Nancy, from what I understand, you have been involved in some capacity of admissions for more than 20 years. Over that time, has the process become more refined at all? Do you feel that b-school admissions is becoming more selective or that admissions officers are now looking for different things when evaluating applicants?

I think absolutely that the b-school application process has become more selective. Clearly right now there are many candidates considering getting an MBA education, and as the pool gets richer the competition becomes keener. So certainly, the process becomes more and more refined as time goes on.

In particular, with regard to Georgetown, I think we're in a unique situation given that our program started in 1981. We are a younger program, and our reputation has grown significantly over the 10 years that I have been here. As our reputation grows, and more people get to know about the program, we will receive more applications based upon that awareness factor in addition to the industrywide swell.

Have the variables emphasized by admissions officers changed much?

I don't believe that they have changed, but they've been refined quite a bit. The work experience factor has gone up quite a bit. My first year as the director of admissions here at Georgetown was during the fall of 1987, and the percentage of students with work experience was much lower for the first class that I enrolled than it currently is. For the first class that I helped recruit, more than 20% did not have work experience, and now we're at 3%. Also, the kind of work experience that students have has changed. It's just not the number of years that I'm looking at, it's what kinds of work experience applicants have garnered and how they have grown -- whether they have assumed any supervisory or management positions.

Do you think the GMAT is being scrutinized more so today than in the past?

I think admissions officers have always scrutinized the GMAT, but the average score has increased significantly. How we look at the GMAT score has changed in concert with the changes in the program. For example, our focus on the quantitative score has gotten stronger and stronger every year that I've been here -- that's because of the increased emphasis Georgetown is now putting on quant skills.

Each MBA program has its own idiosyncrasies, culture, and "fit." What is Georgetown's?

Certainly one thing that we emphasize very strongly is the international aspect, a cornerstone of the program. We have built much of our curriculum around the international opportunities offered here ... which blend well with our Washinton D.C. location. Because of this emphasis, we focus a lot on the international aspects of the students' background. We are one school that asks about the applicants' language ability and previoius experience abroad. That doesn't mean that we will not accept someone who hasn't had that type of abroad experience, but clearly those that do are more attractive to us.

We are also a program that has always tried to bring in students from a diverse set of professional and personal (academic) backgrounds. One thing that's very important at Georgetown is the contribution that students make in the classroom. The more diverse the student body, the more perspectives can be voiced in the classroom, which makes for a rich educational experience for all of the students.

How do you, as an evaluator of the next generation of students to be enrolled into the MBA program, determine whether an applicant "fits" into the Georgetown mold?

This is not a place where students are being lectured to. They are being engaged in lot of group work -- interaction between students and other students, and students and professors, is rampant -- it's an integral part of the learning philosophy. That's why we look for people who not only have interesting backgrounds and who have diverse perspectives, but who also seem to be the type of individual who wants to be in an environment where they are both a teacher as well as a student. They should not view the Georgetown classroom as a competitive situation, but more of a cooperative situation.

What is Georgetown's official application total for its Class of '99? Is it up or down from last year?

We had 2,129 total applications for our class of '99. That's up slighlty from the 2,063 applications we received last year.

Georgetown is quite selective. How many people did the school accept into the program in 1997? What was the yield?

This year we admitted 34% of the applicant pool because of the increase in class size -- we increased our class from 228 students to 250 students. This year, our yield was also 34%. Our yield has typically ranged from 34% to 41%. Usually, a 32% to 36% yield is fairly normal for us. So we were pretty much right in there. 1993 was the high point, when our yield was at about 41%

What's the thinking behind increasing the class size?

We have been in a growth mode over the last 10 years. In the fall of 1987, the class was capped at 75 students, and as I said, this year, we're at 250 students. So we've been on a fairly aggressive growth rate. We're trying to implement measured growth to achieve a capacity that offers personalization. Having a larger number of students not only allows us to offer a wider array of electives, it also gives corporate recruiters a wider range of students from which to choose. So we have been watching growth carefully.

I understand that Georgetown breaks up its class into sections ...

We break the class into five different sections, and we try and break out the different sections in a way that mirrors the overall class demographic. We don't want required classes to get too large, and breaking the class out into sections -- each comprised of 50 students -- keeps it manageable. Most other MBA programs have an average of 60 students in their required courses.

In which population are you seeing the fastest growth -- women, internationals, minorities, older applicants?

Right now, it's definitely international applicants. We've seen a dramatic increase in international applications: 44% of this year's application pool versus 36% last year.

Is there a particular hot spot in the world that accounts for the bulk of Georgetown's international applications?

