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.
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Georgetown Supplemental Essays
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.
Essay One
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!
Essay Two
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.
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:
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.
Georgetown knows that all students applying to the School of Nursing 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. 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 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.
This prompt asks you to connect your interest in health care to your chosen major in the School of Health. Begin by reflecting on experiences that inspired you to pursue this field, such as coursework, personal or family health challenges, volunteer work, or internships.
Explain why you are drawn to Global Health, Health Care Management & Policy, or Human Science. For example, Global Health might connect to work with underserved communities, while Human Science could stem from a fascination with biology and human physiology.
Show that you have researched Georgetown by mentioning specific courses, faculty, research centers, or community programs that align with your goals. Conclude by explaining how the School of Health will help you contribute meaningfully to the health and well-being of others during your time at Georgetown and in your career.
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.
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 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:
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.
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.
APPLICANTS TO THE MCCOURT SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY:
For nearly 50 years, Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy has equipped leaders and changemakers with the interdisciplinary skills to address local, national and global policy problems. Undergraduate public policy students at Georgetown will have the unique opportunity to live and study on two campuses, spending their first two years immersed on the Hilltop, before completing the second half of their time at Georgetown on the Capitol Campus, immersed in the policy world. Describe your primary motivations for studying public policy at Georgetown University and dedicating your undergraduate studies toward a future related to public service.
This prompt is about your motivation for studying public policy and your commitment to public service. Begin by identifying the issues that matter most to you and how they have influenced your desire to create change. These may come from personal experience, academic study, or community involvement.
Connect your goals to the McCourt School’s distinctive structure, with two years on the Hilltop and two years on the Capitol Campus. Show how this will give you valuable exposure to policy-making. Mention specific courses, faculty, or institutes that will help you build expertise.
End by highlighting how the skills and experiences you gain at McCourt will prepare you to address local, national, or global policy challenges in a meaningful way.
Expert Tips for Writing the Georgetown Supplemental Essays
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.
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