A Guide to the Georgetown Supplemental Essays 2024-2025
- November 1, 2024
Georgetown University is a school that values community and intellectual curiosity. With a selective admissions process and low rate of acceptance among the top U.S. schools, Georgetown takes a unique approach to its applications. Rather than utilizing the Common App and its personal statement questions, Georgetown supplies students with its unique set of prompts. This allows Georgetown Admissions Officers to better evaluate students—their personalities and passions—than the traditional method used by other schools.
Given the time and care put into these questions, students must put in an equal amount of thought to make a good impression in the admissions office. To help students approach these questions with the right strategy, here is InGenius Prep’s guide to the Georgetown supplemental essays 2024-2025.
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Georgetown Short Essay
Briefly (approximately one-half page, single-spaced) discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved. .
Each year, Georgetown receives thousands of applications from students with stellar grades. By asking such a question through the Georgetown essays 2024-2025, the school is interested in knowing the kind of impact you’ve made in your community in order to distinguish you from other applicants. The school wants to know what part of your current high school career holds the most significance to you and how that, in turn, will influence the way you contribute to the Georgetown community. By asking this question, Georgetown wants to know the type of leader you are, how you collaborate with others, and what you care about the most.
To think about the activity you want to elaborate on, take a look at your activities list. A question like this should highlight one of the extracurriculars listed at or near the top of your activities list. In the activities section, you only had 150 characters, including spaces to describe what you did. But if it truly is an activity that has mattered, there’s far more to say. Reflect on what kind of leader you were while participating in the activity, if it’s an initiative that you started, why it is important to you, and the people you connected with. Half of a page is about 250 words, so really focus your answer on the impact rather than spending too much time describing what you did as part of the activity.
Georgetown Supplemental Essays 2024-2025
Compose two brief, typewritten essays (approximately one page, single-spaced each) on the topics given below. Be sure to respond to the prompts that are relevant to your specific area of study.
All Applicants: As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief personal or creative essay, which you feel best describes you and reflects on you own background, identity, skills, and talents.
While the previous question highlights what you’ve done and how you’ve made an impact, this question attempts to get more to the core of who you are. Alongside evaluating your academic achievements, Georgetown especially considers your “accomplishments outside of the classroom, demonstrated commitment to the broader community, and personal qualities such as resiliency, motivation and, ambition are certainly considered.” They want to see whether you possess qualities that can not only uniquely add to the Georgetown community but benefit from it as well.
It can be difficult to figure out where to even begin brainstorming this question — you can probably name a few different points or facets of your life that you consider core to your personality and character. To write this essay, it would be wise to write about the same topic as the Common App personal statement . Since Georgetown Admissions Officers won’t be looking at your Common App, it’s absolutely okay to draw from your personal statement, as that essay is also about a story that is completely unique to you. This prompt provides you with a chance to tell a story that doesn’t apply to 99% of other students. Your response could also focus on a part of your background that has shaped you, or it could highlight an experience that you believe distinguishes you from your peers. The prompt also says you can get creative with your essay, so don’t be afraid to think out of the box. Unlike the Common App, which isn’t school-specific, you can even add a sentence or two at the end of this prompt, as you’re only submitting this response to Georgetown!
Applicants to Georgetown College: A liberal arts education from the College of Arts and Science involve encounters with new concepts and modes of inquiry. Describe something (a class, a book, an event, etc.) that changed your thinking. (Applicants to the sciences, mathematics, public policy or languages are encouraged to include examples related to that field.)
In order to create a powerful and impactful response that truly captures your insatiable thirst for knowledge and unwavering eagerness to explore new ideas, it is essential to carefully select a class, book, or event that embodies these qualities. Reflect on an experience that not only challenged your preconceived beliefs and assumptions but also compelled you to reassess your perspective and actively seek fresh approaches to problems. Use this opportunity to showcase your openness to intellectual growth and your ability to critically analyze your own viewpoints.
When reflecting on your experience, make sure to establish a strong connection between that encounter and the education you hope to receive at Georgetown’s College of Arts & Sciences. Explore how this experience aligns with Georgetown’s focus on nurturing critical thinking, interdisciplinary studies, and engagement with innovative ideas. Emphasize the ways in which this encounter has expanded your knowledge and enhanced your ability to think critically and creatively.
Remember to utilize vivid details and personal anecdotes to make your story compelling and unforgettable. By painting a vivid picture of your journey, you will engage the reader and allow them to connect with your transformative experience on a deeper level. Delve into how this transformative experience has impacted you as an individual. Reflect on the valuable insights you gained about yourself and how this change has influenced your goals, aspirations, or values. Express how this experience has shaped your character, broadened your perspective, and ignited a desire for personal and intellectual growth. This reflection will demonstrate your self-awareness and your ability to learn and grow from your experiences.
