GAAP stands for Georgetown Admissions Ambassadors Program, and is a large volunteer student organization representing hundreds of Hoyas across schools. Although it is not directly involved in the admissions process, GAAP plays an integral role in welcoming prospective and admitted Hoyas by hosting panels, GAAP weekend, and acting as a resource for incoming students.
Operations
GAAP was initially called the Student Admissions Committee until 1984, when it underwent major structural changes.1 Currently, GAAP is directed by its Student Executive Board, which is composed of 11 undergraduate students who represent and organize on behalf of group of over 600 students in GAAP. GAAP is organized as part of the Undergraduate Admissions Office.
GAAP has a group of representatives from each state, different countries, as well as specific thematic representatives for students from rural areas and transfer students. These GAAP chairs answer prospective students' questions. There are also separate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion chairs who answer questions related to Georgetown's multicultural community and being a person-of-color on campus.
GAAP has had difficulty navigating funding between the Student Activities Commission (SAC) and the admissions office. In 1998, it only received $3,053 of the $11,115 it requested, because SAC claimed that GAAP could obtain funding through the admissions office.1 This has been a source of frustration for GAAP since they provide vital programming that oftentimes isn't part of other admissions activities. GAAP continues to receive "money and guidance" from the official Admissions Office, and operates as a completely student-led, volunteer organization.2
Events
GAAP hosts multiple events throughout the year, including virtual and in-person visits as well as Coffee and Chats with GAAP volunteers.
One of GAAP's most-anticipated events of the year is GAAP weekend held in the spring, which is the first time admitted students have a chance to meet each other before they enter Georgetown. This is a particularly important weekend for the University because it helps students imagine what it would be like to choose Georgetown. One student writer described that GAAP weekend was the reason why she chose Georgetown: "For me, GAAP weekend was full of enthusiasm and excitement that made the weather and the traveling irrelevant. More importantly, it convinced me to make the Hilltop my home, one of the best decisions I've ever made." GAAP weekends are critical because they "present a holistic overview of Georgetown that allows admitted students to make decisions to come to the Hilltop, or not, based on reality and not fantasy."2
In the past, GAAP weekends have allowed students to experience the dormitory life by staying with Georgetown students. In 1993, GAAP member Ryan Rathman (SFS ’96) stated that the most important part of the weekend was housing because candidates stayed in freshman dorms and truly got to experience what life on the Hilltop would look like.3 This tradition has faded over the years due to logistical concerns, but other traditions continue on, such as special programming for minority students.
In 2020, GAAP adapted to the pandemic and proved especially important for students who were admitted to the class of 2024 and could not visit Georgetown. GAAP weekend transition to a virtual event, providing students with more information to incorporate in their decision-making process and giving them a chance to meet their future classmates.4 In 2022, GAAP welcomed admitted Hoyas onto campus for the first time since 2019. While GAAP revived exciting in-person programming for students and parents, it continued to host virtual events for students who weren't able to travel.
Controversies
There have also been controversy over student protests during GAAP weekends, with concerns between protecting students' right to free speech and showcasing the University in the best way for prospective families. This included the Plan A protests during the first of the three GAAP weekends of March 2010, where a coalition including the Students for Reproductive Justice and H*yas for Choice chained themselves to the statue of John Carroll in Healy Circle with a sign that read "President DeGioia take the tape off our mouths and the chains off our bodies." Parents who were there for GAAP weekend had mixed reactions. One parent of a prospective student said that it showed the culture of Georgetown activism, and stated, "it feels good that groups are comfortable expressing themselves to the administration."5 On the other hand, parents expressed opposition, with one parent stating, “I think that if you go to a Catholic college, you need to respect the school’s rules. This is what these students signed up for."6 Similar mixed reactions followed the GU Protects Racist protests during a GAAP weekend, where students protesting the University's treatment of a hate crime against a student of color put up posters around Campus and all over the John Carroll statue.
- 1SAC Changes Name, Restructures Club Organization," The Hoya, September 21, 1984
- 1Moylan, Kelly. "SAC Sets Student Clubs' Budgets." The Hoya. March 18, 1988. p. 3
- 2Anderson, Nick. "Georgetown Delegates to Students The Key Job of Organizing Welcome Events for Admissions." The Washington Post, May 1, 2014. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/georgetown-delegates-to-students-the-key-job-of-organizing-welcome-events-for-admissions/2014/05/01/73ea8f00-d133-11e3-937f-d3026234b51c_story.html
- 2Holshouser, Christopher. "Breaking Ice and Finding Home." The Hoya. April 9, 2015. https://thehoya.com/breaking-ice-and-finding-home/
- 3O'Connor, Jim. "Class of '97 Hits the Hilltop." The Hoya. Feb. 26, 1993.
- 4James, Paul. "Missing GAAP: Class of 2024 meets Georgetown from afar." The Hoya. May 15, 2020.
- 5Szypulski, Stephen. "Administration Responds to Plan A After GAAP Weekend Protests." The Hoya. March 27, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20160408164547/https://thehoya.com/administration-responds-to-plan-a-after-gaap-weekend-protests/
- 6Szypulski, Stephen. "Administration Responds to Plan A After GAAP Weekend Protests." The Hoya. March 27, 2010.
