How to Write the Georgetown University Essays 2025-2026
Located in the U.S. capital, Georgetown prides itself on fostering global perspectives and cultivating students’ learning through Jesuit values. Georgetown University has four required prompts: three supplemental essays for all applicants to respond to and one school specific prompt focusing on the student’s intended area of study.
As a highly competitive and prestigious university, it is important for Georgetown applicants to not only highlight their strong academic achievements, but also find ways to differentiate themselves through their essays. This post will show you how you can write standout responses to each Georgetown supplemental prompt.
Read these Georgetown essay examples to inspire your own writing.
Georgetown Application Essay Prompts
Below are the supplemental essay prompts for Georgetown’s schools (click to jump to the right section):
All Applicants
Prompt 1: Briefly discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved. (1/2 page, single-spaced)
Prompt 2: As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief personal or creative essay which you feel best describes you and reflects on your personal background and individual experiences, skills, and talents. (1 page, single-spaced)
Prompt 3: Please elaborate on any special talents or skills you would like to highlight.
School-Specific Prompts
(Each essay should be approximately one page, single-spaced)
College of Arts & Sciences: Founded in 1789, the Georgetown College of Arts & Sciences is committed to the Jesuit traditions of an integrated education and of productive research in the natural sciences, humanities, social sciences, and fine arts. Describe your interest in studying at College of Arts & Sciences. Applicants interested in the sciences, mathematics, or languages are encouraged to make specific reference to their choice of major. (1 page, single-spaced)
Berkley School of Nursing: Georgetown University’s School of Nursing is committed to the formation of ethical, empathetic, and transformational nursing leaders. Describe the factors that have influenced your interest in studying Nursing at Georgetown University. (1 page, single-spaced)
Walsh School of Foreign Service: Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service was founded more than a century ago to prepare generations of leaders with the foundational skills to address global issues. Describe your primary motivations for studying international affairs at Georgetown University and dedicating your undergraduate studies toward a future in global service. (1 page, single-spaced)
McDonough School of Business: Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business provides graduates with essential global, ethical, analytical, financial, and diverse perspectives on the economies of our nation and the world. Describe your primary motivations for studying business at Georgetown University. (1 page, single-spaced)
McCourt School of Public Policy: For nearly 50 years, Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy has equipped leaders and changemakers with the interdisciplinary skills to address local, national, and global policy problems. Undergraduate public policy students at Georgetown will have the unique opportunity to live and study on two campuses, spending their first two years immersed on the Hilltop, before completing the second half of their time at Georgetown on the Capitol Campus, immersed in the policy world. Describe your primary motivations for studying public policy at Georgetown University and dedicating your undergraduate studies toward a future related to public service. (1 page, single-spaced)
Earth Commons: Through this joint program between the College of Arts & Sciences and the Earth Commons Institute, you’ll explore theories and practical skills in the classroom, in the field, and around the world, and put it all together to make a difference. Describe your primary motivations for studying environment and sustainability at Georgetown University to effect positive change in the world. (1 page, single-spaced)
School of Health: Georgetown University’s School of Health was founded to advance the health and well-being of people locally, nationally, and globally through innovative research, the delivery of interdisciplinary education, and transformative engagement of communities. Describe the factors that influenced your interest in studying health care at Georgetown University, specifically addressing your intended related major: Global Health, Health Care Management & Policy, or Human Science. (1 page, single-spaced)
All Applicants Prompt 1
Briefly discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved. (1/2 page, single-spaced)
This prompt is the classic Extracurricular Essay, and it’s a great opportunity to showcase your unique passions and experiences to the admissions committee. The open-ended nature of this prompt provides you with a great deal of flexibility to highlight parts of your personality that you haven’t had the chance to express in other parts of your application.
In order to most effectively answer this prompt, you will need to write about an activity you are passionate about AND show the admissions committee why it is meaningful to you.
A few tips for your response:
For many students, sports are likely one of the first topics that come to mind when thinking about significant activities outside of the classroom. However, since that is a very common topic for extracurricular essays, responses about sports can often fall prey to cliché themes that may get lost in a sea of other sports-related essays.
If you choose to write about a sport, be very thoughtful about how you frame your experience. Think about what makes your experience stand out from other applicants’ sports stories.
For example, scoring the winning touchdown at a championship game may have been an exhilarating memory, but how is your passion for the game unique to your experience?
Maybe there was a time where you had to overcome adversity or things didn’t turn out the way you had hoped. Perhaps an injury left you on the bench for the rest of the season or an unfair call from a referee that cost you the game—explain how these challenges contributed to your overall experience with the activity, even when the situation was not ideal.
When the prompt asks for the activity with which you have been most involved, it does not necessarily refer to the number of hours you spent.
The prompt specifies that it is asking about the activity that you have been “most involved” in. Therefore, the activity that you choose to write about should be something that shows your ongoing dedication to the activity. However, the activity that you spend the most time doing may not be the activity you are most passionate about.
For example, you may have devoted nine years of your life to playing an instrument and performing. At the same, you may have joined the school paper as a junior, written several articles for every edition, and created a brand new features section to highlight student accomplishments beyond the classroom.
