Application Components

Students in the Georgetown McDonough MBA programs, whether they are Full-time, Flex, or Flex Online, come from a wide variety of educational fields of study and professional industries. Our class profiles offer an overview of our most recent cohorts of MBA students in the Full-time, Flex, and Flex Online programs.

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MBA Application Process

The Georgetown MBA application process requires thorough review of each applicant’s submitted components. The process follows a standard order of operations.

• Submit completed application: Gather all required application components and submit before your selected application round deadline.
• Admissions review: Each element of your application is carefully and holistically reviewed by the Admissions Committee to learn about you as a student, a professional, and as a community member.
• Interview: Interviews are invitation only and are another way for you to showcase your fit for the Georgetown MBA program.
• Receive your decision: Unless additional materials are required by the Admissions Committee, you should receive a decision regarding your admittance by the indicated decision notification deadline. Those who have been accepted into the program will receive information regarding deposit deadlines and pre-arrival to-dos.

Application Deadlines

The application portal to apply for fall 2025 will open in the coming weeks.

The MBA Admissions Team understands that many of you are eager to apply. In the meantime, we highly encourage you to prepare your components to ensure a smooth application process. Please continue to check this page periodically for updated details.

*To formally accept an offer of admission, two, non-refundable $2,000 deposits ($4,000 total) are required to reserve your seat in the class.

Early Action Application Deadline

The Early Action round is for those wanting to signal that Georgetown is their first choice and are ready to make a binding commitment to Georgetown’s MBA program. This includes making a binding agreement to attend Georgetown and to withdraw competing applications, as well as not submitting any new applications. Doing so will allow an early decision to allow for advanced planning.

As a further incentive, the Dean’s Fellowship is only offered to Early Action candidates. Additional details and information are forthcoming on the Dean’s Scholarship. Please continue to check this page periodically for updated details. 

Note for international candidates: Those requiring an F-1 visa to study at Georgetown McDonough are encouraged to apply in Early Action, Round 1, or Round 2 to allow sufficient time for I-20 processing.

Application Components

Preparing your MBA application can be a lengthy process. That is why we’ve carefully chosen our admissions components so you only have to submit one written essay, one video essay, one letter of recommendation, and unofficial documents to apply.

The Admissions Committee reviews completed applications that include the components listed below. Please allow several weeks after the application deadline for your application materials to be processed and for our team to update your application status online. Decisions are released through your online application by the published notification date.

• Application Form
• Test score and test waiver policies
• Transcripts
• Essays
• Resume
• Recommendation
• Application Fee
• Interview (invitation only)
• International applicants
• Re-applicants

Policies

• Applicants who would like to be considered for multiple MBA programs must submit separate applications with a different email address for each program.
• Please note that the Flex MBA Online (FXO) program is strictly for students who reside in time zones that are +/- 3 hours of Eastern Time. This program sponsors F-1 visas only for the in-person residency when students are required to come to the Washington, D.C. campus for classes. Work is not allowed. FXO class times are set to be held on weekdays between 6:30-9:20 pm ET (except for required in-person residencies on our Washington, D.C. campus and the Global Business Experience). If you are admitted to and enroll in FXO, you are expected to attend classes online between these times from any time zone that is +/-3 hours of Eastern Time.
• Your online application must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. ET on the deadline date. Applications that are received after the deadline will be considered for the next admissions round.
• Documents submitted to the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business become the property of Georgetown University and will not be returned to the applicant.
• Should you be admitted, you will receive a conditional offer and will be required to mail all original/official copies of each application document (test scores, transcripts, degree certificates) to the Admissions Office. Discrepancies between self-reported/unofficial documents and official records may result in an admissions offer being rescinded.
• If any application materials are found to be forged, falsified, or altered in any way, the university will notify all relevant officials, including the individual or institution issuing the document and, as appropriate, immigration officers. If an offer of admission has been made, it may be rescinded.
• If you are a visually-impaired applicant and need an accessible application, please contact us at georgetownmba@georgetown.edu and we’d be happy to assist.

Application Form

All applications must be submitted through our online application by creating your application account. If you are a visually-impaired applicant and need an accessible application, please contact us at georgetownmba@georgetown.edu. We would be happy to assist.

Test Score Requirements

Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) / Graduate Record Exam (GRE)/Executive Assessment

Scores accepted to the Full-time MBA Program  include:

• GMAT, GRE, Executive Assessment (valid scores, taken within the last five years)
• Expired GMAT/GRE scores
• Applicants who meet the necessary criteria may apply with a test waiver. PLEASE NOTE: For additional dates and details for the Full-time Test Waiver Application during each application round, please view the policy page

Scores accepted to the Flex MBA Program and Flex MBA Online Program include:

• GMAT, GRE, Executive Assessment (valid scores, taken within the last five years)
• Expired GMAT/GRE scores
• LSAT, MCAT, and PCAT
• Applicants who meet the necessary criteria may apply with a test waiver

Scores accepted to the MAAP MBA Program include:

• GMAT, GRE

To complete your application, you must upload an unofficial, scanned copy of your test score directly into the online application. Official scores only need to be submitted if you are admitted to the program. 

