George Mason Letter of Continued Interest

George Mason University (GMU), popularly known as Mason, is located in the Fairfax County, Virginia. Founded by George Mason, a Virginia planter turned politician that went on to become the principal author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights that inspired the future Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution. GMU is the largest public research university in Virginia. It became an independent entity in 1972 breaking away from University of Virginia and has four campuses in Virginia, namely, Fairfax, Arlington, Front Royal, and Prince William. A fifth campus was set up in South Korea aka Mason Korea in 2014 as a part of the Incheon Global Campus that aims at becoming the best global education hub in Northeast Asia. The university's close proximity to Washington DC attracts a lot of national leaders and political candidates such as Joe Biden, Michelle Obama, and Mike Pence.

Table of Contents

1. Courses Offered
2. Eligibility & Documents Required
3. Application & Tuition Fees
4. Scholarships & Financial Aid
5. Admission Process
6. Student Diversity & Preferred Profile
7. Part Time Work While Studying
8. Campuses & Accommodation
9. University Contact Information

Courses Offered

What all courses are available to international students?

Mason offers over 200 degrees and a wide range of electives and certificate programmes to help students meet their career and personal goals.82 UG degrees (all disciplines) and 17 UG Certificate programmes are available. At least 128 PG degrees (89 master's courses, 39 doctoral degrees), law school degrees, and more than 100 PG certificate programmes are available. Check out GMU's brochure for more details.

Eligibility & Documents Required

What are the eligibility requirements?

Each college/school will have their own admission criteria and scoring range to check your eligibility. Please check their respective websites to know about their individual requirements.

UG programmes

• TOEFL: 80+ with no section less than 18
• IELTS: 6.5 with no less than 6 in each section
• Pearson Academic Test of English (PTE): 59
• Duolingo English Test Undergraduate (Fall 2020 only): 120
• International English Language Assessment (IELA): 176 with minimum 169 in each section
• SAT-I (reading and writing): 500 or higher
• ACT (English and reading): 20 or higher in both

Postgraduate programmes

• TOEFL: 80+ (engineering school), 88 (others) and 93+ (business school) with no section less than 20
• IELTS: 6.5 (others) and 7 band total with each section no less than 7 (business school)
• Pearson Academic Test of English (PTE): 59
• Duolingo English Test Undergraduate (Fall 2020 only): 125
• International English Language Assessment (IELA): 176 (others) and 185+ with minimum 185 in each section (business school)
• A bachelors or master's degree with minimum 3.00 GPA on a 4.00 scale
• GRE, GMAT, LSAT, or MAT according to the respective school eligibility requirement

Apart from the English proficiency exam, Mason offers an Academic English Language program at the INTO George Mason University Centre. UG requirement for this is completing Level 6 and PG requirement in Level 7.

What all documents are needed for application?

UG aspirants apply through the Common Application portal and will be required to submit a few of the document on their site itself and while the others will be required by Mason directly like the Secondary School Report, LORs, etc. The following set of documents will be required overall:

• Original academic transcripts with proper certification from all secondary schools and school leaving certificate
• Certified translated copies of transcripts or school leaving certificate if original documents are not in English language
• SAT or ACT score
• English language proficiency scores (TOEFL/IELTS/PTE/IELA)
• A Secondary School Report to be filled by the school counsellor (form is available on university website)
• At least two letters of recommendation, ideally one from a high school counsellor and one from a subject teacher
• Essay or personal statement on a topic of your choice (as per common application)
• Resume (highlighting extracurricular activities)
• Financial documents
• Immunization record (if admitted)

PG students need the following documents:

• Official bachelor's degree along with verified transcripts from an internationally recognized university/institution
• If final results are awaited, then unofficial transcripts can be shared (till 6^th or 7^th semester)
• Certified translated copied of transcripts, degree, college leaving certificate, etc if the original documents are not in English language.
• Mason provides free evaluation service for all international transcripts, however, some programmes may request an outside evaluation. Know more about credential evaluation
• GRE/GMAT/LSAT/MAT scores
• English language proficiency scores (TOEFL/IELTS/PTE/IELA)
• Two or three letters of recommendation, at least one from core subject teacher and one from professional background (for MBA/Management courses)
• Written documents such as SOP, Essay, CV, portfolios, audio samples, etc as per your programme
• Financial documents
• Immunization record (if admitted)

Application & Tuition Fees

Is there any application fees?

