Alright. Georgetown is going to lobby three prompts your way, all untethered from the familiar confines of the Common App. (Yes, it is one of the only selective colleges not to use it.)
While all of their questions will show you off to good advantage, none of them are entirely straightforward. Georgetown likes to add little twists and sneaky surprises, so you’ll want to be prepared.
Let’s go over how to ace all three of these essays with our signature Prompt essay coaching method that’s refreshingly efficient and stress-free.
(For help with all aspects of your college application, head to our College Essay Help Center.)
College essays are tools that serve a specific purpose — admissions officers use them to see if you’ll be successful at college and beyond.
As you’ll learn by walking through our free brainstorming materials in our dashboard (first create a free account), Prompt’s method is to begin by spending time writing down all the experiences you’ve had in high school — thinking broadly of everything you’ve done academically, extracurricularly, with your family, at a job, over the summer, and independently.
Your experiences will form the basis of your essays. As you develop your answers, start thinking about which of The 5 Traits That Colleges Look For each experience demonstrates in you. The traits are:
The more you write with the traits in mind, the better you’ll understand what details will impress your admissions officers, and what details don’t add value. By the end of this process, you should have a lot of compellng information to share.
Next, take the best experiences you’ve come up with — the ones that most exemplify one (or more) of the five traits – and slate them in your three Georgetown slots:
We’ll tackle each below.
Quick interruption: at Prompt, we’re against modeling yourself on influencers, New York Times college essay writers, and, really, anyone who isn’t you.
On the other hand, we know that you want concrete examples of what our brilliant but (we’ll admit it) abstract advice can actually look like in practice. So, we’re illustrating with some made-up examples.
Please read them with a big grain of salt. You can have a different writing style. You can go a million other directions. And if the example sounds too impressive, it just might be — our examples are generally loosely based on real examples, but still fictional. You’re working with reality, and that tends to be harder.
With that caveat out of the way, back to our regularly scheduled programming.
The prompt is:
Indicate any special talents or skills you possess. (250 words)
How to ace it:
What not to do:
Example:
My talent is to win people over. Both my parents and my sister are introverts. So I grew up thinking that you should be to-the-point, business-like, even curt with other people. I realized I could be my “true” self reading about Dolly Parton, and how she loves winning people over, as individuals. I thought: I want to do that, too. I just didn’t know it was allowed!
Today, I find that I can use my talent to make interactions out in the real world more pleasant — whether it’s with a surly waiter (my favorite type of person to win over), or a source for one of my newspaper stories over the phone (finding all the ways to reassure them that the article will work with them, not against them; making sure they feel comfortable enough to share truly interesting stories), or even a potentially negative encounter, like the time a TSA officer upset my mom by questioning her about what were actually star-shaped brass candle-stick holders in her luggage (apparently, they looked like nunchucks). In that instance, I was able to calm my mother down by talking with the officer in a calm, pleasant way, diffusing a tense situation, and by the end even making some light jokes, to show that the whole incident was just an understandable misunderstanding.
Notes:
The question is:
Briefly discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved. (approximately 1/2 page, single-spaced)
Note: A single-spaced half page is about 250 words.
First of all, take a look at our comprehensive “How to Write a Great Describe an Activity Essay” article, because we cover how to approach these in detail.
Once you’ve done that, it’s time to choose the activity to focus on:
Finally, in order of importance, here are the four criteria you should use in deciding which activity to choose:
Once you’ve chosen your activity, write it up with:
Example:
I started working for the local hardware store to earn a little extra cash. I had no idea it would improve my skills in so many aspects of my life.
First, it got me out of my shell. I went from intimidated when asked where an item was, to realizing that I can actually help grownups! I can solve their problems and they’ll be grateful.
Second, it’s shown me how less-than-perfect solutions are often the best ones. As a math-lover, I’ve had an aversion to “imperfect” things. I wanted the store to add a social media account; my boss patiently asked who would do it, how much time would it take, what would it add? (Answer: me, too much, and not much.) Recently, when I went on YouTube to learn how to fix the store’s air conditioner (and did it!) instead of calling the repair service, I realized I’d absorbed the lesson: optimize what you have.
These lessons have helped me think more creatively in all aspects of life. For example, in my favorite subject, Math. As I was working on a problem set, I realized I could struggle through some not-that-hard problems, or put them aside to work on a really tricky problem that the teacher hadn’t assigned. I had the courage, now, to ask my teacher if I could try it: she agreed. Wrestling that problem to the ground was so hard but so rewarding — something I’d never have thought to tackle before my “real world” experiences.
Notes:
The question is:
As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief essay, either personal or creative, which you feel best describes you. (approximately 1 page, single-spaced)
Note: A single-spaced half page is about 500 words.
As essay coaches, we know what makes for a knock-out personal statement. And it’s … a huge topic that deserves its own article. That article is here, and we strongly urge that you head over to read it now.
A few things to note if you don’t head over immediately (which you should):
So, once again, here’s where we wrote everything you need to know about writing a great personal statement. (Yes, it’s for the Common App, but it will all stand you in excellent stead for this question, too. And recycling is as good for the planet as it is for college applications.)