GMAT Program Codes

• Full-time MBA Program: JT7-G0-20
• Flex MBA Program: JT-G0-64

If you would like to test your GMAT skills prior to taking the test, take this GMAT mini quiz.

GRE Program Code

• Full-time and Flex MBA Programs: 7821

Executive Assessment

• The Executive Assessment is specifically designed to evaluate the business school readiness of seasoned professionals. The assessment focuses on skills that are critical both at work and in a professional MBA program: higher-order reasoning, critical thinking, analysis, and problem-solving. Because it was designed specifically for experienced professionals, it requires modest preparation, takes only 90 minutes to complete, and includes flexible rescheduling options. The test is administered by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), creators of the GMAT® exam. Learn more about the Executive Assessment by visiting gmac.com/ea.

International applicants are required to submit additional application components.

Transcripts

You are required to hold a four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university or an equivalent degree from a foreign country. To complete your application, you must upload unofficial transcripts for all academic coursework you have taken directly into the online application. Please make sure each transcript document includes:

• Course names
• All grades received (including transfer credits and study abroad programs)
• Cumulative GPA
• Degree conferral information
• Grading scale
  • For more information on how to submit your grading scale, please view our Grade Scale Guide. 
• Degree certificate (international applicants only)
  • For more information on submitting your degree certificate, please view our Diploma Guide. 

Official transcripts should only be submitted if you are admitted to the program. 

Fall 2025 Essays

We want to hear your story. When responding to our required essays, be authentic and take time to reflect on your goals and past experiences. Craft a response that explains how these experiences led you to pursue an MBA. 

Personal 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.

• 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 – Cura Personalis
  As the oldest Jesuit institution in the United States, cura personalis is a Latin phrase deeply ingrained within our community and translates to “care of the person.” It encompasses a profound sense of care and responsibility for one another, rooted in personalized attention to each individual’s needs, unique circumstances, gifts, and limitations, fostering the growth of each person. Please reflect on a specific instance where you exemplified cura personalis by supporting a teammate or coworker. Describe the particular actions you took to guide them, and explain the impact of these efforts. Additionally, discuss how you would leverage these experiences to contribute to the collaborative environment at Georgetown McDonough.
• Essay Option Three – Achieving Excellence
  Georgetown McDonough is committed to achieving greater excellence to enrich the legacies of our students and alumni. Please reflect on a professional experience from your resume where you achieved outstanding results. Describe why this experience exemplified excellence, highlight the strengths or skills you utilized that contributed to this achievement, and share how these qualities will help you leave a legacy at Georgetown.

Video Essay

We believe a vibrant community is built on diverse and unique individuals, and we want you to bring your whole self to Georgetown McDonough. We’ve learned about your professional and leadership qualities throughout the application, but now we want to know more about you beyond work. Whether it’s a new hobby, a fun adventure, or a simple pleasure, in one minute, share what has recently brought you joy outside of work.

Video Guidelines

• 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.
• Please adhere to the time guideline of one minute.
• 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]  

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).

Resume

How have you progressed in your career and made an impact in your organization? Use this component of the application process to clearly outline your professional experience and accomplishments. Upload a current resume that corresponds to the information submitted in the “Employment” section of your online application. Your resume should clearly identify part-time and internship experience, as well as months and years in each position. 

Recommendation

Only one recommendation is required for the Georgetown MBA application. We are interested in gaining insight from someone who can objectively evaluate your professional performance as well as managerial and leadership potential. We discourage letters from university faculty, family members, and additional letters of recommendation. A current supervisor is strongly preferred for Full-time MBA applicants and required of Flex MBA and Flex MBA Online applicants. 

To complete the recommendation requirement, your recommender is required to submit a recommendation form. Your recommender will receive this form and detailed instructions once you complete the “Recommendations” section of your application. We recommend allowing your recommender at least one week to complete the form. Your recommender is welcome to attach a letter or Common Letter of Recommendation (LOR) at the bottom of this form. 

Application Fee

You are required to submit a $175 non-refundable application fee, payable online via credit card. We are unable to accept personal checks and money orders.

You may receive an application fee waiver if you belong to one of the following groups. Waivers will be applied automatically when you submit your application.

• Active duty, reservists, or veterans of the United States military
• Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) Fellows
• Forté MBA Launch participants
• Members of the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management (CGSM)
• Current and returned Peace Corps Volunteers
• AmeriCorps and Teach for America participants or alumni
• Re-applicants
• Admit.Me Fellows
• Citizens of countries on the United Nations’ list of least developed countries
• Applicants applying to more than one Georgetown MBA program (Full-time MBA, Flex MBA, and Flex MBA Online programs)*

*Fee waiver only applied to an applicant’s 2nd and 3rd applications. Prior to submitting these applications, please email GeorgetownMBA@georgetown.edu for further instructions.

You automatically qualify for a reduced application fee of $100 if you meet the criteria below:

• Members of Forté
• U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents who earn less than $30,000 per year
• Non-U.S. Citizens who earn less than $15,000 per year in U.S. dollars

Attendees of an event listed below will be eligible to receive an application fee reduction code for the current application cycle. Instructions will be sent via email within three business days of the event. Please apply this code when you complete the application and the reduction will be applied to your account. Only one application fee reduction code may be applied.