The undergraduate application fee is USD 80 for international students and for postgraduate application, it is USD 75. All application fees are non-refundable.

What is the fee structure of courses offered by the university?

Tuition fee at Mason is counted as per credit course you have undertaken in that particular year. Along with the tuition fee, you will be required pay additional fees that involve new student fee (for UG), lab fees, health insurance, education resource fee, etc. As per the university, fees for UG courses are based on full-time status of 12-15 credits per semester (USD 146 per credit). For PG courses, estimated tuition costs are based on 9 credits per semester, however, tuition fee may differ depending on your course/programme. For Law courses, 28 credits a year are taken into account. For international students, per annum tuition fees (full-time courses) for different courses may amount to approximately to the given figures below (as per university for 2019–2020 batch). Tuition fee for MBA is counted as USD 1,878.00 per credit hour apart from Graduate Student Fee: USD 60 (rates and fees are subject to change). Check the latest tuition fees details on the official website for more information.

Source: GMU

Scholarships & Financial Aid

Is there any scholarship or financial aid available for international students?

The university provides a limited number of merit-based scholarships to international students who are "non-immigrant, non-resident, and degree seeking". The amount ranges from USD 2,000 to USD 10,000 per academic year and can be renewable up to four years on the basis of good academic scores. You do not need to apply for this separately as you will be automatically considered for this scholarship, as a part of the review process, if you submit your applications before April 1. It is offered only undergraduate aspirants enrolling in the Fall Intake. The applicants must have an F1 Visa and submit their application before April 1. The decisions will be rolled out in three rounds:

• December 20 (applicants who apply by the November 1st Early Action deadline)
• March 1
• April 20

Another scholarship is available for international applicants limited to undergraduate first-year students (Fall Intake) of all courses and applied to only tuition costs called #YouAreWelcomeHere. It provides minimum 50% coverage tuition fee for the first year of study and is renewable for in the second year if the student continues to be in good academic standing. Other merit awards can be combined with the scholarship but the total amount cannot more than 50% of the tuition fee. You are eligible for this scholarship if:

• You are a first-year undergraduate international applicant of any major at George Mason University
• You have interest and initiative in leadership and intercultural learning
• You meet the admission criteria and application deadlines

You need to apply for this scholarship through a separate portal. While filling in your UG application at the university portal, you will get a question about international scholarships, you need to select 'yes'. You will receive a separate mail inviting you to apply for this scholarship. Complete the scholarship application including a 500-1,000 word essay or a 2-5 minute video. The essay or video should include your aspirations to conduct research, involvement in projects or employment and/or other experiences that highlight your leadership abilities and interest in intercultural learning. The complete scholarship application should be submitted by mid-December and the decision will be out by early-March.

Admission Process

When do the admissions start?

The university advices students to apply at least 60 days in advance for reviewing application, processing documents and issuing the I-20. Ideally, you should start your application process three to four months prior to the deadline.

Source:GMU

Postgraduate programmes too have two intakes: Spring and Fall. Their deadlines are as follows:

Source:GMU

*Deadlines vary depending on the academic programme. Do check school or department's website specific deadlines.

How to apply to UG courses?

Undergraduate applicants have two options to choose from while applying to GMU.