BTW, here’s our guidance for approaching any college supplement + here’s where you can find our guides for almost every college’s supplements.
Feeling inspired? A great place to start is at our College Essay Help Center.
More articles on Prompt.com’s admissions-boosting methods:
College essays are tools that serve a specific purpose — admissions officers use them to see if you’ll be successful at college and beyond.
As you’ll learn by walking through our free brainstorming materials in our dashboard (first create a free account), Prompt’s method is to begin by spending time writing down all the experiences you’ve had in high school — thinking broadly of everything you’ve done academically, extracurricularly, with your family, at a job, over the summer, and independently.
Your experiences will form the basis of your essays. As you develop your answers, start thinking about which of The 5 Traits That Colleges Look For each experience demonstrates in you. The traits are:
The more you write with the traits in mind, the better you’ll understand what details will impress your admissions officers, and what details don’t add value. By the end of this process, you should have a lot of compellng information to share.
Next, take the best experiences you’ve come up with — the ones that most exemplify one (or more) of the five traits – and slate them in your three Georgetown slots:
We’ll tackle each below.
Quick interruption: at Prompt, we’re against modeling yourself on influencers, New York Times college essay writers, and, really, anyone who isn’t you.
On the other hand, we know that you want concrete examples of what our brilliant but (we’ll admit it) abstract advice can actually look like in practice. So, we’re illustrating with some made-up examples.
Please read them with a big grain of salt. You can have a different writing style. You can go a million other directions. And if the example sounds too impressive, it just might be — our examples are generally loosely based on real examples, but still fictional. You’re working with reality, and that tends to be harder.
With that caveat out of the way, back to our regularly scheduled programming.
The prompt is:
Indicate any special talents or skills you possess. (250 words)
How to ace it:
What not to do:
Example:
My talent is to win people over. Both my parents and my sister are introverts. So I grew up thinking that you should be to-the-point, business-like, even curt with other people. I realized I could be my “true” self reading about Dolly Parton, and how she loves winning people over, as individuals. I thought: I want to do that, too. I just didn’t know it was allowed!
Today, I find that I can use my talent to make interactions out in the real world more pleasant — whether it’s with a surly waiter (my favorite type of person to win over), or a source for one of my newspaper stories over the phone (finding all the ways to reassure them that the article will work with them, not against them; making sure they feel comfortable enough to share truly interesting stories), or even a potentially negative encounter, like the time a TSA officer upset my mom by questioning her about what were actually star-shaped brass candle-stick holders in her luggage (apparently, they looked like nunchucks). In that instance, I was able to calm my mother down by talking with the officer in a calm, pleasant way, diffusing a tense situation, and by the end even making some light jokes, to show that the whole incident was just an understandable misunderstanding.
Notes:
The question is:
Briefly discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved. (approximately 1/2 page, single-spaced)
Note: A single-spaced half page is about 250 words.
First of all, take a look at our comprehensive “How to Write a Great Describe an Activity Essay” article, because we cover how to approach these in detail.
Once you’ve done that, it’s time to choose the activity to focus on:
Finally, in order of importance, here are the four criteria you should use in deciding which activity to choose:
Once you’ve chosen your activity, write it up with:
Example:
I started working for the local hardware store to earn a little extra cash. I had no idea it would improve my skills in so many aspects of my life.
First, it got me out of my shell. I went from intimidated when asked where an item was, to realizing that I can actually help grownups! I can solve their problems and they’ll be grateful.
Second, it’s shown me how less-than-perfect solutions are often the best ones. As a math-lover, I’ve had an aversion to “imperfect” things. I wanted the store to add a social media account; my boss patiently asked who would do it, how much time would it take, what would it add? (Answer: me, too much, and not much.) Recently, when I went on YouTube to learn how to fix the store’s air conditioner (and did it!) instead of calling the repair service, I realized I’d absorbed the lesson: optimize what you have.
These lessons have helped me think more creatively in all aspects of life. For example, in my favorite subject, Math. As I was working on a problem set, I realized I could struggle through some not-that-hard problems, or put them aside to work on a really tricky problem that the teacher hadn’t assigned. I had the courage, now, to ask my teacher if I could try it: she agreed. Wrestling that problem to the ground was so hard but so rewarding — something I’d never have thought to tackle before my “real world” experiences.
Notes:
The question is:
As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief essay, either personal or creative, which you feel best describes you. (approximately 1 page, single-spaced)
Note: A single-spaced half page is about 500 words.
As essay coaches, we know what makes for a knock-out personal statement. And it’s … a huge topic that deserves its own article. That article is here, and we strongly urge that you head over to read it now.
A few things to note if you don’t head over immediately (which you should):
So, once again, here’s where we wrote everything you need to know about writing a great personal statement. (Yes, it’s for the Common App, but it will all stand you in excellent stead for this question, too. And recycling is as good for the planet as it is for college applications.)
BTW, here’s our guidance for approaching any college supplement + here’s where you can find our guides for almost every college’s supplements.
