What's Georgetown's regular decision process like?

I'm interested in applying to Georgetown through regular decision and was wondering about their acceptance rate and general process. Is there anything specific I should know when applying?

Georgetown University's Regular Decision deadline is typically on January 10, and students are generally notified of their decision by April 1. Please make sure to double-check these dates on the Georgetown website since they might change for each admissions cycle.

When applying, be sure to complete all sections of the application, including your personal statement, short answer questions, school report (including your counselor's recommendation and your transcript), and two teacher evaluations.

For the personal statement, choose a topic that you can be passionate about that provides insight into who you are as a person. This is an important part of your application because it allows the admissions committee to gain insight into who you are beyond your test scores and grades. Avoid common essay pitfalls, like writing about a generic volunteer experience or a sports injury or victory. Instead, try to focus on a unique aspect of your personal growth or achievements.

Georgetown also requires that regular decision applicants take an alumni interview. Interviews are seen as another part of your application file, like your essay and your teacher recs. They're not an exact determination of whether you're going to get in or not, but they do contribute to Georgetown's process of evaluating the whole person. You’ll be contacted by an alumnus in your local area, and plenty of slots should be available to meet in a public location convenient to both of you. The interviews are informal and a great opportunity for you to learn more about Georgetown.

It's also important to note Georgetown University does not belong to the Common Application system, so you will need to apply directly through their website. As a result, it's crucial to plan and manage your time effectively, especially if you're also applying to other schools via the Common App or other application systems.

The acceptance rate for Georgetown varies from year to year, but it has remained competitive with an average acceptance rate recently hovering around 12-15%.

Also noteworthy, Georgetown considers legacy status in the admissions process, and about 10% of current students have a parent alum. However, emphasis on legacy is less than at peer schools with a similar percentage of legacy admits, such as Harvard and Dartmouth.

Lastly, remember that Georgetown, like many selective universities, utilizes a holistic review process. This means they’ll consider everything on your application—grades, test scores, essays, extracurricular activities, and letters of recommendation—when making admissions decisions, and there aren’t any absolute thresholds for GPA or test scores.

By applying these insights, you can submit a strong and comprehensive application to Georgetown. Best of luck!