After working in various marketing roles in the travel and hospitality industry, Alina Rosenthal (McDonough, ‘22) decided to pursue an MBA to broaden her career opportunities, and ultimately decided to enroll at the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business. During this interview, Alina spoke about her journey to deciding to pursue an MBA, why she chose Georgetown, and her advice to prospective MBA applicants.
Name: Alina Rosenthal
Year: 2022
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
Career Interests: Marketing
MBASchooled: What did you do before business school, and why did you choose to apply?
Prior to business school I worked in various marketing roles at Hilton corporate. I had always known I wanted to go back to school and get my MBA so that I could not only take my marketing skills to the next level but also so I could improve my overall business leadership skills and knowledge. With the global pandemic’s significant impact on the hospitality industry I identified Fall 2020 as the best time to go back to school and invest in my professional career.
MBASchooled: When did you find out when you got admitted? How did you navigate your decision process if you were evaluating multiple schools?
I received a phone call from the administration one morning notifying me of my admission and I was so ecstatic! I had only applied to one MBA program and therefore, I had a simple decision to make when choosing Georgetown.
MBASchooled: What were the most important questions you asked in order to help make your admissions decision?
When making my admissions decision I asked the two questions. Do companies that I want to work at recruit at this school? Do I feel that the environment and culture of the program will challenge me to grow personally and professionally?
MBASchooled: What sources of information (ex: people, resources, websites, students) did you evaluate when making your admissions decision?
I used the many MBA admissions blogs to do research on which schools would be the best fit for me. I looked at rankings, culture, and which companies recruit for marketing at each school. Once I narrowed down my school choices, I contacted alumni of all the MBA programs I was interested in so I could hear first-hand about each program. At the end of the day, my conversations with Georgetown alumni were the key indicator to me that Georgetown would be my best fit.
MBASchooled: After spending a semester at Georgetown, what’s something that you now know about Georgetown that you wish you knew when you applied ?
Georgetown is known for encouraging collaborative learning. Unlike my undergraduate experience a lot of the learning I am doing is from my peers. I really enjoy collaborative learning and I wish this was highlighted more in the information sessions about the program.
MBASchooled: Who did you talk to that was most helpful in learning information to help you make a decision? What questions did you ask?
I found that talking to current students and recent alumni was the most helpful in learning information to help make a decision. I asked questions about the program and curriculum, the experience transitioning from in-person to virtual, and the companies that recruit at Georgetown.
MBASchooled: Oftentimes, the word “culture” gets thrown around when talking about MBA programs. Can you characterize the culture at Georgetown? Can you share an example of an experience that you think personifies what this means?
Georgetown being a Jesuit institution values giving back to the community and to others and therefore,the culture at Mcdonough is extremely service oriented. Although my experience has been fully virtual, the service oriented culture is still very much present and alive within the MSB student community. Before the semester started, I was matched with a second year to help guide me through the unknowns of business school. Having a student who was willing, able, and eager to help me adjust to my first semester of business school personifies the value that students at McDonough place on being in service to others..
MBASchooled: Now that you’ve been at Georgetown for a semester, is there a specific moment or highlight where you felt confident that you made the right decision?
At first I was extremely overwhelmed and I was not sure I would be able to handle both the class work and recruitment. However, when I was extended my first internship offer my confidence in myself was restored and I knew I would be able to not only handle the demands of business school and that I had made the right choice to go back to school.
MBASchooled: What advice do you have for admitted students on how they can make the best decision?
My advice to admitted students is to evaluate schools by evaluating how the school meets both your cultural and community needs along with your professional goals. I truly believe that the right fit has a balance of both!