Alexandria City High School seniors with a 3.25 cumulative grade point average or higher are now eligible for automatic admission to George Mason University.
The deal for the pilot program between Alexandria City Public Schools and GMU was struck earlier this month, and 428 ACHS seniors have since been informed that they have earned a guaranteed admission to the university. The agreement expires in August 2026.
“There are no applications, application fees, essays and SAT requirements, or recommendations,” Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt told the School Board on Oct. 5.
ACHS Executive Principal Alexander Duncan III said that direct access to college takes away the stress of figuring out a path out of high school.
“ACHS is beyond thrilled that our students are afforded this chance and thankful to GMU for providing it,” Duncan said. “No doubt, this will help as we work to provide equal access to education for all students.”
The school system said that anyone granted automatic admission will get a link to an application that’s 75% complete, with students needing to fill out the remainder.
“This trailblazing opportunity allows many seniors who may not have applied for admission to a four-year university the chance to make a life-changing decision with the confidence of knowing they have already received admissions,” ACHS Director of School Counseling R. Briana Hardaway said. “ACPS and ACHS leadership are thrilled about this pilot program and grateful to be among the initial schools in Northern Virginia who are part of this partnership.”
ACPS is proud to partner with @GeorgeMasonU to offer a direct path to college for qualified students. We recently celebrated the launch of the program and the 428 @AlexCityTitans seniors who were informed that they have earned guaranteed admission to GMU. https://t.co/DfhcigD6Vp
— Alexandria City Public Schools (@ACPSk12) October 19, 2023