Preparing for Georgetown

The Georgetown Office of Undergraduate Admissions seeks to admit students who display strong academic achievement, intellectual curiosity, commitment to school and community, and a global outlook. Our holistic admissions process takes into account each part of your application to understand more about your high school experience and personal background.

High School Education

The central part of any application to Georgetown is the student’s academic record. Our Admissions Committee reviews the quality of students’ work, rigor of their academic curriculum, and final grades earned throughout secondary school.

In order to prepare for a Georgetown education, all applicants are expected to have completed four years of English, a minimum of two years of social studies, language study, and mathematics, and one year of natural science.

Please see below for additional specific preparation necessary for some programs: 

Students who plan a major in mathematics or science should take four years of mathematics and at least three years of science during high school.

Students interested in languages or Linguistics are recommended to have a background in a modern foreign language or Latin.

Students applying to programs in Nursing or Health must take four years of mathematics and at least three years of science during high school.

Students interested in business should complete a minimum of three years of math, through advanced algebra and trigonometry, as calculus is required of all students in the program. Two years of natural science are recommended.

Students interested in the School of Foreign Service are recommended to have a background in a modern foreign language or Latin.


Testing Requirements

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 requires submission of at least one full SAT or ACT and does not accept superscores.

  • Students must submit an official score report from The College Board.
  • Georgetown only considers the Verbal (EBRW) and Math portions of the SAT in our review process.

  • Students must submit an official score report from the ACT.
  • Georgetown does not consider the writing portion of the ACT.
  • Georgetown highly recommends submission of the science section of the ACT, especially for students seeking to major in the sciences.

  • Georgetown recommends, but does not require, results from an English language proficiency test for students who attend a school where English is not the language of instruction. 
  • Georgetown accepts results from the DET (Duolingo English Test), IELTS, or TOEFL® (PBT, iBT® and IPT® Plus versions), to fulfill this recommendation.

Credits

Georgetown grants credit for certain Advanced Placement (AP) examinations. If you wish to receive credit for any AP examinations, official scores must be sent to Georgetown University through the College Board. Credit determinations are made by each of the undergraduate schools, and you can read the breakdown of credit policies by examination in the Undergraduate Bulletin.

Georgetown grants credit for certain International Baccalaureate (IB) examinations. For exams which can earn credit, credit is only granted for a score of 6 or 7 on the Higher Level examination. You can find a breakdown of credit policies by examination in the Undergraduate Bulletin.

Students who are enrolled in joint high school/college programs (taking college courses on college campuses while working concurrently for high school and college credit) are advised to apply as first year students, but should not expect credit for more than four courses. Participation in such programs will not significantly shorten the length of a degree program at Georgetown.

Credit awards for international programs will vary by school and subject. Guidelines for individual programs can be found in the Undergraduate Bulletin. Each program is evaluated for transfer credit on a case-by-case basis. Final credit will be determined by the program in which students matriculate and upon departmental review.