Georgetown University Pre-College Online Program
Georgetown Pre-College Online Program: Information for Parents and Guardians
You want to know who is teaching this, what it will ask of your student's schedule, what it costs, and what they will have to show for it. This page answers those questions in order.
Georgetown's Jesuit tradition of cura personalis — care for the whole person — shaped how these courses were built. Your student is treated as capable of real university work, and supported while they do it.
The program at a glance
Who it's for
Format
Time commitment
Session lengths
Taught by
Your student earns
Tuition
Financial aid
To apply
Your access to records
Students age 13 and older, enrolled in high school or within one year of graduating
100% online. No live sessions and no required log-in times
20–30 hours total (enrichment) · about 130 hours total (college credit)
1, 2, or 4 weeks (enrichment) · 6, 8, or 12 weeks (college credit)
Georgetown University faculty and industry experts
A Georgetown Certificate of Completion, or 3 college credits and an official transcript
$1,895 (enrichment) · $3,995 (college credit). No additional fees
Need-based scholarships available in every cohort
No transcripts or recommendation letters. One short personal statement
Limited by federal privacy law — see below
Is this a real Georgetown University course?
Yes. Every course in the Georgetown Pre-College Online Program is designed and taught by Georgetown faculty and industry experts, and built specifically for high school students.
Enrichment courses lead to an official Certificate of Completion issued by Georgetown University. To earn it, your student completes at least 70% of the course assignments and submits a final capstone project.
College credit courses are offered through Georgetown's School of Continuing Studies. Your student earns three Georgetown credits and a letter grade, recorded on an official university transcript they can request from the University Registrar.
Read a course syllabus
How much time will this take?
Every course is completed on your student's own schedule. There are no live sessions and no required log-in times, so the program fits around school terms, sports seasons, and time zones.
Enrichment courses take 20 to 30 hours in total. Your student chooses a 1-, 2-, or 4-week session — roughly 30 hours in a single week, 15 hours a week across two, or 7.5 hours a week across four.
College credit courses take about 130 hours in total. Sessions run 6, 8, or 12 weeks — roughly 21 hours a week, 16 hours a week, or 11 hours a week.
One thing worth planning for
There are no weekly deadlines. All work is due by the session end date. Students who manage their own pace well find this freeing. Students who don't may need a check-in or two along the way.
How the work is structured
Your student watches video lessons taught by faculty, completes a set of assignments after each unit, and finishes with one capstone project on a topic they choose. Students may take more than one course. If yours wants to, we recommend different session dates so each course gets their full attention.
Can I see my student's grades and progress?
Once your student enrolls, federal privacy law treats them as the owner of their own education record. We cannot share their application, their grades, or their course progress with anyone other than the enrolled student — including a parent who paid the tuition.
Your student can share any of it with you at any time. If they can't find something, our support team will help them get it.
How you can help
- Help them choose a session length that fits their term, not their ambition. A one-week enrichment session is close to a full-time week of work.
- Put the session end date on the family calendar. It is the only hard deadline in the course.
- Ask what they're building for their capstone project, and resist editing it. The work is meant to be theirs, and it's the piece they may show a college.
- If a week goes by without them mentioning the course, that's your cue to check in.
Who will my student be interacting with?
All instruction is pre-recorded. There are no live video sessions, no open chat, and no unsupervised contact with other students.
Your student works with a mentor (enrichment courses) or a teaching assistant (college credit courses) who knows the subject, answers questions, and gives feedback on assignments and the capstone project. All of that contact happens inside the course platform — through the Canvas inbox and the course discussion boards.
Accessibility
All course videos include closed captioning and variable playback speed, with unlimited viewing. The platform and course content are screen-reader friendly. Quizzes and assignments are untimed. If your student needs accommodations, have them contact {SUPPORT_EMAIL} before the session start date so there is time to arrange them.
If you have a question
Email support@precollegeonline.georgetown.edu. Our team replies within 24 to 48 business hours. If your question is about your student's record, see "Can I see my student's grades and progress?" above.
What does it cost, and what if plans change?
Enrichment courses are $1,895. College credit courses are $3,995. There are no additional fees.
Tuition is due the day before the course start date. We accept major credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Alipay, and WeChat Pay.
Need-based scholarships
We offer need-based scholarships in every cohort, for both enrichment and college credit courses. After your student submits an application, they can request one by selecting "Apply for a need-based scholarship" on the confirmation page. If they've already applied, they can request it from their profile.
If plans change
Your student can switch courses or session dates from their profile up to seven days before their start date. For enrichment courses, tuition is fully refundable up to seven days before the session begins. For college credit courses, tuition is fully refundable up to seven days before the start date and half refundable up to the published drop deadline. Full terms and dates are on our academic calendar.
Want to Know More?
Sign up for more information and we’ll be in touch.
Is it worth it?
Start with what it doesn't do. Completing a pre-college course does not improve your student's chances of admission to Georgetown University, and we won't suggest otherwise. Credits earned may transfer to another institution, but every college sets its own transfer policy and we can't guarantee a particular outcome.
What your student gets is a credential from Georgetown University, a finished capstone project in their own words that they can show an admissions officer or an internship interviewer, and an answer to a question most students don't get to ask until their second year of college: is this actually the field for me?
How to list it on an application
Enrichment courses should be listed as an extracurricular or experiential activity rather than an educational one, since they are non-credit. College credit courses appear on an official Georgetown University transcript, which your student requests directly from the University Registrar.
Frequently Asked Questions
How will you be graded? What are assignments like? How much time do you have to turn around a project? When do you find out if you’re admitted? Find answers to your questions here.
Answers to Your Questions HereScholarships
We offer need-based scholarships for participating students who exhibit high potential and an inability to pay the full tuition.
- If you haven’t applied to the program, apply here. After submitting your application, click “Apply for a need-based scholarship” on the confirmation page to request a scholarship.
- If you’ve already applied to the program, sign in to your profile to check your scholarship status. If we don’t have a scholarship request on file, click “Apply for a need-based scholarship” to request a scholarship.