Disappointed with Georgetown

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09/26/2023 11:54

Subject: Disappointed with Georgetown

Anonymous

My son and I did our first college tours this week. Although we don't live that far away, this was the first time I had seen Georgetown since my own tour nearly 30 years ago. It was very insightful.

A 17-year-old middle class kid who loved politics and fantasized about running for office, Georgetown was my first choice. I got into the College. The financial aid package was very loan heavy, and a top LAC (recommended by my college professor neighbor) was very grant heavy. My parents strongly pushed the latter option, and I threw away my Georgetown t-shirt and maybe shed a few tears alone in my room. The social experience at the LAC was a bit lonely, mostly because of my own anxieties, but I made up for it with academic growth. Majored in mathematics. Took lots of classics and economics courses and ended up at a world-class economics department for my Ph.D.

Obviously this visit was about my son, but I honestly felt a sense of longing as we approached the campus. There were a few initial surprises. First, the campus had a very shabby feel. Asphalt everywhere. One big, beautiful historic building, but mostly a patchwork of 1950s-1990s buildings. 757s flying over every few minutes didn't feel terribly compatible with quiet contemplation and study. After the tour, I couldn't believe that my 17-year-old self found this so desirable. The next surprise was at the information session. Admission to the undergraduate College and SFS is even tougher than I had thought. They turn away nearly 90% of applicants.

When we left, I mentioned none of this to my son, asking instead what he thought. His take: "Dad, if I could manage to get in here, I think I could also get in somewhere much better, so why bother applying." He's much more astute than I was.

Here's my take:

Georgetown is a very good -- and very expensive -- school.

Many US cities/metro areas have very fine Jesuit universities (BC, Fordham, Santa Clara, etc.). I really don't think the quality of the undergraduate education at Georgetown is any better than what one would get at those schools. Candidly, I think its basketball program is emblematic of the university as a whole. There were moments of success, but the reputation has greatly outlasted those moments.

Georgetown got a boost in the late 20th Century for a couple reasons.
1. It's in DC.
2. It's in the fanciest part of DC.
3. There's not a lot of competition in DC for the title "best university in DC."
4. It has a lot of household names among its alumni, because it attracts aspiring politicians. Successful politicians are famous, for better or worse. The vast majority of Georgetown students who want to ultimately hold high office do not.
5. It has some famous faculty who worked in government before receiving a plum academic appointment. These people are extremely impressive to 18 year old students. With age and experience you realize that many of them are just stuffed suits.

If I could make one point to prospective students, it's this: any student who can get into the College or SFS could get into a top 10 LAC -- and maybe even Williams/Amherst/Swarthmore. There is no comparison between the quality of teaching and undergraduate academic experience between Georgetown and those schools. Any student who can get into the College or SFS would also have a good chance of getting into an Ivy League school. There is no comparison between the resources and research going on at those universities and Georgetown.

I decided to write this because I'm curious about how others in this area feel, since the school remains so desirable to so many outstanding young people.

If attending a Catholic school is extremely important to you, Georgetown is the nation's oldest and most selective. If you son or daughter absolutely must be in DC for college, it is the top school in the District. Otherwise, guide your your child somewhere else.