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July 22, 2023

Georgetown McDonough MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines [2023 – 2024]

This year, Georgetown requires two essays from all its applicants. Sharing the same structure as last year, the first required essay allows you to choose to answer one of three prompts. The prompts have changed from last year’s, however. The program’s second required essay is again a video essay, with a different prompt this year. The admissions office also provides an optional essay and a reapplicant essay. 

Don’t forget to take advantage of the opportunity to be granted an application fee waiver. You’ll find the details about how to do so in the Application Fee section of McDonough’s Applications Component page . 

Ready to get to work on your McDonough application? Read on. 

McDonough application essay tips

Mcdonough application deadlines, mcdonough class profile, required essay.

Our goal at Georgetown McDonough is to craft a diverse class with people who have had varying personal and professional life experiences. As such, we want to give our applicants the opportunity to select one essay (from a list of three) that allows them the ability to best highlight their experiences, characteristics, and values that showcase the value proposition that they can bring to the McDonough community. Please select one of the following three essays to complete in 500 words (approximately two pages, double spaced) and include the essay prompt and your first/last name at the top of your submission.

Each prompt provides a different perspective on your candidacy. When deciding which option to respond to, consider which one resonates with you most and will allow you to showcase yourself best. 

Essay Option One – Georgetown Community

Our mission is rooted in Jesuit principles of equality and respect for everyone and an ethos of caring for the whole person. Inclusivity and diversity are core to supporting a community of people with an intersectional understanding of themselves and the world around them. Share how your educational, familial, cultural, economic, social, and/or other individual life experiences will contribute to the diversity of perspectives and ideas at Georgetown University.

Community is a vital aspect of any MBA program experience, and Georgetown’s Jesuit values underscore the importance of contributing to this community. Throughout your life, you have had many experiences that have shaped who you are and are the basis for your unique perspectives and ideas. This essay provides an opportunity to consider your most impactful experiences, how they influenced you, and how you will add value to your community because of them. Consider how your presence and contributions to the community will enrich your classmates.

​Essay Option Two – Leave Your Legacy

Commitment to service and community is an important value that Hoyas share across Georgetown McDonough’s 40+ MBA student-run clubs and organizations, nine centers and initiatives, and various other co-curricular activities. What do you want your legacy to be as a McDonough student and alumni? Be as specific as possible.

Perhaps when you were talking with a McDonough graduate or student about an activity they were involved in, you immediately thought, “That is absolutely something I want to be a part of and would like to take it to the next level.” Or, maybe the conversation sparked an idea of something you could introduce to the community. Either way, can you see yourself making a sustainable impact long after you leave the Hilltop? Share your proposed activity or idea, and explain how you came to learn about it. Focus your answer on what your legacy will be, and provide details about how you will make your mark on the McDonough MBA experience.

Essay Option Three – Magis

Magis is a Jesuit value that instills the sense of achieving “more” or “greater” excellence. Share how you achieved magis during a professional experience as evidenced on your resume. Describe why this experience exemplified excellence and what about your involvement (i.e. strengths or skills) contributed to the excellence.  

This essay option allows you to showcase professional excellence from a personal perspective. Not only will you share the experience referenced in the prompt, but you will also describe in detail how you contributed to achieving excellence. Consider whether you want to share an example of a time when you worked with a team versus one in which you were an individual contributor. What does one communicate versus the other? Make sure you share specifics about what YOU did. What motivated you to take the action you took? Did you consider any options? How did you include others in the process? How did you decide to pursue the direction that led to achieving excellence? As the prompt indicates, share strengths, skills, and ideas – and don’t forget to describe the outcome and impact on your organization.  

Video Essay

Building a cohort of diverse and unique individuals is important to the admissions team. We want you to bring your whole self to Georgetown McDonough. Throughout the application, we’ve learned about what you would add as a professional and leader. Just as important is learning about your interests outside of work. In one minute, please share 5-10 random facts about yourself that are not on your resume and how these facts contribute to who you are as a professional and leader.

• You may use your phone, computer, or other means to record the video, but please ensure all audio and visual components are clear. We recommend a well-lit room and minimal noise distraction. 
• The admissions committee would like for you to appear in person during part of your video.
• We recommend unscripted, conversational videos – help us get to know the real you!
• Upload your video to an accessible website (such as YouTube, Vimeo, Youku, or Tudou), and submit the direct video URL into your online application. 
• Please note that all videos must remain active and accessible to the admissions committee online for a minimum of five years for record retention purposes.
• For your privacy: Do not include your name in the title of your video. You may submit “unlisted” videos via YouTube or password protected videos through Vimeo. If using a password, please include immediately after your link in the text box below. [Ex: www.youtube.com/123, password: Hoyas]  

The great thing about the video essay is that you get to present yourself to the admissions committee. For some, this might be intimidating. But, with preparation and practice, you can confidently submit your video essay. This essay is an opportunity to share facts about your life outside of work and connect them to how you show up professionally and as a leader. As the essay prompt states, your resume does not include the facts you will share in this essay response. There is no wrong answer here, as long as you can tie the fact to how it has shaped you as a professional and a leader. 

The essay allows various adcom members to view your video. Start your essay by briefly introducing yourself, and remember to smile! While it might feel strange, given that you are talking to the camera, smiling will help you come across as warm and friendly. If it helps, imagine you are sharing your facts with a friend instead of the admissions committee. Remember, you want the recording to capture your authenticity so the viewer can imagine you as a member of the McDonough community!  

For example: “I work with a local youth group, and each summer, we take the group on a white water rafting trip on the Youghiogheny River. I enjoy working with kids unsure of their ability to complete the journey. I enjoy coaching them and helping them realize that they can learn how to work with the others in their group to maneuver that raft on the rapids. I take this same approach at work, supporting new hires on my team to find their footing in a new environment and helping them achieve success in their roles.”

Here are some practical tips to remember when recording your video:

• Prepare at least five and no more than ten facts to share in the 60 seconds.
• Write a few bullet points to help you recall the experience you will discuss.
• Do not read from a script. You want to come across as relaxed and conversational.  
• Start the essay by briefly introducing yourself – and remember to smile! 
• Practice your essay, recording yourself, and review the recording to make note of how you sound and appear. Make adjustments before recording your next practice video. Do this as many times as it takes for you to feel comfortable!
• Follow all the instructions that the admissions office outlined.

Optional Essay

Please provide any information you would like to add to your application that you have not otherwise included (300-350 words, approximately one page, double spaced).

Is there an experience, circumstance, or information you couldn’t convey in other parts of your application? The optional essay is the place to do it. Here are some topics to consider:

• Do you have a gap in your employment, or are you currently unemployed? 

Provide the details of the period of unemployment, including ways you were or are engaged in your community or otherwise enhancing your skills or preparing for business school.

• Did your grades suffer during a period in college?

You might have had a difficult period during undergrad for many reasons. Perhaps you were a first-generation college student and didn’t have sufficient parental guidance, or you were ill during a given semester. Whatever the reason, rest assured that the admissions committee took note when reviewing your transcripts. Use this space to explain the circumstances of the situation.

• Have you overcome difficult personal circumstances?

Often, situations we have overcome personally impact how we view the world and interact with others. Share information demonstrating “grit” or your ability to succeed despite the circumstances. 

• Have you been involved in supporting others who are less fortunate, with the goal of providing opportunities and the chance for a better life? 

Georgetown University is committed to social justice and life-changing service. Your work in this area aligns with the Jesuit identity of the university and will resonate with the adcom.

