Oct. 20, 2004

GW Tops Overall Acceptance Rate of “Teach For America”

Fifteen GW graduates from the Class of 2004 recently earned the opportunity to join Teach for America’s efforts to eliminate educational inequity in America. GW boasts a 21 percent acceptance rate with 16 of 78 applicants joining Teach for America this fall. The national acceptance rate is 15 percent.

Each year, Teach for America launches an aggressive effort to recruit the most outstanding graduating college seniors and recent college graduates, people who will be the future leaders in fields such as business, medicine, politics, law, journalism, education and social policy. GW’s newly selected teachers will join more than 12,000 Teach for America corps members who teach in 21 low-income urban and rural areas where they are needed most, including New York, Washington, DC, Rio Grande Valley, Mississippi Delta, South Louisiana and Los Angeles.

Among GW’s Teach for America corps members are Thomas Kaiser, BA in history; Rebecca Millner, BA in history; Adam Greenman, BA in political communications; Frank Cush, BA in criminal justice; Jessica Crowell, BA in English; Jamie Meltzer, BA in history; Katharine O’meara, BA in political science; Allison Demarest, BA in communications; Amanda Mantone, BA in journalism; Nora Leerhsen, BA in history; Mathew Todaro, BA in history; John Reed, BA in philosophy; and Bradley Chernin, BA in philosophy.

Patrick Pontius, Mid-Atlantic recruitment director for Teach for America, noted that GW’s applicants were selected for this highly competitive service opportunity at a rate well exceeding the national average. “GW is a hot-bed of future leaders,” said Pontius. “These graduates will be working aggressively — in the short and long term — to ensure that kids in low-income areas are afforded the education, commitment and opportunity they deserve.”

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