McDonough School of Business – Georgetown University

FAQ

What is the tuition for McDonough's MBA program?

The tuition for McDonough’s MBA program is $60,894 per year.

How hard is it to get into McDonough's MBA program?

The acceptance rate for McDonough is 47.5% It is important to consider the acceptance rate in the context of the student profile of those who are admitted. For example the average GMAT score is 697.

What is the average GMAT score for admission to McDonough's MBA program?

The average GMAT score for the incoming class at McDonough is 697.

Does the McDonough MBA program accept the GRE?

Yes. The McDonough MBA program has accepted the GRE for a few years now.

What is the average GRE score for admission to McDonough’s MBA program?

The average GRE score for admissions to McDonough's MBA program is 317.

What is the minimum number of years of work experience required for admission to McDonough’s MBA program?

McDonough does not state a minimum requirement for years of work experience. However, it is important for candidates to be aware that they are being considered against other candidates with an average of 5.7 years of experience.

What is the average number of years of work experience for admission to McDonough’s MBA program? (or, What is the average age of a McDonough student?)

The average number of years of work experience among students in McDonough’s MBA program is 5.7. The average age of a McDonough MBA student is 29 years.

What is the average starting salary for graduates of the McDonough MBA program?

The average starting salary for McDonough MBA graduates is $138,552. The salary will vary by industry, with consulting and finance jobs generally commanding the higher salaries.

How long is McDonough’s full-time MBA program?

McDonough offers a traditional 2 year MBA program.

What are the application deadlines for McDonough’s MBA program?

The Round 1 MBA application deadline is September 28, 2022. The Round 2 application deadline is January 5, 2023. The Round 3 deadline is March 30, 2023. The Round 4 deadline is May 2, 2023.

What percent of McDonough MBA students are women?

The percentage of the class at McDonough that are women is 34%.

What type of interview does McDonough use for MBA admissions?

McDonough offers interviews by invitation. The interviews are resume-based. This means the interviewer has not had access to the application materials.

VIDEOS

Admissions

The Class Profile

Of the 1,537 people who applied to the McDonough Class of 2024, 249 ultimately matriculated into the program. Women comprise 34% of the class and 42% are international. Thirty-eight percent identify as U.S. minorities, which includes African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and Native American.

Georgetown MBAs had an average GPA of 3.29 during their undergraduate years. Nearly 32 percent had majored in business and 20% in engineering. Seventeen percent earned degrees in economics and 14 percent in humanities. Seven percent came from humanities social sciences and nearly five percent from government/international studies.

New members of the Class of 2024 matriculated with an average of 5.7 years of work experience at an average age of 29. When it came time to take the GMAT, Georgetown MBAs averaged a score of 697. For those who took the GRE, the average score was 317.

Application Procedures

Prospective students may apply to McDonough in one of the four admissions rounds, which occur in October, January, March and May. In addition to a completed application form, candidates are asked to submit GMAT scores, one professional recommendation, essays, a résumé, transcripts from all collegiate and post-collegiate institutions attended, and TOEFL or IELTS scores, if applicable. McDonough also requires an application fee of $175. After applications are evaluated, the admissions committee will offer interviews by invitation only. An interview is required for admission into the full-time MBA program.

Application Checklist

• Application Fee of $175
• Application form (online)
• Personal essays (online)
• Professional reference (online)
• Current résumé (online)
• Official GMAT score
• Official English language proficiency test score (TOEFL or IELTS), if applicable
• Official transcripts/academic documents

Interview Reports

Georgetown McDonough MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Second-Year Student / Zoom

The Interview was taken by a second-year student and was a very smooth experience. The interviewer asked the following questions: 1. Tell me about yourself. 2. Why Georgetown? Why MBA? 3. Which other schools have you applied to? 4. What will be your manager’s feedback about you? 5. What will be the deciding parameter if […]

Georgetown McDonough MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Second-Year Student / Zoom

My interview was with a 2nd-year student. It lasted 45 minutes. I’ve had six interviews so far. This one was my first that was an actual conversation rather than an interview. He gave feedback and asked follow-up questions for all of my answers. We flowed together in the same direction rather than the specific set […]

