Many programs are specialized, and you must choose those which match your interests. If your interests are inappropriate for a particular program, that school will almost certainly reject you regardless of your record. Speak with all of the faculty members who know you well and get their advice. Once you consider applying to a particular program, check in this handbook to see if any of the faculty members in our department have ever attended that school. If they have, ask them to share with you their knowledge of the program and your chances of being accepted.
Most students apply to eight or ten different programs.
Some programs are harder to get into than others. We do not recommend that you apply to schools where you consider acceptance relatively easy. As our graduates have demonstrated, many majors can compete successfully for admission to the very best graduate schools in the country. Those in the Department who know both you and the programs can help set your sights at a realistic level. There are some disadvantages in competing with other Georgetown students for places in a particular graduate program since it is often the case that graduate schools do not take more than one person from a given undergraduate program.