Georgetown is a highly-respected — and highly selective — private university in Washington D.C. It is the oldest Jesuit university in the U.S., and is particularly known for producing future movers and shakers on the global stage, especially in politics, human rights, law, and the foreign service. Students who attend Georgetown tend to want to make a difference. We don’t mean in a philanthropic sense, necessarily, although that’s certainly true for many. Rather, the shared theme is a drive to make an impact. The acceptance rate is 12%.
The University does require that all applicants submit an SAT or ACT score. They do not use the Writing section for either, and strong scores for Georgetown are an SAT of 1500+ or an ACT of 34+. Remember that scores should be the sweetener on a strong application. Georgetown admissions cares way more about your grades and the academic rigor of your course load. So, strong scores don’t cancel out weaker grades. You need to have both.
While Georgetown does have an Early Action application option, they also make clear that students who apply early are not at a significant statistical advantage (and the recent statistics prove this). When you should apply, then, really rides on how ready you are to press submit. Having your application done matters, of course, but if you feel your Senior fall grades or extracurriculars will significantly strengthen your profile as an applicant you should hold off and submit Regular Decision. Students applying Early Action are also required to be ‘keeping their options open.’ That means that one cannot apply to another school ED while applying to Georgetown EA. In addition, all EA applicants who are not accepted are deferred to the Regular Decision round.
It is one of only a handful of top-ranks schools to not use the Common Application, instead using their own application system. In this post, we’re going to break down how to approach the written portions of the Georgetown application.
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The first step of the Georgetown Application is a short informational form that takes 10-15 minutes and will give you access to the full application. As part of the application, you will need to write two essays, each approximately one page in length. The first essay is for all applicants, and the second essay is school specific so make sure you know which school you will be applying to before you start drafting. Remember, too, that switching between schools at Georgetown is not simple nor guaranteed, requiring students to jump through a few hoops to (hopefully) get an approval for the switch.
ESSAY ONE
ALL APPLICANTS: As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief personal or creative essay which you feel best describes you and reflects on your own background, identity, skills, and talents. (one page)
First, how long is one page? It’s about 500-600 words, which is a good number to work with. We advise our students to edit their drafts down to no more than 550 and no less than 400. That shouldn’t be the first think you are thinking about, though. While drafting, focus on story over length. Cutting words out is much easier than you may expect once you have a story and structure. But now let’s get into what you are actually saying in this supplement.
The prompt invites you to share something from your life that you feel highlights your skills, talents, and core characteristics. The key is picking the right ‘thing’ to share. We love to start by ruling things out. We do not advise our students to write about sports for this supplement, and we do not like making it a ‘hardship test.’ Simply plucking the most difficult thing you’ve ever faced out of your past and spotlighting it in the supplement does not work well. There will always be someone who has had things rougher than you, so trying to capture admissions officials’ attention by focusing on something hard doesn’t generally work out all that well.
Instead, we work with our students to start with a characteristic you want to highlight. This could be leadership, teamwork, creativity, or any other characteristic that you want to be absolutely sure that Georgetown sees in your application.
Once you have a characteristic selected, you need to pick a story that conveys the characteristic. This story is the most important piece, even more than the characteristic you are focusing on, because the story is how you connect to the reader on a personal level. We love stories that are focused and time-constrained, leaving plenty of room for detail.
For example, if you are writing about your relationship with a younger sibling who you look after regularly, you may focus this essay on the daily walk to the school bus in the morning, and walk home in the afternoon. If you are writing about a part-time job, you could focus on how to get the perfect sprinkles coverage on a soft-serve ice cream. If you are writing about a passion for poetry, you could focus on your first time reading a piece for an audience — even if that audience was your dog and dolls.
The point here is that the story needs to be personal, intimate, and detailed far more than it needs to be grand.
ESSAY TWO
The second essay is school specific, so you need to work on the prompt associate with the school you will be applying to. Like the first essay, this one should also be one-page max in length.
APPLICANTS TO THE COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES: Founded in 1789, the Georgetown College of Arts & Sciences is committed to the Jesuit traditions of an integrated education and of productive research in the natural sciences, humanities, social sciences, and fine arts. Describe your interest in studying at College of Arts & Sciences. Applicants interested in the sciences, mathematics, or languages are encouraged to make specific reference to their choice of major.
This prompt is a classic ‘why us’ and we strongly advise our students to remember that they are applying to Georgetown for an education, first and foremost, not a social experience. So, you should start the supplement with a moment or experience that highlights your proposed academic focus. Extend from there directly into what you want to major in at Georgetown and how you want to pursue it. That could include a few courses you are excited about, a professor you want to study under (and, importantly, why), and a program within the major that you would love to take part in, like a research opportunity, a fellowship, a study away, or a community engagement program.
Once you’ve fully shared your proposed academic path, speak to the Georgetown curriculum more broadly. What is there outside of your major that excites you about Georgetown academically? Include a mention of the Jesuit tradition of intellectual exploration specifically, as that is a key piece of the Georgetown experience.
Transition, then, to the social side of Georgetown — but still through an academic lens. Include one or two clubs or student groups you’d be excited to join.
Finish out the supplement by circling back to what it is you love academically, either by concluding the story you opened the supplement with or by introducing a new story that imagines you as part of the Georgetown community.
APPLICANTS TO THE SCHOOL OF NURSING: Georgetown University’s School of Nursing is committed to the formation of ethical, empathetic, and transformational nursing leaders. Describe the factors that have influenced your interest in studying Nursing at Georgetown University.
This is a “why us,” but through the lens of healthcare and nursing. If you are looking to pursue nursing as an undergraduate, you have a strong reason why. It isn’t just random that you’ve ended up on this path, and you must be really certain that nursing is where you want to be professionally. Now is your moment to tell that story.
