The Georgetown University School of Medicine secondary application reflects the school’s mission in recruiting a diverse and compassionate medical school class. The primary Georgetown secondary application essay is tough – it’s like a 1-page “ Why Georgetown ,” “ Why Medicine ,” and Autobiography all in one essay! Georgetown changed its character limit last year, so our applicants who pre-wrote this secondary had to re-work it. This year, we are advising students to pre-write this secondary because the essays + character limits have not changed for the past couple of years. The Georgetown secondary essays are also unique and difficult to finish with excellence.
Our Cracking Med School Admissions team has a track record of helping our mentees receive acceptances to Georgetown Medical School year after year. Get started and read our Georgetown Medical School secondary application tips below. To learn more about student life, read our extensive blog post on How to Get Into Georgetown Medical School.
Georgetown Secondary Pre-Writing Guidance: Georgetown changed its character limit last year, so our applicants who pre-wrote this secondary had to re-work it. This year, we are advising students to NOT pre-write this secondary. However, because this essay is tough to perfect, make sure to start on this essay as soon as you receive the official secondary.
Georgetown Secondary Application Tip #1: Understand the Jesuit value of “cura personalis.” You can read more about Georgetown’s philosophy / mission statement here: What is Cura Personalis – Georgetown College
Once you understand Cura Personalis, show how you have fostered your commitment to serve others in all 3 of the long essays. We advise our students to pick stories and activities that exemplify cura personalis. The Georgetown Medical School Admissions committee seeks to recruit a medical school class of compassionate physicians who are visionaries in wanting to improve healthcare.
Georgetown Secondary Application Tip #2: For the question, “ Why have you chosen to apply to the Georgetown University School of Medicine and how do you think your education at Georgetown will prepare you to become a physician for the future? ” this is like a “Why Georgetown,” “Why do you want to be a doctor” and “Tell me about yourself” loaded in one question. Make sure to incorporate all 3 of these ideas in your response.
Read the following resources to help you respond to this essay:
One successful technique we’ve advised our mentees through our secondary essay edits – include why you want to be going to medical school in Washington D.C. Many of our students who receive interview invites show compassion through their stories AND state that they want to engage in community health, advocacy, and public policy in Washington D.C. Don’t be afraid to write about opportunities in Washington D.C. (the opportunities you want to pursue as a medical student don’t necessarily have to be linked to Georgetown University). While it’s not wrong to write about your interest in research and biomedical scientists, we advise students to link their research to “big picture” ideas to improve healthcare.
Georgetown Secondary Application Tip #3: For the question, “ Is there any further information that you would like the Committee on Admissions to be aware of when reviewing your file that you were not able to notate in another section of this or the AMCAS Application? ” treat this like a diversity essay. You can write about your experiences in Washington D.C., any hardship you have faced, leadership experiences, global health projects, and anything else that would help you stand out.
Read our helpful blog post on Diversity Essays: Medical School Diversity Essay Examples and Tips
Georgetown Secondary Application Tip #4: This is a tough secondary application, and medical school applicants frequently ask for our help to edit and brainstorm their Georgetown University School of Medicine secondary application essay responses. We can help you through our secondary essay packages . Have questions about how you can stand out? Contact us below.
Georgetown Secondary Application Tip #5: Georgetown medical students take advantage of opportunities at other Georgetown University graduate schools. For example, we’ve had mentees who take business school classes at the McDonough School of Business and public policy classes at McCourt School of Public Policy. If you discuss your interests in other Georgetown graduate schools in your Georgetown secondary application, make sure to discuss how your clinical experiences during clinical rotations, medical education, and learnings at other graduate schools will all complement each other.
[ Read more secondary essay tips: George Washington (GW) , New York University (NYU) , University of Virginia (UVA) , Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) ]
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What counts as a talent, crafting your approach.
Georgetown University ’s first supplemental essay prompt asks:
Indicate any special talents or skills you possess. (250 words)
Students often ask how creative they should get with essays like this, or any supplemental essay for that matter. An essay is usually an opportunity to be as creative as you want, although there are some exceptions depending on the nature of the question.
In cases like this where you’re asked to write about a personal skill or talent, students have free reign to be creative with their essay provided that their response aligns with the values of the college or university that they’re applying to.
The word talent can often trip students up. When you read the word “talent,” there’s a tendency to immediately jump into a discussion of your best subject in school or an extracurricular that you’re performing well in. While these can certainly be examples of talents, you’re not restricted to writing about a talent in the traditional sense. In fact, some of the best responses to this prompt are about some of our more intangible talents.
