Updated: Thursday, August 27, 2026
Georgetown is known for its strength in the fields of international relations and political science, so it’s not surprising that many diplomats and politicians have passed through its doors. It’s the perfect location to steep yourself in the necessary knowledge to pursue careers in these fields. If these majors are not your thing, Georgetown offers many more areas of study.
If you are a curious, strong student who sees yourself living and studying in the nation’s capital, Georgetown should be on your radar. Read on to find out everything you need to know to apply to Georgetown.
How to Get into Georgetown: Table of Contents
Before applying to Georgetown, you should decide whether you want to apply in the early or regular round — the application timeline differs for each.
It’s important to be aware of the deadlines that are applicable to your chosen round to ensure you submit all your application materials on time. The deadlines for the 2026-27 application cycle are:
Students who apply in the early round can expect a decision on December 15. For Regular Decision applicants, the decision date is April 1. For either round, students have until May 1 to decide if they want to enroll.
Georgetown offers two application options: Early Action and Regular Decision.
Early Action is an early application type that is non-binding. This means you can apply to multiple places Early Action (if they are not Restrictive Early Action or Single Choice Early Action). This application type gives you the chance to show your interest in the school early and receive your admission results early. It is a good option for students with strong grades throughout high school who feel their profile is competitive without their first semester senior grades.
Another early option is Early Decision, which is like Early Action except it is binding — students applying Early Decision must enroll if admitted and withdraw all other applications. Georgetown does not offer Early Decision, but many other top schools do.
Regular Decision is a standard, non-binding application type. This is generally the most popular option, and it gives you more time to prepare your application since the deadline is later.
Finally, rolling admission is when applications are accepted and reviewed without a single deadline but on an ongoing, rolling basis. Georgetown does not offer rolling admission.
If you apply to Georgetown University Regular Decision, there are three possible decision notifications you may receive: accepted, denied, or waitlisted. The waitlist is made up of strong students the university does not have the space to admit. You can accept or decline your spot, though your chances of getting off the waitlist are slim. Out of the 2,672 students waitlisted at Georgetown for fall 2025, only 356 were admitted.
If you apply to Georgetown via Early Action, you will either be admitted or deferred. When you’re deferred, it means your application will be evaluated with the Regular Decision pool.
So, what should you do if you’ve been deferred? Georgetown highly encourages deferred students to maintain excellent grades and submit additions to their applications, like new standardized test scores, honors, and awards. It is also standard to send a letter of continued interest reiterating your commitment to the university.
Admission to Georgetown is quite competitive. It is considered a reach school by any standard, as recent admissions rates show:
That said, selectivity goes beyond the numbers. How hard it is to get into a college depends on many different factors, including institutional priorities, diversity initiatives, and more. The most important thing you can do as an individual applicant is work on making your application as strong as possible. The first way to think about doing that is by strategically building your profile.
College admission isn’t all about who you are and where you come from, of course. Mainly, your profile is about what you have done — the classes you’ve taken in high school; how you have performed in them; and other activities, initiatives, and leadership positions that have shaped you. That said, what does Georgetown University look for? Georgetown seeks to admit a class of diverse students who are extremely motivated and talented.
Because colleges look at all four years of high school, it’s important to start building your profile early. Commit to extracurricular activities and give yourself room to grow, from newcomer to president of a club. Identify your interests and dive in, participating in programs and initiatives that will highlight your passions. And maintain high grades in the most rigorous courses available.
If you can find the time and resources, there’s nothing like visiting Georgetown in person. An on-campus visit includes a campus tour and information session. With its towering gothic buildings overlooking the river, the campus is a stunning setting to get a stellar education. Leave time before or after your official campus visit to walk around Georgetown itself. It’s one of Washington, D.C.’s most charming neighborhoods, lined with brick and cobblestone and glittering with great shopping destinations.
Can’t make it to campus? Georgetown offers virtual information sessions with an admissions officer as well as virtual reality walking tours.
Georgetown provides opportunities for prospective students to learn about campus life through virtual student panels — a Q&A session with current students. Another option is to sign up for a virtual Coffee and Chat with a current Georgetown student or connect with students who are part of the Georgetown Admissions Ambassador Program.
While the admissions office offers plenty of opportunities for you to learn about student experiences, you can take some additional steps on your own. Following current students on social media and reading Georgetown’s student-run newspaper, “The Hoya” can give you additional perspectives on campus life.
Students applying to Georgetown have the option of using the Georgetown application, which opens on June 1, or the Common Application, which opens on August 1.
For your application to stand out, it’s important to understand the profile of admitted students so you can see how you compare. It’s also worth noting that Georgetown does not track demonstrated interest.
Georgetown does not report the GPAs of their enrolled students in their Common Data Set. However, they do report class rank. Of the students from the class of 2029 who reported their class rank, 87% graduated in the top 10%. Given Georgetown’s high degree of selectivity, you can assume that you will need to earn top grades in the most rigorous courses available to you.
