Georgetown Preparatory School

Georgetown Preparatory School is a top-tier private boarding and day school for boys located in Maryland. It belongs to the Jesuit system and generally leans towards a traditional elite education style. The school offers a balanced development in academics, character, and leadership, providing both solid humanities training and a stable foundation in sciences, while also strongly emphasizing responsibility and service. From the perspective of college matriculation results, it's considered a "steady and reliable" school, suitable for students with long-term plans aiming for top universities.
School Advantages:
1. Solid Academic System: Based on Jesuit educational philosophy, the school's curriculum is generally challenging, especially strong in humanities writing and critical thinking, making it suitable for students pursuing humanities, business, or fields requiring strong expressive abilities in the future. Meanwhile, the sciences also have AP and advanced courses, forming a structure where humanities are strong and sciences are stable.
2. Advantageous Location: The school is close to Washington D.C., offering rich surrounding resources, particularly a natural advantage in areas like politics, international relations, and public affairs, which is very helpful for students interested in these fields in the future.
3. Strong Sports Program: Its core flagship sport is football, which consistently maintains strong competitiveness in DC/Maryland/Virginia. The overall training system is mature, with high physical intensity, and a certain ability to funnel athletes into NCAA programs.

Pros:
1. School teachers are acceptable; many are highly educated and mostly responsible.
2. Sports are decent, academic pressure is relatively high, providing good academic preparation.
Cons:
1. Management is very poor, especially for the boarding program. Most international students are assigned to live next to messy and undisciplined students, under the pretense of "diversity and inclusion."
2. The policy on confiscating phones/computers is strict and unreasonable, especially after the new student body president takes office in 2025. Academic activities after lights out are not permitted.
3. Forced "school spirit": not spending time watching sports games means not loving the school. This point leads to the next disadvantage:
4. Bullying is quite serious, and sexual harassment in restrooms is also serious. Most of the time, teachers only give verbal warnings, with no substantial measures taken.
5. Students' quality is low; most are athletes, so their overall quality is predictable.
6. Many students are discriminatory, unfriendly, and lack manners. For example, during a Chinese New Year event, they mocked China as 'covid-19,' and this is not an isolated incident.
7. The school mandates religious activities, especially on weekend mornings.
8. School management evades responsibility, lies, slanders, etc., and disease management is very poor.
A certain school director claimed that reasonably protesting against wrongdoings is an 'overreaction,' and students should adapt rather than protest.
Regarding some consultants in the comment section: Georgetown Prep does not have a cooperative program with Georgetown University, nor does it leverage its proximity to D.C. to create opportunities for White House visits. Applicants considering this school should choose St. Albans or other schools instead.
Many other issues exist, but space is limited.

Georgetown Preparatory School, founded in 1789 along with Georgetown University, is a private Jesuit preparatory school for boys and the oldest boys' school in the United States. The school is located in North Bethesda, Maryland, with a 90-acre campus. Its geographical location is excellent, being 30 minutes from the White House and 35 minutes by car from Washington's main airports, Dulles and Reagan. The families of the first US President George Washington and President Kennedy have both attended this school.
The school offers over 60 courses, including 26 university AP courses and 9 honors courses. The school provides direct access to the center of DC, allowing students to enjoy the culture and resources of metropolitan Washington D.C. The school's liberal arts curriculum is based on Jesuit educational philosophy, aiming to cultivate students' quick thinking, keen insight, outstanding academic achievement, personal responsibility, and a spirit of service to humanity. In terms of sports, the preparatory team has 28 teams, 15 of which are varsity level. From 2012-2022, the school won 53 state athletic championships. Fencing is available for club-level competition.

Georgetown Preparatory School boasts an exceptionally high college matriculation rate, with 100% of its graduates going on to higher education. The school provides extensive support for college applications, including dedicated college guidance counselors. While students are encouraged to utilize these resources, they are also free to seek help from others. The school's college guidance counselors are highly professional and can offer a wide range of useful resources.

Students only need to proactively consult with them. Their advice is typically very practical, yet it also respects students' individual dreams. They strive to help students identify a suitable range of universities to apply to while pursuing their aspirations. Furthermore, the school offers SAT tutoring, including PSAT and SAT, and even ACT test preparation.