One example is being good at diffusing or navigating conflict. You could write about how you’ve leveraged your sense of humor to calm or disarm others in an incredibly tense situation. Writing about a more intangible talent or soft skill can bring a level of creativity to the essay that traditional topics like academics or extracurricular activities wouldn’t necessarily introduce.
That isn’t to say, however, that you can’t write an impressive essay about the skills or accomplishments demonstrated through your resume. The prompt allows you a lot of flexibility by not qualifying what constitutes a skill or talent, so be sure to pick something meaningful to you that you can write a compelling essay about, whatever your talent may be.
As you begin drafting your essay, it’s important not to simply rewrite your resume as an essay. While you can certainly call out specific accomplishments and activities relevant to your talent, the essay is an opportunity to provide context and highlight your personal voice and experiences. Consider showcasing some of the unique non-academic experiences you’ve had that relate back to your talent. For example, perhaps you are a great problem solver and you’ve learned to apply that ability to things like fixing cars or building puzzles.
Finally, remember to have fun with your essay! Georgetown’s application includes some pretty serious and heavy questions, and, while it’s important to have a strong and present voice in all of your writing, the first prompt is a particularly good opportunity to have fun and really get creative.
At the end of the day, college essay prompts are indeed meant for you to speak directly to your reader about your interests, but also for you to demonstrate what you would bring to the campus as an individual learner. Therefore, you should focus on crafting a strong personal voice and showing the reader not only your talent, but what your unique experiences and reflections will bring to their community.
Looking for more insight on what makes a successful Georgetown essay? Check out this article for sample essays from real applicants as well as our take on what made each essay successful and what could make them even better!
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Open to sisters from Kenya and Ghana for the 2024-2025 cohort, the fellowship seeks applicants dedicated to the development of their communities and the empowerment of women and girls, in service to the common good.
This fellowship is designed for sisters who are passionate about driving change and making a significant impact on the lives of women and girls in their communities.
The selection committee will review all applications and select fellows who exhibit a strong alignment with the fellowship's goals and values.
The Women Faith Leaders Fellowship is an initiative of the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University. Funding is provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. Georgetown University has sole discretion over the selection of fellowship recipients.
Please submit your application through this Google Form . Applications are due on or before August 9, 2024. For more information or to refer a potential candidate , email [email protected] .
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June 28, 2024
In the year since the U.S. Supreme Court banned the consideration of race in college admissions, students have had to give more thought to how they present themselves in their application essays – to what they will disclose.
Data from the Common Application shows that in this admissions cycle, about 12% of students from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups used at least one of 38 identity-related phrases in their essays, a decrease of roughly 1% from the previous year. The data shows that about 20% of American Indian and Alaskan Native applicants used one of these phrases; meanwhile 15% of Asian students, 14% of Black students, 11% of Latinx students, and fewer than 3% of white students did so.
A year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court barred affirmative action in college admissions. Students have since used their application essays as a place to explore identity.
To better understand how students were deciding what to include, The Hechinger Report asked newly accepted students from across the United States to share their application essays and to describe how they thought their writing choices ultimately influenced their admissions outcomes. Among them was Jaleel Gomes Cardoso from Boston, who wrote about being Black.
“If you’re not going to see what my race is in my application, then I’m definitely putting it in my writing,” he says, “because you have to know that this is the person who I am.”
In the year since the Supreme Court banned the consideration of race in college admissions last June, students have had to give more thought to how they present themselves in their application essays .
Previously, they could write about their racial or ethnic identity if they wanted to, but colleges would usually know it either way and could use it as a factor in admissions. Now, it’s entirely up to students to disclose their identity or not.
Data from the Common Application shows that in this admissions cycle about 12% of students from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups used at least one of 38 identity-related phrases in their essays, a decrease of roughly 1% from the previous year. The data shows that about 20% of American Indian and Alaskan Native applicants used one of these phrases; meanwhile 15% of Asian students, 14% of Black students, 11% of Latinx students, and fewer than 3% of white students did so.
To better understand how students were making this decision and introducing themselves to colleges, The Hechinger Report asked newly accepted students from across the country to share their college application essays. The Hechinger staff read more than 50 essays and talked to many students about their writing process, who gave them advice, and how they think their choices ultimately influenced their admissions outcomes.
Here are thoughts from a sampling of those students, with excerpts from their essays.