Common Application Process

Mason accepts UG applications through the Common Application portal as well as directly. If you are applying to other US universities, then the Common App portal is the best option. You need to create an account, login with your and start filling the application form. Registering on the Common App portal is free. However, start applying to colleges, you will be required to application fee usually ranging USD 25–USD 90, according to the university. Mason charges USD 80.

Mason's Exclusive Online Application (direct)

You can also apply though through Mason's portal if you are aiming for Mason University only. It will allow you to apply for the South Korea campus as well. The same of documents will be required by Mason. Also keep a note of the following deadlines while applying.

Deadline type	Last Date	Decisions mailed by
Freshman Non-Binding Early Action Deadline*	November 1	Mid-December
Freshman Honours College Consideration*	November 1	Mid-December
Freshman University Scholars Consideration*	November 1	Mid-February
Freshman Merit-Based Scholarship Consideration*	November 1	Mid-December
Freshman Regular Decision Deadline*	Mid-January	Late March
Mason Financial Aid Deadline	January 15	Mid-February
Freshman Priority Application Deadline (for Spring Semester)	October 1	November 1

*All UG applicants who apply by 11:59PM EST on November 1 will automatically be considered for merit-based scholarships and non-binding Early Action.

Applying through the Mason's Exclusive Online Application

Register with on the site with your email id and log in to the application portal to begin your application. After logging in to the application portal, fill in the details for campus, student type, citizenship and term, then click on start application.

Link: georgemasonuniversity.force.com/TX_CommunitiesSelfReg?startURL=/TargetX_Portal__PB

There are 12 sections in total. Ensure not to miss out any part. Fill in the details appropriately and select your course. Remember, all details should match the official documents, there should be no discrepancy. Upload your documents carefully, read the undertaking carefully and enter consent along with electronic signature. Save and Review your application. After reviewing the application, submit and pay the fees.

How to apply to PG courses?

Applying for masters is a smooth process. You need to login to their portal and submit the required documents and scores. Prior to this, do ensure that your meet all the eligibility requirements of that particular course and check their deadlines.

• Once your application is successfully submitted, you will a confirmation email.
• Then, your application will be sent to the faculty for review.
• You can always track your application status through the portal if you miss out on any mail
• Once you're selected, pay your enrolment deposit (approx. USD 250) before the last date and if you plan on staying within the campus, you can pay the housing deposit (approx. USD 300) as well.
•  You should also fill in and submit your I-20 along with other necessary documents as asked by the university.
•  In the next 2-3 days after depositing the fee, you will receive details about creating your Patriot Pass (Mason ID) and with this you can create your Masonlive email account. All communication related to academics will be shared on this mail henceforth
•  If you have not already paid the housing deposit, you should pay before June 1.
•  Register for your Orientation to can receive important information about registering for classes.
•  You will be required to submit your immunization record before the deadline, as communicated by the university. If not submitted before the deadline, a hold will be placed on your account and you will be charged a late fee.
•  Submit your final transcripts by the end of your first term. This is for students who have not submitted the final transcripts during admission.

Applying through Mason's Online Applicant Portal

Register with on the site with your email id and log in to the application portal to begin your application. After logging in to the application portal, select degree type and select start application. Fill in the details for level, campus, program, and term to start the application.

Link: masongrad.force.com/onlineapp/TX_CommunitiesSelfReg?startURL=/onlineapp/TargetX_Portal__PB

Ensure not to miss out filling any section. Remember, all details should match the official documents, there should be no discrepancy. Upload your documents carefully, read the undertaking carefully and enter consent along with electronic signature. Save and Review your application. After reviewing the application, submit and pay the fees.

When will I hear from the university after I submit my application?

UG Courses: For Spring Intake, decisions are mailed by November-December. For Fall Intake, it is usually between June-July.

PG Courses: Majority of the master's programme decisions are made on a rolling basis, thus, you should receive a mail within four-six weeks. Doctorate programme application are reviewed at one time, so they release decisions at one time only (four-six weeks after deadline).

Student Diversity & Preferred Profile

What are the chances to get into this university?

