For admission in the fall of 2023, Georgetown received 2,241 transfer applications and admitted 296 students, or just over 13%. They admit transfers to all five undergraduate schools for fall admissions, and the spring term depending on availability, and require a minimum of 12 credits, completed as an enrolled college student (not high schooler taking college courses) to qualify as a potential transfer. Like most colleges, they also have a maximum number of credits that new students are permitted to bring with them as transfers: 60.
Georgetown requires standardized test scores, and highly recommends doing an interview. The Georgetown application is also internal to Georgetown, and not part of the Common App or Coalition App. The application is also in two parts. First, you submit a quick “Georgetown Transfer Application” form, which is really just data collection. This takes about 20 minutes and is where they collect your name, biographical information, and kickstart the Alumni Interview scheduling process — a crucial part of your transfer application. Once you submit the first part, you’ll be sent an email with information on accessing the Georgetown application portal and the application supplement.
While the application is due March 1st, it is recommended that you complete all of the pieces other than the transfer supplement far ahead of that deadline to allow time for interview scheduling, documentation collection (like transcripts), and the like.
So, what does it take to be seriously considered by Georgetown? They recommend a minimum cumulative grade average of B+, but a B+ average isn’t going to get you into Georgetown. They want to see the same things they look for in seniors: very strong grades in hard courses with a clear focus. But they also look for an upwards trajectory. They want to see you performing at an even higher level in class and in your extracurriculars than you did in high school. Georgetown isn’t excited by students who are waiting around for things to happen — they want to see you taking action, even if you aren’t at your dream school yet.
In this post we’ll break down what you need to do to highlight how awesome you are in your application, increasing your chances of acceptance as a Georgetown transfer.
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As we said, the application is submitted in two parts. First, there is the informational section, then later you can access the supplement. Below we’ll break down the supplemental questions, which are crucial to get right if you want to get in.
A strong transfer application is as much a storytelling exercise as it is a quantitative package, so let’s write your story.
THE TRANSFER ESSAYs
There are two transfer essays, and each is one page maximum. The first is for all applicants, and then there is a different prompt for each undergraduate college.
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 personal background and individual experiences, skills, and talents. If you are transferring from a four-year institution, please include your reasons for transferring.
If you read that last sentence and were like, “well, duh, this is a transfer application!” remember that there are students applying from two-year colleges that don’t have a reason for leaving their current school other than the fact that they are finishing their associate degree and can’t continue there.
With that clear, let’s go back to the beginning of the prompt. They want to know you, and they want the way you write this essay to show who you are as much as the contents does. This means that you can open up your mind to different styles, formats, and storytelling structures. You can write this as a standard three-paragraph essay, or you can do something different. It’s all fair.
The point, ultimately, is to show them who you are, within the context of your talents, interests, experiences, and skills. Remember, though, that this isn’t like applying as a high school student. Whereas we would encourage a 17 year-old magician to write a college essay breaking down a particular trick (without giving away the key, of course), that really isn’t what you need for this essay. They care most about you as a student, so frame this essay within your academic passion, and what is drawing you to Georgetown.
As you (and if you) mention the reasons you want to transfer, remember to keep your reasons drama free. They don’t want to hear about how you (may) think your peers are idiots and your professors are out to lunch. Bad-mouthing your current school only makes you look bad. Instead, focus on your academic goals and how Georgetown will better support you in reaching your goals.
Applicants to Georgetown College: 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 in the College of Arts & Sciences. Applicants interested in the sciences, mathematics, or languages are encouraged to make specific reference to their choice of major.
While Georgetown only specifies stating a particular major if you are interested in the sciences, math, or languages, we recommend being as specific as possible for this short essay, which means clearly stating what you hope to study.
It’s important, though, to do more than just write facts here — you need to tell a story.
Write the story of your academic passion through the lens of one experience. Then, zoom out from that experience to map what you love onto what Georgetown can offer. What will you major in? Name specific programs, courses, and professors. Be specific.
