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Post by blazeshoya on Jun 6, 2019 20:29:05 GMT -5
Huge Hoyas Hoops fan, have been following this forum for years, but just recently joined. I live in Maine and my daughter is about to complete her sophomore year in high school. She is in the top 10% of her class, and is the class president. She’s in the National Honor Society, Student Council, Key Ckub, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and a bunch of other groups. Realistically, she’s probably in 10 extra curricular activities.
I fulfilled a lifelong dream in October when I stood in McDonough Gym for the first time. I’ve been to a bunch of New England colleges, as well as Princeton, Penn State, and most notably Syracuse, where I proudly donned my Georgetown attire despite the heckling I knew I’d endure. Georgetown was easily the most special campus I’ve ever been on. Everything about that day was magical.
Long story short, my daughter fell in love at Georgetown. Everything about Georgetown was all she’s ever thought of when the discussion of college has come up. So my question is this, and I’m a realist...does she stand a prayer’s chance of ever getting in to a place like Georgetown or is it simply a pipe dream? She’s a wonderfully special kid, but I also understand the odds are stacked against her. Any guidance and brutal honesty from any and all would be greatly appreciated.
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nbhoya
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Post by nbhoya on Jun 6, 2019 21:13:45 GMT -5
Impossible to say. I think the college is now only admitting around 12% of student applicants. She sounds like she’s got a lot of great qualities and metrics. Good luck to her!
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SSHoya
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Post by SSHoya on Jun 7, 2019 5:13:03 GMT -5
AP classes?
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Post by blazeshoya on Jun 7, 2019 11:10:51 GMT -5
Yes...the majority of her classes are AP classes...
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SSHoya
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Post by SSHoya on Jun 7, 2019 12:05:47 GMT -5
Yes...the majority of her classes are AP classes... Best of luck to her. A colleague of mine who was Naval Academy grad was thrilled when his son gained admittance to GU. Then I mentioned the tuition costs. Anyway, his son's appointment to the Academy came through and he breathed a sigh of relief!
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Elvado
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Post by Elvado on Jun 7, 2019 15:42:08 GMT -5
I wish her all the best and hope she gets in and gets to enjoy life on the Hilltop.
Make sure she has a cogent rationale for Georgetown. You would be shocked to hear what I hear as an interviewer from kids who cannot utter a cogent reason for “why Georgetown?”
That rationale should flow through the application and interview process.
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Nevada Hoya
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Post by Nevada Hoya on Jun 7, 2019 18:42:04 GMT -5
I am also a alumni interviewer. But even I do not know what gets a student into Georgetown. I have had many students, who interview well, but do not get accepted. I was zero for six this year with the students I interviewed. The major metrics are standing in class, AP classes, extracurriculars in which the student plays a leadership role. Also anything else that makes the student stand out. Of course, if she could run an 800m race in less than 2:10, she would be in right away with her academic background. Good luck to your daughter. I always score the student a little higher, when I see the enthusiasm for Georgetown in the interview, and not just another (yawn) interview.
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Bigs"R"Us
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Post by Bigs"R"Us on Jun 7, 2019 20:00:19 GMT -5
With a 14% acceptance rate, you spend most of your time interviewing kids who don’t get in. That’s the one aspect I don’t like as an interviewer.☹️
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Post by badgerhoya on Jun 8, 2019 10:09:26 GMT -5
Only other thing I’d add to ‘Vado is that the most success I’ve had with students I’ve interviewed is when they apply early earnestly.
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Post by hoya8185 on Jun 10, 2019 8:52:05 GMT -5
You may also want to be strategic about which school she applies too. They are all crazy difficult,but have some differences. Students can move from school to school once enrolled.
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RusskyHoya
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Post by RusskyHoya on Jun 10, 2019 19:49:22 GMT -5
Hey there, My first job out of college was working for the Admissions Office, so while my knowledge is a decade old at this point, I'm also an interviewer and occasionally still talk shop with some of the folks still working in White-Gravenor 103. I'll also tag Jack as a potential resource - he worked in admissions for several years. For starters, as others have alluded to, Georgetown receives many more applications from qualified students than they have room for (there is a hard District-imposed undergraduate enrollment cap). The primary admissions criteria are well-known and exactly what you'd expect them to be - grades, how challenging one's courses were relative to what the school offered, standardized test scores, essays, extracurriculars. There are also inevitably some variables that can make a difference at the margins, such as the aforementioned differences in admissions rates across the four schools, but I'd advise against worrying about these or trying to 'play percentages.' Ultimately, an applicant's choices tell some story about their interests, and a story that rings true - even if it is a story that ends in "and that's why I'm undeclared" - is better than one that has been engineered to fit someone's idea of what most improves the odds. One such marginal variable worth mentioning in your case - we don't get a lot of students from Maine (only 4 matriculated as members of the Class of 2020 - georgetown.app.box.com/s/z4tgwmps28jo4hd83i1migipgjw43uuo ). All things being equal, hailing from an underrepresented state can be a good thing. Anyway, to directly answer your question: Definitely not a pipe dream! All sorts of people from all sorts of places are admitted to Georgetown! I linked to the Admissions Profile above; that provides a useful barometer relative to the cohort of admitted students from years past. Beyond that, doing some research on one or more specific programs of interest and developing an articulate response to the question "Why Georgetown?" are useful investments of some time and energy. If you have any very specific questions, feel free to send me a direct message. Good luck!
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Jack
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Post by Jack on Jun 10, 2019 21:30:25 GMT -5
Being from Maine is, indeed, a good start. She still needs to be very near the top of her class, have strong scores, and put it all together with a thoughtful application, but nothing you said rules her out.
