gonzaga high school essay

Gonzaga College High School

• Top Ranked DC School
• Grades: 9-12
• Enrollment: 962 students
• Yearly Tuition: $28,240
• Acceptance rate: 40%
• Average class size: 21 students
• Application Deadline: Dec. 14
• Source: Verified school update

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Gonzaga College High School ranks among the top 20% of private schools in District Of Columbia for:

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Student body, academics and faculty, tuition and acceptance rate, school notes.

• In the admissions selection process, Gonzaga staff examine a student's application, grades, teacher recommendations, personal essay, and High School Placement Test (HSPT) scores.

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Gonzaga College High School

A Catholic, Jesuit college preparatory school, Gonzaga offers outstanding academics and a wide variety of co-curricular activities. Located six blocks from our nation’s Capitol, its inner city location underscores the school’s commitment to the challenge of Fr. Pedro Arrupe, S.J., for our students to become “Men for Others.” Gonzaga seeks well-rounded young men with a strong desire to succeed. The student body is diverse and is drawn from the entire metropolitan area and beyond.

Drawing its inspiration from the spiritual vision of St. Ignatius of Loyola and the apostolic and educational tradition of the Jesuits, Gonzaga offers a values-oriented and academically challenging curriculum to young men of diverse backgrounds from all over the Washington metropolitan area.

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• Private, Catholic, All-Boys
• WASHINGTON, DC
• grade  A+ Overall Grade
• Rating 4.52 out of 5   104 reviews

Gonzaga College High School Rankings

Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of data and reviews.  Read more about how we calculate our rankings

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• Best High Schools for Athletes in America 7  of 21,129
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• Best Private High Schools in America 481  of 4,990
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• Best College Prep Private High Schools in Washington, D.C. Area 27  of 96
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• Most Diverse Private High Schools in Washington, D.C. Area 79  of 102

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Gonzaga University

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• Essay prompt

Want to see your chances of admission at Gonzaga University?

We take every aspect of your personal profile into consideration when calculating your admissions chances.

Gonzaga University’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Select-a-prompt essay.

Please choose one of the following questions to answer.

How have your experiences as an individual, personal background, education, and upbringing affected your short and long-term goals?

Gonzaga’s Presidential Speaker’s Series invites leaders from around the world (such as LTC Olga Custodio, America‘s first Latina military pilot or Cotopaxi founder Davis Smith) to share their work and passions with the GU community. If you were able to invite any living person to come and speak to the GU community, who would it be? Why would you want to invite them?

Common App Personal Essay

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don‘t feel obligated to do so.

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you‘ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

What will first-time readers think of your college essay?

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As an applicant for admission, you are expected to graduate from an accredited high school with a college preparatory curriculum while showing evidence of ability to complete the University's requirements for graduation.

The following pattern of coursework is recommended for admission to Gonzaga:

Course rigor is a key component in determining admissibility and merit awards. Students are encouraged to challenge themselves with a curriculum they can manage, including AP, IB, and honors courses (if offered by the high school). Students are also encouraged to take 4 to 5 academic courses in senior year.

Gonzaga's Office of Admission reviews each application thoroughly. Although we have no set minimum GPA/test score requirements and we are " test-optional ", please consider guidelines below. Any prospective student may have an admission interview , but they are highly encouraged if a student has any one of the following:

• An unweighted GPA at or below 3.2
• An academic or disciplinary history that requires more description than the application allows 
• An SAT combined score for Evidence Based Reading and Writing and Math at or below 1150 
• An ACT composite score at or below 23 

Interviews may be done in person as part of a campus visit , virtually , or possibly where you live. Please contact your Admission Counselor to discern the best option.

Gonzaga's mid-50% ranges*:

• GPA - 3.56-3.92
• SAT - 1265-1410
• ACT - 28-32

*The mid-50% range shows that half of our first-year class had between those ranges, and 25% had above the top number, and 25% had below the bottom number.