Georgetown requires standardized test scores for admission. For the class of 2029, the middle 50% of students scored 1405-1530 on the SAT and 32-35 on the ACT. If you want to be a Hoya, aim to get test scores within these ranges. Your scores must be submitted no later than January of your senior year.
Georgetown requires applicants to respond to two short essay prompts and two long essay prompts. These are Georgetown specific — the Common App Personal Statement is not required.
Short Essay 1: Briefly discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved. (250 Words)
Short Essay 2: In all our lives, we interact with people who hold different viewpoints than our own. Describe such an event you experienced. What did you learn from the experience? (250 Words)
Essay 1: 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 personal background and individual experiences, skills, and talents. (650 Words)
Essay 2: School Specific Essay Prompt (500 Words)
Georgetown requires two recommendation letters: one from a teacher and one from your school counselor. You are also allowed to submit a second recommendation from a teacher, but this is optional. Be intentional about the teacher you choose to write a letter of recommendation — ideally, it should be a teacher from a core academic subject who taught you during junior or senior year. It’s especially helpful if they taught a subject that’s relevant to your academic interest, such as math or social studies for McDonough School of Business applicants.
Georgetown requires admissions interviews as an important extra step in the admissions process. Students must set up an interview with an Alumni Admissions Program Committee member once they receive the interviewer’s contact information. Interviews are arranged according to your geographic area.
The Georgetown alumni interview is a chance for students to highlight certain aspects of their backgrounds and achievements. It’s also a great opportunity to ask an alumnus about their experience at Georgetown.
If you’re interested in attending Georgetown, it’s important to articulate through your essays and interview what impact you plan to make at the university. Be specific. Name clubs, courses, research opportunities, professors, and other aspects of Georgetown that are of particular interest to you.
As you research Georgetown University, it can be helpful to review the class profile. This provides information about how many people apply to Georgetown, the acceptance rate, class size and demographics, geographic distribution of students, and more. This information can help you better understand Georgetown’s admission standards so you can assess your chances of being accepted.
Here are some quick statistics for the class of 2029:
| Acceptance rate | 12.49% |
| Class size | 1,589 |
| Undergraduate majors | 70 |
Georgetown is unique in so many ways! It’s a gorgeous, neo-Gothic campus in one of Washington D.C.’s most beautiful neighborhoods. It offers excellent undergraduate and graduate degrees in five different major colleges.
The Walsh School of Foreign Service offers more specialized undergraduate majors in this field than most universities, including majors in culture and politics; global business; international economics; international history; international political economy; international politics; regional and comparative studies; and science, technology & international affairs. Georgetown also offers many other programs of study in its four other academic colleges, the College of Arts and Sciences, the McDonough School of Business, the School of Health, and the School of Nursing.
Its location in Washington, D.C., makes it an incredible place to live and study for many reasons. Students have access to the city’s cultural offerings, such as museums, historical sites, monuments, sports, and theater, and access to national resources like the Library of Congress — not to mention, numerous internship opportunities.
Georgetown may be right for you if you are passionate about making the world a better place, feel strongly about cultural and linguistic diversity, and want to take advantage of the offerings of our nation’s capital.
Where is Georgetown University?
Georgetown University is in the Georgetown neighborhood in Washington, D.C.
How many students does Georgetown accept?
While the acceptance rate fluctuates from year to year, it is currently around 13%, making it a highly competitive school.
What are Georgetown’s best majors?
Georgetown is particularly known for its international relations and government programs, but business-related majors are also popular.
What GPA do you need to get into Georgetown?
While Georgetown does not specify a minimum GPA for admission, most undergraduate students graduated in the top 10% of their high school class.
What does Georgetown look for in students?
Georgetown looks for students who are highly accomplished and talented both academically and in their extracurricular pursuits. Students are expected to make an impact in the campus community.
After reading and better understanding what it takes to gain admission to Georgetown University, it’s easy to understand why families may be interested in hiring an admissions counselor who can help students develop a strategic plan, build their profiles, and more. The highly selective world of U.S. college admissions is one that takes time and work. While students can manage this process on their own, hiring an admissions consultant can streamline the process, replacing some of the anxiety and confusion with guidance and reassurance.
Getting into Georgetown is challenging, but IvyWise counselors are here to give you the best possible chance of getting into your dream school. Set up an Initial Consultation to get in touch with a counselor.
As students begin a new school semester, they will soon be meeting with their college counselors to begin planning for the summer and the next school year. One important part of the counseling process is ensuring that students are taking the proper courses that match their academic ability, interests, and ultimately their college admissions goals.
When preparing students for the college admissions process, we place a lot of emphasis on identifying and developing students’ interests in addition to good grades and test scores. As we’ve said before, students’ interests are important because it helps colleges make admissions decisions and build well-rounded classes.
The college admissions landscape is often shrouded in mystery, and admissions trends seem to change every year. But one aspect of the process that seems here to stay is holistic admissions. What does this mean for applicants beyond the surface-level explanation that it looks at more than just grades and test scores? Keep reading to learn what colleges genuinely assess when they commit to a holistic review of student profiles.