One important thing to remember is that if the information you want to share is deeply personal, ensure that you provide enough detail to convey the situation but aren’t oversharing. Part of what the admissions committee will consider is your judgment regarding what you include in the essay. 

If you feel you have thoroughly communicated your candidacy in other areas of the application, you needn’t feel compelled to provide this essay.

Reapplicant Essay

Required for reapplicants. How have you strengthened your candidacy since your last application? We are particularly interested in hearing about how you have grown professionally and personally (300-350 words, approximately one page, double spaced).

This essay is straightforward. Update the committee about how you have improved your candidacy since you last applied. In addition to having another year of work experience, what achievement can you share? Did you work on any special projects? Learn new skills? What interesting things have you done outside of work that might impact your contributions to the community? If you retook a test and improved your score or took additional classes to prepare for the MBA, note that in this essay, even if there is another place to include the information in the application as a data point. The reapplicant essay should comprehensively summarize what you have done to strengthen your candidacy. 

Source: Georgetown McDonough website

***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with Georgetown McDonough directly to verify its essay questions, instructions, and deadlines.***

Here is a look at the McDonough MBA Class of 2024 (data taken from the McDonough website ):

Applications received: 1,537

Enrolled: 249

Female: 34%

U.S. diversity: 38%

Underrepresented minorities: 17%

International: 42%

Countries represented: 39

Military: 9%

Average years of work experience: 5.7

Average age: 29

Average GPA: 3.29

Mid 80% GPA range: 2.82-3.77

Average GMAT: 697

Mid 80% GMAT range: 640-740

Average GRE: 317

Mid 80% GRE range: 307-327

Percentage taking GRE: 48.6%

Undergrad fields of study:

• Business: 31.7%
• Engineering: 19.7%
• Economics: 16.9%
• Humanities: 13.7%
• Social sciences: 6.8%
• Government & international studies: 4.8%

Industry backgrounds:

• Financial services: 20.1%
• Consulting: 10.4%
• Tech & media: 8%
• Government: 4.8%
• Construction: 4.4%
• Healthcare: 4%

You’ve worked so hard to get to this point in your journey. Now that you’re ready for your next achievement, make sure you know how to present yourself to maximum advantage in your Georgetown McDonough application. In a hotly competitive season, you’ll want a member of Team Accepted in your corner, guiding you with expertise tailored specifically for you. Check out our flexible consulting packages today!

As the former executive director of admissions at Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School and assistant dean of admissions at Georgetown’s McDonough School and the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz School,Kelly Wilson has 23 years’ experience overseeing admissions committees and has reviewed more than 38,000 applications for the MBA and master’s programs in management of information systems, computational finance, business analytics, and product management.  Want Kelly to help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources:

• Can Artificial Intelligence Help with Your MBA Applications?
• How to Get Into Georgetown McDonough’s MBA Program , podcast Episode 512
• Eight Tips for Attention-Grabbing Resumes

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A Guide to the Georgetown Essays 2020-2021

Padya Paramita

August 5, 2020

Year after year, Georgetown University remains one of the most prestigious universities in the country. Understandably, gaining admission is not easy — Georgetown has an acceptance rate of only 15% (and reached a record low of 12% last year). Whether you’re applying to this DC school for its well-renowned undergraduate business program, or you see yourself becoming as successful in your field as alums Bill Clinton and Bradley Cooper, you first have to overcome the Georgetown essays 2020-2021 . 

Georgetown University is not a part of the Common Application and doesn’t use the Common App personal statement prompts, but rather offers its own set of essays to understand who you are and where your interests lie. Regardless of whether you’re an applicant to Georgetown College, the School of Nursing and Health Studies, the Walsh School of Foreign Service, or the McDonough School of Business, you have to write strong responses to the Georgetown essays 2020-2021 in order to frame yourself as a must-have candidate that stands out from other applicants.  

Prompts for the Georgetown Essays 2020-2021

Short essay.

Briefly (approximately one-half page, single-spaced) discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved.

Each year, Georgetown receives thousands of applications from students with stellar grades. By asking such a question through the Georgetown essays 2020-2021, the school is interested to know the kind of impact you’ve made in your community in order to distinguish you from the rest of the applicants. The school wants to know what part of your current high school career holds the most significance to you and how that in turn will influence the way you contribute to the Georgetown community. By asking this question, Georgetown wants to know the type of leader you are, how you collaborate with others, and what you care about the most.

To think about the activity you want to elaborate on, take a look at your activities list. A question like this should highlight one of the extracurriculars listed at or near the top of your activities list. In the activities section, you only had 150 characters, including spaces to describe what you did. But if it truly is an activity that has mattered, there’s far more to say. Reflect on what kind of leader you were while participating in the activity, if it’s an initiative that you started, why it is important to you, and the people you connected with . Half of a page is about 250 words, so really focus your answer on the impact rather than spending too much time describing what you did as part of the activity.

Long Essays

Compose two essays (approximately one page, single-spaced each) on the topics given below.

Essay 1 – All Applicants

As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief essay, either personal or creative, which you feel best describes you.

While the previous question highlights what you’ve done and how you’ve made an impact, this question attempts to get more to the core of who you are. Alongside evaluating your academic achievements, Georgetown especially considers your “accomplishments outside of the classroom, demonstrated commitment to the broader community, and personal qualities such as resiliency, motivation and ambition are certainly considered.” They want to see whether you possess qualities that can not only uniquely add to the Georgetown community, but benefit from it as well. 

It can be difficult to figure out where to even begin brainstorming this question — you can probably name a few different points or facets of your life that you consider core to your personality and character. To write this essay, it would be wise to write about the same topic as the Common App personal statement . Since Georgetown admissions officers won’t be looking at your Common App, it’s absolutely okay to draw from your personal statement, as that essay is also about a story that is completely unique to you. This prompt provides you with a chance to tell a story that doesn’t apply to 99% of other students. Your response could also focus on a part of your background that has shaped you or it could highlight an experience that you believe distinguishes you from your peers. The prompt also says you can get creative with your essay, so don’t be afraid to think out of the box. Unlike the Common App, which isn’t school specific, you can even add a sentence or two at the end of this prompt as you’re only submitting this response to Georgetown!

Essay 2 – according to your choice of college within Georgetown University

Applicants to georgetown college:.

What does it mean to you to be educated? How might Georgetown College help you achieve this aim? (Applicants to the Sciences and Mathematics or the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics should address their chosen course of study).

This question might sound intimidating at first, but if you break it down and read each part carefully, you’ll notice that this is a typical “why school” essay. Admissions officers use this question within the Georgetown essays 2020-2021 to determine your fit for not just the university, but Georgetown College itself. One of the biggest reasons colleges use supplemental essays is to make sure that the applicant and the school are a strong match for each other. By understanding what appeals to you about the college, and your choice of school within GU, as well as how you can benefit from its resources, the reader can understand whether you would thrive at this DC institution.

The most component part of any “why school” is to demonstrate that you’ve done research on the college. This is an academically-focused essay so make sure your response is centered around how an education at Georgetown College can hone your current skills and reach your goals. It’s absolutely essential that you mention resources that Georgetown specifically can offer you. What appeals to you about the Linguistics or Psychology major at GU specifically? Is there a particular professor whose research you have followed? Is there a course within your chosen department that fits perfectly with your dream career? Let the school know why you believe you’re the perfect fit — help them see it as well. 

Applicants to the School of Nursing and Health Studies:

Describe the factors that have influenced your interest in studying health care. Please specifically address your intended major (Health Care Management & Policy, Human Science, Global Health, or Nursing).

