What Georgetown looks for
- Genuine fit with the specific Georgetown school you applied to (College, SFS, MSB, Nursing, or Health)
- A reflective, values-aware voice consistent with Georgetown's Jesuit identity
- Depth over breadth — one activity or talent explored seriously beats a survey
- Concrete specifics over abstractions — a named moment beats a summary of who you are
Georgetown supplemental prompts (2026-27)
Activity Essay
250 wordsRequired“Briefly discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved.”
How to approach it. Choose the activity that genuinely mattered most, not the most impressive line on your resume, and explain its significance to you. Show how it shaped you rather than re-listing what you did.
Personal/Diversity Essay
500 wordsRequired“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 own background, identity, skills, and talents.”
How to approach it. This is your widest canvas at Georgetown, so use it to reveal something central about who you are with real reflection. A specific, well-told story about your background or identity will outperform an essay that tries to cover everything.
Talents Essay
250 wordsRequired“Please elaborate on any special talents or skills you would like to highlight.”
How to approach it. Pick a talent that isn't already obvious from the rest of your application and show it in action. A specific, even unexpected skill, explained with personality, beats a humble-brag about something already on your activities list.
School-Specific Essay
500 wordsRequired“Describe your interest in studying at your chosen school within Georgetown (College of Arts & Sciences, Walsh School of Foreign Service, McDonough School of Business, School of Nursing, or School of Health).”
How to approach it. Tailor this tightly to the specific school you applied to — SFS wants global and policy thinkers, MSB wants business-minded students, and so on. Connect your goals to that school's programs, courses, and culture, not to Georgetown in general.
Score your Georgetown draft, free
Paste your draft into Halo and get instant feedback scored against a Georgetown-specific rubric — line by line, exactly what is working and what reads as generic. Halo never writes your essay for you.
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Georgetown essay FAQ
- How many supplemental essays does Georgetown require?
- Four: an activity essay (up to 250 words), a personal/diversity essay (up to 500 words), a talents essay (up to 250 words), and a school-specific essay (up to 500 words).
- How long are the Georgetown supplemental essays?
- The activity and talents essays are up to 250 words each; the personal/diversity and school-specific essays are up to 500 words each.
- How can I tell if my Georgetown essay is strong?
- Strong Georgetown essays show real fit with your specific school and a reflective, values-aware voice. Halo scores your draft against a Georgetown-specific rubric and flags where your school-specific essay drifts into generic 'why Georgetown' territory.
Sources & official links
- Georgetown official website
- Georgetown on College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education)
- Prompts and requirements are published by Georgetown on its official application and admissions pages.
Prompts shown are from the 2026-27 cycle and reflect each school’s officially published questions. Schools release new supplements each year; we update these guides each cycle.