Everyone wants the formula for getting in. There is none. – Inside the admissions process at George Washington University

Britt Freitag, an admissions officer at George Washington University, confessed she was "slightly nervous" about a candidate for the Class of 2018. His grades were solid, but not stellar. The student had taken some tough courses, but not as many as Freitag would have liked. Test scores, she said, were "definitely on the low side."

On the other hand, Freitag told two other officers one recent morning, the student compared favorably to his high school classmates, wrote a good essay, showed impressive determination in activities outside class — and had a family connection to GW.

"I could go either way," Freitag said.

"Either way what?" asked her colleague, Jim Rogers.

Deny or admit, she said, stumped. Her voice fell

Written by Nick Anderson

Full Story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/inside-the-admissions-process-at-george-washington-university/2014/03/22/f86b85fa-aee6-11e3-a49e-76adc9210f19_story.html?hpid=z4