Georgetown knows that all students applying to the School of Nursing and Health Studies have a passion for medicine, want to help people, and imagine a career for themselves  in healthcare. This question asks you to dig deeper. What makes your specific interest in the field unique? The school wants to see that you have done your research on Georgetown’s nursing school specifically and understand the resources that make the college unique. 

In this essay — without overlapping with the previous question about who you are — you have to expand on a story related to your love for medicine that only applies to you. Lots of students may have been inspired by their own or their relatives’ illnesses, while others might have realized their calling for the profession through an internship junior year. Since you have about 500 words you can write in detail about how your interest in medicine originated, the ways in which you explored the interest further both academically and through extracurriculars, and then delve more into how your choice of major at Georgetown can help you reach your aspirations. Why Health Care Management & Policy, and why at Georgetown? Make sure the reader understands that you understand the school’s offerings and resources and that you’re ready to make the most of them. 

Applicants to the Walsh School of Foreign Service:

Briefly discuss a current global issue, indicating why you consider it important and what you suggest should be done to deal with it.

The Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown is one of the best known schools in the world for studying international affairs. Admissions officers use this prompt to understand both your personality, character, and values. The School of Foreign Service wants to see where your priorities lie, what your goals are, and how an education in one of the school’s unique majors such as Regional and Comparative Studies and International Political Economy can help you get there. The school is looking for ambitious, open-minded and curious individuals, and using this prompt among the Georgetown essays 2020-2021 can be an effective way of doing so.

If you’ve answered the 4th prompt among the Common App personal statement essays ( Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve.) , you can write a similar response here. Remember that while this question asks for a current global issue, you’re still writing supplemental essays for your application. This prompt is less about what problem you’ve chosen, and more about getting to know what’s important to you and how you react when faced with one. Moreover, since it doesn’t have to examine a problem the world has already solved, you can use this prompt to delve deeper into your academic interests, specifically within the Walsh School. Is your desire to end climate change connected with your selection of the college’s Science, Technology & International Affairs major? Carefully choose an issue that shows your personal stake, as well as conveys you as an individual aware of the world around them.

Applicants to the McDonough School of Business:

The McDonough School of Business is a national and global leader in providing graduates with essential ethical, analytical, financial and global perspectives. Please discuss your motivations for studying business at Georgetown.

As one of the top undergraduate business schools in the United States, the McDonough School wants to know how you hope to benefit from a business degree from Georgetown specifically. They want to know what you want from a business degree at this stage — how will you take advantage of Georgetown’s hands-on opportunities? What impact have you made on your community and what are you bringing to the classroom? How will you add to the diversity of your cohort?

The word limit allows you to go into details about discovering your love for not just business — but your specific interest in the discipline. Whether it’s marketing or accounting, ask yourself questions to start brainstorming exactly what motivates you. Was there one instance that catalyzed your passion and goals? How have you explored the subject of your interest since then? How has your curiosity about the topic grown? The majority of your essay should be dedicated to tying your interest in with what McDonough has to offer. Note which professor you can’t wait to learn from or a class that stands out to you on your way to becoming a future entrepreneur.

Further Tips for Writing the Georgetown Essays

• Don’t underestimate the power of your extracurriculars - Admissions officers want to know what makes you tick outside the classroom. Don’t just shrug off the first essay and repeat information word for word from what you’ve already included in your activities list. They want to know about your perspective and identity. Your activities could have shifted your views in a way that you might not have even realized before sitting down to write the essay. And you won’t be able to analyze their impact properly if you don’t look at them from a more nuanced angle. 
• Research both the college of your choice and the university as a whole - While you definitely have to go in-depth to understand what makes the college of your choice within Georgetown special, it’s also essential that you understand what makes Georgetown unique. This means understanding its identity and values , researching its unique opportunities, and really knowing why you think you would be a good fit. The fit automatically shines through in your writing if you’ve worked to authentically connect your research to your interest in the school.

Georgetown University is a dream school for many students. Naturally, the competition is not easy. To help admissions officers understand what you can bring to campus and how the school can help you grow and thrive, take advantage of these prompts to explain what makes you unique. With the right amount of research, the extracurriculars and grades to back it up, and passion for your field of interest, you can give yourself a fair shot at this well-esteemed university. Good luck! 

Tags : Georgetown University , Georgetown Essays 2020-2021 , applying to georgetown , georgetown application essays , georgetown supplemental essays

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McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University Essay Analysis 2020-2021

Welcome to this article in which I am going to talk about Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business. If you’re looking at applying to this school in 2020-2021, you have come to the right place.

First, let’s talk about the college itself.  McDonough is part of Georgetown University, which is one of the oldest universities, and is located in Washington DC; most politicians’ children have actually gone to this university. It has a very good alum network, and that is a huge plus point. Another plus point is that being in Washington DC, the university is part of a large city. Hence, its location is great!

Now, apart from the great alum network and the location, what differentiates this program is the international focus and global experience. For example, in the second year, they have the Global Experience program as part of the MBA curriculum where students are given practical consulting projects in numerous international locations. That is one example of the kind of international focus they have. In fact, if you look at the whole curriculum, it has a lot of focus on international business. This is because Georgetown University itself has the School of Foreign Services. This is definitely one top reason for you to apply.

2020-2021 Georgetown McDonough Deadlines

Application Deadline: October 9, 2020

Notification Date: December 19, 2020

Deposit Due: February 15, 2020

Application Deadline: January 7, 2021

Notification Date: March 26, 2021

Deposit Due: April 26, 2021

Round Three

Application Deadline: April 1, 2021

Notification Date: May 15, 2021

Deposit Due: May 28, 2021

Application Deadline: May 1, 2021

Notification Date: May 31, 2021

Deposit Due: June 6, 2021

2020-2021 Georgetown MBA Essay Questions

Describe a defining moment when you were challenged and exceeded expectations. (the moment can be a professional or personal one. if personal, then please also include how it had an impact on your professional development) (500 words or fewer).

This is a classic essay where you’re talking about that one moment in your life, or that one thing that you did which possibly defines you. 500 words is a lot of space for you to craft out a good essay. Pick something where you felt that more than the impact it caused others you learned a lot from the experience.  You want to pick something through which you had an impact on others, but remember that the question says, “Describe a defining moment when you were challenged and exceeded expectations.”  Now think about it. Expectations can be very low, you may have overcome the expectations, you might have done well above them. Here, you have to tell them more than what you did; say what it did for you!

After you pick the story, you can use the standard START framework. You talk about the SITUATION – When did this happen? What was the background? What do you think would give gravity to the whole story?  Consider all this while describing the situation. The second thing to cover is the TASK. What were you supposed to do?  What was expected of you when you walked into the situation?. Third, the ACTION . What was the action that you did? What did you eventually do? Did you go and look at the scenario and think something can be done? What action did you take? Fourth, the RESULT. What was the result? Remember that you’re talking about the “Defining moment when you were challenged and exceeded expectations.” The last factor is the personal TAKEAWAYS . This is very important. What were the takeaways?  You have to cover the situation, task, action, result, and takeaways; I would probably spend a lot more on the takeaways. What did I learn about myself? Did it help me in other areas of my life? If it did, how did it help me? The B-School is trying to understand you as a person; that’s what the really want to know. Who are you? Is this the person they would like to see in their class?. You need to bring a personal aspect to the story. More than the occasion, I would say what you learned should be the larger, overarching thing.