The Office of Admission carefully considers the following items as part of the application to Gonzaga University:

• Curriculum and school
• Grade point average and grade trends
• College essay and supplemental question response
• Activities and honors
• SAT or ACT scores (if submitted; Gonzaga University is “test optional".)

* Please see the Admission COVID-19 FAQ for additional information on our admission policy

*Learn about admission process, English proficiency requirements, and test score policies for international students here .

* Consideration of Disciplinary and Criminal Conviction in Gonzaga University Admission: Gonzaga University considers the factors listed above when reviewing undergraduate applications for admission. Gonzaga University does ask whether an applicant has a school disciplinary record or criminal history. An applicant will not automatically or unreasonably be denied admission due to criminal history or disciplinary action. However, additional information may be requested to provide greater context to the nature and timing of violations prior to an admission decision being made.

Our Evaluation Process

Nursing & Engineering Requirements

Gonzaga's Nursing program is considered “direct admission". Students must declare nursing as their major on the Common Application to be considered for the nursing program. Effective Spring 2024 , please review our updated engineering admission information below.  

Gonzaga's Nursing Program accepts first-year applications only.  Applicants must choose "Nursing" on their application to be considered. Admission to nursing is competitive and the Admission Committee will review curriculum carefully and likes to see math and science in the senior year of high school. An understanding of the nursing profession is helpful. 

Students are not permitted to change their major to nursing after enrolling at the University. The Nursing Program is a four-year program. If a student has received college credit or earned an AA degree through the Running Start program, credits will likely transfer, but the program remains an 8 – 9 semester degree. Enrolling with college credits  may provide students with the opportunity to add a minor or study abroad, but will not allow for early entry into nursing courses. 

*Engineering

*Effective Spring 2024:  To apply for engineering majors at Gonzaga University, applicants only need to indicate engineering as their intended major on the application for admission. If admitted to Gonzaga, students will be automatically placed in that major if the student enrolls at the University. The School of Engineering and Applied Science offers biomedical, civil, computer, electrical, mechanical, engineering management and a student placed in engineering has access to any of these programs. Additionally, we offer computer science programs. Applicants are encouraged to take math and science each year of high school.

Additional Admission Policies

Home-school policy.

Home-schooled students represent a unique and important population in Gonzaga University's applicant pool. Students and families choose home-schooling for a variety of reasons and implement a variety of instructional methods. Therefore, an application from a home-schooled student receives highly individualized attention.

As a home-schooled student we ask that you answer all home-school questions on the Common Application School Report. Additionally, we require home-schooled students with less than 30 semester or 45 quarter college credits (at the time of applying) to submit an SAT or ACT.

The Admission Committee will consider all submitted materials and encourages applicants to arrange an admission interview, if possible. Please contact the Office of Admission with questions.

Active Duty, Veterans, and Military Dependents

Active duty service members need to receive approval from an Educational Services Officer (ESO), military counselor, or the Military Service prior to enrolling.

Veterans must apply and be accepted at Gonzaga University (Apply to Gonzaga) and apply for GI Bill benefits.

We also recommend you complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to maximize your eligibility for financial aid. Start your FAFSA today at the Department of Education's website studentaid.gov .

Get started here

SAT and ACT Policy

Gonzaga University admission is “ test optional ”, meaning it is not required to submit an SAT or ACT score. There are two important notes on this policy:

• Homeschooled students with less than 30 semester or 45 quarter college credits must submit an SAT or ACT.
• International students are required to submit a test score to demonstrate English proficiency through TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, iTEP, SAT, or ACT.

When submitting scores, Gonzaga would like students to provide all results from every administration of the SAT and/or ACT taken. Gonzaga will combine students' best individual section scores from separate exams. The optional essay is not required for either test.  Students applying without a test have access to everything available to test-takers: admission, automatic merit scholarships, direct admission to nursing and engineering, the Honors Program, and other Gonzaga scholarships. Please review our Test Optional FAQs page  for additional information. If you have further questions about our SAT and/or ACT Policy, please reach out to your admission counselor

The incoming class of 2021 had an average ACT mid-50% score of 28-32 and an SAT mid-50% score of 1280-1400.

