Georgetown University Undergraduate Admissions: A Comprehensive Guide

Georgetown University, located in Washington, D.C., stands as a leading institution with a strong emphasis on liberal arts education rooted in Jesuit traditions. Known for its commitment to social justice and holistic development, Georgetown attracts a diverse and highly motivated student body. This article provides a detailed overview of the undergraduate admissions requirements for prospective students.

An Overview of Georgetown University

Founded in 1789, Georgetown is the oldest Catholic and Jesuit university in the United States. It welcomes applications from students of character, intelligence, motivation, and achievement, without distinction based on race, gender, immigration status, or religious preference. The university’s educational approach focuses on creating well-rounded individuals exposed to a wide array of subjects, cultures, and ideas. Undergraduates receive a liberal arts education steeped in the Jesuit traditions of social justice and cura personalis, or “care of the whole person.” The university is committed to helping students grow intellectually, spiritually, and emotionally, encouraging them to become thoughtful and caring members of society who contribute to the greater good.

With more than 6,300 undergraduates from all 50 states and more than 130 countries, Georgetown is a vibrant place to live and learn, offering a wide spectrum of campus groups, sports teams and clubs, student publications, and student activism in political and social causes.

Holistic Admissions Process

Georgetown believes that the college admissions process is a very personal experience. To fulfill its commitment to a holistic admissions process, Georgetown uses its own application, which allows applicants to best express their personalities, talents, skills, and accomplishments. While academic performance is paramount, accomplishments outside the classroom, demonstrated commitment to the broader community, and personal qualities such as resiliency, motivation, and ambition are also considered.

Application Requirements and Deadlines

Georgetown conducts its admission process via its very own application portal. The university welcomes applications for admission to its undergraduate schools from students of character, intelligence, motivations and achievement.

Application Deadlines

Early Action: November 1
Regular Decision: January 10

The First Year Application deadline of January 10 has passed. The admissions application and all credentials for Early Action must be received at Georgetown by November 1. All first-year student applications are due in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions by November 1 for Early Action and January 10 for Regular Decision.

Required Application Materials

Georgetown Application: Complete and submit the Georgetown Application. Filling out the application creates your official admissions file and allows the university to track and connect any documents or standardized testing sent in support of your application.
Additional Required Application Forms: These forms allow you to provide more details about yourself, including your chosen school and major at Georgetown, activities, standardized testing updates, and your essays. Once you log in to your application account, complete all additional required application forms by the deadline.
Letters of Recommendation: You must submit a counselor letter of recommendation and a teacher letter of recommendation. Complete the recommendation form as soon as you have secured the correct contact information for your recommenders.
Transcripts: Submit complete, translated, and official transcripts of all secondary and, when applicable, university credentials along with subjective evaluations from teachers and tutors when obtainable. These applications should contain the results of three and one half years of high school work. No application will be considered until all of the above credentials have been received.
Standardized Test Scores: All applicants are required to take the SAT or the ACT. Both tests are acceptable, and on neither test will a Writing component be utilized in admissions decisions. All tests should be taken by January of the senior year in order to allow time for the results to reach Georgetown by early February.

Essay Questions

Essays are one of the most important aspects of a competitive college application. To view the essay questions ahead of submitting your application, please see the additional required application forms that have been provided below. Georgetown-specific supplemental essay responses are required. Examples include:

A liberal arts education from the College of Arts & Sciences involves encounters with new concepts and modes of inquiry. Describe something (a class, a book, an event, etc.) that changed your thinking.
The McDonough School of Business is a national and global leader in providing graduates with essential ethical, analytical, financial and global perspectives.
The Walsh School of Foreign Service was founded more than a century ago to prepare generations of leaders to solve global problems.
Describe the factors that have influenced your interest in studying health care at Georgetown University.

Alumni Interview

Another important part of the selection process at Georgetown is an interview with a member of an Alumni Admissions Program committee. As applications are received by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, each student who lives or attends boarding school within a committee’s jurisdiction is provided with the name of an alumni interviewer and asked to make arrangements for an interview. Georgetown uses its own application for admission and we are able to coordinate an alumni interview for nearly all candidates.

Academic Requirements

While the Committee on Admissions is most interested in the quality of a student’s work, general promise, and seriousness of purpose, it is recommended that secondary school preparation include four years of English, a minimum of two years of social studies, modern language, and mathematics and one year of natural science.

Specific School Requirements

Math or Science Concentration: Students who plan a concentration in mathematics or science should include four years of mathematics and at least three years of science.
Nursing Program: Candidates for the majors in the Berkley School of Nursing and the School of Health should include at least three years of mathematics and must include one year each of biology and chemistry.
Business Program: Students interested in The McDonough School of Business should complete a minimum of three years of mathematics, through advanced algebra and trigonometry, as calculus is required of all students in the program. Two years of natural science are recommended.