• Experience Georgetown Information Session or class visit between July 2024 and June 2025
• On-campus or Virtual MBA Information Session
• Focus on Diversity
• Flex MBA Preview Day

If you have already applied or are applying through the Consortium, then we regrettably cannot refund the amount of the application fee waiver or reduction. 

If you are currently furloughed or laid off due to unforeseen national economic circumstances, please reach out to georgetownmba@georgetown.edu for information about application fee waivers.

Interview

Interviews are offered by invitation only. Invitations to interview are extended following each application deadline and will continue up until the decision release date. Additionally, waitlist candidates may be invited to interview after initial decisions are released.

Re-applicants

If you submitted an application and received a final decision for the Georgetown MBA Program within the last year and would like to reapply, please email the MBA Admissions Office at georgetownmba@georgetown.edu to reset your application account. Please include “Application Reset Request” in the subject line of the email. You will not be able to access the new application until this is completed.

As a re-applicant, you will need to submit the following information:

• A new application
• Test score and test waiver policies (view specific program requirements)*
• Transcripts
• Essays (including the re-applicant essay)
• Updated resume
• An updated recommendation

We are happy to offer our reapplicants the following benefits:

• An application fee waiver
• Personalized coaching between application cycles
• The opportunity to reuse your previous application essays and video essay, as long as they are still relevant and accurate for your MBA candidacy

International Applicants

Students who have attended or graduated from a non-U.S. college or university must submit their academic documents according to World Education Services (WES) standards, as described below.

• Academic transcripts must list the course name and grades received
• A diploma/degree certificate that shows the date that the degree was conferred
• An official grading scale of the academic institution

If your academic documents are in a language other than English, you must submit the certified translation as well as the original documentation for review. Once admitted and prior to matriculating into the program, translators are required to send our office both the original documentation and certified translation in a sealed envelope. Your translator should certify that the original documentation was received in a sealed envelope from the institution.

*Time Zone Verification: The Flex MBA Online (FXO) program is strictly for students who reside in time zones that are +/- 3 hours of Eastern Time. This program sponsors F-1 visas. Work is not allowed. FXO class times are set to be held on weekdays between 6:30-9:20 pm ET (except for required in-person residencies on our Washington, D.C. campus and the Global Business Experience). If you are admitted to and enroll in FXO, you are expected to attend classes online between these times from any time zone that is +/-3 hours of Eastern Time.

Demonstration of English Language Proficiency

Applicants who fit the criteria below are required to upload an unofficial English Language Proficiency Exam score report to the online application.

• Non U.S. citizens
• Non U.S. permanent residents
• Applicants who have not obtained a four-year or advanced degree from a university where the only primary medium of instruction was English

You may choose from one of the following three exams to demonstrate your level of competence in English.

• TOEFL – The minimum required score is 250 (computer-based) or 100 (internet-based). Your test result must not be more than two years old. If you are admitted to the program, official scores must be sent directly from ETS to Georgetown University MBA Admissions using ETS Code Number: 5781.
  • We now accept MyBest Scores. Test dates on your MyBest Scores report that are older than two years are expired and not valid. All dates must be valid.
  • We accept the TOEFL iBT at Test Centers or Home Edition (please note we do NOT accept the TOEFL Essentials at this time)
• IELTS – We accept only academic module results; the minimum required score is 7. Your test result must not be more than two years old. If you are admitted to the program, official scores must be sent directly from Cambridge (IELTS) to Georgetown University MBA Admissions.
• PTE – The minimum required score is 68. Your test result must not be more than two years old. If you are admitted to the program, official scores must be sent directly from Pearson Vue to Georgetown University MBA Admissions.

*Time Zone Verification: The Flex MBA Online (FXO) program is strictly for students who reside in time zones that are +/- 3 hours of Eastern Time. This program sponsors F-1 visas. Work is not allowed. FXO class times are set to be held on weekdays between 6:30-9:20 pm ET (except for required in-person residencies on our Washington, D.C. campus and the Global Business Experience). If you are admitted to and enroll in FXO, you are expected to attend classes online between these times from any time zone that is +/-3 hours of Eastern Time.

MBA Advanced Access Program

Georgetown McDonough is excited to invite you to participate in our new MBA Advanced Access Program (MAAP), which allows those in their final year of undergraduate or graduate school who have not previously had professional full-time work experience to apply for deferred enrollment into our Full-time MBA Program.

During your deferral period you will gain access to select speakers and events and have the opportunity to engage and learn more about our community.

MAAP Application Deadline

The deadline to apply is with our Round 3 deadline of April 2, 2025, only after which your application will be reviewed. The initial deposit is $500. Each following year until matriculation, you will be asked to reconfirm that you meet enrollment requirements and make any subsequent deposits.

Application Workshop

This virtual workshop provides an in-depth look at the Georgetown MBA application process. Associate Director of MBA admissions Glen Nuenighoff offers tips on how to best prepare the application components.

Watch Application Workshop