Contact the Office of Admission

Gonzaga University 2023-24 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Regular Decision: 

Regular Decision Deadline: Feb 1

You Have: 

Gonzaga University 2023-24 Application Essay Question Explanations 

The Requirements: 1 short answer of 5-10 sentences

Supplemental Essay Type(s):   Short Answer

Please choose one of the following questions to answer below in 5-10 sentences:

How have your experiences as an individual, personal background, education, and upbringing affected your short and long-term goals.

For this prompt, admissions wants to learn about the elements that have impacted your short and long-term goals—your origin story, so to say. Perhaps your younger sibling was born deaf, so you have been an interpreter since you were a child, which ignited your interest in both teaching and languages. Do you hope to major in Community, Culture, and Language with a track in Elementary Education? Will this help you achieve your long-term goal of becoming the kind of teacher who makes a positive impact on students and instills a love of learning? Maybe you feel passionately about being part of the movement to combat climate change (long-term goal), and a degree in Applied Mathematics (short-term goal) will enable you to develop your strongest skill set to contribute to a solution. Tell admissions a story that provides deeper insight into your background, while also revealing information about your dreams and motivations.

Gonzaga’s Presidential Speaker’s Series invites leaders from around the world (such as LTC Olga Custodio, America’s first Latina military pilot or Cotopaxi founder Davis Smith) to share their work and passions with the GU community. If you were able to invite any living person to come and speak to the GU community, who would it be? Why would you want to invite them?

Gonzaga wants you to select a living person to speak to the GU community. A question like this one is probing for an inkling of your interests and motivations. Who do you admire? What are your aspirations? What kinds of things drive your curiosity? When you come upon a prompt that directly or indirectly asks you to demonstrate your academic or cultural knowledge, the key is to be confident and genuine. Don’t second guess your own interests or strain to write about a topic simply because you think it will impress admissions—spoiler alert: they’ll be able to tell. It will be easier to write about someone you are genuinely interested in, and the results will be more personal and memorable! Which person would give you a chance to reveal something new about yourself to admissions, like an otherwise unspoken interest in politics, fashion, or ancient history?

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© Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY

Gonzaga falls to Zach Edey, Purdue in Sweet 16: 'Very proud of how these guys battled'

Bulldogs couldn't handle Boilermakers down the stretch in 80-68 loss

• Author: Cole Forsman
• Publish date: Mar 30, 2024

In this story:

DETROIT - A valiant effort from the Gonzaga Bulldogs wasn't enough against a hot night from the Purdue Boilermakers and their National Player of the Year frontrunner in Zach Edey.

The fifth-seeded Zags (27-8) went toe-to-toe with the 7-foot-4 post and his well-rounded supporting cast in the first half of Friday's Sweet 16 battle. But the combination of strong guard play from Braden Smith (14 points, 15 assists and eight rebounds), timely plays from Fletcher Loyer and Lance Jones with Edey's presence down low were too much for Mark Few's bunch to handle.

"Hey, we're disappointed in how this game turned out, but obviously -- I mean, as a head coach, just very, very, very proud of how these guys battled and fought," Few said. "So tip your hats to Purdue."

Here are three takeaways from Gonzaga's season-ending loss:

PICK YOUR POSION

Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15) loses control of the ball against Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike.

Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY

There were two trains of thought for Gonzaga on the defensive end of the floor: put all of its attention on trying to stop Edey in the paint or take away the Boilermakers' supporting cast from the perimeter, where they've shot a nation-best 40.9% from behind the arc entering Friday.

Unfortunately for the Zags they got a dosage of both posions.

"[Edey] creates so much attention down there, you kind of have to pull in when the guards get downhill a little bit because they're going to throw lobs or kick out and hit a 3," said Ryan Nembhard. "So it's a pick your poison thing. There's not really too much to say about that, just he creates a lot of attention down there."

