A Talk with McDonough's Admissions Director
An excerpt from the Q&A:

Q: In the previous admissions season, your office interviewed 95% of admitted students. Many schools require all admitted MBAs to sit for an interview. What's Georgetown's philosophy?
A: Interviews aren't required, but we're trying to accommodate everyone. Between September and December, anyone can interview, even before submitting an application. After December, it's by invitation only.

Q: What attributes are you watching for during the interview?
A: We're looking for people who can articulate their career goals. We're looking to see that we can be the bridge between where they are and where they're heading. We're also assessing their leadership abilities.

Q: What are some common mistakes applicants make in admissions interviews?
A: One common mistake is saying that they want an MBA because they're unhappy with their current job. We're looking people who have done a self assessment and asked, "Where am I strong, what are my skills, and where can I make improvements?"

We also look for fit. Have they done their homework on Georgetown? I want to get a sense that they've looked at other [MBA] programs, have narrowed their list, and now are focused on Georgetown.

For the full version of this Q&A

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Comments from Student 1:
Location of interview: On campus.

Preparedness of Interviewer: I don't think that the interviewer reviewed my application personally before interviewing me, but she did have organized questions that she had prepared to ask. They were general questions which were followed up by more specific questions after I gave my response. I did not have any questions that were specifically targeted to something on my application.

Interviewer University affiliation: A second year student, Jennifer Blackmon

Atmosphere: Although I wore a suit, it was very relaxed, held in a small conference room. The conversation was light and flowed easily.

Questions asked: Why did you choose Georgetown? Explain in detail a challenging project you had, how you dealt with it, and results. What are your short and long terms goals?

Length of Interview: It was about 30 minutes. We spent an additional 30-40 minutes touring the premises and the interviewer allowed me to ask her direct questions.

Any additional comments: Although the weight might have been lessened by being interviewed by a current student, I enjoyed the fact that my interviewer was almost a peer and someone who I could ask questions to that could relate to me. Also, it helped in terms of not being nervous to have another student interview you. She was also able to tell me, from a student perspective, what she thought of faculty, classes, the environment, etc.

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Comments from Student 2:
Scheduling the Interview: By phone

Location of Interview: At an MBA Information session held in Pittsburgh, PA.

Preparedness of Interviewer: He may have read my resume just before the interview. I had not yet completed my application.

Interviewer: Travis Major, Operations Manager

Atmosphere: It was a good interview despite the fact that it was conducted in a bustling hotel lobby. Interview flowed like a conversation rather than an interrogation.

Questions asked: Have you had any international work experience? What are your strengths and weaknesses? How did you handle your most recent 'crisis' situation at work?

Length of Interview: Twenty minutes.

Any Additional Comments: I was admitted.

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Comments from Student 3:
Scheduling the Interview: I went to Georgetown University's website and found that they were hosting a reception in Boston and would be conducting interviews while they were there so I electronically signed up for a date and time.

Location of interview: Westin Copley Place Hotel, Boston, Massachusetts (hotel lobby area)

Preparedness of Interviewer: Interview was blind so I gave the woman a copy of my resume and educated her on my professional and personal background which stemmed a conversation.

Interviewer University affiliation: Admissions officer

Atmosphere: Relaxed, by a fire in the winter in a hotel lobby with lots of others meeting in the area for business reasons/tourists. We chatted for almost an hour and it was really more of a dialogue than a question/answer session. I was asked a few pointed questions, however, as she filled in a form.

Questions asked: Very practical questions, no surprises / examples: Why Georgetown, Walk me through your resume and why you want an MBA now, what was hardest about your previous job and what did you like the most, what do you plan to do after your MBA?

Length of Interview: About one hour

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