UPDATE: This article was originally posted on February 24, 2020. It has been updated with 2023/24 information and tips below.
Located at the center of the US political world yet with a strong focus on global experience, Georgetown McDonough’s full-time and flex MBA programs are increasingly popular among globally-savvy professionals looking to advance their careers.
However, with numerous experiential learning opportunities and a focus on leadership development, the competition to join McDonough’s elite MBA is more difficult than ever.
That’s why we’ve prepared this guide to help you use your McDonough admissions essays to stand out. We’ve rounded up not only our best tips but have also included sample interview questions to ensure you give your McDonough interview your best shot.
How the McDonough interview works
Making sure you shine during your McDonough interview is no easy task.
McDonough interviews are highly personalized. During the interview, the interviewer is also trying to gauge how solid your motivations for wanting to pursue an MBA are, how interested you seem in the McDonough program, and if you have the global mindset needed to thrive in Georgetown’s MBA.
Interviewers often ask many standard MBA interview questions, as well as questions designed to test how collaborative you are. You can also expect numerous follow-up questions throughout the interview.
Our clients who have interviewed with McDonough in the past say that the interviewer was very friendly and demonstrated a genuine interest in their answers. Though questions do tend to focus on standard MBA interview questions (such as your work experience, post-MBA goals, and ability to contribute to McDonough), be ready for anything.
Who will interview you?
You will interview with a member of a small group of alumni who interview applicants on behalf of the admissions committee.
Will the interviewer have read my application?
The McDonough interview is blind, meaning the interviewer will only have access to your CV. This means that you can repeat examples from your essays if you choose to.
How long will the McDonough interview last?
The majority of interview reports indicate that the interview will last no longer than 30 minutes.
Who is McDonough looking for?
(Photo courtesy of @georgetownmcdonough on Instagram)
“The MBA Admissions team recruits diverse, technically strong, and motivated applicants who desire to be principled leaders with a global mindset in service to business and society. We seek diverse, driven critical thinkers who are committed to the transformational educational experience of the Georgetown MBA Program.” Georgetown McDonough Admissions
Every year, McDonough selects a group of talented professionals to join its annual two-year MBA class of 283 students. With a strong emphasis on diversity, there is no “typical” Georgetown student, yet the average admitted student for the Class of 2023 (the last year for which official data is available) has a 695 average GMAT score and 5.5 years of work experience.
Beyond the impressive statistics, though, McDonough is looking for candidates who want to make a positive global impact through their careers. If this sounds like the place for you, make sure to highlight your specific reasons for being passionate about McDonough’s program throughout your admissions interview.
How can you prepare for your McDonough interview?
Though no interview is 100% predictable, McDonough interviews do tend to center around a fairly standard list of MBA interview questions. As such, we have prepared some model questions below that previous candidates have received in their past McDonough interviews.
SAMPLE MCDONOUGH INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
The questions below are drawn from our clients’ interview reports, as well as from sites like clearadmit.com. Though these are not all the potential questions you could possibly receive during your McDonough interview, preparing for these (and any follow-up questions you think you might be asked) should give you a very solid foundation for your interview.
STARTING UP QUESTIONS
- Tell me about yourself. (Expect follow-up questions)
- What do you do in your current job?
- If you were your boss, what is one thing you would change about your company for your current employees?
- Why did you choose your university?
- What was your undergraduate experience like?
- Where do you think your industry is headed in the next 5-10 years?
- What are your short-term and long-term career goals?
- Name three firms you would like to work at after your MBA.
- Why did you quit your previous job?
- Why do you want an MBA?
- What factors were you looking for when you considered which MBA programs to apply to?
- Why now?
- Why McDonough?
- What will you bring to McDonough?
- What excites you the most about McDonough?
- What other schools have you applied to?
- If you are offered admission, what barriers would prevent you from joining McDonough as a student?
- Have you visited campus? Spoken with alumni?
LEADERSHIP & TEAMWORK
- Tell me about a time you had a conflict with someone at work. How did you resolve it? What did you learn?
- Tell me about one instance when you disagreed with your boss and how you handled the situation
- What is your leadership style?
- Please tell me about a time you led a team.
- To you, what does teamwork mean?
- Can you please tell me about a time you were part of a global team?
- What are the main strengths and weaknesses you bring to a team setting?
- Tell me about a time you faced a team challenge. How did you overcome it?
- Tell me about a time you led a project that didn’t go so well. If you had to do it over again, what would you do differently?
MISCELLANEOUS BEHAVIORAL
- Tell me an example of when things didn’t work out as you planned.
- Tell me about a time when you were pushed to your limits at work.
- How would your friends describe you?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- Tell me about a time you worked with someone who had a different background from your own.
- Please tell me about a time you took initiative.
- If I spoke to your boss, what 3 words would he use to describe you?
- Tell me about a time you traveled abroad for work.
- Tell me about a time you faced adversity. How did you overcome it?
CLOSING
- Is there anything else you would like us to know about you?
- Tell me one thing about you that is not mentioned anywhere else in your application.
- Is there anything you wish I had asked you?
- Questions for me?
We have found that answering real interview questions on the spot is a much better means of preparation than reading lists of interview questions for most candidates.
We highly suggest you take a look at mock interview questions and sample interview responses before your interview.
Our MBA Resource Center has dozens of real interview mocks from McDonough, as well as detailed guides to help you prepare for questions ranging from “Why our MBA program?” to “Tell us about a time you failed.
The Ellin Lolis Consulting MBA Resource Center is your one-stop shop to interview success. Click to join!
If you’re still not quite confident with your interview skills, our interview experts can help you craft your answers or prepare you for the Georgetown McDonough interview through mock interviews tailored to your profile.
What to do if you get a question you haven’t prepared an answer for
Despite your most diligent preparation, you will almost always receive a question you had not prepared.
First, stay calm and take a deep breath. You have already made it this far in the process, and one question will not trip you up!
Second, make sure you directly answer the question the interviewer asked you. For example, if the interviewer asks you about a time you had to deal with a difficult manager, make sure to tell a story about a difficult manager and how you handled the situation.
If you’re having trouble thinking of an answer or an example to support your answer, however, take a drink of water to give yourself a few more minutes to think. If you really can’t think of an example from your personal or professional experience, you can use a hypothetical answer about how you would act in a certain situation.
Finally, assume that the interviewer is testing how you think on your feet and respond to questions you didn’t prepare in advance. Though your answer might not be as polished as if you’d had weeks to rehearse it, smile and confidently respond to show you can handle any question they throw at you.
Practice makes perfect!
You have stressed about every aspect of your MBA application, and now you are ready for your interview! With the right preparation, this can be your chance to shine and get a highly-coveted spot at an elite business school.
However, maybe you don’t know where to start in preparing, or maybe you tend to ramble on and lose focus during interviews. Maybe you’ve even downloaded sample questions and written out your answers. The problem is, when you try to apply these templates to your own story, it doesn’t quite work.
Our interview prep focuses on helping you determine how to present yourself during your MBA interview while using appropriate, impact-driven language without being artificial, or worse, robotic.
Our individual approach is why 98.9% of our clients secure admissions to at least one of their target schools.
Want to put the Ellin Lolis advantage to work for you? Schedule your preparation session with our team of interview experts today!
Real MBA Essays That Got People In
School-specific sample essays that got our clients accepted
