I was accepted to Georgetown in the Class of 2021 (Early Action). I am really at a loss - there is no denying this is an outstanding academic institution and in the midst of a politically active environment (both of which I am very fond of).
After reading some stats in the Princeton Review “Best Colleges” handbook, however, I don’t know what to think. The book cited some statistics that students definitely define the school as cliquey, preppy, and (in some instances) discriminatory. I thought this was the school of my dreams, but I just want an honest opinion. Is that overwhelmingly true, or does the book have it wrong? I visited over the summer, so I didn’t really get a strong student vibe either way. Prospective/current students, thank you for your input!!
@Isabelle0101 hi! I’m a current sophomore in the SFS. while Georgetown is definitely a club/organisation-based campus, and there are many clubs that are quite selective to get into, I wouldn’t necessarily say it is cliquey. From my experience, people do meet most of their friends through their clubs and it’s a big component of social life, but it’s not everything. I wouldn’t say that it’s a perfect environment, but it’s definitely not hostile. The vast majority of people are friendly and welcoming!
My two cents: the student vibe is much less exclusionary/cliquey than at the many schools where Greek life dominates. Yes, there are exclusive clubs… but entry into them is not determined by who your parents are or whether you can pay the hefty dues. And while there are plenty of preppy/wealthy people, that’s going to be true at pretty much every ‘elite’ institution. Personally, I found it to be a much more democratic, choose your own adventure atmosphere than I think other places would’ve been. But then, I didn’t really go after the clubs that were hard to get into (I did win some “club officer” type roles in less selective clubs, but those are going to have a selection process anywhere).