Georgetown is a Jesuit university in Washington, D.C. Georgetown College, the undergraduate college of arts and sciences at the university offers students a liberal arts education that prioritizes diversity of experience with an emphasis on the Jesuit tradition of service towards others. There are 3,400 students, who make up the majority of the 6,300 undergraduate students across the school’s undergraduate colleges.
Georgetown’s location in the nation’s capital shapes the student experience. Students have access not only to Capitol Hill, but also to leaders in the private sector and NGO spaces. There are nearly infinite opportunities for self-directed internships and learning, but Georgetown doesn’t make students do it all on their own. Programs such as the Social Responsibility Network provide students with access to world-class mentorship.
The acceptance rate is about 10%, and the most recently reported Early Action acceptance rate was just under 12%.
Before you start looking for Georgetown in the Common App — stop. They are one of a small handful of schools that do not use the Common Application, Coalition Application, or a specialized application that at least works for a group of schools. The University of California application, for example, works for a large number of the UC schools. Georgetown, like MIT, likes to go it alone. Not only that, their application system is a little clunky and annoying, which may be one of the ways that they ensure that applicants aren’t applying on a whim. You have to want to go to Georgetown to put yourself through the application process.
However, there is no reason to panic, even if you have already put a lot of time into the Common App. If you take a read through the Georgetown application questions (below), you may notice some similarities between their prompts and some of the most common supplement prompts on the Common App. Depending on what supplements you have done, you may be able to repurpose content you’ve already written.
Briefly discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved. (approximately one-half page, single-spaced)
Before you jump into writing the response that popped into your mind, please note the formatting requirements. It is absolutely critical that you follow their guidelines. Do not go over a half-page or approximately 300 words. Do not play with the margins. They should be one inch. Do not — do not — try to express your personality through a unique font. Choose a simple font, such as Cambria or Ariel, in a standard size, 11 or 12.
Now that you have your formatting straight — and these formatting rules apply across the three essays — re-read the question. This prompt specifically requests that you write about the activity you have been involved with the most. This means both in the length of time that you have been involved and in time you devote to it now. What it does not require is that the activity is year-round. As it says in the prompt, it could be something you’ve done every summer since you turned ten or something you picked up last year and commit 20 hours to each week.
Whether you’ve spent every extra moment in the lab working on science fair projects, used your skills juggling to make money working kid’s birthday parties, or are killing it leading your school’s debate team, the readers want to hear a story in a vivid way. Even an international pogo-stick champion who will be using her prize money to help pay for college can be boring to read about if you don’t bring the story to life for the reader.
Show your passion and illustrated your excitement for something that is a big piece of what you do, and of who you are.
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. (one page, single-spaced)
Georgetown is very committed to diversity. They also understand that diversity is not measured based on a single metric. They look for a diversity of racial, ethnic, geographic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. They want to put together a class that has a diversity of academic interests and extracurricular passions. For Georgetown, diversity is something that can always be improved upon and striven towards in its infinite variations.
This is all to say that when you see “diversity” in the prompt, you need to approach your answer with the same broad perspective and expansive definition as Georgetown does. What doesn’t need a broad perspective is the formatting. Please follow the same guidelines as above. Do not try to use Zapfino. It isn’t cute.
According to the prompt, this essay could be either personal or creative. We want you to do both. Tell the readers more about you by sharing a moment in your life that illustrates a piece of your personality. You have a whole page single-spaced, so consider trying out a structure that pulls you out of your comfort zone. Try writing dialogue or formatting your essay as a script or screenplay. Take a page from your favorite novel by emulating the storytelling that compelling fiction requires. Share a story that is simple, but made captivating by how you tell it.
Applicants to Georgetown College: What does it mean to you to be educated? How might Georgetown College help you achieve this aim? (Applicants to the Sciences and Mathematics or the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics should address their chosen course of study.) (One page, single-spaced)
This is a fascinating question, and we love it. However, it isn’t simple and it isn’t easy. Before you start, try asking yourself some other questions and writing 100 words in response to each:
Are you educated now?
How will you know when you are educated?
It is possible to be educated, or is it a moving target?
These prompts may help guide you towards your answer, but before you start, you need to do one more thing. You need to map out how Georgetown plays into the picture for you.
What do you want to major in?
What programs are you most drawn to?
Are there any professors you want to study under?
The critical piece here is that what you focus on must be unique to Georgetown — which is why details such as the name of professor or program are so important. Otherwise, you could be writing about nearly any college that offers your major.
As you begin to write this prompt, use the ideas you have pulled together to show the readers who you are now, how you see yourself progressing, and where you hope to be in the future, without taking a purely linear approach. Use a story as a way to frame your perspective and to tell your story.
If you are overwhelmed by the idea of going off-Common App, send us an email. We help our students manage their applications to minimize stress and maximize results.