Georgetown's Search for Leaders

When she's not traveling the world in search of potential MBAs, Monica Gray is in Washington, D.C., serving as assistant dean and admissions director at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business, a position she has held since 2002. She came to the school as associate director of admissions in 1999 and before that was director of marketing for the School of Political Management at George Washington University.

Gray says McDonough students should be ready for a rigorous international business program, but they can also expect a supportive community. BusinessWeek Online project assistant Meredith Bodgas recently spoke with Gray about what she looks for in potential students. Here are edited excerpts of their conversation:

Are applications up or down so far this year?
It's early in the cycle, but we're seeing some recovery from the decline in applicants in previous years (see BW Online, 12/7/05, "First-Round Frenzy"). The millennial generation is moving into graduate education, and they're a larger age cohort than the one that's passing through now. People are also feeling more positively about the economy, so they're less timid about leaving their jobs to pursue graduate education (see BW Online, 12/30/05, "A Heady Job Market for MBAs").

What's new at McDonough?
We have a new dean, George Daly, who has a reputation for being a visionary. The dean's first tasks will be to find resources for our new building and to look into some strategic issues like improving our program and increasing our faculty. We also have a new director of career management, Anne Jones from Citigroup, who has already brought many new companies to campus.

What kind of students fit in well?
We have a diverse student population, but they share certain personality traits. Our students are passionate about the program, and they help build upon it. Many are leaders who work with the administration and faculty to bring speakers to campus and bring about program changes. We don't want students who...

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