Video Essay:

The required video essay is an opportunity for you to bring life to your application. please introduce yourself to your future georgetown mba cohort in a one minute video. the admission commission would like you to appear in person during part of your video and we strongly encourage you to speak outside of the experiences we can read on your resume. use this video as an opportunity to bring life into your application..

Don’t repeat the things on your resume. However, you need to introduce yourself to your cohort, which is your team. What is it that you’re going to say in one minute, which is not already in your resume? You should pick just two or three things you want to share about yourself because 60 seconds will be done very quickly. Share certain things that are personal to you. Maybe you want to say “My name is…”, followed by an adjective, then go on to describe what that adjective means in your context. Talk about your hobbies. Say how you would like to share that hobby with your classmates. You’re bringing your personality into this. What they really want to know is, “if I look at you, are you a paper tiger? Or are you a person that I would like to talk to? Are you a person that I would like to interact with? How good is your communication? Are you able to maintain eye contact? What is your body language?

You don’t need any fancy equipment. One thing people ask me is, “Do I need to get it professionally shot?” These days, with the kind of phones we have, all you need is to keep the phone at a particular place and shoot the video.

• Make sure that the source of light is not behind you but is on your face or even above you.
• You need to be confident, you need to use your hands. You need to be yourself.
• You can take as many retakes as you want. Maybe you’re going to first get comfortable talking and then take the final version.
• You can have it directed. Maybe your friend who holds the camera, who gives an unbiased opinion about the video, could also help you.

Optional Essay 1:

If you are not currently employed full-time, use this essay to provide information about your current activities. (250 words or fewer).

If you’re utilizing this essay, remember it is not about having a full-time job as long as you can show them that you are creatively engaged in any activity, and utilizing your time well. Maybe you are taking some online courses. You have 250 words and you can tell them anything else in your application that has not been covered. Ensure that you talk about something that is relevant. Don’t try to fit in some story because it did not find a place elsewhere. Talk about what you would probably do in your future, maybe there is some course that you are planning to do next year or any other passion that you would like to pursue. Maybe you want to learn to play guitar before you join the B-School.

Don’t just write another story, like, “At work, I was given an opportunity to do this and ….”. Don’t do this.

Optional Essay 2:

Please provide any information you would like to add to your application that you have not otherwise included. (500 words or fewer), re-applicant essay:, how have you strengthened your candidacy since your last application we are particularly interested in hearing about how you have grown professionally and personally. (500 words or fewer).

So that’s pretty much what we have. If you’re applying to Georgetown McDonough, please go ahead and click the link below. We’ve had a lot of students who went there in the past, and we can share our experience of what it takes to really get in. So.

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Georgetown MBA Essays for 2023-2024

Is the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University on your shortlist of target MBA programs? Then get ready, because the Georgetown MBA essays and deadlines for the new admissions cycle have been confirmed.

Georgetown MBA Essays

Notes from the school:.

Our goal at Georgetown McDonough is to craft a diverse class with people who have had varying personal and professional life experiences. As such, we want to give our applicants the opportunity to select one essay (from a list of three) that allows them the ability to best highlight their experiences, characteristics, and values that showcase the value proposition that they can bring to the McDonough community.

Please select one of the following three essays to complete in 500 words (approximately two pages, double-spaced) and include the essay prompt and your first/last name at the top of your submission.

Essay Option One – Georgetown Community Our mission is rooted in Jesuit principles of equality and respect for everyone and an ethos of caring for the whole person. Inclusivity and diversity are core to supporting a community of people with an intersectional understanding of themselves and the world around them. Share how your educational, familial, cultural, economic, social, and/or other individual life experiences will contribute to the diversity of perspectives and ideas at Georgetown University.

Essay Option Two – Leave Your Legacy Commitment to service and community is an important value that Hoyas share across Georgetown McDonough’s 40+ MBA student-run clubs and organizations, nine centers and initiatives, and various other co-curricular activities. What do you want your legacy to be as a McDonough student and alumni? Be as specific as possible.

Essay Option Three – Magis Magis is a Jesuit value that instills the sense of achieving “more” or “greater” excellence. Share how you achieved magis during a professional experience as evidenced on your resume. Describe why this experience exemplified excellence and what about your involvement (i.e. strengths or skills) contributed to the excellence.

Video Essay

Building a cohort of diverse and unique individuals is important to the admissions team. We want you to bring your whole self to Georgetown McDonough. Throughout the application, we’ve learned about what you would add as a professional and leader. Just as important is learning about your interests outside of work. In one minute, please share 5-10 random facts about yourself that are not on your resume and how these facts contribute to who you are as a professional and leader.

You can find more information about the parameters of this essay here .

Optional Essay

Please provide any information you would like to add to your application that you have not otherwise included (300-350 words, approximately one page, double-spaced).

Re-Applicant Essay

Required for re-applicants. How have you strengthened your candidacy since your last application? We are particularly interested in hearing about how you have grown professionally and personally (300-350 words, approximately one page, double-spaced).

For more information on applying, please visit the Georgetown MBA admissions website. If you need guidance on your Georgetown MBA essays or wish to discuss your MBA plans, reach out for a complimentary analysis  of your candidacy. We’re here to help!

With deadlines around the corner, you may be interested in the world-famous SBC Flight Test . Once a full set of application materials for your initial school have been drafted, but not finalized, the application will be sent to a former admissions committee member for a one-time review, adcomm style. You’ll have the benefit of a true admissions committee review while still having the ability to tinker and change.  You will receive written feedback within two business days after submitting.

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How to Write the Georgetown University Essays 2023-2024

Located in the U.S. capital, Georgetown prides itself on fostering global perspectives and cultivating students’ learning through Jesuit values. Georgetown University has three required prompts: two supplemental essays for all applicants and one school specific prompt focusing on the student’s intended area of study. 

As a highly competitive and prestigious university, it is important for Georgetown applicants to not only highlight their strong academic achievements, but also find ways to differentiate themselves through their essays. This post will show you how you can write standout responses to each Georgetown supplemental prompt.

Read these Georgetown essay examples to inspire your own writing.

Georgetown Application Essay Prompts

All applicants.

Prompt 1: Briefly discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved. ( 1/2 page, single-spaced) 

Prompt 2: As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief essay, either personal or creative, which you feel best describes you. ( 1 page, single-spaced)

School-Specific Prompts

(Each essay should be approximately one page, single-spaced)

Georgetown College:   A liberal arts education from the College of Arts & Sciences involves encounters with new concepts and modes of inquiry. Describe something (a class, a book, an event, etc.) that changed your thinking. (Applicants to the sciences, mathematics, public policy or languages are encouraged to include examples related to that field.) (approximately one page, single-spaced each)

School of Health: Describe the factors that have influenced your interest in studying health care. Please specifically address your intended major (Global Health, Health Care Management & Policy, or Human Science).

School of Nursing: Describe the factors that have influenced your interest in studying health care. Please specifically address your intended major Nursing.

Walsh School of Foreign Service : The Walsh School of Foreign Service was founded more than a century ago to prepare generations of leaders to solve global problems. What is motivating you to dedicate your undergraduate studies to a future in service to the world?

McDonough School of Business: The McDonough School of Business is a national and global leader in providing graduates with essential ethical, analytical, financial and global perspectives. Please discuss your motivations for studying business at Georgetown.

How to Write the Georgetown University General Supplemental Essays

Prompt 1—all applicants, briefly discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved. (1/2 page, single-spaced).