While counting hours would lead us to conclude that you’ve spent more time being a musician, it is evident from this example that you’ve shown more initiative as a reporter, despite the short period you spent at the paper.
While it is fantastic if your chosen activity directly ties into the major you’re planning to pursue, don’t worry too much about picking something that you deem most relevant to your field.
In this essay, the admissions committee is looking to understand your passions, the skills you gained, your strengths as a leader or a team player, and your dedication. If you can demonstrate your commitment to, say, teaching ukulele to small kids, along with your creativity and excitement in approaching the task at hand, you will show the admissions committee that you have acquired transferable skills which you will apply with the same intensity to your collegial pursuits.
Don’t try to second-guess what the admissions committee may or may not wish to see. Pick an activity that makes you the most excited—the one you never cease to talk about with your friends and family—and write about why it’s important to you.
That last part is key: show the admissions committee what you get out of this activity. Have you found a community and a support network through it? Have you developed skills (like public speaking, confidence, analytical thinking, leadership, compassion, etc.) because of it? What have you learned about yourself as a result of participating in this activity?
Don’t forget to give this part of the prompt ample space in your response. Your essay should make it clear both what your activity is and why it is special to you. Let’s look at a response that does that:
“There’s that blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, imperceptible to most, but treasured by me, right as the curtain lifts off the floor, a millisecond before the orchestration fills the room. The moment where there’s only an empty canvas, and the fate of the masterpiece lies in the hands of us, the artists. The exhilaration of knowing actors have the power to create empathy, humor, heartbreak, and inspiration has stuck with me from my first show, and to this day, the feeling never gets old.
Whether I’m singing soprano two harmonies in the ensemble of The Sound of Music or I’m playing Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, every time I step out from the wings and into the dazzling lights of my school’s auditorium, I’m struck by the power we hold to create something magical for the audience. And yes, with great power comes great responsibility—a responsibility to my cast mates to say the right lines, a responsibility to the stage crew to hit my lighting and technical cues, and a responsibility to the audience to faithfully deliver the lines and lyrics. But there’s also a responsibility to myself.
That responsibility to myself isn’t about flawless execution, but rather truth. Theater has taught me that performance is not perfection, but presence. If I walk onstage worrying about every possible mistake, I lose the raw honesty that makes a character come alive. By daring to be vulnerable—singing a shaky high C, wailing in front of hundreds of people, or even improvising half a scene when my partner skips their lines (true story!)—I’ve learned to embrace imperfection as part of the art. Staying authentic, even in the face of fear, has been my way of honoring my own growth as both an actor and a person.
And while those moments in the spotlight are fleeting, the lessons they’ve given me linger long after the curtain falls. Theater has taught me how to listen, how to collaborate, and how to trust both myself and others in pursuit of something greater than any one person could achieve alone. When I’m on stage, there’s no doubt in my mind I’m an artist, and an artist doesn’t always know what their great creations will look like when they start out. Yet they have a responsibility to start painting and from there, see what they can bring to life.”
All Applicants Prompt 2
As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief personal or creative essay which you feel best describes you and reflects on your personal background and individual experiences, skills, and talents. (1 page, single-spaced)
Although Georgetown is not on the Common App, this prompt is very similar to the Common App personal statement prompts. This essay is an opportunity for the admissions committee to get to know you as an individual. Through this essay, they want to learn who you are, what your values are, what drives you and gets you out of bed in the morning, or in other words: what makes you unique.
The most efficient approach here is to use your Common App personal statement if you have one. If you haven’t already written a personal statement for other applications, we recommend you check out our advice above on how to approach the personal statement from brainstorming through writing.
Notice the prompt’s emphasis on the importance of diversity (the Diversity Essay is another common prompt colleges ask applicants to write). Whether or not you end up using your Common App essay, make sure that your response highlights the unique perspective you will contribute to the Georgetown community. Remember that diversity does not necessarily imply belonging to an ethnic or religious community, which are topics many students tend to initially gravitate towards. For example, if you are someone who has lots of experience traveling, you can talk about how exploration is a key aspect of your personality. If you devote all of your free time to designing sets for your school’s plays, you can emphasize your identity as an artist and team player in your response.
It’s also important to note that while the Supreme Court ended affirmative action in June 2023, colleges continue to consider racial diversity on an individual basis through information shared in essays. If your racial or ethnic heritage has helped shape who you are, what you believe in, and what you value, this could be a great place to write about that.
The admissions committee will be choosing among thousands of applicants, many of whom will have academic profiles, grades, and scores similar to your own. The key to producing a successful response here is to share what truly makes you unique. Don’t try to embellish for the sake of sounding “impressive”—admissions officers can see right through that.
Instead, focus on sharing a genuine story about who you are and make it detailed and specific enough that it could only apply to you.
All Applicants Prompt 3
Please elaborate on any special talents or skills you would like to highlight.
While this one isn’t technically an essay in the same way the others are, you are asked to elaborate on your special talents and skills on the Georgetown application, and we see this as another opportunity to set yourself apart from the applicant pool. You should take advantage of every chance Georgetown gives you to share more about yourself, so even if you can’t unicycle or speak five languages, you can still find something to write in this portion of your application.