Georgetown highly values intellectual curiosity, a commitment to personal growth, and a desire to engage with novel ideas. Your essay should vividly demonstrate these qualities and illustrate how you would be an invaluable asset to their academic community. Showcasing your passion for learning, your ability to think critically, and your eagerness to contribute to the academic discourse will make you a standout candidate for admission.
Applicants to the School of Nursing and Health Studies: Describe the factors that have influenced your interest in studying health care at Georgetown University. Please specifically address your intended major (Global Health, Health Care Management & Policy, or Human Science).
Georgetown knows that all students applying to the School of Nursing and Health Studies have a passion for medicine, want to help people and imagine a career in healthcare for themselves. This question asks you to dig deeper. What makes your specific interest in the field unique? The school wants to see that you have done your research on Georgetown’s nursing school specifically and understand the resources that make the college unique.
In this essay — without overlapping with the previous question about who you are — you have to expand on a story related to your love for medicine that only applies to you. Lots of students may have been inspired by their own or their relatives’ illnesses, while others might have realized their calling for the profession through an internship during junior year. Since you have about 500 words, you can write in detail about how your interest in medicine originated, the ways in which you explored the interest further both academically and through extracurriculars, and then delve more into how your choice of major at Georgetown can help you reach your aspirations. Why Health Care Management & Policy, and why at Georgetown? Make sure the reader understands that you understand the school’s offerings and resources and that you’re ready to make the most of them.
Applicants to the Walsh School of Foreign Service: The Walsh School of Foreign Service was founded more than a century ago to prepare generations of leaders to solve global problems. What is motivating you to dedicate your undergraduate studies to a future in service to the world?
The Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown is one of the best-known schools in the world for studying international affairs. Admissions Officers use this prompt to understand both your personality, character, and values. The School of Foreign Service wants to see where your priorities lie, what your goals are, and how an education in one of the school’s unique majors, such as Regional and Comparative Studies and International Political Economy, can help you get there. The school is looking for ambitious, open-minded, and curious individuals, and using this prompt among the Georgetown essays 2024-2025 can be an effective way of doing so.
If you’ve answered the 4th prompt among the Common App personal statement essays (Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve.), you can write a similar response here. Remember that while this question asks for a current global issue, you’re still writing supplemental essays for your application. This prompt is less about what problem you’ve chosen and more about getting to know what’s important to you and how you react when faced with one. Moreover, since it doesn’t have to examine a problem the world has already solved, you can use this prompt to delve deeper into your academic interests, specifically within the Walsh School. Is your desire to end climate change connected with your selection of the college’s Science, Technology & International Affairs major? Carefully choose an issue that shows your personal stake and conveys that you are an individual aware of the world around you.
Applicants to the McDonough School of Business: The McDonough School of Business is a national and global leader in providing graduates with essential ethical, analytical, financial and global perspectives. Please discuss your motivations for studying business at Georgetown.
As one of the top undergraduate business schools in the United States, the McDonough School wants to know how you hope to benefit from a business degree from Georgetown specifically. They want to know what you want from a business degree at this stage — how will you take advantage of Georgetown’s hands-on opportunities? What impact have you made on your community, and what are you bringing to the classroom? How will you add to the diversity of your cohort?
The word limit allows you to go into detail about discovering your love for not just business — but also your specific interest in the discipline. Whether it’s marketing or accounting, ask yourself questions to start brainstorming exactly what motivates you. Was there one instance that catalyzed your passion and goals? How have you explored the subject of your interest since then? How has your curiosity about the topic grown? The majority of your essay should be dedicated to tying your interest in with what McDonough has to offer. Note which professor you can’t wait to learn from or a class that stands out to you on your way to becoming a future entrepreneur.
Expert Tips for Writing the Georgetown Supplemental Essays 2024-2025
Now that you’ve taken a look at the prompts for the Georgetown supplemental essays, here are a few tips to help your brainstorming process:
• Don’t underestimate the power of your extracurriculars: Admissions Officers want to know what makes you tick outside the classroom. Don’t just shrug off the first essay and repeat information word for word from what you’ve already included in your activities list. They want to know about your perspective and identity. Your activities could have shifted your views in a way that you might not have even realized before sitting down to write the essay. And you won’t be able to analyze their impact properly if you don’t look at them from a more nuanced angle.
• Research both the college of your choice and the university as a whole: While you definitely have to go in-depth to understand what makes the college of your choice within Georgetown special, it’s also essential that you understand what makes Georgetown unique. This means understanding its identity and values, researching its unique opportunities, and really knowing why you think you would be a good fit. The fit automatically shines through in your writing if you’ve worked to authentically connect your research to your interest in the school.
