The George Washington University
Early College Program
GWECP
“ A Recipe for Success”
Dr. Sheila Mills Harris
Director, GW Early College Program
The George Washington University
Washington, D.C. 20052
harrissm@gwu.edu
The GWECP Components
GWECP offers structured programs for the enrollment of selected SWW students in
GW courses on a tuition-free basis. It offers an unprecedented opportunity for SWW
students to take selected courses for college credit, and to possibly complete an
Associate’s degree from one of the most distinguished universities in the country. The
GWECP will give selected SWW students the opportunity to enroll in GW courses in
one of two dual-enrollment formats:
The Exposure Program - allows students to select available GW courses to
take for general college credit. The Exposure Program is open to any student who is in
good standing, has earned a combined PSAT score of over 100, and has a GPA of at
least 3.0. Provided that there is space in the GW classes, there is no limit on how
many students may enroll in this program component. The George Washington
University Exposure Program allows SWW students with qualifying GPA and PSAT
scores to enroll in college courses beginning the summer after their sophomore year.
Accepted students may take one course per semester and must reapply each semester.
The Associate Degree Program - a directed course of study designed to
result in an Associate of Arts degree (AA) or transferable college credits (to be used as
a freshman or advanced freshman upon graduation from high school) and to satisfy
DCPS/SWW graduation requirements.
Program Fundamentals
•
Program Goal
• To inspire DC Public School students to matriculate to college through
early college exposure at the George Washington University.
•
GWECP At a Glance
• GWECP offers a “seamless transition” that better prepares students for the
rigors of college study by maximizing the university experience through
early college exposure.
• This dual enrollment program is designed as a coherent unit, aligns
curriculum, program standards and objectives consistent with both
DCPS/SWW and GW institutional requirements.
• Program participants will earn college credits and satisfy DCPS/SWW
graduation requirements simultaneously (dual enrollment/dual credit).
• All 10th grade students enrolled at SWW, display a sound academic
foundation and demonstrate college readiness skills, will be eligible to
apply for the GW Early College Program.
Program Fundamentals Cont’d
• High school students must meet all appropriate admissions criteria to the
university and adhere to all university and program regulations and policies.
Parents will be required to complete parental consent forms.
• Participants are required to participate in a summer bridge program to include the
completion of a university writing course for credit during the summer of the
10th grade year (rising juniors).
• Schedules are developed/classes chosen in preparation for continuance of college
studies at GW or another institution after completion of the GWECP.
• GW advisor has been assigned to program participants and students are afforded
the assistance of mentors/tutors throughout the school year.
• Program participants will be required to attend a weekly support seminar, during
the course of the school year, which will provide ongoing academic, social and
psychological support needed to successfully navigate through the program.
• The program director and governing advisory board comprised of school and
university personnel oversee the program.
Admissions Eligibility
Admission to GWECP is selective and is determined by GW’s Office of Admissions. Students
who wish to enroll in the GWECP-AA program must meet the eligibility requirements set forth
by admissions and complete a GWECP application. All complete applications to GWECP will be
reviewed by the Office of Admissions (in consultation with senior administration at SWW) from
which the semi-finalists will be identified, and ultimately finalists after completion of the
process. Accepted students are eligible to enroll in up to sixty-three (63) credit hours of GW
courses tuition-free over approximately two calendar years.
•Eligible applicants must:
• Be enrolled as a sophomore at SWW (at the time of application)
• Have completed freshman year at SWW
• Be a DC Resident as well as a US citizen or permanent resident
• Be in good standing at the SWW academically and with no disciplinary record
• Have successfully completed, by the end of the sophomore year, the required high
school courses listed below
• Prerequisite High School courses (minimum):
− English (two years—Humanities I and II)
− World History (two years)
− Mathematics (two years with minimal completion of Algebra I and
Geometry)
− Foreign Language (two years of the same foreign language)
− Science (two years selected from biology, chemistry, and physics )
 Participate in an interview with a GW Admissions director
 Notification of semi-finalist and finalist status will be the responsibility of GW
Admissions
Curriculum Alignment
•
Aligned Curriculum
• Policy guidance, issued by the District of Columbia Public Schools Office of
Teaching and Learning, approves specific GW courses for dual-credit
acceptance. A curriculum for the Associates Degree Program has been
established, based upon that policy guidance, in consultation with GW and
DCPS.
• Identified courses receive DCPS credit which will count towards the specific
graduation requirement fulfilled by the particular course. The curriculum may
be revised to conform to any changes in the DCPS Policy Guidance.
• Aligning of the curriculum is an arduous and time consuming process and all
stakeholders must be involved in the process to ensure that graduation
requirements of both institutions are met. Example of alignment:
DCPS/SWW Requirement
US Gov’t
DC History
US History
Humanities 3/English 3
GWU Equivalent
Political Science 1002: Amer Pol & Gov’t
History 2020: DC History
History 1311: Intro to American History
English 1320: Lit of the Americas
60+ Credits = AA Degree
Sample Schedule – 11th Grade
Fall Semester
Spring Semester
University Writing for Freshmen
Literature of the Americas
Calculus w/Pre Cal I
Calculus w/Pre Cal II
Biology of Nutrition & Health
Personal Health & Wellness
Intro American History
Art: Two Dimensional Design
Elective (student choice)
Elective (student choice)
Sample Schedule – 12th Grade
Fall Semester
Spring Semester
Engl: 20th Century Consciousness
Political Science: US Gov’t
History 2020: DC History
Creative Writing
General Chemistry
General Psychology
SEAS 1001: Engineering Orientation
MAE 1001: Intro Mech Engineering
Elective (student choice)
Elective (student choice)
A Sample of Student Acceptances
Bard College
Barnard College
Bates College
Brown University
Bryn Mawr College
Catholic University
Clark University
Coastal Carolina
College of William & Mary
Cooper Union
DePaul University
Drexel University
Duke University
Elon University
Emerson College
Emory University
Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising
Florida State
Full Sail University
George Washington University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Hawaii Pacific University
Hofstra University
Ithaca College
Kent State University
Lafayette College
Northeastern University
Randolph-Macon College
Smith College
Spelman College
Temple University
Trinity College
University of California, Davis
University of California, Irvine
University of California, Riverside
University of California, Santa Cruz
University of Mary Washington
University of Maryland, College Park
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
University of Southern California
University of Tampa
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Polytechnic University
Wellesley College
Wesleyan University
Winthrop University