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Post by blazeshoya on Jun 11, 2019 17:48:22 GMT -5
I appreciate any and all insight. Who knows what her future holds, but I know she’ll do special things. I’m not saying that as her Dad, I’m saying that as a person who’s seen first hand over the last 8 years as a basketball coach at the local high school the people that are moving on to higher learning. She has different qualities than you’re average person. No matter what happens, I can’t wait to once again step foot on campus!
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Post by HoyaRejuveNation85 on Jun 12, 2019 15:42:18 GMT -5
Best of luck to your daughter, Blazeshoya!
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navio
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Post by navio on Jun 21, 2019 8:51:37 GMT -5
Hi! I was actually just admitted to Georgetown this year as a member of the School of Foreign Service's Class of 2023, so I may able to provide some insight. Here are a few things that I learned from my experience.
1. Demonstrated Interest! Georgetown wants kids who know they want to end up on the Hilltop, and this is why the interview and essays are so valuable. I wasn't afraid to tell some personal stories about always wanting to be a Hoya. I will say though that this interest shouldn't be forced, as I'm sure the admissions office can determine what is genuine and what is not.
2. She should shoot for the top 5% of the class, especially if she is enrolled in a public school; however, a few points in her GPA here and there are not going to make or break her application.
3. This may apply more directly to the SFS, but I think Georgetown as a whole really values international awareness. Many Georgetown admits across the four schools have demonstrated a serious interest in their foreign language studies, so I would maybe keep this in mind as your daughter picks classes and chooses summer programs to attend.
4. It is my belief that Georgetown also values leadership outside of the classroom. In my experience, top schools like Georgetown really want to see that you are leading the clubs that you list on your application. Being class president is a great start.
5. Most importantly, however, she should never do anything just for the sake of getting into Georgetown. It would be a waste of her time to participate in activities that she doesn't care about. Some people think that Georgetown wants to see every kid participate in Model UN, Newspaper, and Student Government; however, it really just wants to see some sort of passion, interest, and ambition from applicants.
Hope that helps a little bit! Let me know if you have any other questions.
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RusskyHoya
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Post by RusskyHoya on Jun 23, 2019 16:27:22 GMT -5
Hi! I was actually just admitted to Georgetown this year as a member of the School of Foreign Service's Class of 2023, so I may able to provide some insight. Here are a few things that I learned from my experience. 1. Demonstrated Interest! Georgetown wants kids who know they want to end up on the Hilltop, and this is why the interview and essays are so valuable. I wasn't afraid to tell some personal stories about always wanting to be a Hoya. I will say though that this interest shouldn't be forced, as I'm sure the admissions office can determine what is genuine and what is not. Just a minor caveat/footnote here... sometimes "Demonstrated Interest" is understood within the admissions realm to refer to things like visiting campus, emailing your admissions officer, attending the Exploring College Options roadshow, etc. Georgetown does not take this type of demonstrated interest into account during admissions deliberations on the logic that it would unduly advantage those with the means to travel to DC for a campus visit or to the nearest ECO session. There is some consideration of expressed interest as part of waitlist determinations, but that's a whole separate issue. Having said that, the interview and essays are absolutely the best opportunity to communicate one's specific interest in and excitement toward the school!
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Nevada Hoya
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Post by Nevada Hoya on Jun 24, 2019 15:48:03 GMT -5
Hi! I was actually just admitted to Georgetown this year as a member of the School of Foreign Service's Class of 2023, so I may able to provide some insight. Here are a few things that I learned from my experience. 1. Demonstrated Interest! Georgetown wants kids who know they want to end up on the Hilltop, and this is why the interview and essays are so valuable. I wasn't afraid to tell some personal stories about always wanting to be a Hoya. I will say though that this interest shouldn't be forced, as I'm sure the admissions office can determine what is genuine and what is not. Just a minor caveat/footnote here... sometimes "Demonstrated Interest" is understood within the admissions realm to refer to things like visiting campus, emailing your admissions officer, attending the Exploring College Options roadshow, etc. Georgetown does not take this type of demonstrated interest into account during admissions deliberations on the logic that it would unduly advantage those with the means to travel to DC for a campus visit or to the nearest ECO session. There is some consideration of expressed interest as part of waitlist determinations, but that's a whole separate issue. Having said that, the interview and essays are absolutely the best opportunity to communicate one's specific interest in and excitement toward the school! I interviewed a young lady last year, who was so interested in attending Georgetown that she refused a skype interview and drove two hours to be interviewed by a Georgetown alumni. Our interview area covers a large piece of northern California, so to provide the student some help we offer the option of a skype interview (I had one last year). In addition to her enthusiasm, she had some unique activities, which I believed made her a great choice for Georgetown. Of course, I didn't know her rank in class or her test scores, but I gave her one of the highest marks that I have given. Unfortunately, she was not accepted.
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Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Jul 17, 2019 15:43:47 GMT -5
I interview in Montgomery county which is close to campus and I have tons of interviewees that have never been on campus and can't tell me the first thing about the school. Like others have said, focus on extracurricular activities that you excel in versus just checking the boxes and having tons of items yet no real tangible depth to any of those. That stuff comes across in the interview & application and is a quick pass. One of my best interviews happened to be an athlete and he was super impressive. He really understood the benefit of the school and he got in, probably having little to do with the interview. Good Luck!
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Nevada Hoya
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Post by Nevada Hoya on Aug 23, 2019 16:00:48 GMT -5
I was just looking at my HS yearbook. I was amazed to count 10 guys, who went to Georgetown from our senior class. That is not happening anymore! Nine graduated from Georgetown, with one transfer.
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Bigs"R"Us
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Post by Bigs"R"Us on Aug 23, 2019 17:31:15 GMT -5
The days of the feeder schools are over, as colleges are now on a mission to diversify the demographic in every which way.
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