Business School Admissions: Goizueta Admissions

What is your position on people who apply to the Goizueta MBA program directly out of college?

This is a developing trend that we have been watching closely over the past few years. For many years, we have enrolled JD/MBA and MBA/MPH candidates into our MBA program; typically, these candidates have 0-2 years of work experience. Recently, we have developed an option for our BBA students to apply to Goizueta while they are in their senior year. If admitted, our BBA seniors are required to gain two years of work experience, but they will be able to return to Goizueta once they have that experience.

Our program is small, and entrepreneurial, and we remain open to the possibility that candidates with little to no work experience are admissible to our program on a case-by-case basis. We are looking for quality of experience, and if we can see quality demonstrated, and we can see a track record of success, we will consider admitting a candidate with little work experience. Having said that, MBA recruiters are still most interested in hiring candidates who have at least two years of progressive and meaningful work experience. While there are always exceptions, we recommend that candidates apply after they have gained a few years of substantive full-time work experience; these candidates enroll in an MBA Program with greater career focus and typically have more post MBA job opportunities.


Does race, ethnicity, sex, and cultural background play much of a role in Goizueta admission decisions?

We are committed to helping increase the number of underrepresented minorities in business. Additionally, we are committed to enrolling a diverse class each year. Therefore, these factors do play a role in our admissions decisions. Our commitment to these groups is demonstrated in multiple ways. We are a member of the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management (www.cgsm.org), which provides a common application for diverse students. Additionally, we are a member of the Management for Leadership Tomorrow ( www.ml4t.org), as well as the Forte Foundation (www.fortefoundation.org). In terms of cultural diversity, we travel internationally several times per year to ensure that we can identify, meet, and interview international candidates.


What qualifies as a good letter of recommendation?

A good letter of recommendation is written by someone who knows the candidate and his/her work well, and can write substantively about contributions, leadership examples, and differences of opinion and disappointment. A good letter of recommendation highlights these characteristics through recent examples and is persuasive about a candidate’s ability to be a positive contributor at Goizueta, both inside and outside the classroom.


What is the most common mistake that Goizueta applicants make?

Candidates make two common mistakes. First, they don't visit the schools that they're interested in. It is imperative that they visit schools, attend classes, correspond with and meet students, and look and listen around the halls and building. Second, candidates don't highlight their leadership and accomplishments. Oftentimes, we have to dig through an application to find that someone was a varsity athlete, or the co-founder of a charity or non-profit. Candidates should bring those experiences to the forefront, and they should be prepared to tell demonstrative stories about leadership at work during their interview.


How can an applicant stand out among their peers?

A candidate who stands out typically does three things. First, they start early and they do their research. A great candidate is resourceful in finding the answers/information they need on our website and through our events. Second, a great candidate has made an impact on their community. There are many, many candidates with great jobs and high level responsibilities, but the ones who stand out have great jobs, and they've found something they’re passionate about and they've made a difference. Third, a great candidate has strong interpersonal skills and integrity; this comes through in recommendations, interactions with the candidate, and the interview. We are looking for someone who can come to Goizueta and interact with recruiters, alumni, and other classmates. Someone who identifies him/herself as courteous, appropriate, professional, honest and articulate is someone who we will be excited to welcome to the community.


Why does Goizueta stand out among other business schools?

Our program is small and collaborative, and the community is evident from first glance. Students here are bright and engaging individuals and really believe in the strength of community. They have wonderful leadership instincts but they combine their drive with strong interpersonal skills and a can-do attitude about making things better. Whatever program or initiative we undertake, we do our best and then once it’s finished we ask ourselves, "what can we do better", or "maybe we don’t want to do it again" and try something new. I think that willingness to try new things and take leadership roles to accomplish new initiatives is fully embraced by students, faculty and staff at Goizueta. Additionally, we're focused on holistic leadership. We are experientially teaching students the skills that will help them in their careers/communities for the rest of their lives. Last, we're in a dynamic city for business. Atlanta is experiencing so much influx of business and innovation, and we are exposing our students to that daily. We offer unparalleled access to business leaders, top companies, and unique sectors (such as Real Estate, Media & Entertainment, and Healthcare). Atlanta is a great place to live and work.