Applicants to the Georgetown 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 essay should be grounded in what drew you to nursing originally, and what drives you to go down the nursing path all the way to Georgetown. This may be a family connection to the field, a personal experience with healthcare, or a relationship with a mentor. Whatever it is, be focused and specific. So, if more than one thing has driven you towards nursing, focus this essay on just one.
Then, write about the Georgetown program with deep specificity. Maybe it’s a program, internship, immersion, or focus that you are particularly interested in. Share that as part of why you know Georgetown is right for you.
Applicants to the Georgetown 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.
Like the other school-specific prompts, this one asks for both why you want to be at Georgetown and why, in a bigger sense, you want to pursue this course of study at all. This is, at its essence, asking for your why.
The best way to answer that question is with a story. “Describe the factors,” as they put it, is quite vague and broad, and could lead students to lean on a resume over conveying a meaningful narrative. We get that urge. Listing past experiences is easier than building a story, but that’s the wrong direction to take. You need to pick one focused story that conveys broader themes, like community-mindedness, empathy, or curiosity, and use that as the core of your essay. From there, you’ll build onto the story, layering on specific reasons why you want to be at Georgetown including your intended major, a program or research opportunity you’re excited for, and a professor or two you hope to study under.
Close the essay by going back to the story you started with, grounding your dreams for Georgetown in the work you’re already doing to build a foundation in the field.
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.
This prompt follows the same format as the previous school, specific prompts. They care about why you want to be at Georgetown with a specific focus on your prospective major and what you’ve done thus far to pursue the major subject, in this case global service, before even applying to Georgetown. As we’ve said, the best way to do this is with story. Be specific in how your interest in Foreign Service developed to the point of not only wanting to study it in college, but aiming to pursue it at one of the best schools for foreign service in the world.
When given the opportunity to write about an interest in global issues, many students immediately jump to writing about an international experience. We encourage students to look closer to home, though. Instead of writing about going somewhere else, write about how you address global issues closer to home, or through an academic avenue like research. The purpose of this is to keep the focus on yourself and your potential, not on whether you can afford to fly around the world or have tried to fix problems you can’t possibly fully understand in places you don’t live. All that is full of political baggage, and you can’t presume the world view of your application reader(s), so it’s better to avoid the mess and keep the focus on yourself.
Remember, too, to mention detailed specifics about the Georgetown program including courses you hope to take and a professor or two you’d like to study under.
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.
Again, this is the same format they’ve been using for each school-specific prompt. They want to know why business, and why the School of Business at Georgetown. Start this prompt with the former — what directed you towards a major in business? Ideally, this is a story where you are in business, whether it’s starting a small business, working for a company you respect, or another experience you’ve had that made a future in business click for you.
From there, go to why Georgetown is where you want to be to take the next step towards a business career. What is it about the Georgetown program that aligns, in particular, with your area(s) of interest? Be as specific as you can by naming courses, a professor or two, and maybe a program you’re drawn to. Don’t talk about study abroad, though, as studying abroad as a transfer can be tough to pull off.
Finish by looking forward. Where will your degree from McDonough take you next?
Then there is an additional essay for students applying to the CALL, the Capitol Applied Learning Labs, which is a semester-long program that integrates students into downtown DC with a focus on career development and an internship. Students then return to the main campus with new focus, vision, and awareness. This semester is completed upon arrival at Georgetown, and select transfer applicants are eligible. As the CALL is a fairly new program (launched in 2019) that they are trying to grow, applying for it may increase your chances of admission.
Applicants to the CALL: Please briefly discuss how your personal and career ambitions might benefit from starting your Georgetown experience at the CALL (maximum 250 words).
This is a short essay, but an important one if you are interested in the CALL program. The CALL focuses on career development through an immersive internship, so you should be focusing your answer here onto exactly that. How would an all-in career experience before you start courses at Georgetown shape your experience? Be as specific as you can be with your personal and career goals, and how the internship could inform and direct your classroom experiences at Georgetown.
As you work on your application, we like referring to this helpful checklist to refer to when you have questions about the Georgetown transfer application process. And here is a PDF of the supplement that you can read without having to log into the application.
Applying as a transfer requires strategy. Contact us to get yours.