The skills or talents that will be most impactful here will have led you to develop personally, or are more unusual and merit further explanation. This is an opportunity to demonstrate your passion, dedication, and any significant related achievements you want to have on your application.
For example, maybe you’re a yo-yo champ and have organized local tournaments, teaching you event planning skills. Or, maybe you create art from trash you find on walks on the beach and have sold $1,000 worth of pieces, and motivated hundreds of neighbors to join you on your cleanups. Your skill can be more everyday as well, such as working in a grocery store or tutoring young kids; as long as it’s contributed to your growth meaningfully, you can highlight it here.
It’s not necessary to be terribly verbose in this response. Remember—it’s separate from the listed prompts and is intended to be a brief space for you to tack on anything you want considered that didn’t make it on other parts of the application. That being said, you want to make sure you elaborate on the talent in some way, whether that’s where it came from, what it entails, what you’ve achieved, what you’ve learned from it, etc.
Let’s look at some examples of what students might write about here:
Perfect Pitch: “Perfect pitch feels like a superpower I never asked for. I can hear the hum of a refrigerator and name it: B flat. My friends laugh when I call out the notes of their sneezes or the chime of the school bell. While it might sound quirky, this ability has deepened my musicianship. In choir rehearsals, I can find harmonies instinctively and help others stay in tune. On the piano, it allows me to play back songs I’ve only heard once. But more than a neat trick, perfect pitch has taught me the value of listening—closely, intentionally, and attentively. It reminds me that in both music and life, the details others overlook can be the most beautiful.”
Beatboxing: “Most people use their mouths for words—I use mine for drums, snares, and hi-hats. Beatboxing started as me trying to copy the sound of a kick drum, and now I can layer rhythms that make people do a double take. My favorite trick is switching from a basic beat into the bassline of “Seven Nation Army,” all without a mic. I’ve performed at open mics and school talent shows, sometimes even backing up singers who don’t have an instrumental track. The challenge isn’t just making the sounds but keeping breath control so it doesn’t fall apart mid-performance. Beatboxing is part rhythm, part illusion, and for me, it’s 100% fun.”
Calligraphy: “The first time I picked up a calligraphy pen, my letters were shaky and uneven, but I loved how ink could transform words into art. What started as doodling on scrap paper grew into a skill I now share with over 350,000 followers on my TikTok channel. My videos range from elegant flourishes of movie quotes to playful lettering tutorials set to trending sounds. Every stroke requires patience and precision, but also creativity—I get to experiment with colors, textures, and layouts that keep my content fresh. Beyond the views and likes, the most meaningful part is when people comment that my tutorials inspired them to pick up a pen for the first time. Calligraphy has become a part of who I am and it’s opened up a whole new way of communicating with the world.”
Arts & Sciences Prompt
Founded in 1789, the Georgetown College of Arts & Sciences is committed to the Jesuit traditions of an integrated education and of productive research in the natural sciences, humanities, social sciences, and fine arts. Describe your interest in studying at College of Arts & Sciences. Applicants interested in the sciences, mathematics, or languages are encouraged to make specific reference to their choice of major. (1 page, single-spaced)
This is an example of a Why This Major essay archetype. Georgetown wants to know why you’re drawn to the College of Arts & Sciences and how it aligns with your academic and career goals. For especially competitive majors, this prompt is used to gauge your preparation and genuine interest. Since there are limited spots, they want to make sure those spots go to the students who will make the most of the program and contribute the most to the Georgetown community.
In this response, you’ll connect the dots between your academic interests, the Jesuit values of education mentioned in the prompt itself, and the specific resources and opportunities at Georgetown. Essentially, you need to convince the admissions officers that not only do you want to study your major, but you want to study it at Georgetown specifically.
A strong response will make it clear why you are drawn to studying your chosen field in the School of Arts & Sciences. This is more than saying “I love biology” or “I find developmental psychology extremely fascinating.” You need to bring your reader into a specific moment with you—maybe it’s your first encounter with the subject or a specific project you worked on or a piece of media, etc.—and show your genuine enthusiasm and excitement for your major. For example, a student interested in biology might begin his essay with something like this:
“A blue and red helix swirled around the screen as nucleobases were cut and spliced. Within minutes the sequence was inserted and the DNA began replicating without a second thought to its new appendage. My eyes shot open and my jaw grew slack. Images of pristine, white hospital walls clouded my vision. The strong smell of disinfectant permeated the air. All those hours sitting with my mom, holding her cold hands through the chemo, and it could have been solved in minutes with CRISPR?”
The next component of a good essay is to reference specific elements of Georgetown’s offerings for your major and describe how it aligns with your personal, specific reasons for enjoying the field and wanting to study it. It’s always a good idea to do some research about the department you’re planning to major in by looking into classes, professors, labs, experiential learning, and extracurricular initiatives that relate to your intended major. However, when including university-specific resources, make sure you don’t just name drop the—demonstrate the connection and application to your interests.