As Jaleel Gomes Cardoso sat looking at the essay prompt for Yale University, he wasn’t sure how honest he should be. “Reflect on your membership in a community to which you feel connected,” it read. “Why is this community meaningful to you?” He wanted to write about being part of the Black community – it was the obvious choice – but the Supreme Court’s decision to ban the consideration of a student’s race in admissions gave him pause.
“Ever since the decision about affirmative action, it kind of worried me about talking about race,” says Mr. Cardoso, who grew up in Boston. “That entire topic felt like a risky decision.”
In the past, he had always felt that taking a risk produced some of his best writing, but he thought that an entire essay about being Black might be going too far.
“The risk was just so heavy on the topic of race when the Court’s decision was to not take race into account,” he says. “It was as if I was disregarding that decision. It felt very controversial, just to make it so out in the open.”
In the end, he did write an essay that put his racial identity front and center. He wasn’t accepted to Yale, but he has no regrets about his choice.
“If you’re not going to see what my race is in my application, then I’m definitely putting it in my writing,” says Mr. Cardoso, who will attend Dartmouth College this fall, “because you have to know that this is the person who I am.”
– Meredith Kolodner
Essay excerpt:
I was thrust into a narrative of indifference and insignificance from the moment I entered this world. I was labeled as black, which placed me in the margins of society. It seemed that my destiny had been predetermined; to be part of a minority group constantly oppressed under the weight of a social construct called race. Blackness became my life, an identity I initially battled against. I knew others viewed it as a flaw that tainted their perception of me. As I matured, I realized that being different was not easy, but it was what I loved most about myself.
Klaryssa Cobian is Latina – a first-generation Mexican American – and so was nearly everyone else in the Southeast Los Angeles community where she grew up. Because that world was so homogenous, she really didn’t notice her race until she was a teenager.
Then she earned a scholarship to a prestigious private high school in Pasadena. For the first time, she was meaningfully interacting with people of other races and ethnicities, but she felt the greatest gulf between her and her peers came from her socioeconomic status, not the color of her skin.
Although Ms. Cobian has generally tried to keep her home life private, she felt that colleges needed to understand the way her family’s severe economic disadvantages had affected her. She wrote about how she’d long been “desperate to feel at home.”
She was 16 years old before she had a mattress of her own. Her essay cataloged all the places she lay her head before that. She wrote about her first bed, a queen-sized mattress shared with her parents and younger sister. She wrote about sleeping in the backseat of her mother’s red Mustang, before they lost the car. She wrote about moving into her grandparents’ home and sharing a mattress on the floor with her sister, in the same room as two uncles. She wrote about the great independence she felt when she “moved out” into the living room and onto the couch.
“Which mattress I sleep on has defined my life, my independence, my dependence,” Ms. Cobian wrote.
She’d initially considered writing about the ways she felt she’d had to sacrifice her Latino culture and identity to pursue her education, but said she hesitated after the Supreme Court ruled on the use of affirmative action in admissions. Ultimately, she decided that her experience of poverty was more pertinent.
“If I’m in a room of people, it’s like, I can talk to other Latinos, and I can talk to other brown people, but that does not mean I’m going to connect with them. Because, I learned, brown people can be rich,” Ms. Cobian says. She’s headed to the University of California, Berkeley, in the fall.
– Olivia Sanchez
Essay excerpt:
With the only income, my mom automatically assumed custody of me and my younger sister, Alyssa. With no mattress and no home, the backseat of my mom’s red mustang became my new mattress. Bob Marley blasted from her red convertible as we sang out “could you be loved” every day on our ride back from elementary school. Eventually, we lost the mustang too and would take the bus home from Downtown Los Angeles, still singing “could you be loved” to each other.
Oluwademilade Egunjobi worked on her college essay from June until November. Not every single day, and not on only one version, but for five months she was writing and editing and asking anyone who would listen for advice.
She considered submitting essays about the value of sex education, or the philosophical theory of solipsism (in which the only thing that is guaranteed to exist is your own mind).
But most of the advice she got was to write about her identity. So, to introduce herself to colleges, Oluwademilade Egunjobi wrote about her name.
Ms. Egunjobi is the daughter of Nigerian immigrants who, she wrote, chose her first name because it means she’s been crowned by God. In naming her, she said, her parents prioritized pride in their heritage over ease of pronunciation for people outside their culture.
And although Ms. Egunjobi loves that she will always be connected to her culture, this choice has put her in a lifelong loop of exasperating introductions and questions from non-Nigerians about her name.
The loop often ends when the person asks if they can call her by her nickname, Demi. “I smile through my irritation and say I prefer it anyways, and then the situation repeats time and time again,” Egunjobi wrote.
