The Pros and Cons of Georgetown

What is Georgetown’s reputation?

“Catholic Jesuit” “located in the heart of the DC” “tops for international relations” “great undergraduate business school” “politically active” “future senators and foreign diplomats” “beautiful campus overlooking the Potomac” “the perfect college town” “lots of rich, preppy white kids from New England” “lots of sons and daughters of foreign leaders” “great pre-med program” “everyone’s always networking” “pre-professional vibe” “lots of school spirit” “great basketball culture”

Georgetown is the oldest Catholic and Jesuit university in America. It’s located on a hill that overlooks the Potomac River, in the historic Georgetown section of Washington, DC. As a Jesuit university, the school’s mission is to encourage students to pursue their faith in God (whatever God that may be), and to use to their education to serve others and do good in the world. You don’t have to be Catholic to go there (although about 40% of students are), and you really don’t have be religious at all, although the school does encourage interfaith dialogue. As a Jesuit school, Georgetown does not (officially) have any Greek life.

International Focus.

Georgetown is perhaps best known for the strength of its international programs. Due to its prime location in DC, students have access to world leaders, including American politicians, foreign diplomats, congressional lobbyists, and CEOs of global organizations. This creates endless opportunities for internships, networking, research projects, and jobs. Also, many academic departments embrace global learning experiences. For example, students in the McDonough Business School or the Walsh School of Foreign Service can take a course called “Global Business Experience” where they consult for an international organization and then travel oversees to help implement their plans.

The Pros of Georgetown…

#1: Location — Georgetown is a safe, scenic, walkable section of DC that’s known for its colonial feel with cobblestone streets, lots of bars, restaurants and nightlife, and it’s all just a few steps away from campus. Plus the nation’s capitol is just a 10 minute drive, or 30 minutes by public transportation.

#2: Guest Speakers — As a student at Georgetown, you’ll be spoiled with opportunities to hear lectures from world leaders in a variety of fields, from politics to nonprofits to corporations.

#3: School Spirit — Georgetown students love their school, and they rally together to support their famous basketball teams.

#4: Service Mission — Georgetown isn’t just trying to give you an education so you can get a good job; they’re trying to give you a “complete” education that encompasses mind, body and spirit. They want to create industry leaders who make a positive difference in the world.

#5: Business and Foreign Service — The McDonough School of Business is a Top 15-ranked undergraduate business program, and is ranked Top 3 for international business. The Walsh School of Foreign Service is arguably the best of its kind, and offers an elite alumni network and prepares students for careers in government, international law, national security, etc.

#6: Early Assurance Program (EAP) — Georgetown has a very strong pre-med program. In addition, it offers an EAP: sophomores can apply early to Georgetown’s Top 20-ranked Med School without bothering to take the MCAT. While the med school’s typical admission rate is 3%, the admission rate for Georgetown undergrads is closer to 30%.

The Cons of Georgetown…

#1: Religious Influence — While Georgetown welcomes students of all faiths (or no faith), all students must take some theology classes, and some progressive programs that conflict with the Catholic church may not be readily available on campus.

#2: Hustle Culture — Georgetown has a strong pre-professional vibe, which means students are always hustling to secure their next internship or job. This can cause unnecessary stress and competition.

#3: DC Crime — While the Georgetown area itself is quite safe, the greater DC area has plenty of crime. In addition, the public transportation system is not particularly safe or efficient.

#4: Less Diversity — About 50% of Georgetown students are white, compared with 30-40% at other top private universities like the Ivies.

#5: No Common App — Unlike most universities, Georgetown doesn’t use the Common App. Instead, you have to pay the $75 application fee up-front before they even send you the complete application. This requires more time and effort on your part, and is likely intended to weed-out applicants who aren’t highly-motivated to go there.

If you like Georgetown, you might also like…

If you’re looking for other highly ranked Catholic or Jesuit universities, you might consider (#18) Notre Dame or (#37) Boston College. Notre Dame is more overtly religious than Georgetown: 80% of students are Catholic (vs 40% at Georgetown) and Catholicism is more deeply embedded in the culture and curriculum. Boston College is a Jesuit school like Georgetown, and is similarly dedicated to public service. Like Georgetown, both ND and BC have highly ranked undergraduate business programs.

How to get into Georgetown…

#1: Apply EA or RD — It really doesn’t make any difference if you apply to Georgetown through Early Action or Regular Decision: the acceptance rate is 12% either way. Bear in mind, if you apply Restrictive Early Action (REA) to another top school like Stanford, Princeton, Harvard, or Yale, then you can’t apply EA to Georgetown (or any other private university).

#2: Emphasize Global Interests - Because Georgetown is known for the strength of its international programs, you should consider highlighting this in your application essays as one of the reasons why Georgetown is such a good fit for you and your career aspirations.

#3: Emphasize Service Goals - As a Jesuit university, Georgetown’s mission is to empower students to serve others. So it’s probably a good idea to highlight in your application why service has been so important to you in high school and why it’s so important to your future plans.