Georgetown updates its admissions policies

Georgetown University recently announced new admissions policies aimed at building a more inclusive and socioeconomically diverse student community, an essential part of the university’s Catholic, Jesuit mission. After a two-year review of its admissions processes, Georgetown will launch a three-year pilot program to allow applicants to submit the Common App. The pilot program begins August 2026 for the Fall 2027 entering class. The Common App is used by over a million students each year—a third of whom are first-generation college students—to apply to multiple colleges and universities. Georgetown will also continue accepting its current application. 

By accepting the Common App, Georgetown will reach large percentages of students from low-income households and other applicants who are interested in Georgetown and might not have otherwise applied for admission, Interim Provost Soyica Diggs Colbert (C’01) said. Over 1,100 higher education institutions use the application for college admission, including all of Georgetown’s peers, except the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). 

“While we will now offer the option of using the Common Application, our admissions standards will not change,” said Charles Deacon (C’64, G’69), the university’s dean of admissions. “Our rigorous admissions process will continue to be as personalized and holistic as possible to recruit, enroll, and support students from all backgrounds.” 

Other admissions policies continue

Georgetown will maintain several other admissions policies. It will continue its requirement for applicants to submit ACT/SAT scores, citing a new analysis from The National Bureau of Economic Research, which found that, for selective universities, test-optional admissions policies disproportionately harm students from poorly-resourced high schools. 

Additionally, Georgetown said it will not make any changes at this time to its legacy admissions after finding that legacy applicants—relatives of faculty, staff, or alumni—represent a similarly broad array of backgrounds as the applicants in the regular admission pool. An applicant’s legacy status is just one of many factors the university considers when reviewing applicants for admission. 

Increasing socioeconomic diversity

As part of its comprehensive admissions process, Georgetown began considering students’ eligibility for federal Pell Grants in 2024 and will continue to do so. That year, the university reported its highest percentage of Pell-eligible students in over a decade, at 15% of the undergraduate Class of 2028. The Department of Education awards Pell Grants to undergraduate students who demonstrate significant financial need. 

Georgetown provides programs and resources that ensure students from all backgrounds can fully engage in the college experience. The university offers a financial aid package that includes grants, scholarships, school employment, and educational loans, and it has increased its financial aid budget this upcoming academic year to $285 million—the largest-ever commitment to financial aid in the university’s history. 

Georgetown also provides programmatic support for first-generation college students through the Community Scholars Program, founded in 1968, and the Georgetown Scholars Program (GSP), which is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary. Both programs work together to provide academic and wraparound support for first-generation, low-income students throughout their Georgetown careers.

Read more about Georgetown’s undergraduate admissions policies.