She was nervous when she learned about the Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision, wondering what it might mean for where she would get into college. Her teachers and college advisors from a program called Matriculate told her she didn’t have to write a sob story, but that she should write about her identity, how it affects the way she moves through the world and the resilience it’s taught her.
She heeded their advice, and it worked out. In the fall, she will enter the University of Pennsylvania to study philosophy, politics, and economics.
I don’t think I’ve ever had to fight so hard to love something as hard as I’ve fought to love my name. I’m grateful for it because it’ll never allow me to reject my culture and my identity, but I get frustrated by this daily performance. I’ve learned that this performance is an inescapable fate, but the best way to deal with fate is to show up with joy. I am Nigerian, but specifically from the ethnic group, Yoruba. In Yoruba culture, most names are manifestations. Oluwademilade means God has crowned me, and my middle name is Favor, so my parents have manifested that I’ll be favored above others and have good success in life. No matter where I go, people familiar with the language will recognize my name and understand its meaning. I love that I’ll always carry a piece of my culture with me.
In the opening paragraph of his college application essay, Francisco Garcia quotes his mother, speaking to him in Spanish, expressing disappointment that her son was failing to live up to her Catholic ideals. It was her reaction to Mr. Garcia revealing his bisexuality.
Mr. Garcia said those nine Spanish words were “the most intentional thing I did to share my background” with colleges. The rest of his essay delves into how his Catholic upbringing, at least for a time, squelched his ability to be honest with friends about his sexual identity, and how his relationship with the church changed. He said he had striven, however, to avoid coming across as pessimistic or sad, aiming instead to share “what I’ve been through [and] how I’ve become a better person because of it.”
He worked on his essay throughout July, August, and September, with guidance from college officials he met during campus visits and from an adviser he was paired with by Matriculate, which works with students who are high achievers from low-income families. Be very personal, they told Mr. Garcia, but within limits.
“I am fortunate to have support from all my friends, who encourage me to explore complexities within myself,” he wrote. “My friends give me what my mother denied me: acceptance.”
He was accepted by Dartmouth, one of the eight schools to which he applied, after graduating from Saginaw High School near Fort Worth, Texas, this spring.
– Nirvi Shah
Essay excerpt:
By the time I got to high school, I had made new friends who I felt safe around. While I felt I was more authentic with them, I was still unsure whether they would judge me for who I liked. It became increasingly difficult for me to keep hiding this part of myself, so I vented to both my mom and my closest friend, Yoana ... When I confessed that I was bisexual to Yoana, they were shocked, and I almost lost hope. However, after the initial shock, they texted back, “I’m really chill with this. Nothing has changed Francisco:)”. The smiley face, even if it took 2 characters, was enough to bring me to tears.
Hafsa Sheikh felt her applications would be incomplete without the important context of her home life: She became a primary financial contributor to her household when she was just 15, because her father, once the family’s sole breadwinner, could not work due to his major depressive disorder. Her work in a pizza parlor on the weekends and as a tutor after school helped pay the bills.
She found it challenging to open up this way, but felt she needed to tell colleges that, although working two jobs throughout high school made her feel like crying from exhaustion every night, she would do anything for her family.
“It’s definitely not easy sharing some of the things that you’ve been through with, like really a stranger,” she says, “because you don’t know who’s reading it.”
And especially after the Supreme Court ruled against affirmative action, Ms. Sheikh felt she needed to write about her cultural identity. It’s a core part of who she is, but it’s also a major part of why her father’s mental illness affected her life so profoundly.
Ms. Sheikh, the daughter of Pakistani immigrants, said her family became isolated because of the negative stigma surrounding mental health in their South Asian culture. She said they became the point of gossip in the community and even among extended family members, and they were excluded from many social gatherings. This was happening as she was watching the typical high school experiences pass her by, she wrote. Because of the long hours she had to work, she had to forgo the opportunity to try out for the girls’ basketball team and debate club, and often couldn’t justify cutting back her hours to spend time with her friends.
She wrote that reflecting on one of her favorite passages in the Holy Quran gave her hope:
“One of my favorite ayahs, ‘verily, with every hardship comes ease,’ serves as a timeless reminder that adversity is not the end; rather, there is always light on the other side,” Ms. Sheikh wrote.
Her perseverance paid off, with admission to Princeton University.
-- Olivia Sanchez
Besides the financial responsibility on my mother and I, we had to deal with the stigma surrounding mental health in South Asian culture and the importance of upholding traditional gender roles. My family became a point of great gossip within the local Pakistani community and even extended family. Slowly, the invitations to social gatherings diminished, and I bailed on plans with friends because I couldn’t afford to miss even a single hour of earnings.
