Has anyone else had it with Georgetown?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both GT and ND were safety schools back in the day. Has it really come to this??

A lot of the elite schools had acceptance rate of 30 40 50% back in the day

Welcome to the 21st century granny.

You sound like a very angry, bitter person.

This OP is making a true statement.

Remember the riots in DC in the 60’s to early 70’s? People did not want to send their kids to DC so the doors were open to anyone. I know, that’s how 2 of my siblings got in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
It's interesting how people on this board just love to hate on certain schools. UVA and Georgetown get a lot of these comments. UMD practically never. My oldest is applying to college this year, but I certainly don't go into this process with value judgments.

x100000

This. Want names? I know at least one prolific hater of certain schools (they also happen to be a prolific hater of certain places).

Sad, if not so transparent and pathetic.

[Anonymous]

I wish my kid was interested in Georgetown (but he has ruled out all urban schools) bc their policies would seem to benefit him (35 ACT in 1 sitting and 5 on all AP tests so far, including Chem and BC Calc, rigorous class load, equally adept at STEM, history, English, foreign langauge). Where he falls down, so to speak, is very run-of-the mill ECs: sports captain, President of small club, real work experience waiting tables … but nothing superlative that many of the schools he loves want. He is a hardworking teenager who does not have a penchant for overselling himself. Nor does he have the world figured out in a way that resembles adult-level insight. So, OP, I get your frustration when a school that seems a good fit in many ways, asks for criteria that doesn’t seem to be as good of a fit.

[Anonymous]

If your son isn't interested in urban schools, then clearly Georgetown wouldn't be a good fit. So why are you upset about their admissions practices? That is just strange.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your son isn't interested in urban schools, then clearly Georgetown wouldn't be a good fit. So why are you upset about their admissions practices? That is just strange.

I am new poster so different kid - my point was that I could generally empathize with OP when schools seem to be a good match but not admissions policies. Not OP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your son isn't interested in urban schools, then clearly Georgetown wouldn't be a good fit. So why are you upset about their admissions practices? That is just strange.

I am new poster so different kid - my point was that I could generally empathize with OP when schools seem to be a good match but not admissions policies. Not OP

But it is only a match if the applicant is willing to reach the threshold of what is necessary to apply. Just being the right sized school in Washington DC doesn't make it a good fit in and of itself. So, Georgetown and other school - see UChicago for example - raise the bar. If a kid really feels it is a good match and wants to give it their best shot, then they should take the few extra minutes to answer the extra essays.

The Common App has made things way too easy for both applicants and the schools. I respect the schools that raise the bar. It may reduce the number of applicants, but it certainly provides the schools with pools of kids who are truly demonstrating their interest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Georgetown requires students report every score from every SAT, ACT or AP exam that they ever sat for, in an official report.
Their prerogative.
Restrictive REA is truly awful on so many levels.
Their prerogative.
Helps make the decision easy

I have a rising Junior and this is one of the things I really like about Georgetown. Keeping it merit based and not subjective.

Frankly, I hate the test optional climate and how political it is to get acceptance at many schools now. Bring back standards!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids don’t/didn’t have any interest in applying to Gtown. But I don’t get the issue, OP. I’d argue that disclosing all test scores, instead of cherry picking, shows a better representation of what a student is capable of and helps drives down the rat race of sitting for the SAT 3 times. Also, TEA is no different than ED which plenty of colleges offer. The impression I get from their requirements is that Gtown wants students who truly want them, which *should* make the process more reliable for all (they aren’t getting applicants who just want to check the box on applying to lots if ivies/ivy-adjacents or who throw in an application because they can check another box on Common App).

+1,000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish my kid was interested in Georgetown (but he has ruled out all urban schools) bc their policies would seem to benefit him (35 ACT in 1 sitting and 5 on all AP tests so far, including Chem and BC Calc, rigorous class load, equally adept at STEM, history, English, foreign langauge). Where he falls down, so to speak, is very run-of-the mill ECs: sports captain, President of small club, real work experience waiting tables … but nothing superlative that many of the schools he loves want. He is a hardworking teenager who does not have a penchant for overselling himself. Nor does he have the world figured out in a way that resembles adult-level insight.[b] So, OP, I get your frustration when a school that seems a good fit in many ways, asks for criteria that doesn’t seem to be as good of a fit.

So normal . My son is the same. He is true to himself and we certainly aren't cultivating him to appear to be someone he isn't on applications. If it makes you feel better, we have heard many counselors and admissions staff say they don't like any ECs that were parent $$ driven, e..g, feeding turtles in the Galapagos or anything like that where parents were footing the bill to give their kid something exotic. Not that feeding the turtles is 'exotic', I just couldn't think of an example at the moment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your son isn't interested in urban schools, then clearly Georgetown wouldn't be a good fit. So why are you upset about their admissions practices? That is just strange.