Feeling inspired? A great place to start is at our College Essay Help Center.
More articles on Prompt.com’s admissions-boosting methods:
College essays are tools that serve a specific purpose — admissions officers use them to see if you’ll be successful at college and beyond.
As you’ll learn by walking through our free brainstorming materials in our dashboard (first create a free account), Prompt’s method is to begin by spending time writing down all the experiences you’ve had in high school — thinking broadly of everything you’ve done academically, extracurricularly, with your family, at a job, over the summer, and independently.
Your experiences will form the basis of your essays. As you develop your answers, start thinking about which of The 5 Traits That Colleges Look For each experience demonstrates in you. The traits are:
The more you write with the traits in mind, the better you’ll understand what details will impress your admissions officers, and what details don’t add value. By the end of this process, you should have a lot of compellng information to share.
Next, take the best experiences you’ve come up with — the ones that most exemplify one (or more) of the five traits – and slate them in your three Georgetown slots:
We’ll tackle each below.
Quick interruption: at Prompt, we’re against modeling yourself on influencers, New York Times college essay writers, and, really, anyone who isn’t you.
On the other hand, we know that you want concrete examples of what our brilliant but (we’ll admit it) abstract advice can actually look like in practice. So, we’re illustrating with some made-up examples.
Please read them with a big grain of salt. You can have a different writing style. You can go a million other directions. And if the example sounds too impressive, it just might be — our examples are generally loosely based on real examples, but still fictional. You’re working with reality, and that tends to be harder.
With that caveat out of the way, back to our regularly scheduled programming.
The prompt is:
Indicate any special talents or skills you possess. (250 words)
How to ace it:
What not to do:
Example:
My talent is to win people over. Both my parents and my sister are introverts. So I grew up thinking that you should be to-the-point, business-like, even curt with other people. I realized I could be my “true” self reading about Dolly Parton, and how she loves winning people over, as individuals. I thought: I want to do that, too. I just didn’t know it was allowed!
Today, I find that I can use my talent to make interactions out in the real world more pleasant — whether it’s with a surly waiter (my favorite type of person to win over), or a source for one of my newspaper stories over the phone (finding all the ways to reassure them that the article will work with them, not against them; making sure they feel comfortable enough to share truly interesting stories), or even a potentially negative encounter, like the time a TSA officer upset my mom by questioning her about what were actually star-shaped brass candle-stick holders in her luggage (apparently, they looked like nunchucks). In that instance, I was able to calm my mother down by talking with the officer in a calm, pleasant way, diffusing a tense situation, and by the end even making some light jokes, to show that the whole incident was just an understandable misunderstanding.
Notes:
The question is:
Briefly discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved. (approximately 1/2 page, single-spaced)
Note: A single-spaced half page is about 250 words.
First of all, take a look at our comprehensive “How to Write a Great Describe an Activity Essay” article, because we cover how to approach these in detail.
Once you’ve done that, it’s time to choose the activity to focus on:
Finally, in order of importance, here are the four criteria you should use in deciding which activity to choose:
Once you’ve chosen your activity, write it up with:
Example:
I started working for the local hardware store to earn a little extra cash. I had no idea it would improve my skills in so many aspects of my life.
First, it got me out of my shell. I went from intimidated when asked where an item was, to realizing that I can actually help grownups! I can solve their problems and they’ll be grateful.
Second, it’s shown me how less-than-perfect solutions are often the best ones. As a math-lover, I’ve had an aversion to “imperfect” things. I wanted the store to add a social media account; my boss patiently asked who would do it, how much time would it take, what would it add? (Answer: me, too much, and not much.) Recently, when I went on YouTube to learn how to fix the store’s air conditioner (and did it!) instead of calling the repair service, I realized I’d absorbed the lesson: optimize what you have.
These lessons have helped me think more creatively in all aspects of life. For example, in my favorite subject, Math. As I was working on a problem set, I realized I could struggle through some not-that-hard problems, or put them aside to work on a really tricky problem that the teacher hadn’t assigned. I had the courage, now, to ask my teacher if I could try it: she agreed. Wrestling that problem to the ground was so hard but so rewarding — something I’d never have thought to tackle before my “real world” experiences.
Notes:
The question is:
As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief essay, either personal or creative, which you feel best describes you. (approximately 1 page, single-spaced)
Note: A single-spaced half page is about 500 words.
As essay coaches, we know what makes for a knock-out personal statement. And it’s … a huge topic that deserves its own article. That article is here, and we strongly urge that you head over to read it now.
A few things to note if you don’t head over immediately (which you should):
So, once again, here’s where we wrote everything you need to know about writing a great personal statement. (Yes, it’s for the Common App, but it will all stand you in excellent stead for this question, too. And recycling is as good for the planet as it is for college applications.)
BTW, here’s our guidance for approaching any college supplement + here’s where you can find our guides for almost every college’s supplements.
Feeling inspired? A great place to start is at our College Essay Help Center.
More articles on Prompt.com’s admissions-boosting methods:
I am the Founder and CEO of Prompt. Our mission is to make people better writers.