Georgetown McDonough MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Adcom / On Campus

The interview was in the admissions office for McDonough’s MBA program. I was interviewed by two individuals on the adcom. For the first 20 minutes, I was asked questions about my professional career followed by behavioral questions. I asked the adcom my questions for the final ten minutes. Q1 Tell me about yourself from undergrad […]

Georgetown McDonough MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Adcom / Zoom

Q1. Tell me something about your hobbies. Q2. Why Georgetown? Q3. Short-term and long-term goals and how Georgetown can help you in reaching them. Q4. Any particular subject that interests you? Why? Q5. Do you want me to say anything in particular about you that will make the adcom admit you? Q6. If you are […]

Georgetown McDonough MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Second-Year Student / Zoom

My interview was with a second-year student via Zoom. The interview lasted about 30 minutes and was conversational. Questions asked (not in exact order): 1) Tell me about yourself (walkthrough your resume). 2) Why an MBA? 3) Why Georgetown? 4) Short-term and long-term goals? 5) If you get into all the schools you applied to, […]

Georgetown McDonough Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Current Student / Zoom

The interview was pretty informal, but also like a traditional basic job interview. My interviewer was a current student getting her part-time MBA. I had a applied for the full-time program, but our career paths actually matched up pretty well, which was nice. She was clearly a bit new to the process of interviewing, saying […]

Georgetown McDonough Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Adcom / Virtual

Invited to interview on 3/2 and completed the interview on 3/8. Initially signed up to interview with an alum, but the system did not register the interview properly and needed to reschedule with a member of the adcom team. The interview was very relaxed and conversational and lasted 30 minutes. The questions the interviewer asked […]

Georgetown McDonough Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Second-Year Student / Zoom

This year, McDonough allowed you the option to choose your interviewer via a portal, with the ability to filter by clubs / organization affiliation (students / admissions office ). I had chosen a second-year student, but she was unable to interview me last minute and had somebody fill in for her. My interview was resume-based, […]

Georgetown McDonough Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Adcom / Virtual

Questions were fairly direct – 1) Walk me through your resume. 2) Why McDonough? 3) ST, LT goals with target designations. 4) Explain a time you received constructive feedback. 5) What if anything would be a challenge in you accepting the Georgetown offer, if you receive one? 6) Any questions for me?

Georgetown McDonough MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Adcom / Zoom

I met with a senior adcom member. The format was very Q&A, less of a conversation. Honestly it felt a little stilted and formal. 1) Tell me a little bit about yourself/why Georgetown? 2) Short- and long-term goals. 3) How will you contribute to McDonough from a DEI lens? 4) How do you operate within […]

Georgetown-mcdonough Q&As

Admissions Director Q&A: Shelly Heinrich of Georgetown University McDonough School of Business

The associate dean of MBA admissions and director of marketing at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, Shelly Heinrich, joins us for this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A. Heinrich leads the MBA Admissions team in both its marketing and operational strategy to build awareness, recruit, yield, and retain the Full-time and Flex MBA programs. She […]

Admissions Director Q&A: Shelly Heinrich of Georgetown McDonough

“You do an MBA because you want the ROI; you ultimately want to gain your ideal career,” says Shelly Heinrich, the associate dean of MBA admissions and director of marketing at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.  She joins us for our ongoing series, Admissions Director Q&A, to reveal how the Georgetown MBA delivers on that […]

Admissions Director Q&A: Shelly Heinrich of Georgetown McDonough

We recently had the opportunity to speak with Shelly Heinrich, the interim associate dean of MBA admissions at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. She has capably stepped in to lead the team since Shari Hubert left to lead admissions at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business earlier this fall. With more than 13 years of […]

Georgetown / McDonough LiveWire and DecisionWire

Academics

Faculty

Across its six academic areas of focus, the McDonough School of Business employs 104 full-time faculty members. Faculty members both teach courses and help staff the school’s nine research centers and initiatives, which investigate topics ranging from global social enterprise to financial markets and policy.