Certainly Asia, and particularly the People's Republic of China. We also do quite well in Latin America. So probably Asia, Southeast Asia, and Latin America would be the places where we're seeing the biggest increase in applications.

Nancy, one of your responsibilities as assistant dean is to develop marketing and recruiting strategies. Do you feel that these new initiatives have played a part in Georgtown's rise in international population?

Absolutely. It's a combination of several different things that has contributed to the growth in our international applications. First, there is the industry-wide growth in popularity of the MBA. But clearly at Georgetown, we have done a significant amount of international recruiting over the last five years, and that's a dramatic shift in focus from before. Most of our recruiting efforts during the 1980s and early 1990s were focused on the domestic pool. Since then, we have diversified quite a bit in Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

The Web is becoming a tremendous boon for b-schools as far as spreading each school's message around the world. Does Georgetown use the Web for its application process.

Yes. And that is a hot topic of coversation at every b-school. We have been focusing on the best ways to utilize the Web. It has changed how we deal with admissions.

Are applicants able to download a Georgetown application from your website? Or is the school using the Web as a way for applicants to fill-out and return applications?

We provide applicants with the opportunity to download an application from our site. We have not yet begun to offer our application via the Web because we're making major changes in our admissions system. We want to determine compatibility with that system before working with any particular vendor that can offer that type of Web functionality.

What are this year's application deadlines?

Our final deadline is April 15, 1998. We encourage applicants to apply by Feb. 1.

What's the turnaround for response?

It usually takes about six to eight weeks, and sometimes it can be quicker than that, but we like to err on the side of caution.

Is there a special deadline for international applicants?

We encourage international applicants to apply by the Feb. 1 deadline because we want to compensate for overseas information exchange, though that time-consuming process is getting quicker with E-mail.

Is there a separate scholarship deadline?

The scholarship deadline is also on Feb. 1. We tie everything to that date. If someone doesn't apply by February that doesn't mean that they won't garner any scholarship, but their chances are going to be pretty slim.

Do you have an idea of how many seats or spots generally get filled per deadline?

Well, we work on rolling admissions. Part of my job is to try and monitor the process the whole way through. We continue to make positive decisions throughout the entire cycle. Certainly there are more seats earlier than later, and it can vary quite a bit from year-to-year. Generally speaking, the people who apply are very competitive applicants. It's hard to give you any hard numbers or percentages.

All admission decisions are made through a committee process, in which 15 faculty members, current students, and administrators take part.

How many hands does a typical application go through before a decision is made?

It can be anywhere from one -- but that means that that one person reads it and everyone in the committee hears something about it from that person (the reader) -- to as many as three or four. There are some files that are very easy to make a decision on and others that are very difficult. But no decision is final until the committee gives it its blessing.

Lets get down and dirty ... What connotes a completed application? Can you give me a quick list of the different criteria assessed on the Georgetown application?

There's the application, which is giving us basic demographic information; and as part of the application form, we have several essays -- two required, one optional, and a short piece on outside activities which I think some people would consider an essay because it asks applicants to write for us, not just give us a list. We also ask for a resume; two letters of recommendation; and of course, the dreaded tests: the GMAT and the TOEFL.

Can you prioritize these variables in order of importance?

Everything that we ask for is important, but we spend a lot of time looking at the work experience and the essays. The essays give us a sense of who the candidate is, why they're interested in an MBA education, and how this education will help them reach their goals. They also let us know why the applicant is interested in Georgetown. It's important for applicants to research why they want to go to a specific program. What needs of theirs does that specific program of interest satisfy?

In some cases academic records take quite a lot of time to go through, but it's primarily the essays and work experience that take a while for us to evaluate and get a sense of where the applicant is going.

Do you evaluate the GMAT holisitcally, or in parts (AWA, Analytical Writing Assessment, Quant, Verbal)?

We really tailor our evaulation according to the particular file being reviewed. For example, let's say, hypothetically, that someone split between a high verbal score and a low quant score. In that situation we would go back to that person's transcript and look at the amount and type of quantitative coursework he or she has had. We'll also take another look at their quantitative experience in the workplace.

On the other side of the coin, if someone is an engineer who has done well on their quant score but their verbal score is weak, then we'll look at their background to determine how helpful that score is in relation to that applicant's background. So the GMAT is just one of the pieces of the puzzle that help us build a picture of the applicant and determine whether he or she is competitive with the admissions pool.

We tailor our evaluation to the applicant. We wouldn't expect someone to do quite as well on the verbal section of the GMAT if their first language isn't English. So, in that case, we have the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) to refer to.

Do you weigh the second or third GMAT score as heavily as the first if an applicant has taken the GMAT more than once?