It was Nov. 30 and David Arturo Munoz-Matta had eight college essays due the next day. He had spent the prior weeks slammed with homework while also grieving the loss of his uncle who had just died. He knew the essays were going to require all the mental energy he could muster – not to mention whatever hours were left in the day. But he got home from school to discover he had no electricity.
“I was like, ‘What am I gonna do?’” says Mr. Munoz-Matta, who graduated from Lamar Academy in McAllen, Texas. “I was panicking for a while, and my mom was like, ‘You know what? I’m just gonna drop you off at Starbucks and then just call me when you finish with all your essays.’ And so I was there at Starbucks from 4 until 12 in the morning.”
The personal statement he agonized over most was the one he submitted to Georgetown University.
“I don’t want to be mean or anything, but I feel like a lot of these institutions are very elitist, and that my story might not resonate with the admissions officers,” Mr. Munoz-Matta says. “It was a very big risk, especially when I said I was born in Mexico, when I said I grew up in an abusive environment. I believed at the time that would not be good for universities, that they might feel like, ‘I don’t want this kid, he won’t be a good fit with the student body.’”
He didn’t have an adult to help him with his essay, but another student encouraged him to be honest. It worked. He got into his dream school, Georgetown University, with a full ride. Many of his peers were not as fortunate.
“I know because of the affirmative action decision, a lot of my friends did not even apply to these universities, like the Ivies, because they felt like they were not going to get in,” he says. “That was a very big sentiment in my school.”
– Meredith Kolodner
While many others in my grade level had lawyers and doctors for parents and came from exemplary middle schools at the top of their classes, I was the opposite. I came into Lamar without middle school recognition, recalling my 8th-grade science teacher’s claim that I would never make it. At Lamar, freshman year was a significant challenge as I constantly struggled, feeling like I had reached my wit’s end. By the middle of Freshman year, I was the only kid left from my middle school, since everyone else had dropped out. Rather than following suit, I kept going. I felt like I had something to prove to myself because I knew I could make it.
Kendall Martin wanted to be clear with college admissions officers about one thing: She is a young Black woman, and her race is central to who she is. Ms. Martin was ranked 15th in her graduating class from KIPP Austin Collegiate. She was a key figure on her high school basketball team. She wanted colleges to know she had overcome adversity. But most importantly, Ms. Martin says, she wanted to be sure, when her application was reviewed, “Y’all know who you are accepting.”
It wouldn’t be as simple as checking a box, though, which led Ms. Martin, of Kyle, Texas, to the topic she chose for her college admissions essay, the year after the Supreme Court said race could not be a factor in college admissions. Instead, she looked at the hair framing her face, hair still scarred from being straightened time and again.
Ms. Martin wrote about the struggles she faced growing up with hair that she says required extensive time to tame so she could simply run her fingers through it. Now headed to Rice University in Houston – her first choice from a half-dozen options – she included a photo of her braids as part of her application. Her essay described her journey from hating her hair to embracing it, from heat damage to learning to braid, from frustration to love, a feeling she now hopes to inspire in her sister.
“That’s what I wanted to get across: my growing up, my experiences, everything that made me who I am,” she says.
– Nirvi Shah
I’m still recovering from the heat damage I caused by straightening my hair every day, because I was so determined to prove that I had length. When I was younger, a lot of my self worth was based on how long my hair was, so when kids made fun of my “short hair,” I despised my curls more and more. I begged my mom to let me get a relaxer, but she continued to deny my wish. This would make me so angry, because who was she to tell me what I could and couldn’t do with my hair? But looking back, I’m so glad she never let me. I see now that a relaxer wasn’t the key to making me prettier, and my love for my curls has reached an all-time high.
This story about college admission essays was produced by The Hechinger Report , a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for Hechinger’s higher education newsletter . Listen to Hechinger’s higher education podcast .
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A landmark 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision ended the consideration of race in college admissions. But one year after the ruling, research shows the number of students of color applying to four-year colleges has increased.
Colleges have seen a 9 percentage point increase in applications from Black students and a 10 percentage point spike in Hispanic students applying to four-year colleges compared to last year, according to the Common App, the country’s most widely used college application.
The numbers came as a relief to John King Jr., former U.S. education secretary under President Barack Obama and now chancellor of the State University of New York.