Notably, Georgetown Preparatory School has an excellent cooperative relationship with Georgetown University, securing reserved admission spots each year. On average, 8-15 students from each class are admitted directly to Georgetown University, which is quite rare in collaborations between high schools and universities.

Notable Alumni of Georgetown Preparatory School:

Neil Gorsuch — Current Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court

Jerome Powell — Current Chairman of the Federal Reserve

Douglas Kennedy — Son of former U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy

Brian Cashman — General Manager of the New York Yankees

David Chang — Founder of Momofuku

Georgetown Preparatory School adheres to the philosophy that "you can't always be studying; you have to go outdoors, and these are the students we are always looking for." To ensure the all-round development of its students, Georgetown Prep offers a wide array of extracurricular activities.

The school provides challenging university-preparatory programs, and its excellent education in sports and visual arts is nationally recognized for its outstanding faculty. There are numerous extracurricular clubs and activities; for instance, the Speech and Debate Club and the International Relations Club have consistently achieved outstanding results in national competitions.

Georgetown Prep's athletic program aims to provide an environment where every student has the opportunity to become a stronger person spiritually, intellectually, and physically. The school views each student as a complete individual and encourages them to explore all aspects of the human experience.

Georgetown Prep boasts first-class sports facilities. Outdoor sports facilities include an 18-acre, 9-hole golf course, tennis courts, rugby fields, baseball fields, and lacrosse fields. Indoor sports facilities include a basketball arena, a swimming pool and diving pool, four practice courts, a 200-meter indoor track, a wrestling room, a fitness center, and accompanying locker rooms.

Georgetown Prep's HOYA teams are members of the IAC (Interstate Athletic Conference), a top all-boys school league in the Eastern United States, and enjoy a high reputation and recognition among boys' schools in the region. The teams cover 17 different sports, including soccer, baseball, hockey, golf, wrestling, swimming, American football, basketball, ice hockey, tennis, and track and field, with many championships won in important competitions such as the IAC.

Academic Features

English for Speakers of Other Languages

The ESOL program is specifically designed for non-native English speakers, with courses aimed at comprehensively improving English proficiency. For an international student, even with good English skills, arriving in a completely English-speaking, unfamiliar environment like the U.S. can still make one feel that their English level is insufficient to cope with a brand new life.

ESL courses are systematic English learning courses with strong practical applicability, designed to comprehensively improve English ability in all aspects: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. They enable students to quickly enhance their conversational English, writing, and homework completion skills, reducing the pressure students experience in classroom learning.

Service Program

Service is at the heart of Jesuit education, and a long-standing tradition at Georgetown Preparatory School is to expose students to those experiencing economic poverty, disadvantage, or marginalization. The goal is for students to see beyond their own world and strive to eliminate the boundaries that keep people on the fringes of society.

College Counseling
The College Counseling Office is established to ensure that 100% of graduates continue their education at universities around the world. Counselors guide students through the labyrinth of college choices, with the primary criterion being how a school "fits" a student's unique goals. Counselors sit down with students and their families to discuss college admissions and scholarship applications to understand which schools will be home for the student for the next four years.

Most of the school's faculty and staff are graduates of prestigious universities, and many have experience working at the College Board. The school's teachers are highly dedicated and pay close attention to students, while also encouraging students to proactively communicate with them. Relationships between teachers and students are close both inside and outside the classroom, and teachers are very willing to assist students.

Georgetown Preparatory School features 8 academic departments and offers over 60 courses, including 25 AP courses. On average, each student takes 4 AP tests.

The school emphasizes a high-level and comprehensive liberal arts curriculum. Even standard courses require students to possess rigorous, high-level analytical thinking skills. The school does not rank students by grades, as grades cannot fully assess a student's academic performance, nor does it calculate students' Weighted GPA.

Georgetown Preparatory School, founded in 1789, is the oldest all-boys school in the United States and the only Jesuit-founded boarding school. As a church school, Georgetown Preparatory School aims to cultivate students' sense of personal responsibility and a mission to serve others through meticulous attention and comprehensive care, thereby helping them achieve success in academics and future life.

Both Georgetown Preparatory School and Georgetown University were founded by John Carroll, the first Bishop of Baltimore. Before the 20th century, Georgetown's campus was located next to Columbia University. It was not until 1919 that the campus relocated near Washington D.C. This historic elite all-boys school has cultivated many outstanding talents in American politics due to its strong academic atmosphere, excellent geographical location, and resources.