At the top universities, Admissions Officers take special care when reviewing students’ essays. It’s often not enough for students to have the highest grades or the best test scores; students need to also have the right personality to fit into the school. Georgetown, with its competitive curriculum and selective admissions process, employs this strategy, too. Its unique approach to college essays requires that students put in the effort in order to stand out. By staying authentic in your responses, highlighting your strengths, and especially aligning your application with Georgetown’s values, you can make a positive impact on your admissions results.
To learn more about the college admissions process, InGenius Prep’s team of Former Admissions Officers are here to help! With expert insights from the top universities, our counselors will share their knowledge and show you how to increase your acceptance odds at your dream school.
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How to Write the Georgetown Supplemental Essays 2024–2025
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Georgetown University , located in Washington, D.C., is a historically Catholic and Jesuit institution that embraces students of all faiths. Known for their global research community and vibrant student life , Georgetown attracts over 25,000 applicants every year. However, Georgetown admits only around 13% of their applicants. Their accomplished alumni include Bill Clinton, Bradley Cooper, John Kelly, and Jim Gaffigan. Hoping to join their ranks? First, you’ll need to nail your Georgetown supplemental essays. Let’s dive in.
Georgetown’s 2024-2025 Prompts
Required short essays, briefly (approximately one-half page, single-spaced) discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved., as georgetown is a diverse community, the admissions committee would like to know more about you in your own words. please submit a brief personal or creative essay which you feel best describes you and reflects on your personal background and individual experiences, skills, and talents. (approximately one page, single-spaced), school-specific essays (approximately one page, single-spaced), applicants to the college of arts & sciences: founded in 1789, the georgetown college of arts & sciences is committed to the jesuit traditions of an integrated education and of productive research in the natural sciences, humanities, social sciences, and fine arts. describe your interest in studying at college of arts & sciences. applicants interested in the sciences, mathematics, or languages are encouraged to make specific reference to their choice of major., applicants to the school of nursing: georgetown university’s school of nursing is committed to the formation of ethical, empathetic, and transformational nursing leaders. describe the factors that have influenced your interest in studying nursing at georgetown university., applicants to the school of health: georgetown university’s school of health was founded to advance the health and well-being of people locally, nationally, and globally through innovative research, the delivery of interdisciplinary education, and transformative engagement of communities. describe the factors that influenced your interest in studying health care at georgetown university, specifically addressing your intended related major: global health, health care management & policy, or human science., applicants to the walsh school of foreign service: georgetown university’s walsh school of foreign service was founded more than a century ago to prepare generations of leaders with the foundational skills to address global issues. describe your primary motivations for studying international affairs at georgetown university and dedicating your undergraduate studies toward a future in global service., applicants to the mcdonough school of business: georgetown university’s mcdonough school of business provides graduates with essential global, ethical, analytical, financial, and diverse perspectives on the economies of our nation and the world. describe your primary motivations for studying business at georgetown university., we’ll review your essay.
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General Tips
A running theme of all of these prompts is understanding what makes you you . In other words, what are your unique qualities, interests, and academic/career goals?
Before you begin writing these essays, it can be helpful to read through the prompts. This will help you better understand what you’re being asked to provide in each essay. Note that you will only need to answer one school-specific essay . This is because you can only apply to one school at Georgetown.
After you’ve read through the prompts, make a brief list of all the pieces of information the prompt requires. Be specific. Within your prospective major, what specialties are of particular interest to you? Among your formative personal experiences, what particular experiences have most significantly shaped the person (and student) you are today? Then, identify what pieces of information will satisfy the prompt that you are comfortable sharing with strangers.
Often, applicants feel overwhelmed by the expectation to get vulnerable in their college essays. However, the Georgetown supplemental essays do not require vulnerability. Instead, they require specific details about your academic interests and career goals. You only need to provide minimal information about your personal background and experiences in the second required essay. Thus, you shouldn’t feel pressured to get vulnerable in your Georgetown supplemental essays. In fact, it may be advisable to stay focused on academics and your intended career.
Now, let’s dive into the prompts themselves.
Georgetown Required Short Essays
Georgetown’s admissions team seeks to understand what drives you to pursue the activities listed on your application. Some high school students only pursue a set of activities because they think it’s what they’re “supposed” to do. However, top universities like Georgetown seek applicants who are self-motivated and pursue their activities due to genuine interest and curiosity.
Therefore, consider which activities you’ve pursued because you felt internally driven to get involved. Writing about these activities will give your application that authentic, personal quality that distinguishes remarkable essays from unremarkable essays.
Moreover, be sure to explain not only the significance of the activity you choose to write about, but also what exactly the activity is. Where and when did you get involved in this activity? Who else was involved? How did your involvement begin? Even if you don’t have room to answer all of these questions in your essay, at least some of the answers should be clarified so that the reader understands the context of the activity.
