Founded in 1789, Georgetown is the oldest Catholic and Jesuit institution of higher learning in the United States. Georgetown is counted among the best universities in the nation and is commonly thought of as the most prestigious Jesuit college in the U.S. Georgetown’s location, just minutes from downtown Washington, D.C., has significantly influenced the school’s academics—its Walsh School of Foreign Service is the oldest school for international affairs in the U.S. and alumni have gone on to serve in the Senate, Congress, Supreme Court, and even as President of the United States.
Georgetown attracts some of the highest-achieving and most motivated students in the nation. Earning great grades and outstanding test scores are the first steps to gaining admission to this excellent university.
A strong GPA and test scores aren’t enough to guarantee a spot at Georgetown, but they will ensure an application receives serious consideration. Selective schools like Georgetown use a tool known as the Academic Index to screen applicants. Academic Index summarizes an applicant’s academic performance with a single numerical score. Failure to meet Georgetown’s academic benchmarks can deem a student unqualified and remove them from the admissions process.
While many schools have transitioned to test-optional admissions in recent years, Georgetown still requires applicants to take either the SAT or ACT.
Here’s what to expect when applying to Georgetown University.
Georgetown uses its own application, aptly named the Georgetown Application. There is a $75 application fee and fee waivers are available for qualifying students.
Georgetown has two paths to admission: early action (EA) and regular decision (RD). The deadline for EA applications is November 1 and the deadline for RD applications is January 10.
Application Path
Application Deadline
Georgetown’s early action program is nonbinding—meaning students are not committed to attending Georgetown if admitted and have the same reply date as regular decision candidates. However, early action Georgetown applicants are prohibited from applying to binding early decision programs at other schools.
Those applying for early action typically have an admissions advantage, but the margin is slim at Georgetown. Statistically, students applying to Georgetown via EA and RD have similar rates of admission.
Supplemental Essays: All Georgetown applicants are required to compose two supplemental essays as part of their application. Furthermore, five of Georgetown’s undergraduate schools require an additional essay. Georgetown’s two required essays are:
Georgetown’s school-specific essays should be approximately one page, single-spaced, and are as follows:
Students preparing to apply to Georgetown will want to read our guide to Georgetown’s essays— How to Write the Georgetown Essay Supplements 2022-2023 —for insight into the questions and advice to strategically compose answers that will grab the attention of admissions officials. Those who have already begun to compose essays will want to check out our CollegeVine Essay Review , which provides free essay feedback from other students and paid expert essay evaluation.
Interviews: All first-year applicants must sit for an alumni interview as part of their application. Interviews are conducted by members of the Alumni Admissions Program committees, which are located in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, along with numerous foreign countries. Georgetown considers the interview an “important” part of the admissions process, although the requirement is waived for those where no alumni interviewers are available.
Supplements: Most students will find that the Georgetown Application provides an adequate opportunity to spotlight their extracurricular activities. However, those with exceptional talent in music, theater, dance, and studio art and who hope to pursue it on campus are able to submit supplemental materials as part of their application.
Early action applicants will receive notification on December 15, while those who applied for regular decision will receive notification on April 1.
Application Path
Application Notification