This prompt is the classic Extracurricular Essay , and it’s a great opportunity to showcase your unique passions and experiences to the admissions committee. The open-ended nature of this prompt provides you with a great deal of flexibility to highlight parts of your personality that you haven’t had the chance to express in other parts of your application. In order to most effectively answer this prompt, write about the activity that you are most passionate about AND explain why this activity is meaningful to you. 

A few tips for your response:

For many students, sports are likely one of the first topics that come to mind when thinking about significant activities outside of the classroom. However, since they are a very common topic for prompt responses, essays about sports can often fall prey to cliché themes that may get lost in a sea of other sports-related essays. 

If you choose to write about a sport, be very thoughtful about how you frame your experience. Think about what makes your experience stand out from other applicants’ sports stories.

For example, scoring the winning touchdown at a championship game may have been an exhilarating memory, but how is your passion for the game unique to your experience?

Maybe there was a time where you had to overcome adversity or things didn’t turn out the way you had hoped. Perhaps an injury left you on the bench for the rest of the season or an unfair call from a referee that cost you the game — explain how these challenges contributed to your overall experience with the activity, even when the situation was not ideal. 

When the prompt asks for the activity with which you have been most involved, it does not necessarily refer to the number of hours you spent.

The prompt specifies that it is asking about the activity that you have been “most involved” in. Therefore, the activity that you choose to write about should be something that shows your ongoing dedication to the activity. However, the activity that you spend the most time doing may not be the activity you are most passionate about. 

For example, you may have devoted nine years of your life to playing an instrument and performing. At the same, you may have joined the school paper as a junior, written several articles for every edition, and created a brand new features section to highlight student accomplishments beyond the classroom.

While counting hours would lead us to conclude that you’ve spent more time being a musician, it is evident from this example that you’ve shown more initiative as a reporter, despite the short period you spent at the paper.

While it is fantastic if your chosen activity directly ties into the major you’re planning to pursue, don’t worry too much about picking something that you deem most relevant to your field.

In this essay, the admissions committee is looking to understand your passions, the skills you gained, your strengths as a leader or a team player, and your dedication. If you can demonstrate your commitment to, say, teaching ukulele to small kids, along with your creativity and excitement in approaching the task at hand, you will show the admissions committee that you have acquired transferable skills which you will apply with the same intensity to your collegial pursuits.

Don’t try to second-guess what the admissions committee may or may not wish to see. Pick an activity that makes you the most excited — the one you never cease to talk about with your friends and family — and write about why it’s important.

Prompt 2—All Applicants

As georgetown is a diverse community, the admissions committee would like to know more about you in your own words. please submit a brief essay, either personal or creative, which you feel best describes you. (1 page, single-spaced).

Although Georgetown is not on the Common App, this prompt asks essentially the same questions as the Common App personal statement prompts . This essay is an opportunity for the admissions committee to get to know you as an individual. Through this essay, they want to learn who you are, what your values are, what drives you and gets you out of bed in the morning, or in other words — what makes you unique. The most efficient approach here is to use your Common App personal statement.

Notice the prompt’s emphasis on the importance of diversity (the Diversity Essay is another common prompt, and we recommend reading our linked guide for more info). Whether or not you end up using your Common App essay, make sure that your response highlights the unique perspective you will contribute to the Georgetown community. Remember that diversity does not necessarily imply belonging to an ethnic or religious community, which is a topic many students tend to initially gravitate towards. For example, if you are someone who has lots of experience traveling, you can talk about how exploration is a key aspect of your personality. If you devote all of your free time to designing sets for your school’s plays, you can emphasize your identity as an artist and team player in your response.

The admissions committee will be choosing among hundreds of applicants, many of whom will have academic profiles, grades, and scores similar to your own. The key to producing a successful response here is to make yourself stand out in the eyes of your reader.

How to Write the Georgetown University School-Specific Supplemental Essays

Georgetown college prompt, a liberal arts education from the college of arts & sciences involves encounters with new concepts and modes of inquiry. describe something (a class, a book, an event, etc.) that changed your thinking. (applicants to the sciences, mathematics, public policy or languages are encouraged to include examples related to that field.) (1 page, single-spaced).

For this prompt, you are asked to share an experience or piece of media that changed your perspective on something. Although the prompt specifies that science, math, public policy, and language applicants should pick an example related to their prospective major, we recommend all applicants follow this advice so the essay emphasizes your interests.

In order to fully convey how something changed your thinking, the reader needs to know what you were like before the inciting event. This is a common mistake students make for this type of essay, so make sure you demonstrate a clear before and after.

The quality of this essay mainly comes down to the event or concept you pick and how well you are able to tell the story surrounding it. If you’re feeling a little lost and like you don’t know where to begin, consider some of these examples of sample students and what they might write about.

• A student interested in politics might write about watching election night coverage on TV. Maybe before this experience she only believed in red and blue states, but after watching political commentators zoom in on county-wide data, she realized the existence and prevalence of the rural-urban divide.
• A student pursuing American studies might choose reading Of Mice and Men and explain how before he viewed history from a meta perspective studying trends and dates, but the book’s depiction of the everyday struggle inspired him to hone in on day-to-day effects of historical events.
• A student interested in statistics could write about a fight he got into with his parents that forced him to use data to his advantage. While before he relied on emotions to make a point, he’s since realized the power data can have in making convincing arguments.
• A student who considers themself to be bad at science could write about their biology teacher who pushed them to engage with the subject which made the student discover an interest in how cells use nutrients. Because of their positive experience in the class, they now want to pursue a career in nutrition. 

For each of these examples, notice how the student picks something that relates to their interest or major and highlights their perspective before and after? That’s what you are aiming for. 

Once you explain your new way of thinking, make sure you take it a step further to connect it to Georgetown. You aren’t asked to talk about Georgetown resources or opportunities in the prompt, but including it will impress admissions officers and show your dedication to the school. It doesn’t have to be super extensive, but it’s a good idea to allude to how you will continue to bring this new perspective to the Georgetown community. 

School of Health Prompt

Describe the factors that have influenced your interest in studying health care. please specifically address your intended major (global health, health care management & policy, or human science ; 1 page, single-spaced )..

In this essay, you have the opportunity to explain to the admissions committee why you feel passionate about devoting your academic career to health sciences. 

Until recently, the areas of health and nursing were combined into one school at Georgetown. However, this year’s applicants will be the first to get to choose whether they want to enter into the School of Health or the School of Nursing. Prior to writing your response, make sure to research the major and school you’re applying to and verify that it corresponds with your desired area of interest. After conducting your research, explain in your response how the major and school you’ve chosen are uniquely suited to your academic journey and career goals. 

For example, health care management & policy majors really focus on the policy aspect of the health industry, learning about key stakeholders in the policymaking process and understanding what goes into managing and improving the healthcare industry. If you’re applying into this major, you want to highlight your interest in the legislative and managerial aspects of the field, rather than discuss your passion for taking care of individual patients. Above all, this essay is the time for you to reflect on how your specific interest in health was the foundation for choosing a major that aligned with that field.

As with any school-specific essay, you want to write something that sets you apart from all the other applicants. It’s very likely that they, too, will have experiences working in labs or passions for improving healthcare systems to speak about. You need to find an angle that highlights your unique perspective and approach.