“I was very worried that students would take away the message from the Supreme Court that Black and Latino students are not wanted in higher education,” King said. “So I’m glad to see the application numbers are up. We will have to see what the numbers are for representation in the most selective institutions come fall.”
Final college enrollment numbers are not yet available, and the high cost of college could significantly affect students’ ability to attend the school of their choice. But the initial findings contrast with the predictions of major losses to diversity on campus following the Supreme Court’s 6-3 court ruling last summer .
As a result of the ruling, colleges said they would boost student recruitment in low-income high schools or find innovative ways to ensure that their campuses reflected the diversity of society at large.
“[Colleges] want to make sure they’re in compliance with the law. This is a particularly sensitive year,” said David Hawkins, chief education and policy officer for the National Association for College Admission Counseling. “But they want to make sure to minimize implicit bias and o ther forms of bias.”
Some colleges and universities have boosted their outreach by offering college courses to high school students to gauge their readiness.
That’s the work of the National Education Equity Lab, which has seen an uptick in interest from colleges since the ruling. The program has expanded to 31 states and 120 school districts.
“I think it’s important that colleges prioritize new pipelines of talent in lower-income, historically marginalized communities,” said lab founder Leslie Cornfeld. “And there are tools that exist to do that.”
The program has benefitted students like Marah Rigaud, an 18-year-old daughter of Haitian immigrants, who was accepted to Yale University this fall.
Rigaud has already completed rigorous college courses from selective schools like Georgetown University, Arizona State University and the University of Pennsylvania. She even completed a spring course from Harvard Law School titled “Intro to the U.S. Legal System.”
“It taught me that nothing is off the table and you can strive for anything,” Rigaud said. She wrote about her Haitian culture in her college essay.
“I referenced my church and how in our masses we don’t necessarily use English, we use French or Haitian Creole,” she said.
But getting into college and paying for it are two separate challenges.
Hawkins, at the National Association for College Admission Counseling, said problems with the release of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid have also “significantly complicated” admissions for the fall.
Colleges, including Hampshire and Emerson, have recently blamed federal delays processing FAFSA forms for lower-than-expected enrollment projections.
Only 44% of high school seniors filed the FAFSA by mid-June, down 12 percentage points from the same time last year, according to the National College Attainment Network.
“We’re holding our breath a little bit for the enrollment numbers to come through,” Hawkins said.
King, the former Obama administration official, said colleges could also end the practice of giving admission preferences to the children of alumni or scholarships for athletic recruits, particularly in sports like lacrosse, field hockey and water polo.
Colleges often benefit from donations from alumni who are also parents, giving their children an advantage others don’t have.
“If a kid is working at their parents’ bodega night after night, they’re learning an extraordinary amount,” King said. “And I would argue they are learning more than the student who is getting private coaching lessons and playing in a travel league.”
Since the Supreme Court decision, only a handful of colleges ended alumni “legacy” admissions, including Wesleyan University, Carleton College, Virginia Tech and the University of Pittsburgh.
Kirk Carapezza is the managing editor and correspondent for higher education at GBH News. This story was originally published by GBH on June 28, 2024.
College essays that worked and how yours can too.
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS - JULY 08: A view of Harvard Yard on the campus of Harvard University on ... [+] July 08, 2020 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology have sued the Trump administration for its decision to strip international college students of their visas if all of their courses are held online. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
The college essay is a pivotal piece of the college application showcasing your individuality and differentiated outlook to admissions officers. What makes an essay truly shine? Let’s dive into the words behind three standout essays highlighted by university websites and a school newspaper's brand studio so you can get into the right mindset for crafting your own narrative.
Essay Excerpt: ‘Bra Shopping ’ (Harvard)
Featured by the Harvard Crimson Brand Studio , Orlee's essay recounts a student's humorous and insightful experience of bra shopping with her grandmother, weaving in her unique family dynamics and challenges at her prestigious school.
What Works:
For Your Essay : To write an essay that embraces your uniqueness, start by identifying a quirky or challenging experience that reflects who a key insight into your experience. Think about how this experience has shaped your perspective and character. Use humor and honesty to bring your story to life, and focus on how you have embraced your differences to become stronger and more resilient.
Best 5% interest savings accounts of 2024, finding connections: humor and self-reflection.
Essay: ‘Brood X Cicadas ’ (Hamilton College)
As an example on Hamilton's admissions website, Nicholas writes about the cicadas swarming his hometown every 17 years and draws a parallel between their emergence and his own transition to college life. He uses humor and self-reflection to create a relatable and engaging narrative.