We use the strongest score. But if someone has taken it several times, we'll look at and discuss the change in scores.

How heavily in your mind does an applicant's undegrad institution weigh?

We certainly have a body of knowledge that gives us a sense of which academic programs are strong. If we have information about how a student ranks in their undegrad program that's useful in determining how strong that applicant is.

Also, our success with MBA students who are graduates from particular institutions allows us to develop a body of information about the quality of those institutions. You see different trends and sometimes know that a candidate from a specific school will do well at Georgetown because you've encountered success before with grads from that undgrad school.

Georgetown does not require an admissions interview but has been pushing it of late. Are you angling to try and interview as many candidates as possible?

Yes, we absolutely are. One of the significant changes for this year is that we are now doing evaluative interviews as opposed to informational interviews which tend to go in a lot of different directions because the candidate sets the tone -- it's self-directed. We are only providing evaluative interviews on campus to candidates who have submitted -- it doesn't necessarily need to be complete --an application. One of the challenges that we have faced over the past two years is the demand for interviews that could not be met in a timely fashion by the staff. Because of that we have moved to a two-tier process: If someone hasn't applied yet, they can't have an evaluative interview. We have small information sessions where those that are interested can sit in and learn about what the Georgetown MBA has to offer. But we want to reserve one-to-one interviews for people who are serious and are ready to be evaluated as a candidate.

Have you set a target for the number of candidates that you hope to interview this year?

We have not set a target. But, we have been inteviewing probably about 50% to 60% of those that enroll.

What should applicants do to prepare themselves for the interview?

They should read the material very carefully. They should have a good sense of what they want to cover during the course of the interview. They should be prepared to speak about various aspects of their background and be able to make their own pitch at that point. During the interview we give them every opportunity to articulate to us anything about themselves or their candidacy they feel is necessary.

Do you, specifically, interview?

Yes.

Who else interviews besides yourself?

Right now it's just the professional admissions staff, and there are three of us.

That's a heck of a burden to shoulder.

We have in the past used second-year students to interview as well, and if the demand is high we'll do that again.

How long does the interview usually last?

Usually about 45 minutes. In some cases it will go longer, but it's usually never more than an hour.

I'm sure there are applicants out there who read into whether the length of their interview is a sign of their success...

There's really no way to put that into a category, it really depends on the person with which the candidates interview. The three interviewers here have very different styles. I usually interview quickly, while the other interviewers tend to take a little bit longer. One of our admissions officers is a graduate of the program, so she usually weaves a couple of anecdotes during the course of the interview. Sometimes an interview will get cut short and usually the only reason for that is because the applicant has a class visit that we don't want them to miss ... and there's nothing wrong with that because we feel that the class visit is critical for applicants to determine whether Georgetown is a good fit for them. I don't think there is a particular length that determines whether an interview is successful. The key is information exchange. If you've gotten your key points across to the interviewer, then the interview was a success.

How many essays does Georgetown require?

We have two required and one optional. And we also have what's called an "affiliations, personal interest, and community contributions" attachment -- in which every applicant needs to identify their outside activities as well as describe a particular activity where they feel they've done something noteworthy. The attachment is not considered an essay, and is only about a page in length.

Do you impose word limits on the Georgetown essays?

We don't have word limits. We recommend two pages for the required essays, and one page for the optional. Writing a bit more than our recommended length on the essays isn't a problem as long as you don't overdo it. So, an additional half page or so is not a problem.

Do you give applicants the option to choose which essays they can answer?

No. Essays one and two are set essays. The optional essay provides them with an opportunity to address anything that they feel they want to clarify. For example, if there's something about their academic record that they feel needs an explanation or about their work history then the optional essay gives them the chance to do just that.

What do the two required essays involve?

The first is about a significant change or improvement applicants have made to an organization with which they've been affiliated. It's really about how they determined that change was necessary and how they implemented it.

The second essay is really about their career, where they're going, how their prior professional experience will help them get there, and how Georgetown is going to add to the portfolio that they have already developed. We want to know their short term and longer term goals.

Georgetown strongly encourages its applicants to have a fair amount of professional work experience before applying to the MBA program -- roughly two years. What's this year's range of work experience?

Well, just 3% of the Class of '99 does not have any work experience. This year it ranged anywhere from zero years up to between 15 and 20 years. Also, for this year's class (of 1999) 45% have five years of work experience or more under their belt.

What can an applicant with little to no work experience do to bolster his or her chances of acceptance?

