Depends on the clubs–most pre-professional ones like the consulting clubs and the newspaper ones have application and interview processes. There are plenty of clubs that don’t require applications, and also a lot of clubs that have degrees of participation available. What I mean by that is if you just want to be a member and go to events and such, there’s no required app. If you want to take a more involved role on a leadership role or on a sub-board, that would be interview + app. I actually found it easier to connect socially because clubs drive the social scene–due to a lack of official Greek life on campus, almost all parties will be hosted by clubs, which means that it’s a lot easier to get to know people. The people I know are all very friendly, and this is especially true for freshman year, where no one knows that many people and everyone’s eager to make friends.
Best thing is undoubtedly the access. I'm also SFS, and having speakers from high-levels in the government come practically weekly is an incredible experience that you just won't get anywhere else outside of DC. A lot of the SFS professors work in the fields they teach about, which really enhances the experience. The alumni network is also great because so many people go into government and stay around DC.
Worst thing is probably trying to get into the city. There's no metro stop in Georgetown because the neighborhood doesn't want to drive down property prices, so people mostly take the Georgetown shuttle buses, but it's a bit of a hassle to go out into the city for events. Of course, there are more than enough events on-campus, so it's not a huge downside, but I do wish it was easier to get into the city.
@masquerade98 Thanks so much for taking the time to respond. You really summed up my first concern when you wrote “clubs run the social scene.” I had always heard that but then I started to hear that it was hard to get into clubs. Good to know that is not true across the board. One more if you have time, is first year housing assigned randomly? Do they group kids together by school (SFS, nursing, etc.)? Thanks again.
@RFM1617 First-year housing is assigned randomly in terms of building, unless you apply for a living-learning community. If you apply for an LLC (ex: Explore DC, Healthy Living, etc.) then you’ll get placed into whatever building and floor that LLC is hosted on. Otherwise, you’ll get placed in one of four freshman dorms. Each has their upsides and downsides, (some have a bathroom, location, etc.) but they’re all fairly standard. You’ll also be able to match with a roommate with Georgetown’s housing match program but you could choose to go random. They won’t group kids by school, since you’ll get enough of that with your classes anyway. Hope this was helpful!
One minor quibble here, just because it happens to be a hobbyhorse of mine…
This is wrong on a couple of levels, although your broader point about getting from Georgetown to other parts of the area being a hassle is sadly all too true. First, when the Metro system was being planned and built, Georgetown was neither a major population center (relative to bedroom communities and other areas) nor a major employment center. It was also geotechnically challenging to put a station there. For those reasons, there were never any real plans to put a Metro station in Georgetown. You can read more about this at http://www.welovedc.com/2009/10/13/dc-mythbusting-georgetown-metro-stop/
These days, adding a Metro station anywhere increases property values significantly, rather than lowering them. Just look at what’s happening out along the Silver Line. In fact, Georgetown business and residents alike now want a Metro station, but the expense and difficulty has only increased. The Georgetown 2028 plan (http://bid.georgetowndc.com/15-year-plan/), which I worked on and which has widespread community support, envisions a station in Georgetown in the 2030 or thereabouts timeframe. The Metro being the mess that it is, though, I’m not particularly optimistic…
@cdzencar This is anecdotal evidence, but I do know many people who were deferred EA and got in RD. If Georgetown is truly your number one, write a LOCI (letter of continued interest) and update them with grades/new activities. It’s completely possible!
@RFM1617 There are for sure clubs that are competitive (the CORP, GU Eating Society, the consulting groups) but there are also so many that are practically open membership or have a short, perfunctory app. There’s clubs for everyone and the joke about being rejected from everything is simply not true.
Currently the best things about my Georgetown experience have been my Spanish class (the language departments are incredible here), being on the equestrian team, seeing fascinating people come to speak (I got to listen to John Kerry one evening) and getting to explore D.C.
Worst, probably Microeconomics! Just kidding, mostly. Truthfully the worst part of my Georgetown experience was probably not specific to Georgetown but to a lot of college kids everywhere - I had a hard time settling down and feeling like my college was home. It took me almost the entire semester to really feel like I’d found my people, get a good routine down, and also accept that I was not going to excel in every course AND THAT WAS OK. I think the myth that you find your best friends the first week of college and you’ll have this super tight squad from the beginning is harmful to a lot of freshmen - it’s so important to take your time and find your place.
As for housing, it is randomly assigned, unless you apply for an LLC or you have a medical housing request. None of the dorms are that bad (not even Darnall!) so I wouldn’t worry.
@masquerade98 and @horseyhoya thanks again for taking the time to answer my questions. It really means a lot. This seems like such a big decision and your insights are so helpful.
