<p>I've known too many amazing candidates get denied from admittance to Georgetown. What's the secret to getting in?</p>
<p>There is no secret…my son went to Georgetown SFS…you need .great scores, great GPA. And a real passion …His Passion was been Speech & Debate And he was in top 10 nationally…We did not have any connections or legacy.
I think real passion for something, whatever it is, is really important at all these super competitive schools, Super grades and scores are just pre-req,
However, looking back now, My son graduated from SFS in 2012, I really believe that there are so many great colleges, and a great education can be had at so many schools, so don’t get too much set on one school. Georgetown was great for the internships that it offered in the area for an SFS kid and he had many fabulous ones. however, if government is not your cup of tea or you are more into sciences or liberal arts, there are many other colleges. Also, keep in mind there is no merit aid at Georgetown and fin aid is rather lousy to none…so it’s awfully expensive.</p>
<p>Ds’s financial aid is phenomenal. I hadn’t heard about Gtown being particularly generous, so I was happily surprised with the offer. Perhaps we’re just in a whole different category of need? Anyway, I didn’t want the statement by the above poster to be taken as fact.</p>
<p>@calmomofthree</p>
<p>I’m looking to go to Georgetown, and I know it has quite a high cost. It sounds like your son had a great time there, but how were you able to afford it? I’m assuming you’re in a similar position to my family: you make just enough to not get need-based financial aid but not enough to afford it without a burden. So my question is how did you make paying for Georgetown manageable? Did your son have to take out loans, if so how much? Any advice for making this more affordable?</p>
<p>No secret. Every highly selective school rejects amazing candidates as a matter of course.</p>
<p>With Georgetown, as with any top school, it does help to show genuine interest in that particular school. They are well aware that they are often a backup option for Ivy league applicants, for example, so having top stats and a generic application that shows no specific desire to be at G’town can often lead to being passed over for someone who shows real enthusiasm to be a Hoya.</p>
<p>That’s no big secret, though.</p>
<p>You’re right, that’s no big secret because it’s not a thing. Georgetown actually doesn’t consider interest.</p>
<p>“Exposure to Georgetown
How has the student’s interest in Georgetown developed?”</p>
<p>“Our goal is to attend programs which allow Georgetown
representatives to meet with realistic and genuinely interested
prospective students and their parents.”</p>
<p>“(NAME) struck me as an excellent candidate with a genuine enthusiasm for and interest in Georgetown.” (first line of an example interview report)</p>
<ul>
<li>Alumni Admissions Program Handbook
<a href=“http://www12.georgetown.edu/undergrad/admissions/aap/documents/AAPHandbook_2012.pdf[/url]”>http://www12.georgetown.edu/undergrad/admissions/aap/documents/AAPHandbook_2012.pdf</a></li>
</ul>
<p>“To start, the university has declined to use the Common Application. A unique Georgetown application creates a self-selecting group of candidates who have a demonstrated interest in the university”</p>
<p>“Georgetown is sending a message to prospective parents, students and high school guidance counselors that academic integrity is of higher consideration than rankings or statistics. Moreover, the university is distinguishing itself in a culture that demands students to submit superfluous applications to schools in which they hold minimal interest.”</p>
<ul>
<li>The Hoya
[Above</a> the Hype - The Hoya](<a href=“Above the Hype”>Above the Hype)</li>
</ul>
<p>“Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I think showing interest in the school makes all the difference. I visited over the summer simply because we were passing through DC and I fell in love. I emailed admissions officers, talked about the school and what I loved about in both my essay and my interview.”
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/15723098-post7.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/15723098-post7.html</a></p>
<p>“Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: TONS of demonstrated interest! GU is my top choice!!!”