They have to be exceptionally strong academically. They need to have very strong test scores. They need to have had significant leadership experience in their university, and also have to have some solid summer jobs and/or internships. We would like to see that they've been involved in a summer job or internship where they gathered real business experience ... that they've been involved in something that indicates that they've done things that will contribute to their career down the line.

Do you allow accepted applicants to defer?

We do consider candidates for deferral each year, and we defer for a maximum of one year. We ask applicants to write us a letter outlining their reasons for requesting a deferral ... most reasons are related to professional opportunites that they've been given, personal factors, or financial constraints.

Can you quantify how many people were deferred this past year?

We granted 70 requests for a one-year deferral. That's probably going to get tougher in the years to come.

How many applicants are waitlisted?

Quite honestly, we have a different process here. People will be offered a place on the waitlist, but they have to accept it. So unless someone sends us a letter, they are not going to be waitlisted, instead, they're just not admitted. They have to actively choose to be part of the waitlist process. I would say that we generally waitlist about 150 candidates a year.

Clearly every year at least someone gets in off the waitlist -- it fluctuates. The piece of advice I can give to a waitlisted candidate is that you need to get in touch with the admissions office. Don't just say that I want to be on the waitlist when you call to reserve your spot, but say a bit more. Get in touch with us, talk with us, let us know how important Georgetown is for you. That's very important because those people who remain in contact with us -- we call them "pleasant pests" -- often learn quite a bit more about what we have to offer. And we get a better understanding of the applicant from letters and conversations.

Do you provide counseling for the rejected?

Absolutely. We'll certainly go over their application with them and try to provide them with some insights about what we feel needs to be improved. Oftentimes we'll give feedback over the phone or in person. We have many applicants who will choose to reactivate their application for the next admissions year, and we'll talk with them so that they'll have a better sense of what they need to do to recieve a different answer the second go-around.

What's this year's tuition?

This current year it's $22,680.

What would you estimate the annual cost of living to be in the Washington D.C. area?

We estimate that it's about $10,000.

What kind of scholarship help does Georgetown offer to offset the financial burden? About how much? Can you quantify this?

We have a merit-based scholarship at Georgetown for which all students who are offered admission are considered. As a general rule, it's hard to successfully acquire a scholarship if you haven't applied early. We offer a combination of tuition scholarship and a stipend for research work done with a faculty member or an administrative unit of the school. Taken together, they range anywhere from the value of full tuition (which is rare) to the value of one-quarter of tuition.

How many people have some type of scholarship at Georgetown?

Somewhere around 20% of the class might be on some type of scholarship. It could go up to as much as 25% to 30%. We do consider both U.S. and international candidates.

What advice can you give to applicants looking for scholarship and financial aid?

They need to apply early and make sure that they have submitted absolutely everything that each of the schools are asking for. Financial aid is a very paper-intensive process, so you have to make sure that you have everything that you need. With regard to a scholarship, for us, because it is merit-based, you need to be a really strong candidate with a good amount of work experience, high academic achievement, and a strong GMAT.

Nancy, you recieved an MBA from Pace University. Can you describe for me what you did when applying?

I think the important final step that a student needs to take when completing the application is making sure that it is all there and thoroughly completed. Many students have a tendency to pull all of the pieces of the application together and then very quickly, they want to send it out. But, it's important to stop, step back, and go over it one more time. Go over it with the notion of being the application evaluator, who after reading each file says: "This is all I know about this person." Turn the tables and imagine that you're part of the admissions committee.

Also, a lot of students try to do the "one-size-fits-all" method and answer the "goals" essay question with a generic response. There is a great desire among candidates to try to submit a common essay response to all of the schools to which they are applying, and that often falls short.

Lastly, it's important to address any concerns that you think the admissions committee may have. You should not assume that if the you don't mention, for example, that your academic transcript suffered because you worked 60 hours a week, that the committee won't wonder a little bit. It's always better for a candidate to address any and all issues rather than let the committee make assumptions.

Who are your toughest competitors?

We certainly compete a lot here on the East Coast. We're sort of at the midpoint of the "East Coast swing," when applicants make their way from Boston to North Carolina to look at different b-schools. Clearly a lot of our candidates are applying to UVA, Duke, NYU for finance, Columbia, and a number of candidates are also applying to Cornell. In addition, we have local crossover with the University of Maryland.

As our reputation has become more well-recognized we now are finding ourselves playing in a tougher, more competitive environment. We clearly are now competing with many of the elite MBA programs in the country.

Nancy, would you like to add anything else before we wrap up?

I just encourage any applicant who has a question about the application process, the particular school that they are applying to, or whatever, to get in touch with admissions people and address those questions before submitting their application. And I wish them luck.

Nancy, thank you for speaking with me today.