Why GW?

Hi everyone, apologies for my hiatus as it's been a while since I blogged! I recently emailed a prospective student about why she should attend GW and would like to share what I wrote to you all as well (considering I never gave an introduction about myself!)

Dear XXX:

Hello, my name is Serena Wong and I'm a GW School of Business Student Ambassador! I recently received your information through Betsy Smith, the Executive Coordinator of GWSB Undergraduate Programs and am writing in response to your interest in studying accounting or finance.

Regarding my background, I'm a junior majoring in accounting with a minor in Chinese and have been studying abroad at the London School of Economics since September. I lived in Washington, D.C. for a number of years prior to attending GW. I toured various schools in the tri-state area, but knew that GW was my ideal school due to its strong business program, internship opportunities, size, and location. Upon my acceptance, I applied to the GW Women's Leadership Program (Globalization, Economics, and Business Cohort) which is an exclusive opportunity for freshmen women to have close contact with faculty, to attend small classes, and to build bonds with peers who desire to be leaders on campus. GW has a myriad of student organizations and I enjoy interacting a people from all backgrounds and interests. I've held several leadership positions in such groups as The Chinese American Student Association, Undergraduate Business Association, and Alpha Kappa Psi Business Fraternity and loved every single minute of it!

In terms of academics, freshmen in the business school have a liberal arts focused program and take only two business courses the entire year. One of the courses is the "First Year Development Program" (BADM 001) which introduces you to GWSB, faculty, and alumni who work in various fields of study, and prepares you in achieving your academic and career goals. Sophomore year is crucial as this is the year where you are taking business courses and is also when you declare your undergraduate major (though many students switch business majors until junior year!). Junior year is when students elect to study abroad, GWSB has a specialized Paris program in conjunction with Science Po; however, you can study practically anywhere after careful planning with your academic adviser.

I truly hope you will consider GWSB for your undergraduate education. Rarely will you find an institution with an intellectually challenging curriculum and faculty who go out of their way to help and interact with students. Personally, I have grown tremendously from participating in student organizations that fostered my leadership abilities, communication skills, and teamwork abilities. Ultimately, what makes GWU unique is its community of students and their passion for culture, politics, business, community service, etc and the ease of creating life-long friendships with people you'd never expect to meet in your life!

I hope this sheds some insight as to who I am and why I chose GW. Don't hesitate to send me a message if you have any questions regarding what I shared!