Finally, don’t neglect the aspect of Georgetown’s Jesuit traditions—they’re included in the prompt for a reason! You don’t have to be Catholic or even religious to connect with these values. Emphasizing ideas like community, integrating service and research with traditional learning, and working towards social justice are all ways you can incorporate Jesuit principles in your essay and make a connection to yourself.
So, to sum up, there are three bases to cover here: your personal motivations and ambitions regarding your major, Jesuit education values, and Georgetown’s specific resources. These themes should be interconnected and clearly articulated.
When considering your motivations and ambitions in pursuing your chosen field of study, think about what drew you to that major and to Georgetown in the first place. What types of experiences have you had that contributed to your interest in this domain? What do you hope to accomplish through this interest in your future professional life? Apply these answers to Georgetown’s Jesuit educational values and university resources. How do you see yourself contributing to the Georgetown community, especially within your major or department? How will a degree from Georgetown’s College of Arts and Sciences help you achieve your long-term goals?
Check out the examples below for some inspiration:
“Like lots of kids, I’ve always been interested in ancient history, especially the stories of ancient civilizations. I studied Latin in high school and enjoyed reading classical texts, which is why I want to continue studying history in college. Georgetown’s College of Arts & Sciences has a strong history program, and I know I’ll learn a lot from the professors there. I also appreciate Georgetown’s Jesuit values because I think it’s important to study history with a focus on ethics and understanding. I’m excited to be a part of a community that values both education and moral development.”
Although this response provides some personal color about the writer’s connection to the study of history, it comes off as vague and superficial because of the lack of detail. See the revision below for a better excerpt:
“My parents used to joke that I would’ve saved Magic Tree House: Vacation Under the Volcano if I had been in Pompeii in 79 A.D. I took that book with me EVERYWHERE. I couldn’t get enough of the history and stories of life in the Roman Empire. Dozens of Gladiator rewatches later, and my interest graduated to the next level: studying Latin in high school, where I read classical texts deeply and recognized my passion for understanding the ways ancient civilizations have shaped our world through the ongoing influence of their culture, language, and art.
Georgetown’s College of Arts & Sciences stands out to me for its strong emphasis on interdisciplinary learning, particularly through the Classical Studies program. I am especially interested in the work of Dr. Marden Nichols’ work on the impact of Roman art and architecture on ancient history, as it aligns well with my own interest in the influence of classical art on cultural and intellectual historiography. Additionally, Georgetown’s Jesuit values resonate with my desire to approach the study of history not just as an academic pursuit, but as a way to understand and contribute to the ethical foundations of today’s global society.”
The elaboration in the second example more clearly explains their passion for ancient history and how it developed and demonstrates a familiarity with the offerings and traditions of Georgetown. While this example would still need to be expanded on to fill a whole page, hopefully these excerpts can demonstrate what the key ingredients of your essay are and what it looks like put together. Since you will have more room in your response, you won’t have to spell things out so black and white for your readers as this example does, but this is a good starting point.
The more personal and specific your response, the better. Authentic reflection on the overlap between your interests and goals and Georgetown’s faculty, curriculum, and traditions will make your essay stand out.
Berkley School of Nursing Prompt
Georgetown University’s School of Nursing is committed to the formation of ethical, empathetic, and transformational nursing leaders. Describe the factors that have influenced your interest in studying Nursing at Georgetown University. (1 page, single-spaced)
This is a Why This Major essay archetype in which Georgetown wants to understand your motivations for pursuing a career in nursing and how the university’s program aligns with your goals. They’re looking for evidence of your commitment to nursing, as well as how you embody the values of ethics, empathy, and leadership that are central to their nursing program.
To begin, consider what inspired you to pursue a career in nursing—specific experiences, people, etc.—and what your long-term goals in the career are. Emphasize how you view nursing as being distinct from the larger healthcare industry. For example, maybe it’s because nursing uniquely cultivates the trusting relationships between patients and experienced healthcare professionals. So, if you’re applying to this major, you should emphasize your passion for caring for individual patients rather than focusing on broader aspects of the health sciences.
However you frame your interest, take care to demonstrate “ethical, empathetic, and transformational” qualities in your experiences. How does Georgetown’s emphasis on ethics and empathy align with your personal values and career goals? The prompt lists these features purposefully, so apply them to your own journey.
When applying to a school with a particularly narrow focus of learning, it is even more imperative that you find ways to stand out from other applicants in your motivations for your chosen studies. As unsympathetic as this may sound, caring for a sick relative or recovering from an injury will likely be overused essay topics. Think about ways you can frame your story to be unconventional and cause the admissions committee to develop a deeper understanding of your personality. For instance:
- If you have a family member who works in the healthcare industry, you can discuss your first exposure to the field in the context of building connections with your loved ones. Perhaps your uncle has spent countless hours pointing out inefficiencies in the ways we currently manage large hospitals based on his work as a doctor. You can recount these conversations as a gateway to your passion for healthcare and even mention some projects you may wish to pursue to combat these problems in the future.
- If you spent a summer or your after-school hours volunteering at a local hospital or other medical establishment, you can share an anecdote describing your experience to underline your interest in the industry. Keep in mind that many other students applying to this school will likely have similar activities on their resume. Try to find a unique angle that will exemplify your experience and that connects to nursing, specifically.
