional essay responses (500 words or less per prompt):

1. With small classes and a dedicated faculty, the University Honors Program (UHP) embraces the ideals of a liberal arts education. Within the UHP, students take classes in many different academic fields (philosophy, science, history, art, social science, etc.) and hone their critical thinking skills. Explain why, as a member of the UHP, you would value the opportunity to engage with topics outside your major field(s) of study.

2. The UHP represents a community of scholars at GW. First-year UHP students live and take classes together on the Mount Vernon Campus. Upper-level UHP students remain connected to our community for the remainder of their time at GW through courses, faculty mentoring, advising, research, an optional Foggy Bottom housing opportunity, and our many co-curricular/social activities. How do you see yourself contributing to and/or benefiting from this community as a member of the UHP?

B.A./B.S.-M.D. Program

A joint program between GW's Columbian College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, the B.A./B.S.-M.D. Program is designed for students who have decided to become physicians. U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, and Canadian citizens may be considered for admission to the program.

Students must meet all undergraduate general curriculum requirements and complete a major in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences. Progress is reviewed annually by a special faculty committee. Then, students enroll in the School of Medicine and Health Sciences and begin formal medical training.

Program Information and Application Process

The deadline to apply to the program is November 15. Students applying to this program must apply as Regular Decision candidates to GW's Columbian College of Arts and Sciences; due to the timing of the interview process, students are not eligible to apply for Early Decision admission. An SAT or ACT examination is also required of B.A./B.S.-M.D. applicants. If submitting ACT scores, the Science section is required for B.A./B.S.-M.D. applicants.

How to Apply

• Select Regular Decision. Choose Columbian College of Arts and Sciences as your primary college.
   
• Submit your ACT or SAT score directly from the testing service to George Washington University Undergraduate Admissions (do NOT send any scores to the George Washington University MD Program). Our College Board code is 5246 and our ACT code is 0664.
   
• Respond to the required essay prompt:
  George Washington University's location in Washington, DC places students at the intersection of medicine, science, policy, innovation, and public service. Imagine yourself 10 years after graduating from the B.A./B.S.-M.D. program. What impact do you hope to have on your patients, your profession, or society? Describe how specific opportunities at GW and in the DC metropolitan area would help you develop the experiences, relationships, and perspectives needed to achieve that vision.

Applicants who are not accepted to the B.A./B.S.-M.D. program will be considered for admission to GW and merit scholarships under Regular Decision.

B.A./B.S.-M.D. applicants may also apply to the University Honors Program but will only be considered for Honors if they are not admitted to B.A./B.S.-M.D.

B.A./B.S.-M.D. Program FAQs

The following questions are most pertinent to students interested in the B.A./B.S.-M.D. Program. Our Admissions Team is always happy to guide you through the application process. Please do not hesitate to find your counselor or send our office a message.

Program Overview & Outcomes

Preparing to Apply

Application & Admission Process

Program Overview & Outcomes

Are students admitted to the B.A./B.S.-M.D. program at GW guaranteed admission to the GW Medical School?

The medical school acceptance is provisional as program requirements must be maintained to transition into the M.D. program. These requirements include: maintaining a minimum 3.60 overall GPA, no grades of C or below in any science courses, providing an MCAT exam score that meets the program cutoff requirements, and participation in medically-related and service experiences. The Dean of M.D. Admissions provides guidance, mentoring, and programming.

I know I want to be a doctor. If I am not admitted to the B.A./B.S.-M.D. program are there other opportunities at GW for pre-med students?

YES! As second-semester sophomores at GW, students can apply for Early Selection to GW's School of Medicine and Health Sciences. We also offer pre-health advising for all GW students who want to pursue medical school or other graduate programs in the health professions.

Preparing to Apply

What courses should I take to make myself a competitive candidate for admission to GW and the B.A./B.S.-M.D. program?

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, and admitted students are typically strong academic students in their high school graduating class. Most successful B.A./B.S.-M.D. applicants will have taken the most demanding curriculum offered at their school, particularly in math and science courses.

What specific extracurricular activities is GW looking for from a competitive B.A./B.S.-M.D. applicant?

The strongest applicants for B.A./B.S.-M.D. typically have done substantial volunteer work in the medical field with a strong preference for students who have clinical experience working directly with patients. Many have also participated in college-level science/medical research while high school students.

Application Requirements & Admission Process

Do I need to apply to a specific major to be considered for B.A./M.D.?

No, but you must apply Regular Decision to GW's Columbian College of Arts and Sciences.

What is GW’s SAT and ACT test policy for the B.A./B.S.-M.D. program?

Although GW is test-optional for most applicants, students applying to the B.A./B.S.-M.D. program are required to submit either an SAT or ACT score. If submitting ACT scores, the Science section is required for B.A./B.S.-M.D. applicants.

How many students apply each year to the B.A./B.S.-M.D. Program?

Usually between 1,000 and 1,200 students apply to the B.A./B.S.-M.D. Program each year. Applicants exhibit academic excellence, competitive (90th percentile) SAT/ACT scores, leadership in activities, community service, healthcare experiences, and a strong desire to become a physician.

How many students are admitted to the B.A./B.S.-M.D. program? How many spaces are there?

Approximately 20-30 students are brought to campus for interviews with current GW faculty to determine finalists. Typically, the enrolling cohort for the B.A./B.S.-M.D. program is around 10 students each fall.

Experience & Opportunities

What about internships in D.C.?

Our central location in Washington, D.C., provides exceptional opportunities for pre-health students to get involved in internships and medical research.

GW students intern at the GW University Hospital, the National Institute of Health, the National Cancer Institute, and dozens of other locations. And keep in mind that the GW University Hospital and Medical School are on the Foggy Bottom campus so there are daily opportunities to interact with medical professionals while you are an undergraduate at GW.  You can learn more about GW internships by entering any major on the linked page to see where GW students have recently been interns.

Corcoran Scholars

The George Washington University's Corcoran Scholars program engages talented students across many disciplines who are driven by challenging academic and artistic growth. Located in the heart of Washington, D.C., GW offers a vibrant community of practitioners and supporters of the arts.

Program Information and Application Process

Corcoran Scholars are supported in their artistic pursuits as they explore a diversity of practices and interpretations across disciplines, gaining a deeper understanding of the creative process and its place in a greater cultural context. Scholarships are renewable for up to 10 consecutive semesters of undergraduate study, assuming continuous full-time enrollment and satisfactory academic progress.

Eligibility

Each year, an exceptional group of first-year students joins the Corcoran Scholars program. Recipients must either major or minor in their arts discipline, depending upon the academic program.

Dance, Music, and Theater: Priority consideration is given to students wishing to major in these areas; however, those intending to minor may apply.

Art & Design: Students must major in Fine Art, Graphic Design, Interaction Design, Interior Architecture, or Photojournalism.

How to Apply

To apply to the Corcoran Scholars program, students must submit an application for admission to GW and submit an audition application or a portfolio via Slideroom. Slideroom submissions are due by January 5. Students applying Early Decision 1, Early Decision 2, and Regular Decision may apply. Candidates will be notified of their Corcoran Scholars decision in late March.

To learn more about Corcoran Scholars and to see audition and portfolio guidelines, visit the Corcoran Scholars webpage.

If you have questions about Corcoran Scholars, please contact Carol Lee Conchar at cconchargwu [dot] edu (cconchar[at]gwu[dot]edu.)