Curriculum

Professors at McDonough utilize a variety of teaching methods, including case studies and lectures. The McDonough academic calendar runs on a two-semester system, and each semester is further divided into twelve-week Core Courses and Elective Modules of six weeks or half a semester. The fall semester begins in late August and runs until mid-December. Following a three-and-a-half week winter break, the spring semester starts in early January and ends in mid-May; graduation takes place shortly thereafter. There is a brief exam period every six weeks after a module is complete, with career weeks and holiday breaks occurring between modules.

At the start of the program, incoming students complete a weeklong Opening Term in which they take one course, Leading Teams for Performance and Impact. They then spend the year fulfilling the 15 core requirements. The incoming class is divided into cohorts that complete the core curriculum and residences together. The core features foundational business concepts in finance, accounting, statistics, economics, marketing, management and operations. Students may waive certain core courses and opt to take electives in lieu of familiar coursework. In the spring semester of their first year, MBA candidates pursue two electives of their choosing.

During their second year, students must complete an additional 11 electives out of the roughly 70 offered across accounting, finance, management, marketing, operations and information management, and strategy. McDonough students are not required to declare a major, although there are special initiatives focused on entrepreneurship, global social enterprise and real estate finance in which students can participate. To allow students to gain international exposure, McDonough has created a Global Business Experience program. Beginning in the fall semester of the second year, Global Business Experience requires students to complete classwork and a consulting project for an international organization. Students then travel to the client country to discuss their solutions with senior managers and also present their findings to classmates at the end of the spring semester.

Other MBA Degree Options

Outside of the full-time MBA program, McDonough offers a four-year MBA/JD program with the Georgetown University Law Center and a five-year MBA/MD program with the Georgetown Medical School.  Other options include a MBA/MPP program with the McCourt School of Public Policy and a MBA/MSFS program with the School of Foreign Service, both of which take three years to complete.  Part-time offerings include a 34-month Evening MBA program and a 20-month Executive MBA program.

Special Initiatives

• Entrepreneurship
• Georgetown University Women’s Leadership
• Global Business
• Business for Impact

Degree Offerings at McDonough

Full Time and Flex MBA
https://msb.georgetown.edu/mba/

Executive Education
https://msb.georgetown.edu/executive-mba/

Dual Degrees
JD/MBA, MBA/MD, MBA/MPP, MBA/MSFS
https://msb.georgetown.edu/mba/dual-degree/

Campus Life

Clubs, Conferences & Competitions

McDonough students have many opportunities to become involved in extracurricular activities, with over 40 student organizations to choose from catering to a range of professional and personal interests. For example, many MBA students participate in community service activities through the clubs MBA Volunteers and Net Impact. Meanwhile, students can prepare for potential post-MBA careers by joining clubs such as the Business and Government Alliance, the Georgetown Entertainment and Media Alliance and the Graduate Marketing Association. A popular tradition on campus is the International Festival, hosted each fall by McDonough’s international clubs, which showcases international cultures through dance, music and food. The student government also hosts informal social events on Thursdays, meant to help students relax at the end of the week.

Every year, McDonough’s student organizations run a variety of conferences on campus. Conferences have included, among others, the Georgetown Women in Business’s annual conference regarding the professional development of businesswomen. McDonough students also participate in a large number of business competitions each year, such as the Georgetown Ventures & Values Pitch Conference and the Venture Capital Investment Competition.

Campus Space

The McDonough School of Business is located in the Rafik B. Hariri Building in the center of Georgetown University’s campus in northwestern Washington, D.C. Opened in 2009, the building includes student lounge spaces and breakout rooms, a 400-seat auditorium, 120 faculty offices, 15 classrooms, 15 conference rooms and nearly a dozen rooms for interview purposes. Although all graduate students at Georgetown University live off campus, many find housing in the surrounding neighborhoods of Washington, D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia. If admitted, the MBA Admissions team provides a Housing Guide that references neighborhoods and types of communities where current students live.

MBA Careers

Career Services

The MBA Career Center provides McDonough students with a vast array of resources, including career fairs and corporate presentations. The Center also organizes annual treks off campus to allow students to explore industries such as consulting, marketing and real estate, as well as key business regions like Wall Street, San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Students can receive additional help with their job searches by pairing with a Career Coach to help guide them through the job search process. On-campus interviews for full-time positions begin in late September and run through mid-December, while those for internships begin in mid-January.