I am new poster so different kid - my point was that I could generally empathize with OP when schools seem to be a good match but not admissions policies. Not OP

But it is only a match if the applicant is willing to reach the threshold of what is necessary to apply. Just being the right sized school in Washington DC doesn't make it a good fit in and of itself. So, Georgetown and other school - see UChicago for example - raise the bar. If a kid really feels it is a good match and wants to give it their best shot, then they should take the few extra minutes to answer the extra essays.

The Common App has made things way too easy for both applicants and the schools. I respect the schools that raise the bar. It may reduce the number of applicants, but it certainly provides the schools with pools of kids who are truly demonstrating their interest.

I was the poster talking about their kid liking schools where you need national level awards etc. and other activities that feel slightly beyond his control. he is happy to write essays and submit all test scores (where I get other kids might hate testing but have been nationally published or something).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish my kid was interested in Georgetown (but he has ruled out all urban schools) bc their policies would seem to benefit him (35 ACT in 1 sitting and 5 on all AP tests so far, including Chem and BC Calc, rigorous class load, equally adept at STEM, history, English, foreign langauge). Where he falls down, so to speak, is very run-of-the mill ECs: sports captain, President of small club, real work experience waiting tables … but nothing superlative that many of the schools he loves want. He is a hardworking teenager who does not have a penchant for overselling himself. Nor does he have the world figured out in a way that resembles adult-level insight. So, OP, I get your frustration when a school that seems a good fit in many ways, asks for criteria that doesn’t seem to be as good of a fit.

You have just described my DS who will be a Junior this year and is thriving at Georgetown. (White, male, no hooks, applied EA.) You don’t need over the top ECs. You just need to be a good fit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Georgetown does not require AP scores. However, Georgetown will only consider AP scores via official score report, which includes all AP scores. So if you want them to see one, they see them all, as a practical matter.

But you can withhold scores for any recipient. Why wouldn’t that work?

https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/score-reporting-services/withhold-scores

Because Gtown requires you send ALL scores. If you don't and they find out, you are lying on your application and can have your acceptance withdrawn. They get to choose to require this. In some ways it makes sense, as there is a huge difference between kids who get a 1550+ in 1-2 settings and those that take 10+ times to get there. There are only a few universities that require this

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My bad: the Notre Dame RD rate for Class of 2026 is actually 10% (EA is still significantly higher).

If you are actually following the admissions rate discussion, you would recognize that both Georgetown (especially) and Notre Dame (somewhat) would actually have a lower admissions rate if they were playing the ED game. In that sense, both are underrated. Factoring in Georgetown’s roughly equivalent admissions rate for EA and RD (unique amongst competitive private colleges?), and the self-selection Georgetown requires to even submit a completed application, Georgetown is extremely underrated. To be sure, Georgetown could snap its fingers and cut its admissions rate nearly in 1/2 by going EA, ED1, ED2 (like Chicago) and accepting the common app. But it won’t — and that’s a good thing.

DC is starting freshman year at Georgetown in Aug. The Georgetown app is a pain, but did not require a huge amount of brand new thinking or wriiting; 90% was easily modified from Common App. I do think Georgetown's standardized test policy is anti-diluvian, and/but not playing the ED game and not giving an advantage to EA kids is surprisingly humane. i am sure all these practices shrinks their applicant pool, and i am impressed that Georgetown is not chasing the USNWR game.

That said, they need to do about two decades of deferred maintenance. All i can say is that maybe their eyes are on heaven....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course it's a great school, in a great location - yes. But it is not QUITE the amazing educational experience that their demanding standards would seem to indicate.
Mine would have loved to apply. But between the restrictive application policy (which is truly awful given the very difficult cycles these kids are facing) and their demands for all test scores - my kids have had it. Both have what it takes to succeed there. But my first and now my second are not willing to ruin what was left of HS to get there. Straight As in AP courses not enough for you? Opting for mental health over College Board nonsense by skipping a few AP exams? Please. My next one feels the same way. These two are great students - never had anything less than an A or A-, fantastic ECs that reflect their commitment to serving others for years, stellar LORs, tons of the R word - RIGOR. Not pointy for Ivies. But they are out - of the G-town rat race. And no - that's not a Georgetown troll talking - it's an honest frustration for their policies.

To answer your question, maybe not "had it with Georgetown" - but the GU bashers are positively obsessed.

Why do you think that is?

For me it’s the entitled, boorish snobs that receive undergraduate degrees from GU. I don’t know if my child would have been accepted to GU because they did not apply. Since we lived in the area we felt it was important to go away to college. There are some great schools in the area but it doesn’t seem like going away when you can ride your bike back home to Mommy and Daddy.

Change the word obsessed to frustrated (with the obnoxious GU culture).

[Anonymous]

Georgetown requires uploading of vax card, answering health screening, and wearing a mask to tour campus outdoors, with no touring inside buildings. So, yeah, had it; not touring, not applying.