Read on for some ideas below:

• If you are someone who lived through a serious or chronic illness, you can address your experiences here as a way to explain your interest in the health industry. While an illness can be a challenging and extremely personal topic to write about, you can focus on the ways it helped to develop your passion for helping others or for conducting scientific research. This is a way to put your academic accomplishments in context.
• If you or a family member have witnessed or experienced any injustices in the healthcare system, you can discuss how the system failed to operate effectively and ways for which it could improve in the future. Accessibility to healthcare can vary depending on region, demographics, and socioeconomic status. Try to find specific examples that are relevant to your experience that illustrate your understanding of the issue and desire to gain a better understanding of the field. 
• As technology continues to aid in the advancements of medicine, the field of healthcare is constantly evolving. Are there any areas of health sciences that have yet to be fully explored? Think of a narrow area of healthcare study and explain how delving deeper into that topic could have a lasting impact on society. Try and pick a topic that captivates the reader and highlights something about your own personality. 

Can you think of a specific moment when you first realized that you wanted to study health? What were you doing when you fell upon that revelation? Was there a particular impactful conversation or event that led you to this conclusion? Perhaps you had a family member who couldn’t afford their healthcare services and consequently suffered from an otherwise preventable illness. 

Maybe you also completed a compelling research project for your biology class and became fascinated with genetic disorders, leading you to seek out a summer internship in a local lab. Whatever angle you choose, be sure to reflect on the questions above as you prepare to write your essay, and try to pick a narrative that highlights your personality.

School of Nursing Prompt

Describe the factors that have influenced your interest in studying health care. please specifically address your intended major (global health, health care management & policy, or human science; 1 page, single-spaced)..

This prompt is a chance for you to highlight why you have chosen an academic career specifically in nursing. In your response, make sure you emphasize how nursing to you is distinct from the larger healthcare industry. 

For example, studying nursing can equip you for a wide variety of careers in healthcare. However, nursing is differential because it uniquely cultivates the trusting relationships between patients and experienced healthcare professionals. So if you are applying to this major, you should emphasize your passion for caring for individual patients rather than focusing on broader aspects of the health sciences. 

When applying to a school with a particularly narrow focus of learning, it is even more imperative that you find ways to stand out from other applicants. As unsympathetic as this may sound, caring for a sick relative or recovering from an injury will likely be worn out response topics. Think about ways you can frame your story to be unconventional and cause readers to develop a deeper understanding of your personality. 

Read on for some ideas below: 

• If you have a family member who works in the healthcare industry, you can discuss your first exposure to the field in the context of building connections with your loved ones. Perhaps your uncle has spent countless hours pointing out inefficiencies in the ways we currently manage large hospitals based on his work as a doctor. You can recount these conversations as a gateway to your passion for healthcare and even mention some projects you may wish to pursue to combat these problems in the future.  
• If you spent a summer or your after-school hours volunteering at a local hospital or other medical establishment, you can use an anecdote describing your experience to underline your interest in the industry. Keep in mind that many other students applying to this school will likely have similar activities on their resume. Try to find a unique angle that will exemplify your experience.
• Think about some characteristics that might be beneficial in the field of nursing: quick thinking, adaptability, remaining calm under pressure. Describe specific examples of events when you displayed these characteristics. Did your reaction to the event surprise you? Did you develop these skills over time? How did the result of the event change your outlook on similar situations in the future? Your account of these experiences should illustrate something that you discovered about yourself and how these skills and experiences are relevant to your nursing major. 

When you sit down to write, remember that your main goal is to explain to the admissions committee why what you want to accomplish cannot be accomplished by studying any other field. Focus on program features that set Georgetown apart from other universities and find a connection to your personal experiences that will help to humanize you in the eyes of the reader.

Walsh School of Foreign Service Prompt

The walsh school of foreign service was founded more than a century ago to prepare generations of leaders to solve global problems. what is motivating you to dedicate your undergraduate studies to a future in service to the world (1 page, single-spaced).

Applicants to the School of Foreign Service are expected to be well-versed in global affairs. This essay is an opportunity for you to demonstrate your passion for and understanding of global and public service. The admissions committee wants to understand why this topic is important to you , and personal anecdotes are the most powerful way to convey this. 

It is important to pick an experience related to one of your interests that is unique and can be connected to solving global problems. Don’t try to write an essay about the hot topic of the day like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict if you don’t have a deep personal connection. You should choose an issue or experience with a problem that motivated you to take action and dedicate your life to helping the world.

Here are some strong example responses you can use for inspiration:

1. If you have devoted time to raising money for a charity that helps finance the education of a child in need, you can connect your personal experience to the larger issue of income or education disparities. Spend a paragraph detailing the moment that first sparked your interest in this issue and follow it up with a nuanced analysis of what you hope to learn in college that will allow you to address the larger issue at hand.

 2. If you’re passionate about female participation in politics, you could discuss your first voting experience and highlight how the lack of female candidates on the ballot sparked your outrage. Or you could mention the insufficient number of female role models in the political arena that struck you as a child interested in politics. Be descriptive and detailed about your emotions to convey the deep need you feel to solve this issue .

3. If you’ve taken a class or worked on a project that exposed you to a variety of international issues, explain why a particular topic struck a chord . While you may not have a direct experience with the issue at hand, try to think of ways to connect it to your own life. Then go on to discuss how you hope to return to and solve this issue in the future.

4. Even if you lack an academic or extracurricular experience that ties into global affairs, there are other ways you can make a personal connection to the topic. If there is a book you read or a movie you watched that exposed you to an issue of global significance, which you’ve been curious about ever since, this can be your link! Make sure to show why this topic grabbed your attention and to highlight your intellectual curiosity and passion.

Whichever topic you choose to write about, remember that your essay should seamlessly connect your past to your future. You need to demonstrate your passion for the field of foreign service, what your goals are within the field, and how the Walsh School will help you grow your passion to achieve your future goals.

McDonough School of Business Prompt

The mcdonough school of business is a national and global leader in providing graduates with essential ethical, analytical, financial and global perspectives. please discuss your motivations for studying business at georgetown (1 page, single-spaced)..

This prompt should not be regarded as yet another “why business school” essay. Note the question’s emphasis on a global approach and its reference to ethics . As mentioned earlier, Georgetown’s identity is built upon its Jesuit values, which manifest themselves in all its academic programs. When you write this essay, keep those keywords in mind. In responding to the prompt, highlight the unique perspective that this program seeks to provide and emphasize your appreciation for the opportunities it will offer you.

Here are a few response ideas:

1. If the school’s focus on ethics appeals to you, you could discuss your passion for developing sustainable business practices and link it to a local business in your community whose model you particularly appreciate. If you have ever worked for a small business or if your family or friends own one, you can mention it to point out the origins of your focus on sustainability.

2. If the McDonough’s global approach attracted you to the school in the first place, you can talk about your interest in economic models different from that of the U.S . For instance, if you’re fascinated by India’s initiatives to combat deep poverty in its rural regions, this is your opportunity to discuss it.

Be sure to tie it to the programs and opportunities offered at the school. For example, if there is a course on the economics of poverty that you are particularly eager to enroll in or a professor who is an expert in this field, talk about it in your response!

3. You can never go wrong with harnessing Georgetown’s advantageous D.C. location to help you justify your interest in its business school. In particular, if you’re interested in financial policy or the interaction between the government and entrepreneurs, you can reference the internship opportunities that McDonough’s strategic location will provide you and the star faculty, who frequently come to teach at Georgetown after working in D.C.’s public and private sectors for many years.

The main reason that Georgetown does not use the Common App is that it wishes to only attract students who are dedicated enough to their university and its values that they are willing to go through a separate application process to get there. As you work on your application, remember what makes Georgetown unique and why these particularities appealed to you when you first put Georgetown down as a potential school on your list. Think hard about your motivation for applying, do your research, and reach out for help when needed!

