Got deferred from Georgetown University.... Need Safety Schools

Thanks for all of the suggestions! I didn’t think about applying to SUNYs so much due to concerns about not being in an urban setting and not wanting to be at a commuter school that attracts only a local crowd.

I’m planning on studying economics, sorry for not making that clear. I’m also looking at schools with a good political science program or a strong emphasis on social sciences.

Since someone asked, my sat subject tests were 800, 760, and 730 (physics, world history, and math 2 respectively).

This whole process is so crazy, I’m not sure how much I should read into my deferral. Is it possible that I just wasn’t what Georgetown is looking for but I could get into other top tier schools? Or does this indicate some weaknesses in my application? I’m mostly worried that my extracurriculars are weak since I feel that most of the other components were relatively strong.

I also didn’t get an interview with Georgetown and I know that’s a big emphasis with them. They said it was due to geographic/availability reasons only. But I’m thinking that now that I was deferred I may be able to get an interview before the regular decision cycle ends?

Thanks again ?

Oh, and does anyone have any suggestions for demonstrated interest? If it’s really true that Georgetown didn’t accept me due to concern that it wasn’t my first choice, how do I indicate what schools I am especially interested in to the adcoms at those schools?

Without going into specific reasons, I think you will see good results going forward, even at top-level schools and even, possibly, at Georgetown.

For indications with respect to departmental strength in econ, you could read through these analyses:

https://ideas.repec.org/top/top.usecondept.html

https://ideas.repec.org/top/top.uslacecon.html

Based on what you’ve written, the University of Richmond could be a good fit for you.

Fill out the Request info form, email admissions with smart questions the answers to which aren’t on the website, ask for an interview.

But the problem isn’t you. It’s acceptance rate. You’re qualified AND competitive for G’town. So are hundreds of kids. It’s not anything in particular. Your application is great. Update them with what you’ve done lately. Request an interview again. Send a statement of continuing interest. But remember: any university where the acceptance rate is under 25% is a reach for everyone - even people with an amazing profile.

For your other universities, all of them, take the steps outlined above to show interest.
Make sure you cite specific elements that make each of them a specific good fit for your interested and your strengths

You sound like someone who would like a PPE program: philosophy, politics, and economics (and sometimes PPEL: PPE + Law)

The 5C’s are strong in this:
Pomona: https://www.pomona.edu/academics/departments/philosophy-politics-economics

CMC: https://catalog.claremontmckenna.edu/preview_entity.php?catoid=17&ent_oid=730&returnto=1494

Scripps: http://www.scrippscollege.edu/news/features/the-scripps-experience-beyond-the-elms-the-off-campus-major-at-scripps

Other possibilities:

University of Richmond: https://ppel.richmond.edu/index.html

University of Pittsburgh (Honors College): http://www.honorscollege.pitt.edu/academics/politics-and-philosophy-major

Tulane: https://catalog.tulane.edu/catalog-15-16/majors/pecn.html

Denison University: https://denison.edu/academics/philosophy-politics-economics

University of Arizona (Honors College): http://www.u.arizona.edu/~ggaus/

And SUNY Binghamton - which is neither urban nor a commuter school, and has a great reputation - has a PPL major: https://www.binghamton.edu/philosophy-politics-and-law/

Odds are that the G-town referral means little-to-nothing in terms of your prospects at other competitive schools.Your prospects are still excellent from everything I can see here. It does mean that you need safeties, though, just because of the timing and not having a sure bet in your pocket. Binghamton could be a great an affordable in-state safety for you if there’s not some reason to rule it out.

Your stats seem great and I would think your chances at other top schools would be really good. I would think GW and UMass would definitely be safeties for you. I know people with much, much lower stats that have recently gotten in UMass. Maybe BU as another safety if you want an urban setting?

Re Binghamton (#24), I think the OP prefers an urban location.

Apply soon to Albany, do mention you’re interested in the Honors college(it’s by invitation, no application added). It’d be a super safety but you want to lock the honors college. It’s urban and its field of specialty is economics/business. The honors college provides a residential community as well as many other perks.

