How to Get Into Georgetown: All You Need to Know
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.
In fact, 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.
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
- When to Apply to Georgetown
- How Hard Is It to Get Into Georgetown: Early Prep
- How Do You Actually Get Into Georgetown: The Application
- Class Profile
- What Makes Georgetown Unique?
When to Apply to Georgetown
You should apply for admission to Georgetown during the fall of your senior year of high school. Georgetown has two different application types: Early Action and Regular Decision. This means students should either apply in November for Early Action or in January for Regular Decision. Georgetown does not have an Early Decision application type.
Georgetown Deadlines
Georgetown’s Early Action application deadline is on November 1 and decisions are released by December 15. The Regular Decision deadline is on January 10 and decisions are released by April 1.
Early, Rolling and Regular Decision
Georgetown offers two different application types: 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 (As long as they are not REA, Restrictive Early Action, or SCEA, Single Choice Early Action). This application type gives applicants the chance to show their interest in the school early and receive their 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. If admitted, Early Action applicants can choose not to enroll and attend.
Georgetown does not deny any students who apply Early Action. These applicants are either admitted or deferred, which means their application is passed down to the Regular Decision pool to be reconsidered.
Regular Decision is a standard application type with a deadline typically between mid-December and mid-January. Georgetown’s application deadline is January 10. Regular Decision is a non-binding application type. Students receive their admission decisions by April 1.
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.
Waitlisted Applications
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 wanted to admit but did not have the space to admit. Considering the high volume of applications Georgetown receives compared to the number of spots they have available for their first-year class, it makes sense they have to deny or waitlist very strong applicants.
When receiving a waitlist admissions decision, applicants have the option to choose whether they want to accept or deny their spot on the waitlist. If you accept your spot on the waitlist, you could get off the waitlist during the late spring or summer of your senior year.
Deferrals
If you apply to Georgetown Early Action and you are not admitted, you will receive a deferral notification rather than a rejection. This means your application will be passed down to the Regular Decision applicant pool and be re-reviewed for consideration for Regular Decision admission.
So what should you do if you’ve been deferred? Georgetown highly encourages deferred students to keep up their high school 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 interest and commitment to the university.
How Hard Is It to Get Into Georgetown: Early Prep
Admission to Georgetown is quite competitive. It is considered a reach school by any standard, as it is well below a 25% admission rate. Georgetown’s most recently available data for students who were admitted for fall 2022 enrollment shows that the admit rate for that admission cycle was 12%.
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.
Build Your Profile
Nearly a third of Georgetown students speak at least a second language fluently. Students come from all 50 states and 130 countries. Georgetown is the ultimate laboratory for cultural exchange and transnational learning in the nation’s capital. Whether you come from small town America or an Asian metropolis, you will make a unique contribution to the extremely diverse cultural environment of a Georgetown classroom. But what does Georgetown University look for?
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.
It’s always a good idea to start building your profile as soon as possible. For example, 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.
Building your profile will help the admissions team decide whether you are a good fit for their school. But is the school a good fit for you? Read on to learn more about Georgetown.
Visit the Campus and Attend a Class
Visiting campus is one of the best ways to find out if a college is the right fit for you. While nothing can replace an in-person visit, virtual visits are another option. This means that time and resources are no excuse—with a decent internet connection, all prospective students should have the ability to register for virtual visits.
A virtual visit at Georgetown consists of an information session with an admissions officer. Prospective students can also sign up for a virtual “coffee & chat” with a current Georgetown student. This is an opportunity to learn about Georgetown in a one-on-one setting, directly from someone experiencing what it’s like to be a student there.
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 an information session. With its towering gothic buildings overlooking the river, the campus might be mistaken for a film set. It is a stunning setting in which to get a stellar education. Make sure to 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.
Connect With a Student
In addition to a virtual visit and a “coffee & chat,” prospective students can also connect with students directly through their regional admission representative. Prospective students are encouraged to contact their state or regional chair to learn about Georgetown from a current student that comes from the same town, state, or country as you.
Learn About Any Student Experiences
Taking advantage of these opportunities to connect with current Georgetown students one-on-one is probably one of the best things you can do to learn more about Georgetown. Current students will talk about their experiences with a greater sense of candidness. It’s important to go into these meetings with a set of questions to get the most out of these experiences.