For Your Essay: To infuse humor and self-reflection into your essay, start by identifying an ordinary experience or object and think about how it relates to your life. Write down funny or insightful observations about this connection. Use humor to make your essay more engaging, but ensure it still conveys meaningful self-reflection. This balance can make your essay both entertaining and profound.
Essay: ‘ Facing The Hot Griddle ’ (Johns Hopkins University)
In this essay published by Hopkins Insider, Rocio uses the process of making tortillas to explore her multicultural identity and the challenges she has faced. Her story beautifully weaves together her Guatemalan heritage and her experiences growing up in the United States.
For Your Essay: To write an essay that explores your identity through a metaphor, start by thinking about an activity or tradition that holds significant meaning for you. Consider how this activity relates to your life experiences and personal growth. Use detailed descriptions to bring the activity to life and draw connections between the process and your own journey. Reflect on the lessons you've learned and how they've shaped your identity.
A winning college essay isn’t simply about parading your best accomplishment or dramatizing your challenges. It’s not a contest for which student is the most original or entertaining. Rather, the essay is a chance for you to showcase your authenticity, passion, resilience, social awareness, and intellectual vitality . By sharing genuine stories and insights, you can create an essay that resonates with admissions committees and highlights your unique qualities.
For you to have the best possible essay, mindset is key. Here’s how to get into the zone:
The secret to a standout college essay lies in its authenticity, depth, and emotional resonance. By learning from these successful examples and getting into the right mindset, you can craft an essay that not only stands out but also provides a meaningful insight into who you are. Remember, your essay is your story—make it a piece of writing that you will always be proud of.
SPECIAL NOTE TO PROSPECTIVE TRANSFER APPLICANTS:
The deadline to submit a transfer application for Fall 2024/Spring 2025 enrollment was March 1, 2024. The transfer application is no longer available to be downloaded or submitted online. The transfer application for Fall 2025/Spring 2026 will be available on this site in early October 2024. Please visit the General Information page for transfer applicants to learn more about Georgetown’s application process.
If you submitted the application online and need to make changes or updates, please complete the Application Changes Form . Please do not submit another copy of the application.
Transfer applicants are strongly encouraged to use the Recommendation Request Form (Step 3 of the Transfer Application found in the Transfer Supplement) to request submission of their Secondary School Report (including high school transcript), Dean’s Report and Professor’s Report. If hard-copy forms are preferred or required by your high school, dean or professor, you can find additional information and downloadable PDF copies of these forms below:
Dean’s Report Professor’s Report Secondary School Report Standardized Testing Official College Transcripts
Georgetown University Office of Undergraduate Admissions Room 103 White Gravenor Hall 37th and O Streets, NW Washington, DC 20057-1002
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We look forward to working with you throughout the admissions process. Please visit the General Information page for first-year applicants to learn more about the Georgetown University application process. For important information about the application process, we recommend you to review the Information for Applicants document. Georgetown Application Submission Step One - Complete and ...
Georgetown 2023-24 Application Essay Question Explanations. *Please note: the information below relates to last year's essay prompts. As soon as the 2024-25 prompts beomce available, we will be updating this guide -- stay tuned! The Requirements: 1 essay of 250 words; 1 half-page essay; 2 page-long essays. Supplemental Essay Type (s): Activity ...
All Applicants Prompt 1: Briefly discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved. (1/2 page, single-spaced) Prompt 2: As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief essay, either personal or creative, which you feel best describes you.
If you are unable to find the information that you are looking for on our website, you may contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at (202) 687-3600 and request to speak with an admissions officer. Georgetown University welcomes applications for admission to its undergraduate schools from students of character, intelligence, motivations ...
Essay Example 1 - Special Talents. Essay Example 2 - Personal Statement. Essay Example 3 - The Meaning of Being Educated. Essay Example 4 - Speech and Debate. Where to Get Feedback on Your Essay. Georgetown is a prestigious university located right outside of Washington D.C. that is known for its great public policy and international ...
Georgetown University Supplemental Essays - Prompt 3. 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.
Looking at the above chart, you can see that the Georgetown University application deadline for Early Action is November 1, ... Essay 1: As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief essay, either personal or creative, which you feel best describes you.
The Georgetown essay prompt for the 2023-2024 admissions cycle is an invitation for applicants to share a more personalized and comprehensive view of themselves beyond their academic achievements and extracurricular activities. The prompt asks applicants to "tell us about something that is important to you, and why.".
First Year Applicant. Georgetown Application. Georgetown offers students the opportunity to apply in two ways: or Regular Decision. Regardless of which option you choose, we encourage you to begin your application by submitting the as soon as possible. Filling out and submitting the Georgetown Application should only take you a few minutes.