Founding Year: 1789

School Type: All-boys school

Grade Levels: Grades 9-12

Location: Maryland

Boarding Rate: 25%

International Student Rate: 13%

Student-Teacher Ratio: 1:8

2024 FS Ranking: 46

2024 Niche State Ranking: 1

School Website: http://www.gprep.org

The school emphasizes the cultivation of masculinity and character. Compared to co-educational schools, all-boys schools are better equipped to cultivate outstanding young men in a tailored manner.

Georgetown Preparatory School, founded in 1789, is the oldest all-boys school in the United States and the only Jesuit-founded boarding school. Located in NORTH BETHESDA, Maryland, the school is only about 15 minutes from the metro station, providing direct access to downtown DC, allowing students to enjoy the cultural and resources of metropolitan Washington D.C.

The school maintains strict discipline. Sports, debate, and arts are nationally renowned, and its speech and debate and international relations clubs have a tradition of achieving outstanding results in national competitions. The school is a member of the Interstate Athletic Conference (IAC). Since the 2000 academic year, the school has won 91 league championships and numerous tournament awards. In the past 14 years, the school has received commendations 12 times from the IAC founders in recognition of its excellence in sports.

Georgetown Prep's rigorous liberal arts curriculum is deeply rooted in the Jesuit ideals of intellectual excellence, reflection, and personal responsibility. Prep is dedicated to helping form young men who are open to growth, intellectually competent, religious, loving, and committed to justice.

Data for Georgetown Preparatory School: Student enrollment 500, student-teacher ratio 1:8, international students 13%, boarding students 25%, teachers with advanced degrees 86%, students of color 27%, 28 AP courses offered. Georgetown Preparatory School, founded in 1789, spans 600 mu (approximately 100 acres). It is an all-boys boarding private high school, one of the oldest boarding high schools in the United States, and the only extant boarding Jesuit school. The school boasts excellent faculty, distinctive features, and highly acclaimed programs in sports and visual arts. It offers challenging college preparatory courses, with its AP Calculus program considered the best in the nation. Extracurricular clubs and activities thrive, and the school publishes a weekly newspaper and two annual yearbooks.

The boarding Jesuit school is a very welcoming all-boys school with a rich curriculum. All students are required to study Latin for at least two years. It places a strong emphasis on art, while also having a very strong sports program. It features a 9-hole golf course, tennis courts, an 11-lane swimming pool, and is only a 30-minute drive from Washington D.C. On weekends, students are arranged activities such as paintballing, Topgolf, and escape room challenges.

1. For Gprep, first, each subject should have at least 80+ points (on a 100-point scale; convert if your system is different). Math and English scores must be high.
2. Gprep prefers to admit local students. If you are willing to attend middle school in the DC area, you will have a greater chance.
3. Gprep absolutely loves teacher recommendation letters, looking for genuine content and the enthusiasm students show for their subjects. Remember "enthusiasm" as the keyword; if it's not evident, it won't be very helpful.
4. Gprep's essays are very similar to those for top 10 US high schools. Remember to write about a personal experience that effectively illustrates their character.
5. For schools of this caliber, students should ensure they can discuss the school's characteristics and values. There's a huge difference between a student who genuinely likes a school and one who is solely utilitarian, aiming just to get into a good university. We hope students and parents from mainland China can prepare their applications diligently and realistically.

The school is a member of the Interstate Athletic Conference (IAC) and frequently competes against The Bullis School, The Episcopal High School, The Landon School, St. Albans School, and St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes School. The school's student-athletes compete with determination, desire, and integrity. Since the start of the 2000 academic year, the school has won 91 league championships and countless tournament awards. The school's athletes and coaches bring honor to the school, earning the respect and admiration of their opponents. The school has received recognition from the IAC Founders for its athletic excellence 12 times in the past 14 years.

On a winter afternoon, I arrived at Georgetown Preparatory School and finally basked in the long-awaited sunshine. This top-tier all-boys school, located near Washington D.C., was founded in 1789. The school boasts an excellent geographical location in North Bethesda, Maryland, just an 18-minute drive from the White House and 35 minutes from Washington D.C.'s main airports, Dulles and Reagan. It is surrounded by many large supermarkets and shopping centers, making it very convenient. GPS offers a very high level of academic curriculum, and its requirement for Latin highlights the school's emphasis on classical humanities. The school features two dormitory buildings, a modern teaching center equipped with a new library, study rooms, computer labs, student lounges, administrative offices, a fully equipped recording studio, a nine-hole golf course, a swimming pool, a weight training facility, a 200-meter indoor track and field, an artificial turf sports field, and more.

