Business School Admissions: Goizueta Admissions

Can you provide a general overview of the Goizueta admissions process?

We are unique in that we do not make admissions decisions in Rounds. Rather, we review files on a rolling basis. We do, however, have four deadlines that help candidates plan the timing of their applications. Our first deadline, November 1st, is our early deadline. Applications received complete by this deadline usually receive decisions in 4-6 weeks. Our second deadline is December 15th. We strongly recommend that our international candidates apply by this deadline so that the candidate has enough time to apply for and receive a visa before relocating to the United States. Our scholarship and One-Year MBA deadline are February 1st. This means that each admitted candidate who applies by February 1st is automatically considered for merit based scholarship. For our One-Year candidates, this deadline is important to meet because the program starts in mid-May. Our final deadline is March 1st. We continue to accept applications after the March 1st deadline on a space-available basis.

Our application is on-line. Candidates must submit the on-line application which requires biographical and employment data. They attach their essays and resume on-line as well. GMAT and TOEFL (if required) scores must be sent to us from ETS or Pearson Vue. Transcripts are the only item which must be sent in hard-copy to our office. Recommendations can be submitted on-line or in hard-copy. The interview can be scheduled at any point during the process; in other words, candidates do not need to have an application on file, nor do they need to be invited by us (unless it is after February 1st). We interview candidates all over the world and interviews can be requested by emailing interview@bus.emory.edu. Due to limited availability in some international destinations, candidates may need to submit a resume, GMAT and TOEFL to be considered for a spot. The application is considered complete when all materials (and interview) are received. If a candidate doesn't meet an exact deadline, it will not significantly delay the review of their application file. We are reading files on a rolling basis, and so a candidate who submits a complete application two weeks after one of our deadlines, will typically receive a decision just two weeks later than he/she would have if they had met the deadline.

When we review the application file, the reader, who is a member of the Full-Time Admissions Committee, reads the entirety of the application file, which includes the essays, recommendations, test scores, transcripts and the interview evaluation. The first thing they look at is the academic record, quantitative preparation, and test scores. Once we consider these areas, we evaluate the candidate’s work experience. Has the candidate shown progression in their career, what kinds of tasks and responsibilities have they had, and what were their job accomplishments? Then we ask ourselves: what is this candidate going to add to our program? We care a lot about class interaction and discussions. We then look at extra-curricular activities and leadership. We want to see that they are involved in something outside of themselves. In terms of extra-curricular activities, intellectual pursuits like foreign travel are interesting, but we still want to see something demonstrating involvement and leadership.


Is it better to apply to Goizueta early in the process?

We encourage applicants to apply between November 1 and February 1. Our application deadline for the Two-Year program is March 1st. Candidates who would like to be evaluated for merit-based scholarship must apply by February 1. Strong candidates for our program will be admitted regardless of when they apply, as long as it is before our final deadline. Candidates should remember that after February 1st, interviews are invitation-only.