Hi everybody! Congrats to everybody who just got in EA 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 deferred, you’re all incredible, amazing, talented people. You still have a shot at Georgetown in RD, but regardless of what happens, you’re all amazing people who are going to do great things wherever you end up.
I’m a current undergrad in the SFS at Georgetown, originally from the Bay Area. I am currently procrastinating on a final paper and don’t want to pack to go home tomorrow so I figured I’d spend some time answering any questions anybody has about life at Georgetown or the college process. Ask me anything; I mean it. I’ll answer as honestly as possible. Hoya Saxa!
@hoyabluegray thanks for taking the time to answer questions! I was wondering if many students have internships on Capitol Hill while school is in session, or if that’s more common to do over the summer? Also, would you be able to discuss some of your favorite clubs on campus, maybe the lesser known ones?
Hi @hoyabluegray Thanks so much for taking the time to do this!
My daughter was just admitted EA today and is over the moon. I was wondering how religious Georgetown is. We are a half-Jewish, half-Muslim family but are not particularly religious. Is Georgetown very religious or would a fairly non-religious student feel comfortable there?
@onthehill13 One of the really cool things about being in DC is that you can choose to do either or both! I would say that while a lot of students have internships on the Hill during the school year, a lot also do it over the summer. It really depends on the individual person, their schedule, and what they are most interested in doing. I have friends who have interned with congresspeople outside their home districts during the school year and friends who have interned over the summer, either back home or in DC. Ultimately, if you want to intern on the Hill, it really is up to you. The people who intern during the school year generally take fewer classes/credits that semester though so that it is easier to balance work and school.
As for my favorite clubs, there’s a lot of really cool ones! GIVES is one of my favorite lesser known organizations. It basically is just students doing nice things for others such as giving hot cocoa to maintenance workers outside during the winter or hosting cookie decorating events during finals. It’s also open to anybody who wants to join!
@lefmur Honestly, I was worried about that too when I first came to Georgetown. I’m half-Jewish, Buddhist/Shinto and I was worried about being uncomfortable or having Catholic doctrine shoved down my throat. But that’s been the furthest thing from the truth. Many, many, many students at Georgetown are nonreligious and the university does a really good job at making sure everybody, from all different faith traditions and belief systems (or lack thereof) feel welcome. Georgetown has a Catholic chaplain, a Rabbi, a Protestant Chaplain, an Imam, and a Hindu priest as well on hand if she ever does want any kind of spiritual insight or even just somebody to talk to. I’ve never known anybody to feel uncomfortable on religious grounds. The religious element, for the most part, is there if you want it and not there if you don’t.
The one thing you do have to consider though is that Georgetown has a theology requirement. It’s two classes, Problem of God (which is very different depending on the professor) and an elective. This however can really be what you make of it and even my nonreligious friends rarely have a problem with feeling like they are being indoctrinated in theology class.
@hoyabluegray Thank you so much for this very thoughtful answer. It really puts my mind at ease and confirms the inclusive sense of community we are already feeling. My daughter has her heart set on being a Hoya and has dreamed about it for years. I am sure that she will not have a problem with the required theology classes.
I just found out that I got deferred from Georgetown. Do you have any suggestions for how I could improve my chances of getting in? Also, do you know very many hoyas that got in after being deferred EA (I want to know if I even have a chance)? Thank you!
@Suk2001 It’s kind of hard to say what the pros and cons of Georgetown are because they’re different for everybody. For me, a major pro was being in DC and being able to go to the School of Foreign Service. Because of these two things, Georgetown also attracts all kinds of incredible speakers (Joe Biden, ambassador to Cuba, Bernie Sanders, etc) and gives you unmatched opportunities in the politics/IR fields. A major con on the other hand was the club exclusivity. You don’t really realize until you get here that a lot of the really big clubs are super exclusive with less than 10% acceptance rates. It kind of sucks to continually get rejected from being a tour guide or the Corp.
As for finance, Georgetown students, especially from the MSB and SFS, have incredible Wall Street placement. Finance and consulting are the top two industries that students go into after graduation. Especially within the MSB, students are recruited and I would say that if you work hard, keep your grades up, and land the right internships, it wouldn’t be incredibly difficult to get a Wall St job after graduation.
@dancinglawyer14 I definitely know a lot of Hoyas who got in after being deferred EA. You have to consider that Georgetown only takes very few applicants from EA and so a lot of people do end up being admitted RD. That being said, it’s definitely not a guarantee. What I would do is write Georgetown a letter basically updating them on what you’ve been doing since the start of senior year, your continued desire to go to Georgetown, and why you think it’s a perfect fit for you. If, and only if, Georgetown is your absolute #1 choice then you could also include that it’s your #1 choice and if admitted, you would definitely attend. Again, only do this if you are willing to stick to it though! Aside from that, just keep your grades up and hope for the best. Good luck!!!
