Georgetown Preparatory School is an independent residential and day college preparatory school for young men in grades 9 through 12. Founded in 1789 by the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), it is the oldest Catholic secondary school in the United States. Georgetown Prep is situated on a 90-acre campus in the Montgomery County, Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C.

Accreditation and Affiliations

Georgetown Prep is accredited by the Maryland State Department of Education and by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. Georgetown Prep is a member of the Jesuit Secondary Education Association, the Jesuit High School College Counselors Association, the National Catholic Education Association, the National Association of Independent Schools, the Secondary School Admission Test Board, the College Board, the Association of Independent Maryland Schools, and the National Association for College Admission Counseling. Georgetown Prep complies with the NACAC Statement of Principles of Good Practice.

Students and Faculty

446 students are enrolled at Georgetown Prep, and of those 98 are residents. There are 104 students in the class of 2005. Nineteen states and 23 foreign countries are represented by the student body. The ethnic breakdown of the student body is as follows: 75% Caucasian; 6% Asian; 7% Hispanic; 2% Middle Eastern; and 10% African American. Approximately 25% of the students receive need-based financial aid. 92% are American citizens. There are 49 faculty and 12 administrators; 5 Jesuits work at the school. 88% of the faculty hold a master's degree or higher.

Admission to Georgetown Prep

Admission to Georgetown Prep is selective, with 27% of the applicants for the Class of 2005 accepted. Of those selected for admission, 81% enrolled as freshmen. The prospective student must submit an application, scores for the Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT), and three letters of recommendation. For the Class of 2005, the mean SSAT score for accepted students was at the 77th percentile. Ordinarily, students are not accepted into the senior year.

Athletics and Activities

Georgetown Prep students participate in a broad range of intramural and interscholastic athletic activities. Teams fielded are Varsity, JV, and freshman: Football, Basketball, and Soccer; Varsity and JV: Baseball, Golf, Track & Field, Cross Country, Swimming, Wrestling, Tennis, Indoor Track, Lacrosse, and Ice Hockey. Club level competition is also available for Fencing, Indoor Soccer, and Indoor Lacrosse.

The Little Hoya, Georgetown Prep's student newspaper, is published monthly. The Cupola, Georgetown Prep's yearbook, and The Blue and Gray, the literary magazine, are both published annually. Other activities available to students include: Student Government, the National Honor Society, the Forensics Club, the International Relations Club, the Model UN/Model OAS delegations, the Black Students Union, the GP Chorus, the Dramatics Society, the Arrupe Society, the Asian Pacific Club, the Oasis Music Club, and more than a dozen other clubs for students of varying academic, athletic, and recreational interests.

Academic Procedure and Program of Study

The Georgetown Prep school day consists of eight 45-minute class periods. Classes are held Monday through Friday, on a six-day cycle. The school follows a semester system; each term has two marking periods and an examination period.

Grade reporting and scale: Grades are recorded on the transcript each semester with yearly grades being determined by averaging the two semester grades. Grades are reported on a scale of 60-100; the passing grade is 70. An average is reported on the students' secondary school report.

Program of study: The program of study at Georgetown Prep prepares the student for success in college. The program is preparatory in the strict sense: every student who graduates will have taken all the units necessary for his admission to college. Each student takes six courses each year.

Graduation requirements:

English-- four years; one senior research paper

Mathematics-- four years

Religious Studies-- four years

Social Studies-- three and a half years, including U.S. History

Physical Education-- one year

Laboratory Science-- two years

Latin-- two years

Modern Language-- two years

Music-- one half year

Art-- one half year

Community Service -- Underclassmen are required to participate in group-service activities; seniors must complete an individual community-service project.

Units: One unit is earned for each yearly passing grade in each course, including Religious Studies. One-half unit is earned for each of Music and Freshman Art; one unit is earned for Physical Education; one quarter unit is earned for Freshman Computer Skills. Upon graduation, the student will have completed a minimum of 25 units.

Honors/Advanced Courses: All courses which are not Advanced Placement are presented at the same college preparatory level, with the following exceptions: a select group of students is invited to take one or more of the following accelerated math courses: Algebra 2, Summer Geometry, and Algebra 3/Trigonometry. Advance Calculus C+ is offered to those students who have completed the AP Calculus AB course. This course completes the AP Calculus BC curriculum and proceeds with more advanced concepts. A select group of students also pursues an honors track in the sciences: Honors Biology, Honors Chemistry, and Honors Physics are offered.

International Program: Georgetown Prep offers a full program in English as a Second Language. Study of English is supplemented by other courses as appropriate to the student's English facility. As the student's facility with English improves, and with each additional academic year, the student's integration into the regular curriculum is increased. ESL courses are identified by notations on the transcript. Depending on the international student's background, he may also be placed in a special ESL section of American Studies and/or Religious Studies. Study of a language other than English is usually not required for ESL students. About | Academics | Spirituality | Athletics | Admissions | Parents
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