- Think about some characteristics that might be beneficial in the field of nursing: quick thinking, adaptability, remaining calm under pressure. Describe specific examples of events when you displayed these characteristics. Did your reaction to the event surprise you? Did you develop these skills over time? How did the result of the event change your outlook on similar situations in the future? Your account of these experiences should illustrate something that you discovered about yourself and how these skills and experiences are relevant to your nursing major.
After you’ve nailed down the aspects of your personal interest in nursing, apply them to Georgetown. Research the School of Nursing and its values, curriculum, and extracurriculars. Why are you specifically interested in studying nursing at Georgetown University? What aspects of their program appeal to you the most? Consider how Georgetown will help you achieve your long-term career goals.
When you sit down to write, remember that your main goal is to explain to the admissions committee why what you want to accomplish cannot be accomplished by studying any other field. Focus on program features that set Georgetown apart from other universities and find a connection to your personal experiences that will help to humanize you in the eyes of the reader. However, make sure not to list resources or curriculum that Georgetown offers without reflecting on them in the context of your personal motivations and aspirations.
Walsh School of Foreign Service Prompt
Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service was founded more than a century ago to prepare generations of leaders with the foundational skills to address global issues. Describe your primary motivations for studying international affairs at Georgetown University and dedicating your undergraduate studies toward a future in global service. (1 page, single-spaced)
Applicants to the School of Foreign Service are expected to be well-versed in global affairs. This essay is an opportunity for you to demonstrate your passion for and understanding of global and public service. The admissions committee wants to understand why this topic is important to you, and personal anecdotes are the most powerful way to convey this.
It is important to pick an experience related to one of your interests that is unique and can be connected to solving global problems. Don’t try to write an essay about the hot topic of the day like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict if you don’t have a deep personal connection. You should choose an issue or experience with a problem that motivated you to take action and dedicate your life to helping the world.
Here are some strong example responses you can use for inspiration:
- If you have devoted time to raising money for a charity that helps finance the education of a child in need, you can connect your personal experience to the larger issue of income or education disparities. Spend a paragraph detailing the moment that first sparked your interest in this issue and follow it up with a nuanced analysis of what you hope to learn in college that will allow you to address the larger issue at hand.
- If you’re passionate about female participation in politics, you could discuss your first voting experience and highlight how the lack of female candidates on the ballot sparked your outrage. Or you could mention the insufficient number of female role models in the political arena that struck you as a child interested in politics. Be descriptive and detailed about your emotions to convey the deep need you feel to solve this issue.
- If you’ve taken a class or worked on a project that exposed you to a variety of international issues, explain why a particular topic struck a chord. While you may not have a direct experience with the issue at hand, try to think of ways to connect it to your own life. Then go on to discuss how you hope to return to and solve this issue in the future.
- Even if you lack an academic or extracurricular experience that ties into global affairs, there are other ways you can make a personal connection to the topic. If there is a book you read or a movie/documentary you watched that exposed you to an issue of global significance, which you’ve been curious about ever since, this can be your link! Make sure to show why this topic grabbed your attention and to highlight your intellectual curiosity and passion.
Whichever topic you choose to write about, remember that your essay should seamlessly connect your past to your future. You need to demonstrate your passion for the field of foreign service, what your goals are within the field, and how the Walsh School will help you grow your passion to achieve your future goals.
Let’s look at an essay that accomplishes all of that:
“The smell of za’atar always reminds me of my grandmother’s kitchen. I was twelve the first time I sat across from her with a notebook, scribbling as she told me stories about growing up in Beirut. She described the sound of foreign radio stations drifting through open windows, the way neighbors of different religions exchanged bread during holidays, and how international aid arrived after conflict. What struck me most was how decisions made far beyond Lebanon shaped her everyday life. I remember wondering: who makes those decisions, and how could I one day help shape them, too?
That question followed me into high school, where I joined Model UN. While most students wanted to represent the United States or China, I requested smaller nations like Rwanda or Jordan. Their voices were less amplified in debate, but I found it more challenging—and meaningful—to argue from their perspective. At the same time, I began volunteering at a refugee resettlement nonprofit, tutoring younger students in English and helping their parents study for citizenship exams. I learned as much from their resilience as they did from my grammar lessons. I began to understand that “global service” wasn’t just a lofty idea; it was a daily commitment to listening, bridging differences, and advocating for those too often overlooked.
Georgetown’s Walsh School of Foreign Service feels like the natural place to pursue these questions further. The Culture and Politics major would allow me to examine the intersection of identity, governance, and diplomacy. Courses such as Refugees and Migration and International Political Economy of Development would give me the tools to analyze why global inequalities persist, while Washington, D.C. itself offers the chance to connect ideas with action through internships at NGOs or policy institutions.
But what excites me most is the spirit of the SFS: to educate “men and women for others.” That mission echoes the lesson I first learned at my grandmother’s kitchen table—that empathy is as essential as analysis. To me, international affairs is not just about treaties and trade agreements; it’s about people. At Georgetown, I hope to become both a sharper thinker and a more compassionate leader, someone ready to carry my grandmother’s stories into a future dedicated to building bridges across borders.”