Correction: For GPS schools, the actual number of mainland Chinese students enrolled between 2015-2018 was around 5-7, while the number of offers (admissions announcements) was generally between 10-15. In the past two years, the actual number of enrolled mainland Chinese students has increased, while the number of offers has remained flat.

Georgetown Preparatory School is a renowned boys' boarding school. It was once hailed as the premier boys' boarding school, but in reality, its boarding percentage is not high, which might be a disappointment for students who place a high value on boarding rates. Academically, the school offers challenging curricula and college preparatory programs, fostering a strong academic atmosphere and nurturing many outstanding talents in American politics. The school admits very few students from mainland China (approximately 5 students per year). Annually, about 7 graduates go on to Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. (ranked around 20th overall, with its School of Foreign Service being 3rd or 4th in the U.S.).

Georgetown Prep is the only existing Jesuit boarding school, with 88% of its teachers holding a master's degree or higher. The school has distinctive features, and its programs in sports and visual arts are highly recognized. The school offers challenging college preparatory courses, and both the family of America's first president, George Washington, and the family of President Kennedy have attended the school.

School Features:

1. AP Actuarial Science program is the best in the U.S.

2. Speech and debate, and international relations clubs have a tradition of achieving outstanding results in national competitions.

3. Strong in sports, with first-class facilities: Since 2000, it has won 101 conference championships and numerous tournaments. Facilities include a nine-hole golf course, tennis courts, an 11-lane swimming pool, and a 6,000-square-foot weight training room, etc.

4. Emphasis on arts: The school's theater group, Prep Players, performs twice a year; all freshmen participate in a half-year introductory course, Freshman Art; under the guidance of the music director, students participate in two annual concerts and other performance opportunities.

5. Emphasis on Latin: All students must study Latin for at least two years.

6. Excellent in mathematics: The mathematics curriculum is outstanding, and the school offers 12 math courses. The math curriculum is both rigorous and flexible, meeting the needs of students of all abilities.

The school's humanities and mathematics programs are very strong, and the science programs, including AP Bio/Chem/Physics, are also quite good. Humanities and math teachers are exceptionally skilled, while the quality of science teaching depends on the specific teacher. The school's academic counseling and college guidance are excellent; the more proactive students are in communicating with their counselors, the more information and resources they will gain. Among Chinese graduates, 50% go to top 20 universities, and 95% go to top 50 universities.

The school's food is mediocre, but there are many great restaurants nearby, which are very convenient. Transportation is good, with direct subway access to DC and a 20-30 minute drive. The school maintains email contact with parents. The school's infrastructure is decent, and sports facilities are very comprehensive. Lights-out time depends on the grade level; it's earlier for lower grades, while upper grades have more flexibility as the school understands the significant pressure of college applications.

In sports, golf, American football, fencing, and swimming are all very strong. Students with strong athletic abilities can join varsity teams and frequently compete against other schools. Many Asian students choose fencing because it emphasizes technique over physical confrontation.

Each graduating class has approximately 7-11 students from mainland China, with about 120 students per grade level in total, of whom 20-25% are international students. Student relationships at the school are very close, especially among Chinese students. While there aren't many boarding students, their relationships are also very good. The school offers many sports and club activities, and frequent participation helps students integrate well.

Georgetown Preparatory School is the oldest all-boys school in the United States and the only boarding school founded by the Jesuit order. The school is located in North Bethesda, Maryland, with direct metro access to Washington D.C. Due to its geographical location, students can enjoy the culture and resources of the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. The school has strict management, and its sports, debate, and arts programs are nationally renowned. The school offers 25 AP courses and over 60 total courses, including multiple science courses with content integrating extensive experiments and personal presentations. The school also emphasizes humanities education, with social inquiry classes leading students in a comprehensive exploration of history, politics, religion, economics, and other social life topics. The school offers advanced computer courses where students can learn programming and development. Since 2000, Georgetown Prep has won numerous championships, with strong athletic programs in lacrosse, golf, swimming, and wrestling.