This week is NACAC week (that’s the National Association for College Admission Counseling), and this year’s conference is being held in Baltimore, MD!
Follow along as I visit some beautiful college campuses in Washington, DC, and Baltimore this week, starting with:
Georgetown University
The view from the Village A rooftop is stunning—but it’s actually of Rosslyn, VA, not Washington, DC!
Why is this school awesome?
Olivia: Georgetown is a hub for students who want to change the world, each in their own way. The sense of community and caring on campus is strong; our tour guide got a record three different “Happy Birthday” shoutouts on our tour (spoiler: it wasn’t her birthday), and everywhere we looked there were students in conversation together. Also, the campus is perfectly situated to have a comfortable residential neighborhood feel while also allowing easy access to everything Washington has to offer.
Favorite spot on campus?
Olivia: Definitely Dahlgren Quad, nestled between Dahlgren Chapel and Healy Hall. It’s just removed enough from the hustle and bustle of the campus to feel extremely peaceful. Also, on the steps of the adjacent McCourt School of Public Policy, 14 U.S. presidents have addressed Georgetown students and faculty over the years!
Dahlgren Quad’s fountain is part of what makes it so peaceful.
5 words to describe campus?
Olivia: Unique, engaging, traditional-yet-modern, brick, busy/noisy (the campus is right in the flight path for DCA airport so planes are constantly flying overhead)
O’Donovan Hall (or Leo’s, as it’s affectionately known) is the primary dining complex on campus.
The "typical student" is...
Olivia: Energetic, well-spoken, service-minded, and passionate about changing the world in some way or another. Georgetown has some of the highest rates of graduates going on to law school or medical school, as well as plenty who establish careers in education, nursing, social work, and other “helping” professions. Students are generally very politically engaged, even if politics isn’t their primary focus (and for the nearly 50% of students in the Georgetown College of Arts and Sciences who are majoring in Government, it is!).
International perspective?
Olivia: Georgetown is an incredible place to study as an international student (or to study international subjects no matter where you’re from). Their international student population makes up about 11% of the student body, which is pretty standard among highly selective universities, however what really sets Georgetown apart is its global mindset of service to the world.
The Faculty of Languages and Linguistics offers full majors in 11 languages, plus coursework and/or minors in 12 more, including Basque, Farsi, Korean, and Thai. The renowned Walsh School of Foreign Service offers 8 different globally-focused majors and the McDonough School of Business offers 4 more.
Not to mention the satellite campuses in Florence and Doha, and the countless globally focused internship opportunities throughout the Washington, DC, area.
Walking into the gorgeous atrium of Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business.
Special programs/offerings applicants should consider?
Olivia: Definitely look into the many foreign service, language, and international programs I mentioned above. There are also a number of interdisciplinary majors that are particularly interesting, including Business and Global Affairs (a joint degree between Walsh and McDonough) and Health Care Management and Policy (a degree in the School of Health that combines health care with business).
Georgetown is also developing a new Capitol Hill campus, which offers applied learning labs where students live on Capitol Hill and work 20-25 hours per week with immersive internships while also taking classes.
Outside the McDonough School of Business.
Tips for the application process?
Olivia: Unlike most universities these days, Georgetown does require test scores! And their middle 50% ranges are 32-35 for the ACT and 1440-1560 for the SAT. So test prep and practice is key for success in Georgetown’s application process, along with—of course—a challenging curriculum and stellar grades (admitted students graduate on average in the 95th percentile of their class). Georgetown also prefers to see your AP scores if you have any (though you don’t have to submit the official ones unless you’re admitted).
Georgetown is also not on the Common App, so be prepared to submit the Georgetown Application instead. And be prepared to interview with an alum—it’s required for nearly all applicants!
Finally, pay attention to Georgetown’s application decision plans. Similar to Harvard, Princeton, and Yale, they use a restrictive Early Action program rather than Early Decision. Unlike Harvard, Princeton, and Yale, they admit roughly the same percentage of students in EA as in Regular Decision, so there is little strategic advantage to applying early. (Discuss your strategy with your LogicPrep Advisor if you’re considering applying to Georgetown!)
The main Hoya athletics field (where football, soccer, and lacrosse compete) is right in the heart of campus!
Fun facts?
Olivia: It’s tradition each year for the graduating class to steal the clock hands from the Healy Hall clocktower and mail them to the person they want to give the commencement speech at their graduation—which is really difficult because the clocktower has no elevator or stairs of any kind. The clock hands have supposedly been mailed to Beyoncé, Ronald Reagan, and the Pope (none of whom actually took the Hoyas up on their offer to speak at commencement). Our tour guide said the Class of 2023 was the first in years to succeed in stealing them!
The Healy Hall clocktower’s hands mysteriously disappeared last May.
Our tour guide, Margaux, was a senior from New York studying Art History.
Next stop: