Georgetown makes sense if: (1) You want international relations, diplomacy, foreign service, the SFS is top in the world, with no internal competition; (2) You want politics, government, policy, the DC location means unrivaled networking at the White House, Congress, State Department, embassies, think tanks (Brookings, Heritage, AEI); (3) You want pre-law, Georgetown Law is top 15 in the USA, the undergraduate degree is an excellent pre-law pipeline; (4) The Jesuit atmosphere resonates with you, an emphasis on ethics, social justice, "cura personalis", community service. Georgetown does NOT make sense if: you want tech/CS/Engineering (better MIT, CMU, Berkeley, UMich); you want film or arts (better UCLA TFT, NYU); you want a radically liberal environment (Georgetown is moderate); you need substantial aid (aid for internationals is genuinely limited).

Yes, if diplomacy and international relations is clearly your number one objective. The SFS is considered ranked number 1 in the world for International Relations by Foreign Policy magazine (it rivals Harvard Kennedy, Princeton SPIA, but at the undergraduate level the SFS is the only specialized school in the top tier of the USA). SFS programs: International Politics (the most popular), International Economics (interdisciplinary economics plus IR), Regional and Comparative Studies, Science, Technology and International Affairs (STIA), Global Business, International History. Unique emphasis: you are required to study a foreign language at an advanced level (up to a pre-fluent level) plus 1 semester abroad. SFS alumni: 27 US ambassadors, many heads of state (including Bill Clinton), Madeleine Albright (former Secretary of State), George Tenet (former CIA director). For Romanians: the SFS offers the best undergraduate preparation for a career in diplomacy, NATO, the UN, EU institutions.

Each school has separate admissions with different rates. Georgetown College (Arts and Sciences), the largest, flexible; ideal for pre-med, pre-law, or if you are not 100% sure (Government the most popular major); admit rate roughly 12-14%. SFS, top selectivity, ~9-11% admit; requires a clear intention toward IR or foreign service; mandatory advanced foreign language study. McDonough Business, direct admission from high school, BSB program; admit rate ~10-12%, very competitive; you cannot combine it directly with another major (there is an optional dual degree with the College). School of Nursing, very small, very selective (~7-10% admit), for future nurses. School of Health, Health Care Management, Global Health, Human Science; good for non-traditional pre-med. Strategy for Romanians: choose the school where your profile is an authentic fit, switching between schools later is difficult.

A historic change: from the 2026-27 application cycle (Class of 2031, fall 2027 entry), Georgetown accepts the Common Application alongside its own Georgetown App, in a 3-year pilot program. Previously, Georgetown was the only top 25 US university that did not accept the Common App (together with MIT and the UC system). The decision comes after internal pressure plus the observation that talented students were avoiding applying because of the double effort. For Romanians applying now (the 2025-26 cycle, Class of 2030): Georgetown App only. For those applying in the 2026-27 cycle (Class of 2031): you have 2 options, Georgetown App (opens June 1) or Common App (opens August 1). Practical recommendation: if you are applying to several Ivies plus elite private universities that use the Common App, choose the Common App for all of them so you do not double the effort. The essence of Georgetown's essays stays the same, the supplements are identical regardless of the platform.

Georgetown is the only top non-Ivy school that has kept the SAT/ACT required after the pandemic, refusing to adopt test-optional (vs Northwestern, Vanderbilt, JHU, Rice, CMU, Michigan which are all test-optional, vs Berkeley/UCLA which are test-blind). For Romanians: you must take the SAT or ACT, no exception. The official quote (bulletin.georgetown.edu): "All applicants are required to take the SAT or ACT. International applicants are required to take the SAT or ACT". Admitted profiles Class of 2029: SAT 1390-1550 (median 1500), ACT 31-35 (median 34). For SFS and McDonough: the top quartiles of admitted students, SAT 1500 plus, ACT 34 plus. Strategy for Romanians: plan the SAT or ACT 6 plus months before the deadlines. Georgetown College Board code: 5244. 70 plus percent of applicants also send AP exam results, which becomes a de facto second academic criterion.

A subtle but important distinction. Need-blind for admissions means applying for aid does NOT lower your chances of admission (vs JHU, Rice, Northwestern, Vanderbilt which are need-aware for internationals, where requesting aid lowers your chances dramatically). That is POSITIVE for Romanians: apply for aid without fear. BUT: the effective aid for internationals at Georgetown is officially declared "extremely limited" (finaid.georgetown.edu). The exact quote: "Financial aid for international students is extremely limited". Average packages under $15-20k/year, highly competitive. CRITICAL: if you do not receive a scholarship in your first year, you will NOT receive one in the following years, source: finaid.georgetown.edu. Georgetown does NOT guarantee meeting 100% of need for internationals. The practical reality for Romanians: you have a chance to receive some aid, but it is unlikely to cover most of the ~$95k/year cost. Plan financially for almost the full cost plus hope for $10-15k from Georgetown.

Very welcoming. Georgetown is Jesuit in identity and tradition (founded in 1789 by Jesuits), but most students are not Catholic, ~40% are Catholic, ~60% are others (various religions or secular). There are NO mandatory Catholic religion courses for non-Catholics, NO constraints on religious life, NO pressure to convert. What "Jesuit" means in practice: (1) "Cura personalis", an emphasis on the whole person, ethical plus intellectual plus spiritual development; (2) Social justice, strong community service, an emphasis on ethics in business or policy or medicine; (3) Humanistic education, even in tech or business programs, mandatory courses in philosophy, theology, ethics; (4) Open discourse, Georgetown is moderate-progressive, welcoming all orientations (including an LGBTQ+ Resource Center, the first at a Jesuit university in the USA). For Romanians: if you come from an Orthodox or secular background, you will feel comfortable.

Georgetown has ~10% international students at the undergraduate level (~760 students), representing more than 130 different countries, a very diverse international community. For Romanians: we estimate 15-25 Romanian students at the undergraduate level across all 4 years combined, many concentrated in the SFS and the Government major in the College. At the graduate level (Law, MBA, MSFS, Master's in Foreign Service, MPP, Public Policy), the Romanian community is larger, 40-70 people. Georgetown is popular among Romanians oriented toward: diplomacy and foreign service (SFS), politics and government, law (pre-law at the undergraduate level then Georgetown Law), international business (McDonough). The DC advantage for Romanians: the Romanian community in Washington DC is small but very connected (diplomats at the Embassy of Romania, professionals at the World Bank or IMF). On top of that, DC has a massive international population, you will feel at home in a cosmopolitan environment.