Prompt: Select ONE essay (from the list of three) that allows you to highlight your experiences, characteristics, and values that showcase the value proposition that you bring to the McDonough community.
Option 1 Prompt: Georgetown McDonough places a strong emphasis on principled leadership, providing both curricular and co-curricular opportunities to strengthen your leadership skills. Describe a time when you have led a team in a professional environment to implement a new idea or process. What leadership characteristics did you utilize? What could you have done to be more effective? And most importantly, what skills will you be able to bring to the teams you lead at McDonough?
(One page, double-spaced, which is about 300-350 words; include the essay prompt and your first and last names at the top of the page.)
The question asked is simple: "Describe when you led a team in a professional environment to implement a new idea or process." The story must have the following three elements:
However, this is Georgetown McDonough, and the question prompt is labeled "Principled Leadership." For McDonough, principled leaders
So, when you answer the question "What leadership characteristics did you utilize?", include aspects of ethical principles being defined and adhered to, promoting honorable conduct, and/or pursuit of an ethical end-state that benefits everyone.
You are also asked to include what you learned about leadership that you will use / have used to be more effective as a team leader; and the leadership skills that you learned that you will bring to McDonough.
This is a lot to include in a very short essay, so every word will count!
Option 2 Prompt: Georgetown McDonough embodies the ethos that people and organizations can and should contribute to the greater good. The admissions committee would like to better understand how you have demonstrated these values during uniquely challenging times. Describe a time where you have put the needs of others ahead of your own or ahead of the bottom line. We look forward to learning more about the challenge you faced, what unique characteristics you brought to that scenario, and what you learned from it.
(One page, double-spaced, which is about 300-350 words; include the essay prompt and your first and last names at the top of the page.)
It is interesting that the prompt specifically asks how you have contributed to the greater good "during uniquely challenging times." This suggests that the story you tell must be related to recent events in some way. The story must have the following elements:
Finally, you are asked to describe what you learned - this should be relevant to your future as an MBA student or business leader.
I believe that McDonough is looking for a story involving an organization, rather than a story of you as an individual putting the good of a singular person ahead of your own.
Option 3 Prompt: Georgetown McDonough is a diverse, global community. We look to understand the contribution that your personal background would make to our community. As appropriate, you may wish to address any obstacles or challenges you have overcome; any educational, familial, cultural, economic, and social experiences that have helped to shape your educational and professional goals; or how your background (e.g. first-generation student, resident outside the U.S.) or activities (e.g. community service and leadership) will contribute to our community.
(One page, double-spaced, which is about 300-350 words; include the essay prompt and your first and last names at the top of the page.)
Describe your personal background (education, family, culture, economic, and/or social). This background should be something that you believe distinguishes you from other candidates.
The essay must contain the following elements:
Again, remember that the purpose of this essay is to highlight your experiences, characteristics, and values.
Specific instructions:
Prompt: Describe the most compelling aspects of yourself that you believe make you unique from other MBA candidates. (Hint: one minute goes fast! We already have your resume and goals – share something new!) Use this video as an opportunity to bring life to your application. The admissions committee would like for you to appear in person during part of your video. We recommend unscripted, conversational videos – help us get to know the real you!
"If I were introducing myself to my peers, my other MBA colleagues, at a networking reception in the first week of class, what would I want them to remember me as, professionally and personally? ... What is something compelling about you that makes you different than the other candidates?" - Shelly Heinrich, Associate Dean, MBA and MS-ESM Admissions
In deciding what the video should be about, consider what information that you have already provided in your application (your resume, your career goals, and your essay) and provide additional information. If you wrote about your personal background in your essay, then in your video you should only address some other aspect of your background.
Keep the focus on yourself, instead of your company and/or industry. If you do talk about something professional, then tell the reader about what you learned from the experience.
Although McDonough asks you to be "unscripted," you have to plan it out in advance, and that means creating a video script (which I will review). It should include a component of you speaking directly to the camera, as required by the essay prompt. Don't do the video at the last minute, because you may need to spend some time on reshoots.
Be real, but not unprofessional. That means putting time and attention into the details. The video can be edited. Take full advantage of the medium. You are bringing "your application to life" in showing how you are unique. When you talk about past experiences or current interests, consider a setting that fits with your words, or props (within reason). I also recommend using a little humor in your video introduction – don't take yourself too seriously.
Although I recommend that you develop a script in advance, memorize it so that you are not obviously reading: the prompt specifically asks for "conversational."
If you are shooting indoors, set up a background that is calm and uncluttered, and make sure that you have good lighting. Try to make the background represent yourself. Make sure that the camera is raised to be centered on your face – you do not want a video shot up your nose.
In this example, the candidate discusses her background and her hobbies. Note that she talks about her international travel, which is important to a school with a global focus like McDonough.
McDonough allows you to edit your video. You can demonstrate your excellent communications skills, and you can spice up your video with photos and videos. Here are two good examples of using photos to illustrate the information presented in just a minute.
When setting up your background, you might consider how your background represents your story, personality, or interests. In this example (from McCombs), the applicant has chosen his background display carefully.
In the next two videos, the applicants showcase their presentation skills, and they use their locations to add to add a little interest to the videos. Of course, if you choose to shoot from an outdoor location, be sure to use the best sound equipment that you can!
In this video, the applicant presents her photos and videos on her tablet, swipe, swipe, swiping away. ... There are a lot of photos, but she stays completely focused on talking directly to the viewer. She shows her confident personality and her presentation skills throughout the video, without a break. This is very, very difficult to do.
The difficulty with creating a video essay is not doing something that has been done too many times before. For example, people often put on and take off hats to show their many "hats" (roles). Similarly, people stand and talk, then put on a hat, or hold up a picture, put that down, pick up something else, put that down, and so forth. Sadly, this has been done too much. So, no hats.
In general, avoid using lots of props. When you use props, make sure that you are still focused on communicating to the audience, and not distracting the audience.
Most videos are not as good as these examples. Even if the video wasn't super-spectacular amazing, the applicant is often still accepted to McDonough, as long as you put some time and thought into it, and show your personality.
Prompt: 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).
Use to address:
Use this essay to turn a potential weakness into a strength. Tell the Admissions Committee what happened and why it happened. Be honest in your self-evaluation. Most importantly, tell them what you have learned from the negative experience, and how this learning has influenced future actions.
Occasionally, applicants have used this essay to provide some interesting fact that has not been provided elsewhere (resume, essay, or video), usually related to international experience.