How to get into Georgetown University

How to get into Georgetown: schools, Jesuit identity, and DC focus

12.9%

Acceptance rate

$68,017

In-state cost

What makes Georgetown University admissions different

Georgetown admits to four undergraduate schools (Georgetown College, Walsh School of Foreign Service, McDonough Business, NHS Health Studies) and they admit separately. School of Foreign Service is one of the most prestigious IR programs in the country. Georgetown is Jesuit, deeply DC-rooted, and policy-focused — applications that ignore those threads underperform.

What an actually competitive application looks like

  1. 1.

    Pick the school that matches your strongest signal. SFS is competitive and rewards specific international/policy work.

  2. 2.

    Reference Georgetown's Jesuit mission (cura personalis, men/women for others) in supplements — even non-Catholic applicants benefit from showing they understand the community.

  3. 3.

    Show DC-specific interest: internship aspirations, policy interests, specific institutions you'd engage with.

  4. 4.

    Maintain 3.9+ GPA, 1480+ SAT / 33+ ACT.

  5. 5.

    Note: Georgetown does NOT use the Common App. You apply through Georgetown's own application — adds a slight friction filter that screens out resume-applicants.

Common mistakes that hurt applicants here

  • ✕

    Skipping Georgetown's separate application thinking you'll just hit Common App. It's a real friction point.

  • ✕

    Generic 'I want to do international relations' essays. SFS readers see thousands; specifics about region, language, policy interest matter.

  • ✕

    Underestimating the school choice. Internal transfers between Georgetown schools are not easy.

If you're on the bubble

Georgetown is one of the few top schools that doesn't offer ED — restricted Early Action (no binding commitment). This means applicants don't get the dramatic ED bump seen elsewhere. Plan to compete in the regular pool with strong essays and clear school fit.

Next steps

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Last updated: November 2025. Acceptance rate and cost data refreshed nightly from college reporting.

KidToCollege is free to use and editorially independent. Data sourced from public records including IPEDS, Common Data Sets, College Board and FAFSA.gov. Always verify deadlines and requirements directly with institutions. Not a guarantee of admission or financial aid.