McDonough School of Business Prompt
Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business provides graduates with essential global, ethical, analytical, financial, and diverse perspectives on the economies of our nation and the world. Describe your primary motivations for studying business at Georgetown University. (1 page, single-spaced)
This prompt should not be regarded as yet another “why business school” essay. Note the question’s emphasis on a global approach and its reference to ethics. As mentioned earlier, Georgetown’s identity is built upon its Jesuit values, which manifest themselves in all of the University’s academic programs. When you write this essay, keep those keywords in mind.
In responding to the prompt, highlight the unique perspective that this program seeks to provide and emphasize your appreciation for the opportunities it will offer you.
Here are a few response ideas:
- If the school’s focus on ethics appeals to you, you could discuss your passion for developing sustainable business practices and link it to a local business in your community whose model you particularly appreciate. If you have ever worked for a small business or if your family or friends own one, you can mention it to point out the origins of your focus on sustainability.
- If McDonough’s global approach attracted you to the school in the first place, you can talk about your interest in economic models different from that of the U.S. For instance, if you’re fascinated by India’s initiatives to combat deep poverty in its rural regions, this is your opportunity to discuss it. Be sure to tie it to the programs and opportunities offered at the school. For example, if there is a course on the economics of poverty that you are particularly eager to enroll in or a professor who is an expert in this field, talk about it in your response!
- You can never go wrong with harnessing Georgetown’s advantageous D.C. location to help you justify your interest in its business school. In particular, if you’re interested in financial policy or the interaction between the government and entrepreneurs, you can reference the internship opportunities that McDonough’s strategic location will provide you and the star faculty, who frequently come to teach at Georgetown after working in D.C.’s public and private sectors for many years.
Remember, like the other school-specific prompts, you need to demonstrate in your essay why you are passionate about studying business, as well as why you are passionate about studying it at Georgetown. Your essay should seamlessly tie in your interests to the offerings at Georgetown to make it seem like a natural progression that you would continue exploring your passion at their school.
“The first time I saw my neighborhood park after a storm, the walking paths buried under piles of trash, benches smeared with mud, and the playground littered with debris, I was devastated. I remember standing there, frustrated and helpless, until a thought struck me: maybe I could fix this. Not alone, of course, but by rallying others, organizing resources, and creating a plan. I spent the next few weeks pitching my idea to classmates, designing a budget to buy cleaning supplies, and negotiating with local businesses for donations. On the day of the cleanup, watching dozens of volunteers work together to restore the park, I felt a thrill not just from the visible impact but from seeing the plan we had carefully laid out succeed. That was the moment I realized the power of business—the ability to combine strategy, coordination, and resources to create meaningful change.
From that day on, I began to think of business not just as numbers or profit, but as a tool to solve real problems. I researched nonprofit management, volunteered for community projects, and experimented with organizing small events, always focusing on how thoughtful planning and teamwork could drive results. The experience taught me that leadership and accountability are inseparable from effective business practice.
Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business is the ideal place to continue this journey. Its emphasis on ethical decision-making, hands-on projects, and global perspectives mirrors the skills I cultivated while turning a neglected park into a vibrant community space. I am particularly drawn to McDonough’s Global Business Experience, where I can learn to navigate international markets and expand the scope of community-oriented projects. The Social Innovation + Impact curriculum offers tools to develop sustainable solutions to societal problems, reflecting the values I discovered through my cleanup initiative. I also hope to join student organizations like the Net Impact Club, collaborating with peers to design projects that balance purpose and practicality. At McDonough, I am eager to refine my ability to translate ideas into action, scaling initiatives that make tangible, positive change in communities both local and global.”
McCourt School of Public Policy Prompt
For nearly 50 years, Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy has equipped leaders and changemakers with the interdisciplinary skills to address local, national, and global policy problems. Undergraduate public policy students at Georgetown will have the unique opportunity to live and study on two campuses, spending their first two years immersed on the Hilltop, before completing the second half of their time at Georgetown on the Capitol Campus, immersed in the policy world. Describe your primary motivations for studying public policy at Georgetown University and dedicating your undergraduate studies toward a future related to public service. (1 page, single-spaced)
In this essay, you need to answer the classic “Why This Major” essay, but also incorporate the Global Issues archetype as well.
Since you are pursuing the field of public policy, it isn’t enough for your motivation to be that you want to “help others” or “make the world a better place”—that’s a given and this prompt acknowledges that. So, you will need to find a different motivation for studying public policy that is grounded in your personal experiences while also incorporating why you are committed to a future of public service. And don’t forget: on top of all that you also need to make connections to specific resources/opportunities at Georgetown that make you want to study public policy there.
Don’t worry, all of this is completely doable! Let’s break it down step by step.
First, and perhaps most importantly, you need to figure out what your motivations for studying public policy actually are. As we mentioned above, you need to dig deeper than the surface level reasons that come to mind first. Consider experiences you’ve had where you were aware of how government policies impacted your life. Think about specific moments in extracurriculars that were particularly engaging for you or that changed your perspective on public service in a way. Are there any ways you’ve gotten involved in political advocacy?