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/15737382-post15.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/15737382-post15.html</a></p>
<p>“Strengths: Infatuation with Georgetown, Visiting and living there for 3 Weeks, Showing a great amount of interest and research (in essays), Breadth of EC’s
Weaknesses: SAT scores
Why you think you were accepted: I have no idea…”
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/15741774-post21.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/15741774-post21.html</a></p>
<p>Quod erat demonstrandum</p>
<p>The secret is to apply during Regular Decision not Early Action.</p>
<p>When we applied for fall 2014…all needs based aid based stopped at $135k per year…we exceeded that. .this sounds like a lot in many parts of the country, but it is not if you Live in SoCal and have 3 kids. We were offered only unsubsidized loans and parent plus loans which we declined since there are less expensive ways to borrow. there are a few ways to save some money. my son did not get work study, but was able to pick up a non work study gig at the Georgetown hospital, this paid for his personal expenses throughout the year. Starting in sophomore year you can try to become a RA which will save you the entire housing cost and I think gives you some dining dollars as well. My son did not take out any loans for undergraduate, we paid for it all, but in return he is now on his own for law school. he is at Penn, another school with no merit aid. Georgetown was good for my son since he had the opportunity to work for State Department, Defense Department, and Brookings to name a few. however, if you are a high stats kid not necessarily interested in Government, it would be financially wiser to sprinkle some schools among your apps that throw merit money your way, which would save you a lot of money for grad school. it’s crazy in my opinion to pay $65k per year (everything included) for an undergrad degree. I did it but not sure it was really worth $250k to get all these internships…oh well it’s in the past now. if you qualify for needs based aid or money is no object, by all means go for it…For many on CC in the position not to qualify for needs based aid, I believe it is unwise to pay “retail” college prices… We changed direction with our 2nd and 3rd child, my daughter is at a school which gave her a very nice merit package (still no needs based aid) and we are doing the same with our youngest who ultimately wants to go to med school, hence will also keep cost of undergrad low so that we can help with med school. I don’t know your family’s financial situation, but my advise would be to keep your long term career goals in mind and don’t go broke for undergraduate. don’t fall in love with a school and become irrational.</p>
<p>Correction…we applied for fall 2008 at Georgetown…we are in he middle of apps for my youngest who is fall of 2014…sorry</p>
<p>Calmom: I agree with you about not paying full retail price for college. It is the biggest purchase one makes besides a home, but it is a purchase. I also believe in going after merit aid at lesser ranked schools and being a top candidate in an Honors College. However, there is value in a name. Names like Georgetown, Dartmouth, Penn do open doors and offer a network that pulls you through life with amazing support. There is a price to pay for that. I’m just not sure what it should be.</p>
<p>Ouch, your response seems to be quite defensive. Well, setting the fact aside that the admissions office does not consider demonstrated interest, let’s go through your points.</p>
<p>You have three testimonies from accepted students on CC. I can assure you we don’t know why we were accepted.</p>
<p>The Hoya article describes simply applying to Georgetown as interest because it uses its own application. Well then, all 20,000 applicants get the same bonus, and in that case it becomes no bonus.</p>
<p>And the quotes on top fail to mention how interests matters.</p>
<p>Just take my word for it that Georgetown doesn’t care where it is on someone’s “list.” This isn’t GW.</p>
<p>CSIHSIS is basically correct - with the limited, partial exception of waitlist/extended waitlist/transfer, Georgetown does not take demonstrated interest into account during the admissions process.</p>
<p>You don’t have to take my word for it, though - just pick up the phone and ask them yourself, point blank. 202-687-3600. I promise they’ll give you the same answer ;)</p>
<p>If you closely examine the admissions stats for the past several years and even watch/listen to the convocation speeches each fall, you will find a pattern that Georgetown seems to have a strong like for the vals, sals and #3’s in the graduating classes. Our DS is a junior and entered in the fall of 2011 (he was a co-val in his HS class). Nearly 49% of the matriculants in his class were ranked in the top 3 that year which supports the pattern. Of course, 51% were not so there is room for a wide range of applicants. </p>
<p>As to the FA at GU, we had heard that it was not great but were quite surprised by their package. It was within a few hundred dollars of the package we received from Northwestern, which was DS’s other final school in his selection process.</p>
<p>@living61
Yep, it’s a purchase, and every family has to figure out how much that name is worth to them. BTW, I am really curious whether my ivy kid will ultimately be the most successful of my kids. I am actually not willing to take a bet on that.</p>
<p>I have wondered this as well, as at our high performing N. Cal high school, we typically have 8-10 kids who apply each year, and there have been no acceptances in the last 3 years (at least according to Naviance). We have lots of kids that go to GWU (6 enrolled last year alone), and we have a handful that attend the Ivy’s and Stanford every year. We actually might have our first attendee this year - an athletic recruit who also has extremely high stats.</p>
<p>Can you put me in contact with your son, PLEASE? Thanks for your response, very valuable information. But it would be great if I could talk to your son, as I have similar ambitions it seems. Thanks 
just private message me!</p>
<p>I absolutely agree. There is not secret. The process will include an overall look at your entire academic and personal characteristics. High-test scores do not guarantee admissions. Reveal your character in your essays. Don’t waste your time asking for someone to chance you. It is impossible to predict your decision. The majority of students who apply to Georgetown have excellent scores, some are less than excellent and have been accepted. Show how unique you are and what you can contribute to the global community.</p>
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<p>My DD’s HS usually gets one admit about every 3 out of 4 years and it’s always been a val or sal. My DD is currently ranked #3 but still has a chance at val or sal. She could also easily drop to #4 with a B. It’s very tight. Hope she gets in.</p>
<p>If G’town likes admitting Vals and Sals, how does that impact students who apply from schools that do not rank? Eventually, ds’s school ranks just for Val and Sal, but not until very near graduation.</p>