Where to Get Your Georgetown Essays Edited

Do you want feedback on your Georgetown essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools.  Find the right advisor for you  to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Undergraduate GPA: What It Takes To Get Into A Top-50 U.S. MBA Program

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In 2023, someone — possibly multiple someones — with a 2.4 undergraduate grade point average achieved admission to the full-time MBA program at Chicago Booth School of Business . Booth, at the time, was Poets&Quants ‘ No. 2 business school in the United States .

The same year, another applicant got into Dartmouth Tuck School of Business , ranked No. 9 ( and soon to be ranked No. 3 ), with a 2.7 GPA. In the same cycle, another applicant was admitted to Northwestern Kellogg School of Management — which P&Q ranked No. 4 — with a 2.8.

We know this because those schools are among the few that publish full GPA ranges as part of their MBA class profiles. (See Poets&Quants ‘ stories about the MBA Class of 2025 at Booth , Tuck , and Kellogg .) And as P&Q has reported in previous years , those ranges — as well as the 80% ranges that many schools prefer, and the 90% ranges that U.S. News & World Report began publishing this year as part of its annual MBA ranking — are among the most important data released publicly by B-schools, in the U.S. or anywhere.

GPA RANGES AT LEADING U.S. MBA PROGRAMS

Source: MBA class profiles

*rice jones publishes a 3-year average for all data in its mba class profile, gpa won’t break an mba application — ‘but the reverse is not true’.

Why are GPA ranges so important? Because they show that a low undergraduate GPA does not have to be the end of an applicant’s MBA dreams. Anyone with a low GPA can get into Booth, Tuck or Kellogg — or Stanford, Harvard or Wharton — if they work hard enough, and play to their strengths in other areas.

Perhaps that’s why in 2023, for the first time in years, some leading B-schools joined the ranks of those publishing GPA ranges: Virginia Darden School of Business and USC Marshall School of Business , both top-25 B-schools, published 80% ranges as part of their class profiles for the first time last fall.

“Ask most admissions committee members and they will tell you that it’s the sum of many pieces — there is no one ‘most important’ part of the MBA application,” says Stacy Blackman , founder of Stacy Blackman Consulting. “It’s the essays, interviews, and recommendations that ultimately reveal the person beyond the paper. Compelling essays, recommendations, and interviews can provide context for a low GMAT score or GPA.”

Low GPA won’t break an MBA application — but it won’t make it, either. As Blackman notes, “the reverse is not true. Strong numbers will never make up for weak essays or a disorganized, negative recommendation.”

BIGGEST INCREASES IN UNDERGRAD GPA 2022-2023

WASHINGTON OLIN SEES BIGGEST GPA AVERAGE GROWTH: UP 0.20 TO 3.60

The GPAs themselves? Not so interesting, alas. What they are is consistent — consistently part of every MBA class profile, and at the top schools, fairly consistent in range and average. Looking at year-over-year changes in GPA average from 2022 to 2023 across 57 of the leading U.S. B-schools, including all of the P&Q top 50, we find:

• 18 schools with positive GPA growth, including seven in the top 25. From 2021 to 2022, just 13 of 57 schools saw positive GPA growth, including seven in the top 25; but from 2020 to 2021 it was 26 schools, including 16 in the top 25. This suggests a rough on-year, off-year cycle.
• 20 schools had negative GPA growth between 2022 and 2023, including 13 in the top 25. From 2021 to 2022, 18 schools saw their GPA average decline, including nine in the top 25; from 2020 to 2021, 15 schools had declines, including six in the top 25.
• Nine schools were even, meaning they published the same GPA average in both 2022 and 2023. In 2022, 14 schools were even; in 2021, it was nine schools. Sufficient data for comparison was not available for 10 schools, up from five.
• Altogether in the P&Q top 25, four schools were even (down from eight last year), seven were positive (same as last year), and 13 were negative (up from nine).

The school with the biggest year-to-year GPA increase among the 57 analyzed by P&Q was Washington University’s Olin Business School in St. Louis , which saw its undergrad GPA average balloon 0.20 to 3.60 in 2023 — higher than 15 peer schools ranked above Olin in the P&Q top 25. In the latter group, Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management saw the biggest GPA leap, growing its average by 0.16 to 3.50.

The school with the biggest GPA decline: Maryland Smith School of Business , which dropped 0.12 to 3.23. In the top 25, UCLA Anderson School of Management saw its GPA drop 0.11 to 3.40.

BIGGEST DECREASES IN UNDERGRAD GPA 2022-2023

VANDERBILT & UC-DAVIS SEE BIGGEST GPA JUMP FROM 2018 TO 2023

What does the GPA picture look like with the perspective of time? Across six years from 2018 to 2023, 25 of 57 schools have seen their class GPA average rise overall, and 19 have seen it decline. Five schools are even, and we don’t have enough data to know for another eight.

Two schools are the biggest winners in that span, both up 0.20: Vanderbilt Owen to 3.50, and UC-Davis Graduate School of Management to 3.40. Owen is the biggest winner in the top 25, but Emory Goizueta Business School is close behind with a gain of 0.17 to 3.47.

The school with the biggest decline over six years is Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business , which dropped 0.14 to 3.26. MIT Sloan School of Management, which reports a median GPA each year, is down 0.13 since 2018, to 3.61; and UCLA Anderson is down 0.12 to 3.40.

Overall in the top 25, nine schools are positive from 2018 to 2023, four are even, and 10 are negative.

BIGGEST INCREASES IN UNDERGRAD GPA 2018-2023

BIGGEST DECREASES IN UNDERGRAD GPA 2018-2023

TRENDS & WRINKLES

School to school, there are some noteworthy trends in GPA average/median. Among them:

• The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania hasn’t had a change in GPA average in at least eight years, reporting 3.60 every year since 2017.
• There are several estimates in the tables in this story (the main ones are on pages 2 and 3), since many lower-ranked schools have not posted Class of 2025 data despite us being more than five months into 2024. A few schools are even more behind than that (looking at you, Rutgers — and you too Utah Eccles !).
• Duke Fuqua School of Business stopped reporting average undergrad GPA after 2021; Washington Foster School of Business switched to median in 2022; beginning this year, Rice Jones Graduate School of Business only publishes a three-year average for GPA and other data in its class profile.

Finally, Indiana Kelley School of Business gets more granular than most schools, publishing not only average GPA (in 2023, 3.40) but also the percentage of the MBA class with an undergraduate GPA of 3.5 or higher (46%), the percent with undergraduate GPA between 3.0-3.49 (39%), and the percent with undergraduate GPA between 2.5-2.99 (12%).

Note that last range: A 2.5 didn’t sink one member of the Kelley MBA Class of 2025. But it did mean that person had something to overcome — as he or she would have had to do at any major program. “While a 550 GMAT or a 2.5 GPA will raise a red flag at an MBA program like the Stanford Graduate School of Business ,” writes Stacy Blackman, “a 700 GMAT and a 3.6 GPA make you a strong candidate. But even someone with an 800 GMAT score and a perfect GPA can get rejected at an elite MBA program.”

10TH-90TH PERCENTILE GPA RANGES FOR THE P&Q TOP 25

Source: U.S. News & World Report

U.s. news’ 90% range: more ways to look at gpa average.

As part of the massive data dump accompanying its annual ranking of U.S. B-schools, U.S. News lists median and average undergraduate GPAs — except it doesn’t. The magazine is missing the data point for every single school out of 57 examined by Poets&Quants — including our entire 2024 top 50. Why does U.S. News continue to list these metrics at all if they are “N/A” every time?

