Question 1

So, tell me about yourself.

Accepted Answer

Georgetown says the interview is your chance to share your story. Your interviewer may know almost nothing about you yet. Keep it to about a minute: where you're from, what fills your days, and one or two things you care about most. One applicant suggests leaving a thread open on purpose so the interviewer asks a follow-up about it.

Question 2

Are you applying Early Action or Regular Decision? And which school and major?

Accepted Answer

A warm-up that also tells the interviewer which of Georgetown's six undergraduate schools you chose, which shapes the rest of the talk. Answer plainly and name your school (for example the Walsh School of Foreign Service or the McDonough School of Business) and your intended major. Georgetown makes you apply directly to one school, so be ready to say in a sentence why that one.

Question 3

How did you first hear about Georgetown?

Accepted Answer

Exposure to Georgetown is one of the school's listed interview topics. It shows how long and how real your interest is. Give the true starting point in a sentence, then show how your interest grew: a visit, a talk with a student, a program you found while researching. End on what made you decide to apply.

Question 4

Why Georgetown?

Accepted Answer

This is the center of a Georgetown interview. They want to see that you have done research and that your reasons are your own. Name two or three specific things (a course, a professor, a program, a tradition; applicants mention Copley Crypt Chapel, retreats and Pizza with the Padres) and link each to something you've already done. Reread your "Why Us" essay first so your answer matches it and adds to it.

Question 5

Why do you want to study that, and why study it at Georgetown?

Accepted Answer

They are checking that your interest has real roots and that you understand the school you applied to. Tell how the interest started, what you've done about it on your own, and one Georgetown feature in your school that fits. Know the basics: College humanities and social science students declare in sophomore year and most Foreign Service students do too, but College science majors pick when they apply.

Question 6

Why DC? Does the city or state a school is in matter to you?

Accepted Answer

Location is a big part of Georgetown's pitch. They want to know if you'd actually use it. Tie the city to concrete uses: Georgetown says McDonough gives access to DC internships, nursing students get clinical training in DC, and the Public Policy and Environment and Sustainability programs spend two years on the Capitol Campus. Pick the one that fits your plans.

Question 7

What are you looking for in a college?

Accepted Answer

A softer way of asking why Georgetown. It shows whether you have thought about fit. Name two or three real factors, such as size, location or traditions, as one applicant (2010) suggests, and connect each one back to something specific at Georgetown.

Question 8

What do you look for in a community?

Accepted Answer

They want to see what kind of member you'd be. Georgetown describes its curriculum as rooted in cura personalis, care for the whole person. Describe a community you already belong to and one thing you did to make it better. Then say how you'd show up the same way at Georgetown.

Question 9

How will Georgetown help you grow?

Accepted Answer

Tests whether you know what you want to get better at, and whether you see Georgetown as more than a name. Name one real weakness or gap you want to work on and one Georgetown course, program or community that would push you on it. Keep it honest and specific.

Question 10

Which campus organizations or parts of student life excite you?

Accepted Answer

A test of research and of what you'd add outside class. Name one or two real Georgetown organizations and connect each to something you already do. Applicants advise researching specific groups ahead of time.

Question 11

Where else are you applying? What makes Georgetown different?

Accepted Answer

They want to know where Georgetown sits for you and whether you can say what sets it apart. Be honest but brief; one reporter suggests naming just one other school so the talk stays on Georgetown. Then say what Georgetown has that the others don't. If you applied Early Action, remember Georgetown's EA is non-binding and you can't also apply binding Early Decision elsewhere.

Question 12

What do you want to do after college?

Accepted Answer

Future plans are one of Georgetown's listed topics. They want direction, not a fixed career. Share a direction and why it matters to you, and how your Georgetown school fits it. It's fine to say you're still deciding between two paths.

Question 13

Tell me about your extracurriculars. Why are they important to you?

Accepted Answer

They want to see what you care about and what you actually do, beyond a title. Pick one or two activities and tell one concrete moment from each. Mention achievements modestly (one applicant suggests "I was a top participant" over bragging) and say what you learned.

Question 14

What's your favorite class or subject, and how do you challenge yourself?

Accepted Answer

Shows how you learn and what excites you in school. Pick one class and name a specific assignment, idea or teacher that changed how you think. Then say one way you pushed yourself, such as a harder course or a project of your own.

Question 15

What did you do over the summer?

Accepted Answer

Summer experiences are a listed topic. It shows what you choose to do when school isn't telling you. Describe what you did and one thing you learned or changed because of it. A job, caring for family or a self-taught skill all count if you say what it meant.

Question 16

Tell me about a book you read recently. What are your favorite books and movies?

Accepted Answer

A window into how you think and what you're curious about. Pick something you truly enjoyed and say what you learned or argued with in it. A former interviewer says real passion matters more than an impressive title.

Question 17

Your schedule looks packed. What do you actually do in your free time?

Accepted Answer

They want to meet the person, not the applicant. Be honest and specific, even if it's small or unusual. A detail (what you cooked, which trail, which game) makes it stick.

Question 18

Tell me a bit about your family and where you come from.

Accepted Answer

Family background is a listed topic, and interviewers write reports that give admissions local context about you. Share what shaped you: who you live with, responsibilities you carry, what your town is like. Share only what you're comfortable with.

Question 19

Tell me about the hardest thing you've faced and what you learned from it.

Accepted Answer

They want to see how you respond under pressure and whether you reflect. Pick a real but manageable challenge, say what you did step by step, and end with what you do differently now. Keep the focus on your actions.

Question 20

How would you handle living and working with people whose values and beliefs differ from yours?

Accepted Answer

Georgetown calls itself a Jesuit research institution with students of many backgrounds. They want to see openness and maturity. Give a real example of disagreeing with someone respectfully and what you learned from them. Show you can hold your views and still listen.

Question 21

What motivates you?

Accepted Answer

A quick look at what drives you when no one is watching. Name one honest driver and back it with an example from your activities or classes. Short and real beats long and grand.

Question 22

What would you bring to Georgetown? Why would you fit in?

Accepted Answer

A former Georgetown admissions officer says the interview is your chance to show school fit. Name one quality or skill and show it with a story, then point to the place at Georgetown where you'd use it. Applicants report (2010) being asked this directly.

Question 23

What's something in the news you've been following? What do you think about it?

Accepted Answer

A former interviewer says he sometimes asked about current events, especially for Foreign Service applicants or anyone interested in politics and government. Pick one story you've followed for a while, explain it simply, and give your view with a reason. Mention a point the other side would make.

Question 24

Is there anything else you'd like me or the Admissions Committee to know?

Accepted Answer

Georgetown says the interview is a chance to highlight key details for the Admissions Committee. This is that moment. Prepare one thing that isn't in your application. One applicant says if your major never came up, use this moment to explain why you want it.

Question 25

What questions do you have for me?

Accepted Answer

Georgetown says you should use the interview to learn about the university from an alumnus. Your questions show curiosity and research. Ask about their own Georgetown experience: a class, a professor, what surprised them. One applicant asked them to describe it in three words. Briefly looking up your interviewer beforehand can help you tailor questions.

Questions Georgetown applicants report

Opening

Why Georgetown and why your field

Your studies, activities and life outside class

Character and the wider world

Closing