Career Statistics

Ninety-six percent of the Class of 2022 received a job offer within three months of graduating and 95% accepted job offers within that time frame. These newly minted MBAs received an average salary of $138,552 and an average signing bonus of $36,342.

The most popular post-MBA industry was consulting, chosen by 29% of graduates, followed by financial services at 25%. Eighteen percent of the class accepted positions in technology, while another 7%  went into consumer goods. Seven percent selected to pursue roles in the non-profit/social impact sector.

In regards to regional placement, 43% of McDonough MBAs stayed in the Mid-Atlantic region. Twenty-six percent headed to the Northeast and 11% headed West. Eight percent settled in the South U.S. and seven percent in the Southwest U.S.

Financing

The tuition for the 2022-2023 year at McDonough is $65,672. Given other expenses such as housing, travel and books, however, the school estimates that students will pay $98,046 during that time. The MBA program provides students with financial assistance through merit-based scholarships. First-year MBA students are automatically considered for these awards upon admission and do not need to fill out any additional applications. The school notes, however, that applicants who apply to McDonough’s MBA program during the first or second rounds of admission are given priority consideration for scholarships. McDonough offers an array of loan options to students, with federal loans available to U.S. citizens and permanent residents and private loans, such as the MBA Loans Program, available to international students with a U.S. citizen co-signer. McDonough also offers research and teaching assistantship opportunities to graduate students.

Cost of Attendance

• Tuition & Fees $65,672
• Avg. Living Allowance $24,822
• Avg. Books $2,646
• Avg. Travel $2,606
• Federal Direct Loan Fees $3,100
• Total $98,046

Recent Georgetown / McDonough News

The Week Ahead: MBA Deadlines & Decisions, March 20-24, 2023

Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week! Round 2 final decisions are coming. Round 2 decisions are starting to

‘Big Tech’ Jobs & Careers Remain Popular with MBA Graduates

Take a closer look at MBA graduates’ tech industry jobs placement overall and at Big Tech firms for the full-time MBA Classes of 2018 to 2022. Despite a recent decline in tech industry hiring, t

Georgetown McDonough MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Second-Year Student / Zoom

The Interview was taken by a second-year student and was a very smooth experience. The interviewer asked the following questions: 1. Tell me about yourself. 2. Why Georgetown? Why MBA? 3. Which other

From B-School to MBB: Consulting Jobs Placement at Leading MBA Programs

MBA graduates continue to seek out management consulting jobs for the opportunity to provide strategic advice to business leaders operating large companies. Jobs at leading strategy consulting firms s

Interview Report Round-Up: Duke Fuqua, Georgetown McDonough and INSEAD

As Round 2 interview season rolls on, we’re taking a peek at some new entries to the Clear Admit Interview Archive to help you prepare. This week, we take a look at applicants’ reported interview

Georgetown McDonough MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Second-Year Student / Zoom

My interview was with a 2nd-year student. It lasted 45 minutes. I’ve had six interviews so far. This one was my first that was an actual conversation rather than an interview. He gave feedback and a

Georgetown McDonough MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Adcom / On Campus

The interview was in the admissions office for McDonough’s MBA program. I was interviewed by two individuals on the adcom. For the first 20 minutes, I was asked questions about my professional c

M7 Business Schools Dominate in Venture Capital and Private Equity Fields

MBA graduates continue to be drawn to finance jobs due to the lucrative compensation packages, the chance to work on high-profile deals at investment banks, and the opportunity to invest in the next b

Georgetown McDonough MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Adcom / Zoom

Q1. Tell me something about your hobbies. Q2. Why Georgetown? Q3. Short-term and long-term goals and how Georgetown can help you in reaching them. Q4. Any particular subject that interests you? Why? Q

2019-2022 MBA Job Placement Trends: The Rise and Fall of Tech and the Return to Consulting and Finance

In our previous article, we highlighted the decline in tech industry jobs accepted and the increase in consulting jobs accepted from the Class of 2021 to the Class of 2022 among leading full-time MBA