Spend a good amount of time brainstorming to come up with specific moments that can illustrate your passion for pursuing public policy. There’s a big difference between saying your participation in Model UN was the catalyst for studying public policy versus wanting to study policy because during your sophomore year you represented Sweden in a UNICEF committee and during your research you learned all the benefits of supportive parental policies on child outcomes and the things you discovered made you wonder why we couldn’t implement similar policies in the United States. Can you see how the latter one makes for a much better essay?
Since another key part of this prompt is explaining your future goals related to public service, it might be helpful to start backwards: start by figuring out what you hope to change in the world through public policy and then trace back to an anecdote that illustrates why you are motivated to pursue that goal. For example, maybe a student knows they want to change criminal policies so they are geared towards rehabilitation, not punishment. They can trace this desire back to an experience they had with a member of their community who struggled to assimilate after returning from prison.
Remember, the key for your essay is to have a single, easy-to-follow thread running through it. Honing in on a specific area of policy, rather than the nebulous concept of public policy, will allow your essay to feel more put-together, while also sharing more about you. If you aren’t able to narrow down your interests to one specific discipline, that’s completely fine as well! Just make sure you touch on all the areas you are interested in and allude to how you are excited to explore these different areas at Georgetown.
The last important piece of this essay is the connection to Georgetown. This is where you will need to do some research into the policy-related offerings like classes, clubs, professors, labs, internship opportunities, etc. that are available. However, don’t just name drop these in and move in—focus on 2 or 3 resources that relate to either your past experiences or future goals (or both) and explain the connection.
Describe what you hope to get out of these opportunities so it is clear to the admissions committee that you have fully considered what it would mean to study at Georgetown and that you would only be able to reach your full potential if you attend their school.
Let’s take a look at an essay that combines all of these aspects:
“When the city council met to vote on whether to expand bus routes into my neighborhood, I was one of the few students in the crowded chamber. I listened as parents spoke about the strain of commuting across town, workers described the hours they lost waiting for buses that never came, and retirees worried about affording cars. It was the first time I realized policy wasn’t just an abstract debate—it was the difference between access and isolation, opportunity and limitation.
That meeting sparked my interest in how local government decisions shape lives. I began attending more hearings, writing articles for my school newspaper on affordable housing and transportation equity, and even organizing a petition for safer crosswalks near our campus. I learned that effective policy requires both listening to diverse voices and balancing competing needs—a lesson that still drives me today.
Georgetown’s McCourt School of Public Policy feels like the natural place to take this commitment further. The chance to spend my first two years on the Hilltop, building a foundation in economics, ethics, and political theory, excites me because I want to deeply understand the forces behind policy choices. But what excites me even more is the transition to the Capitol Campus, where learning extends beyond the classroom into the halls of Congress, federal agencies, and think tanks. The idea of studying public budgeting in the morning and attending a Senate hearing in the afternoon embodies the immersive, hands-on education I’ve been seeking.
At Georgetown, I hope to join the GU Politics Policy Program, connecting with practitioners who navigate these challenges daily, and contribute to initiatives focused on urban policy and transportation equity. My goal is to eventually work on infrastructure policy, ensuring that mobility—and the opportunities it creates—is accessible to all communities, not just the most privileged.
Public service, to me, is not about prestige or power—it’s about the everyday lives shaped by the systems we design. Georgetown’s unique approach to policy education, with its dual campuses and unparalleled proximity to decision-making, will equip me to not only study these systems but to change them for the better.”
Earth Commons Prompt
Through this joint program between the College of Arts & Sciences and the Earth Commons Institute, you’ll explore theories and practical skills in the classroom, in the field, and around the world, and put it all together to make a difference. Describe your primary motivations for studying environment and sustainability at Georgetown University to effect positive change in the world. (1 page, single-spaced)
This is a very specific “Why This Major” essay where you need to share your specific reasoning for wanting to study environment and sustainability at Georgetown’s Earth Commons Institute. You’ll need to demonstrate your passion for environment and sustainability, explain what specifically about Earth Commons excites you, and also touch on how you hope to positively affect the world.
Now before you begin, you should remember that every student applying to this niche program will be deeply passionate about the environment, so it’s even more important than usual to make yourself stand out in this essay.
The first way you can do that is by choosing anecdotes or stories about your prior experience with environment and sustainability that are unique to you. This isn’t the time to talk about being a member of your school’s sustainability club or the beach cleanup you helped out with for one summer. Hundreds of other applicants will have similar stories that are, frankly, a little generic.
Instead, you want to find a more unique angle to present your interest in environment and sustainability. One tactic you might find helpful is to work backwards: start by defining a goal you have to help the planet and then trace back your interest to figure out what motivated you to pursue that goal. Remember, the admissions committee is looking for goals that are well-defined and focused—they don’t want to read essays that state “I want to end climate change” or “I hope to stop the sea levels from rising.”