Academically strong, non commuter SUNYs: Geneseo, Bing

Just a couple of thoughts (I haven’t read through all the posts) - based on an info session and visit at Georgetown with my D. Your stats are good, and definitely fine for some of the other colleges on your list, and quite possibly for Georgetown RD too. Although Georgetown is REA, the EA pool is apparently particularly strong there and is usually above average vs all applicants in a given year - so you may fare better vs the RD pool than the EA one. Also, while I can’t remember the number now, I recall the % of the class going to legacy was significantly higher than I would have thought - it’s possible the REA pool tends to be legacy-heavy too, but that is admittedly just conjecture on my part.

(Too late to fix typo - hopefully it was clear that “referral” = “deferral”)

Probably a well-founded conjecture re: REA and legacies, and there are probably a lot of recruited athletes in the REA pool as well. Sometimes the odds for unhooked applicants in the early admission cycle aren’t nearly as good as the undifferentiated numbers might imply.

Georgetown usually has a lower admission EA round than RD, which is very unusual among top tier schools. So don’t give up hope.

Another academically good, non-commuter SUNY: New Paltz.

@MAmom111

Agree with most of your post. But BU as a safety isn’t realistic. Match probability.

@smj1208, are you full pay $ student, or will you qualify for financial aid? Are you looking for merit aid? $ plays a big factor in where students go to college. It sounds like you are open about the location, as long as it’s more urban and not a commuter type school. Do you prefer to stay on the East coast or Midwest? Are you at all interested in smaller LAC schools? I believe someone mentioned Denison, located not far from Columbus, in THE most charming town I’ve ever seen, Granville, OH. Economics is their top program, and they would definitely award you a nice merit scholarship, up to full tuition. Might be a good option for you.

I agree you have a strong application, and may very well be admitted in the RD round, but you are smart to diversify your college list and add 1-2 “safety” schools; esp if you need $ to help pay the cost. It looks like U Rochester and GW are good safeties, with your stats. If you really like attending in the DC area, both GW and American University are aware they are backup schools for GT applicants, so I agree with above poster, show strong interest in their programs if you apply.

Regarding Georgetown, here is what their website says about being deferred:
“Early Action admission is offered to a limited number of students, those whom the Admissions Committee is certain they would offer admission based on information from freshman, sophomore and junior years only. Deferred students are strongly encouraged to maintain high senior year grades and submit any new information, such as standardized test scores, new honors or awards.” Since you missed the chance to interview, I would call and ask if it’s possible to set up now, so that could also be added to your application.

Good luck! You sound like an amazing person, and I’ll be following this thread to see how it goes.

Not sure that Bowdoin and Colgate are anyone’s safety.

Just sayin’

Go ‘gate!

@smj1208 To answer your post #20: yes, it is very possible to not be Georgetown’s type & still get in some higher ranked schools…my kid got denied (not even waitlisted) by Georgetown on Regular Decision, & got into one of your “top tier” schools.

@smj1208 You were not rejected. Deferral does not mean you were automatically rejected.

Was your list only top tier schools? That’s not a good game plan. Do apply to some state schools.

My understanding is Georgetown, like Notre Dame, has a ‘hook’ for some applicants that most schools don’t – a fair number of admissions slots go to well connected and high performing students from Catholic private schools, esp. if they come from prominent Catholic families. So if you’re not in that category, that may have hurt you.

Agree with others – add some safeties but I think you’ll be getting good news in April.

Good luck!!

Thanks for all of the advice!

At this point, I’m hoping to stay above (or at least near) 5-6,000 undergrads. I don’t feel that small liberal arts colleges (as elite and competitive as they might be) are the right fit for me.

Regarding financial aid: definitely going to apply for need-based aid but I don’t think I’m going to get much from most schools. My parents’ income is moderate but we have some assets from a deceased relative that might decrease the amount of
need-based aid I can get.

Another update: just found out that I was deferred from University of Chicago (I applied EA not ED). Not sure what this means for my chances anywhere else but I thought it might be helpful to know.

Chicago tilts more and more toward filling its class with ED applicants. I’m sure EA is becoming less and less favorable as a result.

How about William & Mary? Seems like the right size, very intellectual with top-tier academics, strong in your areas of interest, and probably a solid match/low-match for you as an OOS applicant. (And the OOS sticker price, while not a bargain, is still considerably more affordable than the likes of UChicago and Georgetown without aid.)