Georgetown received 18,610 applications this year, only 85 fewer than 2008’s all-time high of 18,695, according to statistics obtained from the Admissions Office. The acceptance rate was 18.7 percent, a slight increase from last year’s 18.0 percent.
The only school that saw a significant change in its number of applicants was the McDonough School of Business, which received 2,871 applications—10 percent fewer than last year. Margaret Lysy, Senior Assistant Director of Admissions, said the decrease is most likely not due to the poor financial climate but rather to the fact that last year applications to the MSB jumped by an unprecedented 28 percent to an historic high of 3,178.
Given the economic climate, Lysy said the Admissions Office is pleased that application numbers were so high but is “pretty worried” about this year’s yield rate. According to Lysy, they are focusing on educating alumni interviewers about the school’s financial aid policies, anticipating that fiscal concerns will loom large in the minds of prospective students and their families. Lysy said 61 percent of accepted students applied for financial aid, a five percent increase from last year.