Dining on campus isn’t wonderful but it’s gotten a lot better since I was a freshman. There’s one dining hall (Leo’s) and then a few other dining options on campus. Leo’s has an upstairs section that has a few different options that rotate each week but stick to similar themes (Asian, Latin, Mediterranean, etc) and then the downstairs is all you can eat. While being a vegan might be a little bit challenging, it’s definitely doable, you might just end up eating similar stuff a lot.
@transferstdnt99 I want to be completely honest - I HATE the dining options at Georgetown. For the money we pay for tuition, the options are abhorrent. I do not go near downstairs Leos with a 10 foot pole - I have seen worms in the lettuce, moldy chicken, uncooked eggs being served as “omelettes” - it’s disgusting. Upstairs is edible but not anywhere near healthy or quality food. I go to the Corp locations on campus a lot (which are really good - it’s flex/debit dollars), I cook for myself quite a bit (which I know is odd as a freshman but I’m used to eating high quality healthy food) and I go out because there are lots of great places to eat in Georgetown. You won’t starve, but be prepared for just how bad the meal plan options are. I’m switching to the lowest possible number of meal swipes next semester and as soon as possible I won’t have one at all.
@HelenH mine was abnormal compared to my friends’ experiences because it went for almost 2 hours and the guy went through my whole resume and transcript. In general, anecdotal evidence shows they’re quite relaxed and a good way to have a conversation with someone who knows the school. Georgetown requires them so they definitely look at what the interviewer says about you.
I was asked pretty tpical questions from what you’d find if you googled “typical college interview questions.” Why do you want to come to georgetown, what do you want to major in, why georgetown over other schools, tell me about the activities you’re involved in. We also talked about politics quite a bit (unavoidable given Georgetown’s location haha),
Hi everybody! Congrats to everybody who just got in to Georgetown and welcome to the Hoya family! I really hope to see you all on the Hilltop next year. And to everybody who got rejected, you’re all incredible, amazing, talented people. Regardless of what happens, you’re all wonderful people who are going to do great things wherever you end up.
I’m a current junior in the SFS at Georgetown, originally from the Bay Area. I figured I’d spend some time answering any questions anybody has about life at Georgetown. I’ve done this a couple of times and I know it can be helpful so ask me anything; I mean it. I’ll answer as honestly as possible. Hoya Saxa!
Hi, I just got in to Georgetown SFS and am estatic!!! But as many I am concerned about finaid. I haven’t received it yet, but I’ve heard it’s not generous. Is SFS over a pretty average state school worth some student debt?
@Bagelaz00 congrats on getting in! To be honest- I don’t really want to give you financial aid advice, especially before you’ve gotten your package from Georgetown because only you and your family are qualified to make that decision. The SFS is an incredible school with many amazing opportunities but that’s not to say that you won’t be able to also make those same opportunities at a state school. Ultimately, if you’re comfortable with the amount of debt you will take on, then I say it’s worth it. But it’s not the end all, be all either way.
@masquerade98 Hey! I saw you were answering some questions about Georgetown and became a bit interested. To start off, I am currently a freshman in high school. However, I am quite obsessed with planning for my future and conducting research into possible schools I would like to attend. Although, ever since I was 8 years old, Georgetown has been my dream school. I love to visit the campus and enjoy all that the gorgeous D.C. area has to over. I know that I should be relaxing and enjoying high school but I absolutely love doing this research. I wanted to see if I was on the path to gaining admission to Georgetown in the future. By the rn of this year, I’ll have just under a 4.0 weighted GPA. To be exact, a 3.97 W GPA. My unweighted GPA will at least be a 3.8 UW. Not my greatest year, but I have been seriously improving each semester. I’m taking mostly honors classes and challenging myself in my classes. However, freshman in my school aren’t allowed to take AP classes. I am planning on majoring in business, hopefully at the msb, and so I am and will be focusing on business-minded extra curricular’s. To add, I have over 200 hours of volunteer hours. Finally, I have been practicing for the SAT for a while now. I am really hoping to achieve a high score, closer to the 75th percentile of scores at Georgetown. Anyways, I appreciate it! It’s really cool that you’re helping people out and being kind enough to answer some questions.
P.S. My grandmother attended Georgetown University in the 1950’s at the school of nursing. I’m not sure how much that will help me, but some people said that can help improve my chances a solid amount. Thanks!
@GeorgetownDude While I’m glad that you’re so excited about Georgetown, please bear in mind that things can and will change drastically from freshman to senior year, and you should only apply to Georgetown if you’re actually interested in the school beyond its prestige. You can find all the stats of GU’s incoming class, so as long as your stats are similar, you’ll be competitive. Languages will help too, but for now, the most important thing is to figure out why you want to go to Georgetown and how that’ll fit into what you want to do. If you have any school-specific questions, I’d be happy to answer, but regarding admissions, don’t worry too much about it for now–there are too many unknown variables 3 years out.