This essay prompt is similar to a Common App personal essay. Although Georgetown University doesn’t accept the Common App, or the Coalition App for that matter, their admissions team seeks many of the same qualities in their applicants as other universities do. A single-spaced page of typed writing is around 500 words. Thus, this essay will likely be just a bit shorter than your Common App personal essay.
That said, the prompt does say “approximately,” so you could likely push your essay just beyond the length of a page without repercussions. In other words, feel free to repurpose your Common App personal essay for this prompt if desired. Still, consider shortening it just a bit if it is near 650 words.
If you do repurpose your Common App personal essay, make sure that it still fits with the Georgetown prompt. Think about each aspects of the question above. Does your essay describe who you are? Does it reflect on your personal background? And does it reflect on your individual experiences, skills, and talents? If not, you must modify or rewrite your essay so that all aspects of the prompt are addressed.
Georgetown School-Specific Essays
You will need to write only one of the essays below. This is because you can only apply to one school at Georgetown. Your essay must be approximately one page long, single-spaced.
Although this prompt does not require all applicants to “make specific reference to their choice of major,” all applicants likely should do so. Moreover, students interested in the sciences, mathematics, or languages should feel more than encouraged to do so. If you have not yet settled upon a particular major or two, you can indicate what majors interest you. Further, provide brief explanation as to your uncertainty about which to choose. A strong reason for your indecision could be that you haven’t yet had the opportunity to study certain subjects. Therefore, you look forward to exploring those areas of study while at Georgetown.
A strong argument for why the Georgetown College of Arts & Sciences is a great fit for you will require specificity. That means explaining how your specific intended area of study is taught at Georgetown. Further, clarify why that method of teaching aligns with your academic goals. That also means indicating what opportunities at Georgetown specifically align with your goals and interests. In order to do this, you’ll need to research the courses, professors, programs, research, and other opportunities/programs available to College of Arts & Sciences students that interest you.
Before you begin writing, consider making a list for yourself of your reasons for pursuing Nursing at Georgetown University. These reasons can range from specific courses that interest you, the location of the program, a particular professor whose work relates to your intended specialization, or even the career outcomes of Georgetown Nursing students. Whatever your reasons may be, identify them for yourself before you begin writing.
Then, in your essay, focus on explaining why these reasons are important to you specifically. Instead of merely listing the reasons, express their significance to you and your goals. This will make your essay far more compelling. In other words, it will demonstrate to the reader why you are a good fit for Georgetown. In addition, you may want to describe how you hope to maximize the opportunities available to Georgetown Nursing students.
First things first, identify your intended major for the reader, and consider briefly explaining why this major interests you. Then, link your reasons for pursuing a degree in health care to your reasons for pursuing a degree in health care specifically at Georgetown . What differentiates Georgetown’s programs? What makes Georgetown a uniquely good fit for you?
In other words, you’ll need to answer multiple questions whose answers will build upon one another. As you answer these questions, you’ll need to provide evidence to back up your points. Name specific courses, clubs, professors, and other opportunities available to Georgetown School of Health applicants that excite you and have compelled you to apply. Consider mentioning how these programs are uniquely suited to your unique interests and goals . This specificity will demonstrate how and why Georgetown is a great fit for you.
This essay prompt requires you to look critically at your past, present, and future. Consider the following questions:
- Past: What experiences, worldviews, aspects of your background, and influential people in your past have motivated you to pursue a degree in international affairs?
- Present: How do you currently pursue international affairs? Put differently, how are you preparing yourself for an undergraduate career in international affairs?
- Future: How do you hope to pursue international affairs after graduation? What are your career aspirations? How will a Georgetown education bring you closer to your goals?
After answering each of these questions for yourself, incorporate their sentiments into your essay. Then, provide the reader with specific examples of programs, courses, professors, clubs, and other opportunities available to students in the Walsh School of Foreign Service that are of particular interest to you.
Before you begin writing this essay, you may want to make a list for yourself of your reasons for pursuing international affairs at Georgetown University. These reasons can range from specific courses that interest you, the location of the program, a particular professor whose work relates to your intended specialization, or even the career outcomes of graduates from the McDonough School of Business. Whatever your reasons may be, identify them for yourself before you begin writing.
In addition, this prompt specifically mentions the “essential global, ethical, analytical, financial, and diverse perspectives” developed by students at the McDonough School of Business. Thus, you may want to bring up the particular global, ethical, analytical, financial, and diverse programs, courses, and other opportunities at the McDonough School of Business that you hope to get involved in.
If you need help polishing up your Georgetown supplemental essays, check out our College Essay Review service. You can receive detailed feedback from Ivy League consultants in as little as 24 hours.
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