The bulk of this supplement should be the story of what has pulled you towards a future in nursing. We work with our students to make this story compelling, evocative, and earnest. About two-thirds of the way in, though, you’ll need to pivot outwards from personal experience to what draws you to Georgetown specifically. Be as specific as you can be about the nursing program at Georgetown, from programs to professors, to courses you are super excited to take.
End the supplement by reinforcing your passion for the field paired with enthusiasm for how you can pursue it at Georgetown.
APPLICANTS TO THE SCHOOL OF HEALTH: Georgetown University’s School of Health was founded to advance the health and well-being of people locally, nationally, and globally through innovative research, the delivery of interdisciplinary education, and transformative engagement of communities. Describe the factors that influenced your interest in studying health care at Georgetown University, specifically addressing your intended related major: Global Health, Health Care Management & Policy, or Human Science.
Students who want to go into the health sciences, health care management, and global health as undergrads tend to have a strong reason for why that is driving them down this rigorous — and often long-term — path. You’re looking at many years of education past undergrad, and so something must be driving you towards this path.
Start the supplement by telling this story. Be sure to be super specific. Make the story personal, not general, and tell a vivid narrative using strong detail.
From the origin story of your interest in the health field, pivot to what drew you to Georgetown. Be as detailed as you can be, from courses you’d love to take to avenues of study you’d be hungry to pursue. Mention at least one professor you hope to study under, and why, and one opportunity outside of standard coursework — like research or study away — that you would jump at.
Finish by looking towards your future. Where do you feel Georgetown could take you beyond campus and graduation? They want to see that you are looking beyond your undergraduate experience, so show them where you want to go.
APPLICANTS TO THE WALSH SCHOOL OF FOREIGN SERVICE: Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service was founded more than a century ago to prepare generations of leaders with the foundational skills to address global issues. Describe your primary motivations for studying international affairs at Georgetown University and dedicating your undergraduate studies toward a future in global service.
Like many of the Georgetown undergraduate colleges, the Walsh School of Foreign Service is super specific. Students who thrive there have a clear vision of where they want to go beyond their time at Georgetown, and that is actually going to play a critical role in how you respond to this prompt.
Start by telling the story of your interest in the foreign service and global politics. You may have a flashy story to tell with an international experience paired with a political internship, or you might not have as much hands-on exposure yet. It’s okay if you haven’t done much in the realm of foreign service yet, but you do still need to have a story. So, tell a more abstract one if you have to. Either way, next you should root it to what Georgetown offers.
Write the second half or last third of the essay about how you will pursue the field of foreign service through the program at Georgetown. You need to be really specific here, citing particular classes, avenues of study, and professors. With any degree in the foreign service and international relations, global experiences can play a crucial role — and over 80% of students in Walsh take part. We recommend that students integrate their interest in a study abroad program with Georgetown into their response here, citing a specific program that they are drawn to like the Kenya alternative break program or the summer in Barcelona.
End by envisioning your future beyond the Walsh School of Foreign Service.
APPLICANTS TO THE MCDONOUGH SCHOOL OF BUSINESS: Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business provides graduates with essential global, ethical, analytical, financial, and diverse perspectives on the economies of our nation and the world. Describe your primary motivations for studying business at Georgetown University.
The McDonough School of Business is especially known for a global perspective. Keep this in mind when planning your one-page essay, and we advise our students to start with a story that shows you engaging with business already. This could be through an entrepreneurship club, an immersive simulation experience, a part-time job, or anything else that shows you in business — not just thinking about it.
Once you’ve shared a specific story that highlights why you want to pursue an education and career in business, we encourage our students to map out the future they see for themselves. Then, show how Georgetown can get you there. Give as many specifics as you can, including courses, programs, and at least one professor you’d like to study under.
Pair what you’ll do in the classroom with what you are drawn to at Georgetown beyond your coursework — as relates to business, of course. Write about at least one student group that you’d love to become involved with, perhaps helping you build your business chops through opportunities and internships.
End the supplement by circling back to your vision for the future. Georgetown wants to see what you see for yourself in the future, so show them how an education at McDonough can get you there.
APPLICANTS TO THE MCCOURT SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY: For nearly 50 years, Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy has equipped leaders and changemakers with the interdisciplinary skills to address local, national and global policy problems. Undergraduate public policy students at Georgetown will have the unique opportunity to live and study on two campuses, spending their first two years immersed on the Hilltop, before completing the second half of their time at Georgetown on the Capitol Campus, immersed in the policy world. Describe your primary motivations for studying public policy at Georgetown University and dedicating your undergraduate studies toward a future related to public service.
Pursuing a degree through McCourt offers a unique college experience split between two campuses. The program is immersive and focused, so you’ll absolutely need to show how you are already pursuing a future related to public service. The key here is highlighting what you are already doing. Kick off the supplement with a clear and concrete story that shows you engaging with public service in a hands-on way. This could include long-term volunteering, interning, or even a part-time job. The story should be clear, and not too wordy. You only have one page, so keep it to one paragraph.
After the opening story, it’s time to explain how an experience turned into a passion for a future at Georgetown. Be as specific as you can be, with courses, paths of study, and a professor or two you want to learn from. You also need to reflect directly on the two-campus experience. Your first two years would be spent at the Hilltop campus, and they want to know that this is something that is exciting to you, not simply something to stomach until you get to the Capitol Campus.
Then you should pivot outwards. Where do you want to be after Georgetown? Map your dreams for the future onto how Georgetown can help you get there. As always, be specific. They want to know that you know them.
The Georgetown application is not onerous, but it can feel overwhelming simply because it is off of the Common App. Remember to work smart, as well as hard. Look for opportunities to reuse bits and pieces of other applications, and invest the most time in gaining a deep understanding of the college and program you are applying to.
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