"Be who you are and be that well." The wise words of Visitation Order co-founder St. Francis de Sales form the heart of a Georgetown Visitation education. The high school years are a time of discovery, not just of knowledge and skills, but also of yourself and your potential.
We provide the spiritual grounding, challenging academics, plentiful opportunities, and supportive and joyous community that enable our students to cultivate their God-given gifts. And they do—with confidence, with enthusiasm, and, as with everything here, with friends.
Every day, we live the Salesian Little Virtues of kindness, gentle strength, humility, and thoughtful concern for others honoring and respecting the uniqueness of each individual while fostering an inclusive and caring community.
We invite you to discover Georgetown Visitation and see how we help each girl to be who she is and be that well.
Our Mission
Georgetown Visitation, founded in 1799, is a college preparatory school rooted in the Roman Catholic faith and Salesian tradition, committed to educating young women from diverse backgrounds. We are a faith-centered community dedicated to educational excellence, enriched by co-curricular and service programs.
Our mission is to empower our students to meet the demands and challenges of today’s rapidly changing and morally complex world. We guide our students to become self-reliant, intellectually mature, and morally responsible women of faith, vision, and purpose.
Philosophy of Community Culture
In keeping with our mission of “Living Jesus,” Georgetown Visitation is committed to fostering an institutional culture which honors the dignity and sacredness of every individual. As a Salesian community, we derive strength from the belief that all people, as children of God, merit respect and equality. To fulfill the mission of preparing students to respond in a Christ-like manner to others, the Church and the global community, we recognize that it is vital to continue to develop and maintain an environment which values diversity, in all its multiplicity. Georgetown Visitation believes that we are strengthened intellectually and morally when diverse voices, perspectives, and backgrounds are present. We believe God calls us actively to embrace empathy, equity, and social justice in our work to educate women of faith, vision and purpose.
- Accepted March 2009 by the GV Board of Trustees
Profile of a Graduate
A Georgetown Visitation graduate enthusiastically lives St. Francis de Sales’ exhortation to “Be who you are and be that well, to give honor to the Master Craftsman whose handiwork you are.”
She is a woman of faith.
- She demonstrates strong character and deep faith, enriched by Catholic theology and inspired by the Salesian tradition of the Sisters of the Visitation.
- She values and cultivates authentic relationships with God, self, family, and friends.
- Empowered by her belief in God, she embraces the world beyond Visitation; she “Lives Jesus” and embodies the Salesian virtues as she acts for peace and social justice.
She is a woman of vision.
- She is intellectually curious, perseveres, believes in her potential, and commits to growth and excellence throughout her life.
- She thinks independently, critically, and creatively; she confronts ambiguity confidently.
- She balances innovation and tradition, embracing and drawing from a broad understanding of the liberal arts and sciences.
- She listens to others’ perspectives, communicates effectively, and collaborates to solve problems.
She is a woman of purpose.
- She exemplifies moral integrity, personal responsibility, and a commitment to sharing her talents for the betterment of society.
- She models service, empathy, and humanity in her leadership.
- She honors the dignity and sacredness of every individual, appreciating cultures, religions, and economic and ethnic backgrounds different from her own.
A Georgetown Visitation woman possesses knowledge and skills for a lifetime of inquiry and excellence. She cultivates the little virtues espoused by St. Jane de Chantal and St. Francis de Sales, which will animate her unique God-given gifts and enrich our world.
Educating the Heart & Mind
As a Visitation school, our philosophy of education is anchored by our Catholic faith and animated by the Salesian spirituality of the founders of the Visitation, St. Jane de Chantal and St. Francis de Sales. Their writings radiate an optimism born of the loving hand of God as seen in the beauty of creation and a clear vision of the human person created in the image of God.
We guide our students as they integrate the search for truth with the pursuit of knowledge and dedicate their God-given gifts to making the world a better place.
Visitation at a Glance
515
students
10
academic departments
80
service hours to graduate
69
dedicated teachers
6,500
alumnae
24
sports teams