Would it be possible for me to transfer to MSB by contacting my rep before I attend? I just got accepted and are having second thoughts about going to just the college
@NikkuWadde Congrats! There’s two prospective student weekends in the spring that you can attend to get a feel for campus and meet some other people also considering attending the school. They’re called GAAP Weekends and they’re run by a student organization, the Georgetown Admissions Ambassador Program (GAAP). Here’s their website- they also have people you can contact if you have questions about Georgetown or if you want to meet up with a student for a coffee chat, then you can do that through their website too. http://gaap.georgetown.edu/
@Garybarry Unfortunately, I don’t think you can transfer before you attend but it’s definitely worth emailing your rep to find out. I do know that you would have to fill out a transfer application and it’s definitely possible to do once school starts but often they won’t let people transfer before starting, simply because the school (the MSB in your case) is full. I don’t know all the details though so I still think it’s worth reaching out to your rep if you’re really sure you want to transfer to the MSB.
Something to keep in mind though is that you can still major/minor in things like econ and business admin and you can definitely take MSB classes while enrolled in the college. You also have time to transfer after you get to Georgetown if you decide the College really isn’t for you and you really want to be in the MSB. Most transfers are approved.
Is Georgetown’s financial aid as good as it appears to be? I’ve been accepted EA and am honestly shocked. It’s definitely my #1 but I saw students with better scores and stats who were deferred so I didn’t plan on an acceptance, especially EA. I completed my FAFSA and CSS and my EFC is very very small. Will Georgetown’s aid make it possible for me to attend? I am over the moon but scared because I didn’t really expect to get this far.
Hey! I’m a prospective RD applicant. One of the things that is holding me back from submitting my app is the fact that I’m Jewish and I’m not sure if people will accept me or if there are religious/Hillel services and a kosher dining option, both of which are vital to me.
I also have a question about SFS. It seems like such a great school for what I want to go into, but is there a way that I can minor in something that is in the normal college or would I be confined to the 8 majors that SFS offers and that’s it? And if I find that SFS isn’t for me, can I transfer to the regular college?
Oh, and also, do I have no shot at SFS if I haven’t done anything international as my extracurricular or anything government or UN related? I really didn’t get interested in this stuff until earlier this year. My activities and stuff qualify me better as an English or history major. So should I just apply for Gtown college.
@itsafullhouse So unfortunately I’m really not the best person to ask about this. I can tell you that most of my friends have some sort of financial aid, usually a combination of work-study, loans, and grants, and Georgetown seeks to meet demonstrated need but I am really not sure of the details. Honestly, if your expected family contribution is fairly small then I would go by that number for now but definitely reach out to your rep about this. They will be far better equipped to answer these types of questions than I am.
@rebecca12345 I am Jewish too and I can say that in terms of being accepted, Georgetown is an incredibly welcoming community that really tries to foster inter-religious dialogue and acceptance. I’ve never once felt uncomfortable being Jewish here and there’s actually a pretty vibrant Jewish community that you can get involved with. About 8-10% of the entire student body is Jewish. The Jewish chaplain, Rabbi Rachel, is also super sweet and nice and she’s almost always available so you can get to know her really well. She’s amazing. There’s no Hillel but there are Shabbat services every Friday night and massive services for the High Holy Days as well. I’ve also found my professors to be super accommodating when I needed to miss class to go to Yom Kippur or Rosh Hashanah services as well. There is only one dining hall though on campus, Leo’s, and though they’re redoing it completely for next year, it’s still not the best. They do have kosher and halal options but I’m not sure how strictly kosher you are. If you’re really strict, it might not work for you.
Unfortunately you can’t minor in other schools in the SFS. The SFS is a little weird in that they only have language minors. Everything else is a “certificate” which is essentially the same as a minor. You can pick from a lot of different certificates (not just the 8 majors) within the SFS but you can’t minor in something like physics for example. If you do find that the SFS really isn’t for you, then it’s possible to transfer within your first two years. You do have to do an application (with an essay) but the majority of transfer applications are approved. Especially if you’re going from the SFS to the College it will be easier than if you were trying to do the other way around.
Finally, with regards to your last question, I honestly can’t say. I’d say shoot for what you’re passionate about and let that come through in your essay. I know people in the SFS who have been involved with politics and politics related ECs since birth but I also know people who are interested in history or science and how it intersects with IR and became involved in the SFS that way. I wouldn’t let your ECs deter you from applying to the SFS (especially since there are history majors in the SFS) but ultimately I would say go with your gut.
Hi, thank you for answering questions! Any advice for the “Why Georgetown” essay? Also, if I already wrote about my favorite extracurricular activity for my CommonApp essay, would you recommend I focus on a different one for the supplement, even if it’s not the one in which I’ve been “most involved”? Sorry for all of the application-related questions, I’m just getting so nervous
Sorry to get back so late @bfc2017! My only advice about the “Why Georgetown” essay is to really just talk about what you love about the school. If you’re passionate about Georgetown, it’ll shine through. The only thing I can really think of is to be specific. Talk about certain classes or professors that you’re really excited to learn from or the Jesuit tradition or whatever. Don’t just generically talk about how cool DC is or how Georgetown’s an academically rigorous school but still cares about its students. They get a million of those essays. What makes you want to go to Georgetown?
Then for the supplement it also sort of depends. Georgetown isn’t on the CommonApp so I’m assuming you’re just talking about the second essay? I don’t actually know what the question is but generically I would say that if your main essay is entirely about your number 1 extracurricular and its a really dominant part of the essay, then I would steer clear and write about another EC. If it’s not, then maybe you can get away with writing about it twice. I can’t really say without knowing your CommonApp essay or the second essay question itself.