Mason has an acceptance rate of 81% with students from various ethnic background. If you have the required scores and eligibility, there are good chances, you will receive an offer letter from them. To increase your chances, you should always target the Early Action deadline. For MS courses as well it will be advantageous if you apply early as they keep releasing offers periodically.

Adding to this, Mason also offers various Pathway programmes to help international students transition smoothly into the academic style at Mason. Known as the INTO Mason English Language and Pathway Programs, it offers the following programmes for both undergraduate and master's aspirants:

• Gradate Pathway Programme (46+ graduate courses)
• Undergraduate Transfer programme for those who wish to complete their UG at Mason
• International One Year Programme (5 programs leading to 55+ bachelor's degrees)
• Academic English (English language course which can lead to Pathway or Direct Entry degree study at Mason)

To be eligible for this programme, you need the English proficiency scores as mentioned above (same as UG/PG courses). The process is quite straight-forward. You can submit your application for free with all the required documents (same as UG/PG courses) and within 7 days, you shall receive a reply. If accepted, you can confirm your admission by paying a deposit fee. According to the university, you should apply for a Pathway programme at least a semester before the start of your UG/PG course. You can choose the duration of your pathway programme depending on your English language level. For detailed process, do check their site.

How many Indian/international students are studying at the university?

Mason was recently recognized as the most diverse university in Virginia by the U.S News and World Report. So, you will not only find a diversity in the student population but also amongst the teaching faculty and during various activities/clubs as well.

Part Time Work While Studying

Can I work while studying here?

Yes, Mason allows you to work part-time while studying. You can easily search for on-campus part-time jobs through their exclusive job and internship database called 'Handshake'. Mason claims to offer more 2,500 part-time jobs through Handshake each year, which also including federal work-study and research opportunities. For post-study work options, you do not need to go far as Mason hosts a number of on-campus career fairs where more than 500 employers are on the look-out to hire fresh graduates. If you require guidance, experts at Mason provide you with fruitful Career Counselling sessions. To enhance your resume, you have a lot of opportunities to get involved in practical workshops and internships.

Campuses & Accommodation

How many colleges and campuses does the university have?

Mason has three major campuses that includes the Fairfax campus located within 25 minutes of Washington D.C. and has nine colleges/schools offering variety of programmes. The second is Arlington Campus in the Virginia Square neighbourhood of Arlington County, and offers courses through seven schools/college. Mason's Science and Technology Campus in Manassas, located in the Innovation Park in Northern Virginia is the third campus that offers courses through three schools/colleges. Below is an overview of the 11 colleges/schools under George Mason University:

Is on-campus housing available?

Yes, accommodation options within the university campus is available on first-come-first served basis. Mason has more than 40 comfortable residence halls with free laundry facilities, fitness and athletic facilities, on-demand dining, sports and concert venues with including a 10,000-seat arena and a various 24-hour food joints. These residence halls are grouped into three neighbourhoods namely: ?'Aquia', 'Rappahannock', and 'Shenandoah'. Each of them are supported by professional and student staffers, has a 24x7 service desk, and allows you access to all resources (Wi-Fi, cable, etc). The residential halls have the option of single, double, triple, and quad-sharing rooms along with suite-style options. If you plan on living off-campus, then the university easily accessible through public transport such as metro, bus, or shuttle. As a student of GMU, you will have access to free public transportation aboard the Mason Shuttle system and Fairfax County's CUE Bus system. To give you an idea, you can see the differences between housing prices given below as per the university for the year 2020–2021.

Note: Rent will fluctuate as per location/campus so check the university website to know exact details about the latest housing rates and deposit fees.

University Contact Information

Whom should I contact in case of any doubts?

Address: George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, Virginia 22030, USA

Contact No: +1 (703) 993-1000

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Source: https://studyabroad.shiksha.com/usa/universities/george-mason-university/admissions

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