Georgetown now on the Common App
Georgetown University made a big splash in the world of college admissions last year when it announced that starting August 2026, students will be able to apply to the school through the Common Application. This policy is part of a three-year pilot program. The university will continue to maintain other existing admissions policies, such as the mandatory submission of SAT/ACT scores (although there is a change in which scores students send—more on that later), the continuation of admissions policies regarding legacy applicants (Georgetown typically accepts roughly 30% of legacy applicants and that 25% of applicants admitted to the entering class are children of Georgetown graduates), and the identification of low-income students prior to admission.
According to interim provost Soyica Diggs Colbert, the hope is that “the university will be able to reach larger percentages of low-income students and other applicants who are interested in Georgetown and might not have otherwise applied for admission.”
How to decide whether to use the Common App or the Georgetown application
The Georgetown Voice has stated that there will be no preference in the admissions process based on which application a student uses. The Voice adds that “the school is aiming to keep the two applications as similar as possible. The application fee on both platforms is $80, though fee waivers will be available on both. All students that submit applications on either platform will receive an interview, unless it’s impossible to assign based on geographical location.”
If you’re applying to college, chances are you’re using the Common Application for at least one of your other colleges so you’ll already be preparing the Common Application personal statement. You can submit that to Georgetown, and will also have to write a 500-word essay specific to the school within Georgetown to which you’re applying, as well as responses to the following questions:
- Briefly discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved (250 words maximum)
- In all our lives, we interact with people who hold different viewpoints than our own. Describe such an event you experienced. What did you learn from the experience? (250 words maximum)
- 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 (650 words maximum) – many students will use their common app essay here. If you apply using the Common App you will not have to answer this prompt as you’ll already be writing the personal statement.
If you choose to use the Georgetown application, you’ll have to fill out your information all over again—this includes rewriting everything about your family, education, activities, and honors. This starts by filling out an initial application before receiving access to the full portal, which asks for your contact information, which admissions round and Georgetown college you’re applying to, your parents’ education and current place employment, your citizenship, and your high school.
Within 24 hours of submitting the Georgetown application form and paying the application fee, you should receive an email with instructions on how to create your application account. You can then begin working on your application supplement, which includes school-specific supplemental essays, questions about testing, and space to elaborate on your extracurriculars.
The Georgetown application has its own version of the personal statement:
“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 own background, identity, skills, and talents. (approximately 1 page, single-spaced)”
If you’ve written a Common App Personal Statement essay, you might use it for your Georgetown response as well (if you can fit it onto a single page) if you’re using the Georgetown portal. Think about who you are and what matters to you. What matters is that the reader understands what makes you unique, the perspective and experiences you’ll bring to campus, and how you might contribute to the school community.
If you want to fill out the Georgetown application, there’s no harm in that!
Changes to testing
Georgetown is not test-optional. However, although they previously required students were required to send scores from every single time they took the SAT or ACT, starting the 2026-27 cycle, Georgetown will also allow students to superscore their SAT and ACT score. Therefore, applicants can send their highest scores from each section of the SAT. For students taking the ACT, applicants are no longer required to submit their entire testing history. Instead, you must submit at least one complete, single-sitting ACT score, though admissions officers will still evaluate the highest section scores across any multiple tests you choose to provide.
Georgetown is a highly competitive school. If you’re interested in becoming a Hoya, make sure you note all the new changes and follow the instructions carefully so that you set yourself up for the best shot at admission.
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