Standardized Testing Policies

SAT and ACT

All applicants are required to take the SAT or the ACT. Both tests are acceptable, and on neither test will a Writing component be utilized in admissions decisions. All tests should be taken by January of the senior year in order to allow time for the results to reach Georgetown by early February.

Test Score Submission

Georgetown requires submission of each applicant’s complete testing record, including all SAT, ACT, and/or SAT Subject test scores. Please ensure the on-time arrival of your test scores for Early Action! Candidates applying under Early Action who sit for additional testing after the application deadline can identify future test dates on the additional required application forms.

Test-Optional Policy

Georgetown recognizes that some students may not have access to an open testing center due to any number of circumstances beyond your control. If this is the case, we encourage you to apply to the university without test scores.

Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) Credit

Georgetown participates in the College Board Advanced Placement Program and awards course exemptions and college credit to entering students with qualifying scores. Applicants who seek advanced placement because they have taken one or more of the Advanced Placement Examinations should have the examination results sent to the Advanced Placement Coordinator in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions during the summer prior to enrollment. Requests for Advanced Placement credit are reviewed individually. Georgetown’s Advanced Placement Examination Policy reflects the different graduation requirements of the four undergraduate schools by making awards based on the student’s school and major.

Students pursuing the International Baccalaureate must receive grades of 6 or 7 for credit transfer. Credit is awarded only for higher level subjects.

Understanding Georgetown’s Selectivity

Georgetown is an extremely selective university. The acceptance rate at Georgetown is 12.9%. Meeting their GPA requirements and SAT/ACT requirements is very important to getting past their first round of filters and proving your academic preparation. You'll need nearly straight A's in all your classes to compete with other applicants.

Read also: Georgetown Admission SAT

GPA Considerations

Georgetown College does not set minimum GPA requirements for admission. However, the GPA requirement that really matters is the GPA you need for a real chance of getting in. requires you to be at the top of your class. The Common Data Set reveals that 85% of the Class of 2028 admits graduated in the top tenth of their high school graduating class.

Standardized Test Score Ranges

Half the applicants admitted to Georgetown University who submitted test scores have an SAT score between 1390 and 1550 or an ACT score of 31 and 35. However, one quarter of admitted applicants achieved scores above these ranges and one quarter scored below these ranges.

SAT: 25th percentile SAT score is 1400, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1540. To have the best shot of getting in, you should aim for the 75th percentile, with a 1540 SAT.
ACT: The 25th percentile ACT score is 31, and the 75th percentile ACT score is 35. To have the best shot of getting in, you should aim for the 75th percentile, with a 35 ACT.

Extracurricular Activities and Essays

There is no silver bullet extracurricular activity that will automatically wow Georgetown admissions officers. Applicants should focus their efforts on pursuing their one passion or specialty to the fullest extent possible. Georgetown admissions officers aim to create incoming classes that are diverse and highly specialized.

To stand out, applicants should focus their efforts on pursuing their one passion or specialty to the fullest extent possible. The world-class painter, groundbreaking scientist, or budding politician will always stand out over the well-rounded applicant.

Financial Aid and Visiting Options

Georgetown University meets the full financial need of all eligible undergraduate students, and a student’s need for financial assistance does not negatively impact their chances of admissions. Once admitted, every student will have his or her demonstrated financial need met in full. Students seeking financial assistance should submit a copy of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the CSS PROFILE (administered by the College Board).

Campus Visits

Students interested in Georgetown are encouraged to visit the University. Information sessions, conducted by members of the Admissions staff, offer prospective students and their parents an opportunity to learn more about the academic programs and student life at Georgetown, as well as the admissions process and procedures. Information sessions and tours are held on weekdays and Saturday mornings throughout the year on a variable schedule. To experience the university’s rich environment, we invite you to visit our campus or to gather with us online for a virtual information session and student panel.

Additional Information for Specific Groups

International Students

Georgetown welcomes applications for admission from well-qualified international students. Deadline dates are the same as those established for students applying from within the United States. Along with final application forms, students should submit complete, translated, and official transcripts of all secondary and, when applicable, university credentials along with subjective evaluations from teachers and tutors when obtainable.

Students applying from educational systems whose native language is not English are required to demonstrate a level of competence that would indicate their ability for successful study in English. It is recommended that such students submit results from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), including the Test of Written English (TWE), given at test centers throughout the world. International applicants are required to take the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or the American College Testing Program (ACT) examination.

Transfer Students

Georgetown welcomes transfer applications to its undergraduate programs. Transfer applicants should have completed one full-time semester of at least twelve transferable credits, or the equivalent, on the college level; otherwise they should follow the first-year student application procedure. Students who have already earned a bachelor’s degree at another college or university are not eligible for admission to Georgetown’s undergraduate degree programs.

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