Decision Day – Opportunity’s great equalizer

According to the “Common App” college admissions application, more than 1.24 million distinct first year applicants made their submissions to 841 colleges via their process for the academic year starting Fall 2023. This current admissions cycle achieved record applications across the country, including here at George Mason University. For the near 4,500 who applied to Mason’s College of Science, you’re in very good company and we appreciate the trust you put in us to help advance your goals and transform your future.

But, as we know, there’s no guarantee that those applicants across the country will be accepted to attend their learning environment of choice. Although some universities have not fully published their final numbers, to put it in perspective, according to the 2022-2023 academic year US college data, the average acceptance rate was 57.85% (the average acceptance rate for public colleges 63.09%, and the average rate for private schools 51.07%).

At Mason, we believe talent is broadly and diversely distributed among people, but opportunity is not. At Mason, education is opportunity’s great equalizer.

With that guiding principle in mind, in just 50 years, Mason has become Virginia’s largest, most diverse, and highest ranked institution for innovation in part by rejecting the traditional university model of exclusivity. The globally ranked and youngest-ever university to attain top-tier research university status, Mason welcomes all students who are prepared for a rigorous academic experience. We proudly accept nearly 90 percent of undergraduate applicants, because we believe in inclusivity over exclusivity. A view that makes us All Together Different.

Yet with that acceptance rate, Mason also continues to maintain graduation rates that exceed the national average. And there are no disparities in academic success rates among the differing ethnic groups or socio-economic status of our students. As Mason’s President Gregory Washington noted in the university’s recent strategic direction document, “Mason has the highest graduation and admissions rates among a diverse group of ethnicities and is the first to have accomplished this both regionally and nationally. We pride ourselves on meeting the challenges that others won’t in a new model that emphasizes success and flexible planning, strategic partnerships, and an enhanced focus on mental health and well-being.”

For instance, Mason is the largest producer of tech talent in Virginia, with 40 percent of its students majoring in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. It’s an excellent environment for creative minds to question and pursue fundamental and novel scientific interests.

We’re also known as an excellent option for individuals looking to re-skill or move ahead in their careers, meeting and supporting students where they are to help them get where they want to go. And we’ve proven to be good at it—Mason is ranked best in Virginia and second among public institutions nationally by College Factual for nontraditional students. And nearly nine in 10 new Mason alumni report career advancement within six months of graduating.

On May 1, also known at universities across the country as ‘Decision Day,’ ideally, applicants accepted their offer from the learning environment that best met their expectations for a successful path forward, including those within our nationally renowned transfer pathway programs.

At Mason, our goal is to provide a well-rounded, transformational experience for all learners from the day they arrive until the day they graduate and beyond. We pledge to provide those who chose Mason Science a transformative educational experience where they can also forge diverse and lasting connections.

These science programs are not just courses of study, but rather pathways to the accomplishments that learners strive to attain, the global problems they would like to solve, and the life they want to live.

Our Mason Science community looks forward to our upcoming graduation to celebrate thousands of living proofs that the choice made to become Mason Patriots has already and will continue to help them achieve great things.

Congratulations to all students, faculty, and staff at this exciting time. Opportunity awaits!

FMW