Georgetown University once again accepted an incoming freshman class from a record-breaking application pool. Most striking in this year’s admissions statistics was a nearly 15 percent increase in the number of candidates for the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service.
While the 15,404 person applicant pool was 130 students shy of last year’s all time high, the quality of the students is reflected in the profile of the average admitted student. This year’s overall 22 percent acceptance rate resulted in a mean percentile class rank for admitted students of 96.1 percent. The college acceptance rate, however, remained below the overall rate, with only 18 percent of the 10,158 students who applied being admitted.
The large jump in SFS candidates can most clearly be attributed to an increased demand for classes on international affairs, foreign policy and diplomacy. “This is a welcome sign for the SFS which had experienced a fairly consistent applicant pool in recent years,” the April 2003 Alumni Admissions Program Newsletter reads. “While there may be many factors influencing this increase, it certainly seems likely that recent global events played a role in the increased interest in international affairs.
The number of applicants for the College and McDonough School of Business slightly declined for the second year in the row, but the School of Nursing and Health Studies saw its applicants jump in number from 389 to 465. New York and California led the pack in terms of the largest applicant pools, boasting 1,892 and 1,753 applicants, respectively. They were followed by New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland.
The next important step in creating Georgetown’s Class of 2007, however, lies in the yield rate, or percentage of students who accept Georgetown’s offer of admission. While Georgetown’s consistently declining rank in the U.S. World News and Report College Rankings may have some bearing, the strength of the applicant pool seems to indicate the contrary. The current war situation and subsequent concerns about safety in the Washington, D.C., area may also factor into some prospective students’ decisions.
“Particularly during these uncertain times, it is more meaningful than ever to stress the importance and significance of being in the nation’s capitol,” the newsletter read. “What distinguishes Georgetown from our Ivy League competitors is our location in Washington, international character and commitment to Jesuit ideals.”
Georgetown received applications from 781 international students representing 112 nations including Great Britain, South Korea, Turkey and Canada. While the post-Sept. 11 national environment has led to universities being mandated to obtain increased information from international students, admissions officials don’t foresee that presenting a problem.
“Speaking with the Office of International Programs, there were very few problems with students who came this past fall,” Undergraduate Admissions Officer Greg Roberts said. “Only one student had a Visa problem.” The access to embassies in the Washington area makes things easier, he added.
Georgetown also makes specific recruitment trips around the nation and world, and this year they went to Asia for the first time in almost five years. While the university usually participates in the Joint Travel Program with Harvard, University of Pennsylvania and Duke, this year it traveled with Brown, Tufts and Bowdoin.
“We did substantially more traveling this year, more so than in the past,” Roberts said. Trips in South America and Central America are also planned for this spring.
