What a friend would tell you
What Georgetown is looking for
A stake in the world beyond campus. Georgetown rewards students who have engaged with policy, service, global issues, or social justice in a concrete way, not just written about caring. Name a specific school (SFS, McDonough, the College) and explain why its approach matches yours. The Jesuit 'cura personalis' ethos means they want ethical reasoning and service, not just achievement stacking.
What students wish they'd known
D.C. internship culture turns every semester into a resume-building exercise; students who want to learn for learning's sake can feel out of step. Housing is limited and expensive (many upperclassmen live off-campus in pricey Georgetown or Rosslyn). The social scene runs preppy and economically homogeneous. The Jesuit identity is mostly cultural, but it shapes campus policies in ways that surprise some students.
Georgetown might be a fit if...
- You want to study international affairs, policy, or business with D.C. as your classroom
- You have a track record of service or community engagement that goes beyond padding a resume
- You thrive in a politically aware, debate-oriented culture where everyone has strong opinions
Georgetown Admissions Strategy
Application Info
Plans: EA, RD
Deadlines: EA November 1 · RD January 1
Deadlines: EA November 1 · RD January 1
Test Policy
Test required
Demonstrated Interest
Yes, Tracked
Tracked. Campus visits, info sessions, and opened emails all register. Show up where you can.
Interview
Not offered
Yield Rate
47%
47% of admits enroll, which is typical for a selective school. Waitlists here move every year.
Want to boost your odds at Georgetown and every reach on your list, so admissions stops feeling like a coin flip?
Join the free one-hour workshop from two Harvard grads who have helped 3,000+ students get in. Parents welcome.
Cost & Financial Aid at Georgetown
$91,060
Sticker Price
Need-aware admissions. Meets 100% of demonstrated need. 65% receive financial aid.
What you get for it: Georgetown spends about $68,000 per student per year on instruction and student resources, roughly 5x the $15K national average. You see it in class sizes, faculty access, and research budgets.
What Georgetown Graduates Get
$79,000
Avg Starting Salary
98%
Employed or in Grad School
85%
Graduate in 4 Years
The 4-year number is the on-time rate; the 6-year rate (95%) is the one schools usually advertise. A wide gap means many students pay for extra semesters.
Georgetown Campus & Culture
The Campus
Georgetown's 104-acre hilltop campus sits above the Potomac in northwest D.C. Healy Hall dominates the skyline: grey Potomac gneiss, Victorian Gothic, 200-foot clock tower. The front gates open onto Georgetown's cobblestoned streets, boutiques, and townhouses. Compact enough to walk end-to-end in 15 minutes, but step outside and you're in one of D.C.'s most expensive neighborhoods, with the National Mall a short Metro ride away.
The Social Scene
Washington DC access, Georgetown neighborhood, government/diplomacy culture, politics obsessed
Georgetown Traditions & Trivia
Healy Seal
Students walk around (never across) the Georgetown seal mosaic at Healy Hall, fearing that stepping on it means you will not graduate.
Healy Howl
On Halloween, students watch The Exorcist on Copley Lawn, then walk to the Jesuit graveyard and howl at midnight as the clock strikes Halloween.
Academics at Georgetown
What Georgetown is known for
Walsh School of Foreign Service, DC location, pre-professional pipeline, government/diplomacy
Most popular majors at Georgetown
Standout programs
International Relations, Business, Government, Law, Theology
How the curriculum works
Four schools with different curricula; Core course requirements
Recommended high school courses
4 years English, 3+ years Math, 3 years Science, 3 years Social Studies, 2+ years foreign language
Notable Georgetown Alumni
Bill Clinton
42nd President, SFS class of 1968
Bradley Cooper
Georgetown English degree 1997, before becoming an Oscar-nominated filmmaker
Antonin Scalia
Supreme Court Justice, Georgetown undergrad class of 1957
Allen Iverson
NBA Hall of Famer, Georgetown basketball before going first overall in the 1996 draft
Patrick Ewing
NBA Hall of Famer, Georgetown basketball class of 1985
If you like Georgetown, also consider
Tufts University
Similar globally-minded culture with stronger STEM, suburban Boston
American University
Same D.C. location, stronger public service focus, lower selectivity
George Washington University
D.C. neighbor with more urban campus and comparable political energy
Johns Hopkins University
D.C. policy relevance via SAIS, with stronger research chops
University of Virginia
Comparable prestige, more traditional campus, two hours south