Meet Georgetown McDonough’s MBA Class of 2017

Lauren Doll 

Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business

Hometown: Downingtown, PA

Undergraduate School and Major: College of William and Mary, BA in International Relations

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

• Volunteer Teacher Trainer, Fundacion Pies Descalzos (2010)
• Teacher & Community Development Coordinator, Centro Cultural Colombo Americano (2011)
• Assistant Country Director, WorldTeach Colombia (2011-2012)
• Knowledge Sharing Specialist/Associate, Training Resources Group, Inc. (2013-2015), Operations Manager (2015)

Recalling your own experience, what advice do you have for applicants who are preparing for either the GMAT or the GRE? I applied to dual degrees (MBA/MPH and MBA/MA) so I took the GRE to accommodate both types of programs. I also took the exam four years ago in the old format and opted not to re-take it so I could spend my time focused on essays and applications.

From my limited memory of when I took them before, I knew my strengths and weaknesses and focused my time on the areas where I needed the most work. I kept vocabulary flashcards with me on the bus and when waiting between meetings. I also made sure to go through all the math concepts so there were no surprises the day of the exam. Start early and practice often.

Based on your own selection process, what advice do you have for applicants who are trying to draw up a list of target schools to which to apply? The most important factors will vary for each person, but make sure you consider location, school specialties, class size, and course selection. Know the course catalogue and the courses in your desired area of interest and make sure there are enough courses relevant to your area to give you the right background. Also, look at the list of companies that come to campus and the average starting salary to make sure you will get out of the program what you expect.

Also, Linkedin is your best friend. Look at where graduates are working from each school you are considering. Conversely, look at the people in jobs that you are interested in and where they went to school. Reach out to graduates from your desired business schools and get inside information about what they see as the program’s advantages and disadvantages.

What advice do you have for applicants in actually applying to a school, writing essays, doing admission interviews, and getting recommenders to write letters on your behalf? Start as early as you can and get as many people to read your essays as you can. Also, use your Linkedin network to reach out to past graduates and get as much insight into the programs as possible. You can use that information not only to narrow down your list of schools, but also to tailor your essays and incorporate into your interviews.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? I knew that my industry (international development) was based in Washington, D.C. and Georgetown had the strongest program and the strongest network in the city and the field. While other programs had higher rankings, Linkedin showed me that the job placement in my field was best at Georgetown.

What would you ultimately like to achieve before you graduate? I have three years for my dual degree program and many goals for that time. I am excited to try out many different types of internships in my industry. One of the reasons I picked a school in DC was so I could also intern during the school year. I also look forward to getting involved in the Global Social Enterprise Initiative, which partners chosen fellows with partner organizations and projects that create economic and social impact, and the Net Impact and Emerging Markets clubs.