What the magazine does have is each school’s GPA range between the 10th to 90th percentiles (see tables above and below). All but a handful of schools provided this data, which is not offered by the schools themselves. Though it is not a full range, it is closer than the 80% ranges preferred by many schools. The highlights:

• Two schools, Georgetown McDonough School of Business and William and Mary Mason School of Business , report the lowest 10th percentile: 2.7. (Georgetown’s range extends to 3.8 and William and Mary’s to 3.9.)
• The highest 10th percentile is the Manderson MBA Program at the University of Alabama : 3.36. Highest in the top 25: NYU Stern School of Business : 3.34.
• The lowest 90th percentile is at UC-Davis: 3.1; lowest in the top 25 is at CMU Tepper: 3.53.
• And the highest 90th percentile is shared by five schools, all with 4.0: Washington-St. Louis Olin, Arizona State Carey School of Business , Maryland Smith, Tennessee Haslam College of Business , and Alabama Manderson. The highest in the top 25 is Rice Jones’ 3.94.

10TH-90TH PERCENTILE GPA RANGES FOR TOP-RANKED P&Q MBA PROGRAMS 

See the next pages for six years of GPA data for 57 leading U.S. B-schools, including the 2024 P&Q top 50 schools.

Questions about this article? Email us or leave a comment below.

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Full-time MBA Class Profile

Meet the Full-time entering classes of 2023 — a group of students who bring academic, professional, and personal diversity to our programs, and who are driven to effect change in the world of global business. What will you bring to next year’s class?

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2023 Full-time MBA Class Profile

MBA statistics related to the 2023 Full-time MBA class profile highlight the composition of our diverse student body.

Out of 1,428 applications received

U.S. Diversity*

Underrepresented Minorities

International

U.S. Military**

GPA, GMAT, and GRE Admissions Stats

Major industry backgrounds.

Financial Services

Technology & New Media

Manufacturing

Consumer Product Goods

Undergraduate Fields of Study

Math/Physical Sciences

Engineering

Government & International Studies

Countries Represented

Across the Full-time and Flex Class of 2023

Afghanistan • Bangladesh • Brazil • Canada • Chile • China • Colombia • Dominican Republic • Ecuador • France • Germany • Ghana • Greece • Guatemala • Haiti • Hong Kong • Hungary • India • Indonesia • Iran • Ireland • Israel • Italy • Japan • Kenya • Lebanon • Mexico • Netherlands • Nigeria • Pakistan • Peru • Philippines • Russia • Saudi Arabia • Somalia • South Korea • Spain • Sudan • Swaziland • Syria • Taiwan • Turkey • Ukraine • United Kingdom • United States • Venezuela • Yemen • Zimbabwe

Your Admissions ‘Credit Score’

Like a credit report, the Admit.me Index (AMI) is a free, automated profile review for prospective students to the Full-time MBA Program. By analyzing the many factors used in admissions decisions across six primary areas, it conducts a detailed review of a candidate’s profile and recommends opportunities to strengthen your candidacy. Get your report now in just three minutes to see how your profile compares to our most recent Full-time MBA class.

* U.S. Diversity signifies African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and Native American ** Includes U.S. service members (Active Duty and Reserve) and veterans *** Other industries include Not-for-Profit & Social Impact, Healthcare, Real Estate, Hospitality & Tourism, Construction, Energy & CleanTech, Consumer Goods & Retail, International Development, Computer & Electronic Products, Entertainment & Media, Construction, Education, Law, Entrepreneurship, International Development, Marketing & Sales, Manufacturing, Oil & Gas, PR & Advertising, Telecommunications, and Transportation

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Georgetown MBA Essays for 2020-2021

Georgetown MBA Essays 2020-2021

Notes from the school:.

Our goal at Georgetown McDonough is to craft a diverse class with people who have varying personal and professional life experiences. Select one essay that best highlights your experiences, characteristics, and values.

Please select one of the following three essays to complete in 500 words or less and include the essay prompt and your first/last name at the top of your submission.

Essay Option One

Georgetown McDonough places a strong emphasis on principled leadership, providing both curricular and co-curricular opportunities to strengthen your leadership skills.  Describe a time when you’ve led a team in a professional environment to implement a new idea or process. What leadership characteristics did you utilize? What could you have done to be more effective? And most importantly, what skills will you be able to bring to the teams you lead at McDonough?

Essay Option Two

Hoyas Helping Hoyas. Georgetown McDonough embodies the ethos that people and organizations can and should contribute to the greater good. The admissions committee would like to better understand how you’ve demonstrated these values during uniquely challenging times.  Describe a time where you’ve put the needs of others ahead of your own, or ahead of the bottom line. We look forward to learning more about the challenge you faced, what unique characteristics you brought to that scenario, and what you learned from it.

Essay Option Three 

Think of the business leader or role model you admire or aspire to be. What are the defining characteristics of his or her personal brand that you see in yourself? Give an example of how you have been able to emulate these characteristics in your professional career and how your personal brand will enrich the McDonough community.

Video Essay

What makes you unique? In a 1-minute video, describe the most compelling aspects of yourself that you believe makes you unique from other MBA candidates. (Hint: 1 minute goes fast! We already have your resume and goals – share something new!)

For more instructions, view our  Video Essay Guide .

Optional Essay

Please provide any information you would like to add to your application that you have not otherwise included. (500 words or fewer)

Re-Applicant Essay

Required for re-applicants. How have you strengthened your candidacy since your last application? We are particularly interested in hearing about how you have grown professionally and personally. (500 words or fewer)

The 2020-2021 application is now open. For more information on applying, please visit the Georgetown MBA admissions website. If you need guidance on your Georgetown MBA essays or wish to discuss your MBA plans, reach out for a complimentary analysis  of your candidacy. We’re here to help!

The post Georgetown MBA Essays for 2020-2021 appeared first on Stacy Blackman Consulting - MBA Admissions Consulting .

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Geographic coordinates of Elektrostal, Moscow Oblast, Russia

City coordinates

Coordinates of Elektrostal in decimal degrees

Coordinates of elektrostal in degrees and decimal minutes, utm coordinates of elektrostal, geographic coordinate systems.

WGS 84 coordinate reference system is the latest revision of the World Geodetic System, which is used in mapping and navigation, including GPS satellite navigation system (the Global Positioning System).

Geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude) define a position on the Earth’s surface. Coordinates are angular units. The canonical form of latitude and longitude representation uses degrees (°), minutes (′), and seconds (″). GPS systems widely use coordinates in degrees and decimal minutes, or in decimal degrees.

Latitude varies from −90° to 90°. The latitude of the Equator is 0°; the latitude of the South Pole is −90°; the latitude of the North Pole is 90°. Positive latitude values correspond to the geographic locations north of the Equator (abbrev. N). Negative latitude values correspond to the geographic locations south of the Equator (abbrev. S).

Longitude is counted from the prime meridian ( IERS Reference Meridian for WGS 84) and varies from −180° to 180°. Positive longitude values correspond to the geographic locations east of the prime meridian (abbrev. E). Negative longitude values correspond to the geographic locations west of the prime meridian (abbrev. W).

UTM or Universal Transverse Mercator coordinate system divides the Earth’s surface into 60 longitudinal zones. The coordinates of a location within each zone are defined as a planar coordinate pair related to the intersection of the equator and the zone’s central meridian, and measured in meters.

Elevation above sea level is a measure of a geographic location’s height. We are using the global digital elevation model GTOPO30 .

Elektrostal , Moscow Oblast, Russia