The Application Supplement is where you will submit the remaining application materials (including essay responses) and access your Georgetown Recommendation Forms to request the appropriate documents from your counselor and teacher (s). To the best of my knowledge, I have not submitted this Application form for Fall 2025 consideration yet.*.
The McDonough School of Business. This past year, Georgetown received a record-high 21,465 applications and accepted a record-low 15.4% of its applicants. Georgetown's admissions process is different in that it has an application separate from the Common Application, which asks applicants to answer two questions.
To begin or continue an application, please click on the application round below for which you are applying. If you are unsure about which application best applies to you, please refer to our website here. First-Year Applicants. Transfer Applicants. Post-Baccalaureate Computer Science (PBCS) Certificate Program Applicants. Post-Baccalaureate ...
Option 4. Georgetown College of Arts and Sciences: A liberal arts education from the College of Arts & Sciences involves 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 ...
Georgetown University has released its 2023-2024 admissions essays for applicants to the Class of 2028. The Jesuit institution, which has for years bucked the trend of joining The Common Application , asks applicants to respond to three essays in addition to one essay that is school-specific within the broader university.
Your essays should be tied specifically to Georgetown rather than the more general approach of the Coalition or Common Application. The Georgetown essays include one short essay of about a half-page, single-spaced, one longer one-page essay required of all students, and a second one-page essay specifically tied to one of Georgetown's four ...
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If you have any questions, please call our office during our normal business hours of Monday-Friday 9 AM-5 PM Eastern Time at (202) 687-3600 or email [email protected]. If you have read the instructions above and would like to still make any changes to your application using the application change form, please proceed by clicking here ...
Georgetown University requires submission of SAT and/or ACT scores as part of our holistic application review process. Candidates for admission should submit official score reports from the College Board and/or ACT. ... Georgetown Admissions Ambassador Program. Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Room 103 White Gravenor Hall. 37th and O Streets ...
The Georgetown University School of Medicine secondary application reflects the school's mission in recruiting a diverse and compassionate medical school class. The primary Georgetown secondary application essay is tough - it's like a 1-page "Why Georgetown," "Why Medicine," and Autobiography all in one essay! Georgetown changed ...
Crafting Your Approach. Georgetown University's first supplemental essay prompt asks: Indicate any special talents or skills you possess. (250 words) Students often ask how creative they should get with essays like this, or any supplemental essay for that matter. An essay is usually an opportunity to be as creative as you want, although there ...
Why have you chosen to apply to the Georgetown University School of Medicine and how do you think your education at Georgetown will prepare you to become a physician for the future? (3000 characters) Primary Deadline: Usually around Nov 1st. Secondary Deadline: Usually around Dec 15th. Secondary Fee: $130. FAP Waiver: Full Fee Waived.
Georgetown University has sole discretion over the selection of fellowship recipients. How to Apply. Please submit your application through this Google Form. Applications are due on or before August 9, 2024. For more information or to refer a potential candidate, email [email protected].
A year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court barred the use of affirmative action in college admissions. Students have since used their application essays as a place to explore identity.
Georgetown University, with its tradition of Jesuit education, a location in Washington, DC, and a distinguished community of scholars from around the world, is a vibrant place to live and learn. We are pleased you have chosen to learn more about the opportunities for undergraduate students that await you here at Georgetown. To ensure that […]
Since the Supreme Court decision, only a handful of colleges ended alumni "legacy" admissions, including Wesleyan University, Carleton College, Virginia Tech and the University of Pittsburgh. Kirk Carapezza is the managing editor and correspondent for higher education at GBH News. This story was originally published by GBH on June 28, 2024.
Let's dive into the words behind three standout essays highlighted by university websites and a school newspaper's brand studio so you can get into the right mindset for crafting your own ...
Secondary School Report. Application Fee $75.00. SAT/ACT Results. We appreciate your interest in Georgetown University and look forward to working with you throughout the application process. If you have any questions, please contact the Admissions Office at (202) 687-3600. General Information for Transfer Applicants.
123. Records of the Overseers of Harvard University, Volume VIII. From January, 1830 to the end of 1847, 18 years, 200. Harvard University Archives, UA II 5.5.2, Cambridge, Massachusetts (hereafter "HUA") (on file with author); T HE C ENTENNIAL H ISTORY OF THE H ARVARD L AW S CHOOL, 1817-1917 815-816 (1918); R. Kent Newmyer,