How Do You Actually Get Into Georgetown: The Application
If you have followed along up until this point, you have learned quite a bit about Georgetown. You know about the kinds of academics the school offers, its general selectivity, and the kinds of applications it offers for undergraduate admission.
But how do you actually get in? While the answer to this question is not black and white, prospective students should know a few things ahead of time when applying to Georgetown—the most important being that Georgetown has its own application and does not use the Common App.
Read on to learn more about Georgetown’s admitted student profile, which can enable you to understand if your profile is competitive.
GPA Requirements
Though Georgetown doesn’t have any official GPA requirements, you can get a sense for the kinds of GPA achievement they are looking for by studying their data. Georgetown does not report the GPAs of their enrolled students in their Common Data set. However, they do report the percentage of their class that was a part of the top 10% of their graduating class. Out of the first-year students admitted to Georgetown in the fall of 2022, 84% were in the top 10% of their high school class.
With this information, it’s easy to deduce that Georgetown is quite competitive. High school students who are not in the top 10% of their high school class may be at a competitive disadvantage.
SAT and ACT Scores
Georgetown did not adopt the most flexible test-optional policy during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the height of the pandemic, they agreed to review applications for students who could not access a testing center or could not schedule a testing date.
Since the 2020-2021 admission cycle, they have continued to require the submission of standardized test scores, whether SAT or ACT. Of enrolled students for the class of 2026, 72% applied by submitting SAT scores and 36% submitted ACT scores. Of enrolled first-year students who took the SAT composite, 25% scored at or below 1410, while 25% scored at or above 1540. Of enrolled freshmen who took the ACT composite, over 88% scored between a 30 and a 36.
Essays
Students applying to Georgetown are asked to write three essays: a short essay, essay one, and essay two. The short essay is half a page, single-spaced. Essay one is for the admissions committee, and essay two is specific to the school the student is applying to—each of these should be approximately one page, single-spaced. The essay prompts may change each year, but these prompts for 2023 admission gives you some idea of what to expect.
Short essay: Briefly discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved.
Essay one: As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your
own words. Please submit a brief essay, either personal or creative, which you feel best describes you.
Letters of Recommendation
Georgetown requires that students submit two recommendations: one from their school counselor or principal and one from a teacher. Recommendations can be one of the best ways for colleges to get to know students, especially academically. Be sure to ask a teacher who knows your work and who can speak to your greatest strengths. It’s always a good idea to give your recommenders plenty of time to prepare. Generally, it’s best to ask for recommendations by the end of your junior year or at least the very beginning of your senior year.
Admission Interviews
Georgetown requires interviews as an important extra step in the admissions process. Students are required to set up an interview with a member of the Alumni Admissions Program Committee. Members of the committee are located in all 50 states and in countries around the world.
This 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.
Contribution to the Georgetown Community
If you’re interested in attending Georgetown, it’s important to learn more about the campus community. Students contribute to the Georgetown community in a myriad of ways, from their involvement in NCAA Division I sports as Hoyas, to their involvement in international clubs and organizations.
As a university with Jesuit roots, it also holds a strong commitment to helping to build a more just world. These values are reflected in the kinds of students that choose to attend Georgetown. Students are very involved both on and off campus– working to engage with different communities to best carry out those values.
Class Profile
Here are some quick statistics for the class of 2026:
| Acceptance rate | 12.23% |
| Class size | 1,578 |
| Undergraduate majors | 40+ |
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.
What Makes Georgetown Unique?
Answering this question is tough because there are just so many possible answers. Georgetown is unique in so many ways! It’s a world-renowned Jesuit university located in the capital of the United States. 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.
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.
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.
Admission Consulting
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 consultant. By hiring an admissions consultant, students and parents gain a one-on-one resource to guide them throughout the process, helping students develop a strategic plan, build their profiles, and more.
Students who are serious about gaining admission to their top-choice school and who are ready to do the work should hire an admissions consultant. If you are not ready to put time and effort into the process, working with an admissions consultant may not be right for you. That said, 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 not impossible. 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.