Take a look at the following examples to see how students can combine a unique perspective with specific goals:
- Caroline is from New York City and has grown up concerned about air pollution in big cities. She commutes to school on a bike, which inspired her to start volunteering at a nonprofit that organizes a bike-sharing program. Through her experience, she noticed the need for not only more sustainable modes of transportation, but also for urban infrastructure that supports and encourages greener public transport. She wants to use her E&S degree to lobby municipal governments to take sustainable public transportation into account during urban planning.
- Max has always loved building things like legos and model rockets, but when his parents got him a solar powered car kit for his 13th birthday, he was more interested in the science and possibilities of solar energy than in the mechanics of building the car. He’s particularly interested in how solar energy can become a more reliable energy source, hoping to develop technologies that make it more effective in climates that receive less sun.
- Hallie’s favorite part of her childhood was staying at her grandparents’ cabin each summer and staying up late to see the spotted owls. However, as she’s gotten older there are less and less owls because the forest nearby has been destroyed over the years to build an apartment complex. She’s deeply concerned by deforestation and wants to study E&S so she can learn how to combat the effects of deforestation for species that face habitat loss, while also actively lobbying for forest protections.
- Vivek was always interested in combatting climate change, but it wasn’t until he conducted a study for class on asthma rates in urban vs rural areas that he realized the extent of the connection between the environment and public health. He expanded on his project and turned it into independent research where he traced the effects of various climate change indicators to human health outcomes and he was wildly concerned by his findings. He wants to work in the government one day to write policies that address key issues that impact both the climate and public health.
Finally, don’t forget that you should also connect your passion and your goals to the Earth Commons Institute and E&S at Georgetown to complete your essay. For this part, it’s important that you go beyond simply name dropping a class or a club you are interested in; you need to connect the Georgetown resource back to you in some way. Whether that’s explaining how it will build upon a niche of E&S you are already interested in, it will provide you with a hands-on exploration of a topic you only are familiar with theoretically, or it will enable you to develop skills to accomplish your goals, you want the admissions officers to get a sense of why studying at Georgetown specifically will make a difference to you.
School of Health Prompt
Georgetown University’s School of Health was founded to advance the health and well-being of people locally, nationally, and globally through innovative research, the delivery of interdisciplinary education, and transformative engagement of communities. Describe the factors that influenced your interest in studying health care at Georgetown University, specifically addressing your intended related major: Global Health, Health Care Management & Policy, or Human Science. (1 page, single-spaced)
In this essay, you have the opportunity to explain to the admissions committee why you feel passionate about devoting your academic career to health sciences.
Prior to writing your response, make sure to research the major and school you’re applying to and verify that it corresponds with your desired area of interest. After conducting your research, explain in your response how the major and school you’ve chosen are uniquely suited to your academic journey and career goals.
For example, Health Care Management & Policy majors should focus on the policy aspect of the health industry, learning about key stakeholders in the policymaking process and understanding what goes into managing and improving the healthcare industry. If you’re applying into this major, you want to highlight your interest in the legislative and managerial aspects of the field, rather than discuss your passion for taking care of individual patients.
Above all, this essay is the time for you to reflect on how your specific interest in health was the foundation for choosing a major that aligned with that field.
As with any school-specific essay, you want to write something that sets you apart from all the other applicants. It’s very likely that they, too, will have experiences working in labs or passions for improving healthcare systems that they can write about. You need to find an angle that highlights your unique perspective and approach.
Some ideas of possible essay topics include:
- If you are someone who lived through a serious or chronic illness, you can address your experiences here as a way to explain your interest in the health industry. While an illness can be a challenging and extremely personal topic to write about, you can focus on the ways it helped to develop your passion for helping others or for conducting scientific research. This is a way to put your academic accomplishments in context.
- If you or a family member have witnessed or experienced any injustices in the healthcare system, you can discuss how the system failed to operate effectively and ways for which it could improve in the future. Accessibility to healthcare can vary depending on region, demographics, and socioeconomic status. Try to find specific examples that are relevant to your experience that illustrate your understanding of the issue and desire to gain a better understanding of the field.
- As technology continues to aid in the advancements of medicine, the field of healthcare is constantly evolving. Are there any areas of health sciences that have yet to be fully explored? Think of a narrow area of healthcare study and explain how delving deeper into that topic could have a lasting impact on society. Try and pick a topic that captivates the reader and highlights something about your own personality.
Can you think of a specific moment when you first realized that you wanted to study health? What were you doing when you fell upon that revelation? Was there a particular impactful conversation or event that led you to this conclusion? Perhaps you had a family member who couldn’t afford their healthcare services and consequently suffered from an otherwise preventable illness. Maybe you also completed a compelling research project for your biology class and became fascinated with genetic disorders, leading you to seek out a summer internship in a local lab.
Whatever angle you choose, be sure to reflect on the questions above as you prepare to write your essay, and try to pick a narrative that highlights your personality.
Finally, keep in mind that this prompt doesn’t just ask about what drew you to your major—it also wants to know why you are drawn to studying this major at Georgetown. Be sure to spend time researching classes, professors, labs, clubs, and other unique programs or opportunities within the School of Health that are connected to your previous experiences or future goals within your field.
Your essay should leave the admissions committee without a doubt in their mind that not only are you genuinely passionate about studying health, but you can only reach your full potential if you do so at Georgetown.
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