The Boilermakers' backcourt made it hard on Nembhard and Nolan Hickman coming off multiple screens in a single set, constantly putting pressure to either switch or pursue and risk getting beat. Either way Smith and Jones had their way in the first half, as each had a pair of 3-pointers while Mason Gillis came off the bench and drilled two triples himself.

Purdue went 7-of-13 from behind the arc before halftime and shot 53.6% from the field overall.

"When those guards shoot it like that, it's pick your poison," Few said. "They shot it great from 3, and then in the second half, we, I think, shut down that area pretty good. Then Edey was just a load. It's a nice entity to have, just pitch it into him."

Purdue's All-American center dictated how the second half played out, especially on the glass. Edey had eight rebounds, including three on the offensive end, and scored 16 of his game-high 27 points after halftime. Some possessions required multiple blue jerseys to crash the paint to keep the nation's second-best rebounder off the boards, and often to no avail.

FOUL TROUBLE SPELLS DOOM FOR GONZAGA'S BIGS

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Anton Watson (22) was in foul trouble the second half vs. Purdue.

Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports

Edey has punished team's all season with his ability to draw fouls through sheer physicality possession after possession. Handling a 7-foot-4, 285-pound big man is going to result in a lot of whistles against the opposition, no question. Gonzaga's frontcourt is deep, but even the three-headed monster of bigs in the starting lineup couldn't stay out of foul trouble against Edey.

Edey had a lot to do with Anton Watson and Graham Ike fouling out before the final buzzer, but arguably the most important whistle came just before the first half ended. With less than 10 seconds on the clock, Edey caught an entry pass from Smith and threw down a dunk despite a solid whack on the head from Gregg, who picked up his third foul on the play.

"That was a big basket, the and-one there at the half," Few said. "I thought that impacted us a little bit. We couldn't start Benny in the second half."

Gregg sat the first three and a half minutes of the second half while Stromer filled in on the wing. Purdue gradually pushed its lead to seven points before the 6-foot-10 junior checked in at the 16:02 mark, which was followed by two-straight scores from the Zags to make it a 51-48 ballgame.

The game never got closer though, as the Boilermakers rattled off a 16-2 run to extend their lead to 16 points. Their run coincided with Anton Watson going to the bench with his fourth foul. Gonzaga weathered the storm briefly before Ike racked up three fouls in just over a minute trying to defend Edey.

TIP OF THE CAP TO WATSON

Anton Watson (22) has played his final game for Gonzaga.

As Watson walked off the court with 1:34 left on the clock, one of the program's most important players of the last half-decade had just taken his last steps in a Bulldogs uniform.

The fifth-year senior finished his career with over 1,400 points, 700 rebounds and 200 assists. He's second all-time in steals with 215, including 21 in the NCAA Tournament — a program record — and is third in games played (151), wins (132) and played in four Sweet 16 games in his remarkable career.

All that said, there isn't any counting stat that can measure what the Spokane native meant to his coach and hometown team.

"I'm so happy that we kind of delivered on everything we talked about when we first recruited him to come to Gonzaga. He's had just an awesome career," Few said. "He's been unbelievable. He broke presses and solved zones when we didn't know what the hell we were doing. That's just what he is, he's just a complete player. He's my problem solver."

Watson obviously hadn't had much time to reflect on his career before Friday's press conference, but for everyone else who's followed the Gonzaga Prep product over the last five seasons, they'll look back and remember one of the most unique and inspiring careers in Gonzaga history. From touted high school recruit to battling through a shoulder injury as a freshman, to taking a step back in light of the star power on the roster that surrounded him year after year, only to finally step into a larger role as a fifth-year player striving to set up an NBA career for himself. Watson's career arc is something Gonzaga fans will likely never see again.

"I'm just super grateful, super thankful," Watson said. "Yeah, it's surreal. I haven't really had time to let it set in. But I enjoyed the season with my coaches, my teammates, just all the fans, just all the love I've gotten this year. It's been super special to me, and I know my family, they appreciate it too."

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